revenge, and so conscious were they of having justly provoked it. However, months passed away, and the fever of fear gradually abated, which the arrival of a Great Stranger accelerated, particularly as it appeared that no notice was likely to be taken by the Samaritans, or even the Iberian government; trade was therefore commenced with confidence, and the Strangers' vessel was again sent to sea, with her former commander.

Notwithstanding, it was generally supposed that the affair had entirely passed over, the Strangers vainly deceived themselves. Soon after this vessel, with her bold commander, had been at sea, she was met with by a vessel of Iberia, when he and his crew experienced the fall measure of that revenge which they had so long dreaded. They had now fallen into the lion's mouth. It was generally believed, that the punishment the commander received, was the loss of his eyes before his death. What became of him or the crew, has never been correctly ascertained, none of them having returned to tell the tale, although report said that the vessel was sunk. One of the crew, who had assisted in the affair of Don Miguel, escaped this time from not being on board when the vessel fell in with the Iberians, and it is remarkable that he was the man who fired the shot, by which Don Miguel fell: but it was only for a brief period that his life was thus spared. Perhaps for a brief period, the revenge of the Iberians will not be satiated without another victim, and murmur was rife, that the caution of the Great Stranger himself in visiting the various parts of the colony, by land or canoes in the rivers, when his duty calls him, is not without reason!

A native of one of the neighbouring towns for some cause or other lately took refuge in Monrovia, on which his chief sent a message to demand his return. The reply sent to him was, that the man was in a free country, and that it would not be permitted. The chief had not the means to enforce his claim, and he was obliged to submit. Some months afterwards, one of the people of Liberia, previously captured from the natives, thought proper to leave this land of liberty, and took refuge under the same chief. An order was sent forthwith to him to deliver him up as he was a runaway slave. It is a general custom amongst the natives of Africa to shelter all their countrymen claiming protection, and consequently the chief returned the following answer, "You have set me an example, by keeping one of my people some time since, and I shall follow it at present, but if you will send my man back, your's shall be returned." This very natural reply so insulted and wounded the pride and consequence of these new masters of African soil, that without further intimation, war was declared, and an expedition immediately fitted out, and thus the favourite pursuit of

extermination was carried on. The system adopted is most favorable to the instigators of this mode of civilization, as those are placed foremost in the affray, and thereby certain to reap the full benefit of their position, while the principals retain their honorable post in the rear. How well this expedition succeeded, and the result of it, is in the Liberia Herald of May, 1832; but the concluding paragraph speaks volumes as to the future conduct of the Strangers towards the unhappy natives. The person alluded to in the above-mentioned letter, "that was shot by the natives, and so sincerely regretted," is the very man who murdered the unfortunate Don Miguel, a retributive justice overtook him, and he fell by the weapon which he had chosen.

But it is painful to see falsehood and misrepresentation fostered by a plan of systematic deception, and growing luxuriantly in the chosen soil, passing through the books of the Samaritans to prey on the credulity and feelings of the sons of freedom, inducing them under the laudable intention of civilizing the real native Africans to contribute large riches for that purpose; but which riches are perverted from their real object, absorbed by adventurers in ridding the Samaritans of the coloured people, of whom they live in fear, and transporting them to African soil there to tyrannize over the native Africans. Can any instance of kindness towards the natives be produced? What African that has received any instruction or benefit from these new masters, and has he not received curses and stripes? Let those who doubt it enquire, let those Philanthropists who really feel a true interest for the well-being of the poor, defenceless, and oppressed Africans, let them enquire before they appropriate part of those riches, which will in all probability be applied to support a system, the object, and most certainly the result of which will be to add tenfold oppression upon the heads of those whose condition they profess to ameliorate and improve. Let them employ a part of those riches in sending a person properly qualified to sift the subject with energy throughout. If they will do so, he will be sent out without charge by an individual who possesses a right feeling for the distressed situation in which the native Africans are now placed by their tyrannical masters; and every attention would be paid to his health and comfort, while making himself thoroughly acquainted with the merits of this interesting subject, one in which deception has been, and is still going on to a degree rarely equalled.

The extent of territory at present called Liberia, (nearly the whole of which has been forcibly taken from the natives,) reaches from Cape Mesurada south-eastwards to the Junk River, a distance on the line of coast of about twenty miles; and about ten miles in an opposite direction N. W. to a place called Digby, and from the coast inland it reaches about fifteen miles. It also includes about four or five miles on the right

bank of the river St. John, and a small detached situation on Cape Mount. The two last mentioned places have been lately purchased, and are in fact the only parts of the coast ever occupied by the Strangers with the consent of the natives, all the rest having been forced from them. It is a fact beyond dispute, that the above extent is the whole at present held by the settlers, the number of whom does not exceed four thousand souls, notwithstanding the assertions lately made to the contrary.

It may be asked by what means such a system of misrepresentation has been so long and so successfully carried on without detection, when it is considered the greatest part has been promulgated by means of the Samaritans, whose object is to get rid of their coloured population. It is not marvellous that Englishmen who have written on the subject have been deceived by their plausible statements: and even the outward manners of the Liberians themselves, are manners which are likely to impose on a transient observer. First.-The Sabbath-day is to outward appearance kept with all due solemnity by a regular attendance at prayers at stated times; the houses of trade are closely shut up, neither is any mention made of business, so rigidly are the forms of religion observed. Second. Their habitations being much neater, and their villages laid out with some pretensions to regularity, make a far superior appearance to those of the natives, whose villages are meanly constructed of bamboo, and huddled together in confusion. ThirdA great number of the Strangers having received a tolerable education in the Samaritans' land, and several having been brought up in genteel families, assume the air and manners of their ci-devant masters: visitors are also received with a shew of hospitality, and invited to inspect their villages, which exhibit the same superior marks of cultivation, and without making any enquiry of the miserable looking owners of the soil, they have given flattering accounts of civilization, including in one burst of encomium and admiration the whole inhabitants, when in point of fact, a greater contrast of comfort and misery could not he pro➡ duced in any country, Ireland excepted. It may be further observed, that the only class of visitors hitherto seen in that country are naval officers, and those of trading vessels, the former having been hospitably treated, and having no specific object to make particular enquiry, have formed their opinions from what they have been told, and not from attentive observation on their own part. The other class merely attend to their business, and trade where interest brings them; which business being finished they depart on their voyage without either feeling or enquiring into the miserable state of the natives. It must not be for gotten however, that some among the Strangers feel themselves free men,—are comfortable; and their situation is no doubt materially im

proved by the change. They will, perhaps, say, they feel themselves relieved from their former station of inferiority so general in the land of the Samaritans, a station in which they were heavily burthened, and that it is now for the first time that they have ever breathed the air of freedom and equality. But at the same time they assume a more than ordinary proportion of that superiority towards their ignorant neighbours, and readily follow the example set them in the early and present system of the lands they came from, in a progressive warfare of extermination, as the Indians of that land have experienced to their cost.

Lastly, the native Africans are without hope of freeing themselves by their own feeble means from the further tyranny of the 4,000 Liberians, with their superior means of attack and defence, which means are employed at pleasure, in the full assurance that no one will call them to account for their conduct. Africa by this is looked on as a conquered country, and one which no one will take the trouble to defend.

There are but few checks to the rapid increase of unprincipled men: one here is a great mortality on their passage out and after their arrival. In some cargoes, as much as 70 or 80 have fallen victims, the climate being so fatal to their constitutions. Another is the want of riches, to send them from the shores of the Samaritans. But this latter want has lately been amply met by the mistaken, but philanthropic feeling of the benevolent people of England! One hope, and one only remains, for these unhappy and much abused Africans, which is, that their cause should be espoused by their real friends in Great Britain, and that they be rescued from their present state of tyranny, ere it be too late.

It is not intended by the foregoing remarks to insinuate that the new coloured settlers are discontented with their situation, or that they generally express any wish to return whence they came; -on the contrary they feel more independent, and in fact really are too much so. They observe rigidly all the outward forms of religion, and pretend to a great share of sound morality; they express great anxiety to have their children educated, to live in a comparatively civilized state; they affect a great deal of consequence and shew, exhibiting much finery in their furniture, as well as in their apparel,-but all this only regards themselves, not one solitary thought is ever given to the situation of their neighbours, the poor natives whom they have dispossessed of their country, and whom they drive away from their territory for their own accommodation. In the publications of the Great Strangers, the condition of the native Africans is never mentioned or thought of as if they may be driven away from their homes like bullocks from a field, to make way for the new comers without any consideration! These prints would persuade their readers that the poor Africans are quite

indifferent as to their present situation, and even confidently state that the Liberians have been invited among them. But this is totally owing, as well as the assertion that they are contented that the new comers should occupy their country. Nor did they give them possession of that country voluntarily. It has been obtained from them by stratagem, or wrested from them by force. In fact the natives do not mix with the Liberians, they do not consider themselves bound by their laws, and do not obey them unless by force to do so, and they are in every respect a distinct people. They do not even intermarry with them, nor admit the children into their schools, nor in any way attempt their improvement, and the whole drift of their policy is to keep them as much at a distance as possible, to secure their own benefit without the least consideration as to the extent of misery produced to the natives.

THE OLD BAHAMA CHANNEL IN A HURRICANE. LUCKLESS indeed must be that vessel which is caught in the Old Bahama Channel by a hurricane! It is, however, probable that when the nature of these storms becomes more generally known and understood, few British seamen will be found fool-hardy enough to attempt running through this passage during the hurricane season, but rather take the outer one round Cape Antonio to the Havana.

The chances would be a hundred to one against the preservation of any vessel that should be overtaken whilst on the north coast of Cuba by one of these furious tempests, act how she may. To run on the Great Bank of Bahama, if it could be accomplished, would be very questionable in its result; but, it is highly probable that if practicable at all, it could be effected only from the western side of the channel, where if a vessel happened to be at the onset of the storm, her best plan would be to bear away westward if the wind would admit of her doing so, and run into the Havana could she manage that point.

It is not improbable that, in some instances, the northern margin of a meteor may merely brush the Old Channel, in a progressive course to the W.N.W., then, indeed, a vessel might take advantage of the circumstance, should the commander be able to judge of that course, and run away under poles, with the easterly wind to the north-westward upon the bank, and get clear of the storm altogether; but there can be no certainty of a conjecture as to the line pursued by it, being correct; and if the progression happened to be to the N.W. it is clear that the vessel would be running with the storm. Again, if a meteor be progressing to the N.W. and a ship in the Old Channel gets the first wind of the storm from the west, the body of the circle will be to the northward of her position, and she will be south of the axis of rotation; ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 9.-VOL. FOR 1840.

4 M