The Press. — London, England, 1856-07-19 00:00:00

JULY 19, 1856. has many good qualities. Mr. Wilson, from his eighteen years' residence in Africa, has claims to be heard with attention : Naturally the African is social, generous, and confiding. ..... No one can live among them without being impressed with their natural energy of character; th it shrewdness and close observation They have long since risen above the hunter life; they have fixed habitations, cultivate the soil for the means of subsistence, have herds of domestic animals, construct for themselves houses which are sufficient to protect them alike from the scorching heat of the sun and the chilly damps of night; they show a turn for the mechanic arts, and in the fabrication of implements of warfare and articles of ornament they display surprising skll ; and, at the same time, they evince not only a decided taste, but an equal ap• titude for commercial pursuits. As we see them in their native country, they show none of that improvidence or want of foresight for which they have alm3at become pro verbial in this country, which shows that circumstances here have made them what they are in this respect. They plant their crops with particular reference to the seasons of the year, and they store away provisions for their future wants with as much regularity as any people in the world, so that times of scarcity and want are less frequent among them than among others who pretend to a much higher degree of civilisation. The direct proofs of the capacity of the Africans to receive civilisation aro numerous ard con vincing. We do not lay so much stress on the progress made by Sierra Leone—though it has been wonderful—as on the advance made by some African communities comparatively free from European control. The history of Abeokuta is striking:— About thirty years ago a few small, and almost despond ing tribes or bands, that were constantly annoyed and threatened by the slave-hunts carried on in the country, betook themselves to a notable cavern near the banks of the Ogun, and about seventy-five miles from the seacoast, as a place of safety anti refuge from their enemies. In the course of time they were joined hi others in the same circumstances, and they leagued together for their mutual defence. At first they were feeble, were afraid to venture far from their place of concealment, and were compelled to feed upon berries, roots, and such articles of food as they could pick up about their lurking•place. As they increased in numbers, however, they engaged in agriculture and built themselves houses, and under the guidance of an excellent and liberal-minded man by the Paine of Shodeke, all these various bands, of which it is said that there were the rem nants of one hundred and thirty towns, were consolidated into one Government. They continued to increase until 1853, twenty-eight years from its commencement, when it is said that their population amounted to 80,000 ; by some it has been estimated at 150,000. The place received the name of Understone, or Abeokuta, in honour of the cavern where the first pioneers found a shelter and a place of con cealment. Perhaps there is no spot in the whole heathen world where the cause of Christianity and civilisation has made more steady or rapid progress than here during the last twelve or fifteen years. One of the most remarkable men connected with this enterprise is a man of the name of Crowther (in the Yoruba language he was called Idgai). He was a native of the country, and was embarked as a slave on board of a slaver at Badagry, in 1822. This vessel was captured by a man-of•war, and taken to Sierra Leone. Here he received a good education, was ctuverted, and became a minister of the Gospel. He was among the first to return to his native country and hoist the Christian banner iu this dark portion of the earth, and has ever since been one of the most effective members of the missionary band. He still remains in this good work, and is now la boriously engage , l in translating the Bible into the Yourba language. He found his own mother and several of his sisters here, and has since had the great satisfaction of seeing them become humble followers of the Lord Jesus. Crowther is a very uncommon man, both on account of his eminent piety and his high intellectual qualifications ; and his history, in some of its particulars, reminds one of many incidenst in the lives both of Joseph and Moses. His attainments in learning furnish a happy illustration of the capacity of the negro for improvement, and the high and honourable destiny which awaits his country when it is brought under the influence of Christianity and civilisation. The defeat of the desperate attempt made by the King of Dahomy to conquer the settle ment shows the vitality inherent in it. The experiment—for at first it was no more —of Liberia is answering well. The popula tion of the settlement is now estimated at 8,000. Monrovia, the capital, has about 1,500 inhabitants : Monrovia, the principal and largest town in the republic, will compare without disadvantage, in general appearance, with most of the inland towns of oar own country of similar size and population, but not with the energy and rapid growth which characterise the latter. It is situated on the peninsula of Cape rilessurado, is about three quarters of a mile long and half that distance in breadth. Most of the dwelling-houses are framed buildings of one or one storey and a half high, raised on a stone or brick foundation of six or eight feet. Most of them are painted or whitewashed, and present quite an air of neatness and comfort. There are else a few brick dwelling-houses of two storeys, neat in outward appearance and generally well furnished. There are three substantial brick or stone churches, and the fourth is in process of erection. Below the high bluff upon which the town stands, and very near to the water's edge, there THE PRESS. are six or seven large substantial stone warehouses, where most of the commercial business of the place is transacted. Trade is the chosen employment of the great lass of the Liberians, and some of them have been decidedly suc cessful in this vocation The Liberian merchants own a number of small vessels, built by them selves, and varying in size from ten or fifteen to forty or fifty tons. These are navigated by the Liberian sailors, and are constantly engaged in bringing palm oil to Mon rovia, from whence it is again shipped in foreign vessels for Liverpool or New York. I made inquiry, during a short sojourn at this place in 1852, on my way to this country, about the amount of property owned by the wealthier merchants of Monrovia, and learned that there were four or five who were worth from 15,000 to 20,000 dots.. a larger number who owned property to the amount of 10,000 dols., and perhaps twelve or fifteen who were worth as much as 5,000 dots. The property of some of these may have in creased materially since that time. The author is satisfied that the United States are not the country for the free man of colour. His improvement, in the higher sense of the term, is impossible on the American continent, but in Liberia free scope is afforded for the display of all the better qualities of his nature : After the most mature consideration which it has been in oar power to give the subject, we see no reason why Liberia may not, in the course of time, take a respectable stand among the civilised nations of the earth. On this subject we are free to confess that we entertain more hope ful views than we did in the earlier period of our acquaint ance with the country. The author advises the union of Liberia with Sierra Leone. The latter has now become a really important settlement : The slaves taken by the British cruisers on the high seas have always been taken to this colony and discharged there ; and this has been the main source of its increase of popu lation from that time. When the colony was transferred to the Government in 1807, its population was less than 2,000, almlst all of whom were from Nova Scotia or from the West Indies. In the course of four years it was doubled. In 1820 it had in creased to more than 12,000. In 1833 it amounted to very nearly 30,000. Two years afterward ( 183,5) to 35,000. In 1844 it was 40,000. In 18,53 it amounted to more than 60.000. Freetown, the capital, is said to have a population of nearly 17,00'J. The moral and physical progress of the liberated captives is remarkable : The foreign control and superversion, which was so ne cessary in the earlier periods of their history, is now being superseded. Most of the Civil offices are filled by persons from among themselves, or by educated coloured men from the British West Indies. The commerce of the country, whizli at first was almost wholly engrossed by white men, is rapidly passing into the hands of educated recaptives, who manage it with remarkable efficiency. The soil is cultivated, and the market of Freetown is well supplied both with meat and vegetables. Many of these recaptives have amassed handsome little fortunes, and live in cir cumstances of great respectability and comfort. . . . During a short visit which I made to this place in 1852, on my way to this country, there were as many as fifteen vessels lying at anchor in the harbour, of which twelve were there for the purpose of trade. Now, when we take into account the circumstances under which this colony was founded, the materials of which it was composed, the reverses which it has experienced from lime to time, and compare all these with the actual improvement which has been made, it may be seriously questioned whether any other community in the world have ever made more rapid strides in the march of improvement. An extract made from Dr. Ferguson informs the reader that— There is at Sierra Leone a very fine regiment of co lonial militia, more than eight•tentha of which are liberated Africans. The amount of property which they have ac quired is ample guarantee for their loyalty, should that ever be called in question. They turn out with great alacrity and cheerfulness on all occasions for periodical drill. But, perhaps, the most interesting point of view in which the liberated Africans are to be seen, and that which will render their moral condition most intelligible to those at a distance, is when they sit at the Quarter Ses sions as petty, grand, and special jurors. They constitute a considerable part of the jury at every session, and I have repeatedly heard the highest legal authority in the colony express his satisfaction with their decisions. Can there, after• this evidence, be a doubt as to the capacity of the African mind and eh a nicter to attain a respectable, if not a high, degree of civilisation ? And considering the vast extent of the African continent, and the present degraded state of the people, what a wide and noble field is here presented fur exertion ! It has been stated, as adverse to the capacity of the African intellect, that children who have been educated under European superin tendance have shown as much intelligence and made as much progress as the youth of other races, up to the period when youth merges into manhood. The highly educated negro is found at that critical period to break down. His faculties seem altogether to give way, and idiocy or death is not uncom monly the result. The authority fin• this curious statement is too strong to allow us to doubt it. Nor does it seem improbable that the African intellect should not, at once, become susceptible of the highest degree of cultivation. Races do not either advance or decline in in• tellectual capacity with great rapidity. Several generations are required to make any very marked and radical difference. We think it might he a great error to set too high the standard of African improvement at present. Let us be content to promote as we best can • the progress of industry, order, and religion. The foundations of African civilisation, to bo sure, should be very plain and simple. We have seen it stated, in some missionary publi cations, with great pride, that some African pupils have made considerable proficiency in the higher branches of mathematics. We would much rather have heard that they had made progress in some kind of mechanical labour. When we have taught the people to be ingenious, it will be time to teach them to be intellectual. Let us have the shoemaker before the mathematician, and plain rules of handicraft before skill in conic sections. It is the more necessary to insist on a sure and solid foundation, as the African people show a strong tendency to relapse into barba rism when the favorable influences which raire them from it are removed. With great capa city for physical labour they are indisposed to it. Mr. Wilson speaks of the difficulty found in getting them to follow any settled course of industry. Of the Krumen, for example, it is remarked : They seldom take with them to their native homes, or retain for any length of time, any of the civilised habits they have acquired during their sojourn among strangers. They soon lose all traces of civilisation, except a smattering of the English language, which they not unfrequently retain through life. There are no limits to the trade which might be carried on with Africa. Its principal products thus far, excepting slaves, have been gold, ivory, cam-wood (a fine red dye-wood), and palm oil. The latter product has become important of late years. It is spontaneously furnished by the soil, and requires only a simple process of manufacture : Twentr6ve or thirty years ago, where scarcely a gallon was produced for sale, now hundreds of tons are annually exported, and the capabilities of the soil for its production has scarcely any limit. The oil when fresh is of a trans parent orange colour, and is extensively used in this country, and in England and France, in the manufacture of the finer kinds of soap, in candles of an excellent quality, by the apothecary for various purposes, and on the more delicate parts of steam machinery. The palm-tree yields a large number of burs in clusters ; each bar is filled with small oval nuts, black when unripe, bat of a beautiful red when ready to be gathered. The nut proper is inclosed in a pulp, from which the oil is expressed in the most simple manner. The nuts being boiled and bruised in a mortar, are thrown in a trough of clean water and stirred for some time, when the oil rising to the surface is skimmed off, and placed in earthen jars for use. The kernel, being very hard, is seldom used by the natives, except in seasons of great scarcity of food. A machine has been invented it) one of the European settlements for crushing it, and an oil of fire quality, and in large quanti ties, has been produced. Frenchmen use it in making their best pomattim. This, then, promises to be one of the largest branches of trade in the world, as the tree grows without cultivation, and yields fruit for fifty years or more. The tree itself, a beautiful growth, with its tuft of fringe-like leaves, is a striking feature in African scenery, extending, as It does, over a belt of a hundred miles, along the whole coast from Senegal to Benguela. We read, " Cotton is produced to a limited ex " tent, and might be increased indefinitely :* and " the sugar-cane grows luxuriantly, hut is " never manufactured into sugar, the natives " never having acquired the art of doing this." The supply of ivory seems to be inexhaustible. It is supposed that the supply from Southern Guinea alone must require eleven thousand elephants to furnish, yet the exportation in creases from year to year. As improvement in Africa advances, new sources of wealth will be developed. The author says he was the first to discover the gum-elastic tree; but what a field would be opened for cotton and sugar cultivation alone, should the people ever be brought to devote themselves to in dustrial pursuits. Perhaps the most remarkable instance given here of a native disposition to improvement when the mind is once excited is that of the invention by the Veys—a tribe of the Siena Leone coast—of a system of written lan , guage