The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-18 00:00:00

THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA.

The African Royal Mail Steam-ship Company's
steamer Athenian, Captain Davis, arrived at Liver-
pool
_yesterday, after a very successful run from
the West African coast. The Athenian's dates
are, Fernando Po, June 9 ; Cameroon, 11. ;
Bonny, 16 ; Lagos, 19 ; Accra, 21 ; Cape Palmas,
24 ; Sierra Leone, 29 ; Teneriffe, July 8 ; and
Madeira, 10. The Athenian brings a full cargo, a
large quantity of specie, and 14 passengers.

The barque Enomanza and the French frigate Zenobia
were at Fernando Po. Nothing of importance had taken
place since the departure of the last mail.
. . . .

At Cameroon' trade wee brisk, but the high prices de-
manded by the natives checked trade. The health of the
place was good, and the rainy season bad commenced.
At Bonny trade was dull, in consequence of a disturbance
and fight amongst some of the natives. The health of the
river was good. The Earl of Derby, Star of the Sea,Grand
Bourg, Ellen Grant, Mosquito, and Constance were in
port. The barque Irene sailed on the 14th June.
The Masonic arrived at Lagos on the 18th, and the Susan
Bayley ou the lfitti. The Ciacel. of Liverpool, and the
Josephine. of Lisbon. The Minstrel crossed the bar,
on the 18th, outward. The Lagos (s.s.), outward bound,
was also peened.
The Geraldine, Undine, and Emmeline were at Accra,
on the 21st June.
On the 24th June the Athenian fell in with and towed
the Spanish gunboat Santa Theresa into Sierra Leone on
the 29th.
The Lady Douglas arrived at Sierra Leone on the nth
June ; the Canada, on the 22nd ; Macgregor Laird, 24th ;
Fanny Hilbury, 2fith ; Henry Emmett, 27th ; and Accra
and Curlew, 28th. The Canada sailed on the 29th.
The mail steamer Mandingo arrived at Tenerife on tho
2nd inst. all well, and left again for leeward.

LIBERTY AS IN FRANCE. —Some of the inhabi-
tants of Norse, in the department of the Lot-et-Garonne,
recently applied to the prefect of that depart-
ment for permission to open a popular library.
The official acceded to their request, but imposed
certain conditions that are stated in a letter,
of which the following is a translation :—" When it is
desired to form an association for the purpose of establish-
ing a library the same course must be adopted as in the
case of opening • club. You will consequently send me
the rules in triplicate, and annex a list of the founders.
The government makes it a condition that the president
should be appointed and approved by the prefect. As so
the members of the administrative committee of the
library they should bo proposed by you or with your ap-
proval. It would be desirable that the mayor should
be appointed honorary president. The catalogue
of the books in circulation should comprise useful profes-
sional works belonging to healthy literature and calculated
to moralise or instruct the working classes. Novels, the
reading of which might leave a lamentable impression,
should be eliminated with just :severity ; care should also
be taken to exclude books of social or religious contro-
versy, and those which, under the pretext of political
economy, might serve to propagatedangerous or subversive
theories. The catalogues must be submitted to the autho-
rities every year for examination. As to the general meetings
of subscribers I have no objections to make, and I leave the
drawing up of the conditions to you." The Miele asks,
after publishing these regulations, " Is not the liberty of
popular libraries the pendant of the liberty of the press as
it was conceived in Madrid in the days of Figaro

PLYMOUTH, JULY 17.—An American ship that
arrived at Falmouth to-day reports having spoken, on
July 10, in latitude 47 north 31 west, the life raft for the
preservation of shipwrecked crews, that left New York on
May 13 for Southampton. The three men on the raft re-
ported all well—Renter's Telegram.
ACCIDIINT TO • STEAMER AND LOSS or Lire.
(Br Trutoriarn.)—Donuu, Wuninoivar NIGHT.—The
Rome, paddle steamer, from Sligo to Glasgow, broke her
paddle shaft outside Haulbowline last evening, and drifted
on the rocks in the gale. Six passengers are reported to
he loot. The crew and forty others were saved. It is not
yet certain whether the vessel will be got off or become a
complete wreck.—To-day the Lord Mayor of Dublin got a
verdict for SW. against the Dub/in Errning Mail, at Ennis
Amazes, for libel. in publishing the letter of Lord Clop-
curry charging the Lord Mayor with inciting the people
to agrarian disturbances.
GALLS, JULY 13.—The Menageries Imperials'
steamer Cambodge left here to-day with the homeward
India, China, and Japan mails, 100 passengers, and 3,500
bales of silk. _ _ _ _

....TM; BOMBAY MAIL —MALTA, JULY 17.—The
Pen left here at midnight on the 16th, and the Eosins
will leave at two p.m. this day. The former may be ex-
anted at Marseilles on the 19th, and the latter at
Southampton about the 27th but.