The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-02-25 00:00:00

I!SARA r-,sorrs COMPANY.
tibia from Our Kurt I roas the Committee he whore th.
'deemed elle Oeortof Direetett of tier Sierra LoortiOore-
party the Weft* at laid before the Hours of Common%
patina a •the Order of the third of February, 007*,
for that periwig;

The last Discrstches from the Colony of Sierra
Leone, were dated 49ei aflober. 1606, and. as
these were later, by satiny months, than any infor-
mation which had been received, at the time of de-
livering the preceding statement, the substance of
these Dispatches is hue subjoined.
On the subjea of health, the last intelligence is
favourable. The soldiers are said to have experi-
enced less sickness than before.

Cultivation, so far as respects articles of colo-
nial consumption, had improved. Governor Lud-
lam observei,." abundance of Provisions is now
raised in the Colony, bin the Farmer, especially the
Maroons, cannot he prevailed on to engage in the
cultivation of exportable produce." He thinks,
however, that when the C deny shall acquire a cha-
rail/et of p.urnawmce, from bring placed in the
hands of Gov-rnmert, and the Slave Trade shall
be abolished, an extensive field will be opened for
the advantageous employment of capital the cul-
tivation of the soil. The want of a regular supply
of labourers forms at present the great obstacle
to cultivation. There are, it is true. upwerds 01
400 native labouteis in the Colony, who work for
hire, but this supply falls very far below the
dematul.

Gulfernor Ludlam transmits a detailed account
of a war which has cui.sisterl for sonic years in the
River Sherbro, shout s') miles southward of Sierra
Lease. wlrelt he nes itsetietiaally endeavoured to
terminate ny his mediation, though he has produced
$ temporary rim of hostilities. He states, that
he had visited the puts in question, and that
nGt lrss thati a thousand square miles. formerly
abounding with villag.s, are supposed to htv- been
nearly deporalated by this war. I his District
used to supply Sierra Leone with many free la-
bourers.
The pnpnlation cf. the Colony is stated to be
about 1,900 fe-soos. The births, among the Co-
lonists, have lately, in a small degree, the
deaths.

In reaped to the sectu;ay of the Settlement, from

any attack of the Governor Ludlim ob-
serves, ths natives knew that there is some ha-
nerd, as w-11 As .coma trouhls in attacking us; a Id
if Freetown be :.c.:;re, there is nothing to compen-
sate for the hat :rd."

The Colony, however. can no hardly be said to
have any en- mes among the natives. He also to
=arks, the: the town being secure, there is no
probability that eultivati. n, tholigt, esteadeid to
aelasiderable distance from it, will be diNturbed.

On the suloj-el of Trade, he remark+, that in
consequence nt the growing prosperity of the :Set-
ttinnent, there is less and less n-cessity for the Com-
pany's carrying on commerce; and that the greater
part of the colonial trade has passed two the hands
of the Nova Scotia ColGGi As. and of independent
Europeans. Trade. he thinks, will net, on thr
long run, answer to the Cnnip-iny, considering the
competition which'they must sustain with many
rive 'jells. The Americans, he observes, negin
to engross a very considerahle share of the trade t
the Colony; awl he exprec.es a wish to he instruft-
oi as to the cow se w.iich it would be right tot him
to rut sue. with respen to the ships of treat naotri,
which frequently crowd the harbour of Sierra
Leone.

Toe Colonists continue to eon juft theanielvas
with propriety, and t; ey are btAted to be much less
inch •1 to emigrate, in orJer to participate in the
profits of the Slave !rade, thm they were at the
period v. hen the Colony experienced the pressure of
war and scarcity.
G'ivernor Ludlam gives the following ac-
count of the improvement in the character of the
Maroons

" Ihe Maroons have now been here nearly five
ye ere. Every aft of violence towards one another,
which they committed, occurred during the first
ball of that period. At one rime, the Nova Seen
tians were almost afraid to work with them, be-
cause the Maroons were apt, on every petty occa-
sion, to be pointing their muskets at them. Such
a thing is not heard of now.
" Without any direk influence being used by
their superiors to induce them to follow European
CUSS.OIII, several 01 tie younger Maroons have
married, and many ot their rh.liren have been
bairized. I hough haw vt,rhi the church, several
are t•ilerahly rexular at the Methodist meeting ot
t-e NV 4 Sc:mans ; and 4hey are certainly not
sit awii the. ..t present, by any extravagancies or
enthusiaftic flights of preacher or people. The
peal/ice ref going armed, on all occasions, and of
firing their muskets in tow r., are left off ; they sub-
mit more readily to laws; they at with great
propriety as Jurors, and always have dant so as
Constables. They seem also to be more industrious.
Let it he seta:ilk-fled how troublesime they were in
Nova Scotia, and how well they have behaved en
the whole here, and no doubt can remain of their
improvement."
Ludlam, after enumerating some of the
climes which have impeded the beneficial influence
of Cat Schools of the C-mpany, oblihveg. "Never-
theless, lipm inclined to think that our schools have •
tended much to divide the young people of the
Colony into different classes. In spite of many ex-
ceptions, and especial disappointments, in those
with whom most pains had been taken, I do think '
that those who have had the advantaes or educa-
tion, hold, in point of morals ;Gli manners, a dif-
ferent rank ftorn others. I a:ry la.:!st be placed dif-
ferently in the scale of kivilia 4:ion."
Of the youths, who were educated in this coon.
try, some appear to ;lave fishy answered the care
and expene_ bestowed on them. mid are at present
loofah/ employed in the Colony. Others have nut
sondueled themselves satilfadorily.
Governor Ludlam gives this general opinion of
the causes of the want of :•:ecess, experienced by
the Company, in the prorecition of their design, in
the following terms:—" Fear places have met with
greater discouragement ; frequently the Colony
bas been threatened, and twice was allually attacked
by the Natives. Once it was ruined by the French;
twice its own people have broken out into insure
reliens When extensive commerce was carried
ea, the Fresco destroyed it. When cultivation