The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-03-06 00:00:00

THE AFRICAN INSTITUTION,

AND TUE
PESTILENTIAL CLIMATE OF SIERRA LEONE.

/ROM " THE CONSTITCTIC*i;" SseNDAT PAPER.

The readers of The Times newspaper will have seen a
very sharp contest, carried on in that journal, between
two anonymous writers, under the signatures of "
Iw-
restigatur, ' and " Afriesimaa." The first showing
on very satisfactory evidence the destructive pestilence
of the climate of Sierra Leone, which annually sweeps
off couutlesia victims, lured to UAW grave of our country-
men by the glittering but fallacious lights set up !it-
the authors of convicted libels issuing from the Ala-
can Institution. For ourselves, we du not look with
half the horror on the guilt of the famished high-
wayman, who, in the extremity of misery, is driven br
despair into the crime of taking away the life of an an-
known traveller, as we do in the atrocity of those, sehe
are laying snares to entrap the unwary into specula-
tions, in which large fortunes are to be built on the
tombs of theit devotes! dupes. It was stated in one of
the letters of " lorcstigetor," that it was not difficult
to trace to their soarer the bold assertions of " Africa-
toss," iu the fabrication of the exaggerated reports of
the African Institution. We have not space, on the pre-
sent occasion, to oco into any lengthened examination of
the conflicting evidence of these disputants; hut it ap-
pears to us, that the reasoning of the first grew out of
established facts and calm investigation; while the other
seemed to exult in perverting them, and to triumph on
the assumed success of his crooked and death-dealing
sophistry.—But his opponent has proved to oar convic-
tion the deadly effects of the climate of Sierra Leone.
Considering it, therefore, of the first importance, that
sou b a fact could not be too soon, or too generally knots n
by our adventuring countrymen, we have written this
aricle. It is most fortunate for the truth, and not a
little remarkable, that while Africanus, in The Times
of the 49th February is congratulating himself, " that
the inlaid argot:feat of a lorestigator,' fur mooch's". the
calms,. had bees demolished by him ;" and that " heb had
not admitted in all their lorre, any one of his objections
to Sierra Leone, as a station for the Commission;" there
appears on the sanie day, and in the same paper, an un-
varnished and authentic account from the colony itself,
in full corroboration of all that had been stated against
it, and to the following effect
Sierra Leone. Dee. 80, 1810.

" This unfortunate cololijbaysnliereil very severely
during the late reins; most of the European in►abitants
have died, anti those re naiiiing are lingering oitt a mi-
serable existence. The members of the Mixed Commis-
sion (for the adjudication of detained slave-vessels),
should they live out the present, will not risk another
season here. The Sierra Leone Gazelle, from what
motive I sin really at a loss to imagine, even during the
most sickly time, spoke so highly of the salubrity of the
etiolate, that the people in England must, if trusting to
these reports, naturally have supposed that the air here
was all salubrity—deeply impregnated only with what
could tend to promote longevity in the i•habiants,
whilst, unfo►tunately, we were constantly stirrounded,
with the victims of death and the gloom of mortality.
The ships on the station have suffered considerably.
The Pheasant, Captain Kelly, has lost Mr. Dunbar,
surgeon: Mr. Holbrook, master; the gunner, mad a
master's mate. The Morgiana has lost Mr. Carpae,
surgeon. These are the only two ships which have re-
mained on the station during the rainy season. The
Ise weather seems now set in ; the cases of those in
a state of convalescence are tending towards recovery:*
This is no fabricated tale, and is worthy the serious
attention of our Readers.

Foos A FRENCH Paralt.—A traveller worthrof credit.
who passed by Heidlebcrg some time ago. describe the
following scene, of which he was a witness:—The son of
the banker H. wu to leave the university, from which
he had been banished. and to depart from the town in
triumph, accompanied by a numerous assemblage of his
friends. 1 was curious to see this ceremony, and 1 re-
paired to a house favourably situated fur the purpose
twenty cavaliers opened the procession; the Merske/
chosen for the occasion followed alone in a coach, drawn
by six horses, holding in one hand the baton of autho-
rity, and in the other his pike. Theo followed the
banished student in a carriage drawn by eight horses.
Opposite him in front were seated two cavaliers Wen rte
io silk stockings, with their heads nncovered, Fitter
carriages alth four hones formed the procession. A
grand dinner had been oidered at Weenhelu., where the
party would drink copiously to the health of the basis' ed
stsAest.