The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-11-11

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direction, and empties into the gulf of Be
min, or flowing easterly, it falls into lake
Ichad, is question yet sab JUDGE, and we
may enter the field Of discovery with pecu
liar advantage.
Our colony of Liberia is planted at 4
point OF the African coast, which offers
great facilities for voyages into the interior
4 The river Mesufada takes its rise in the
mountains of Kong, and in district which
from mud temperature of climate, fertility
OF soil, and beautiful aspect of nature, is
called by the natives, .4lam-the country OF
God. 1t is probable that the Quorra has
Its source in the same elevated region,
and that 1T intcIiocks with Measurable. II
! the Fellatahs have western origin. thew
must be indigenous to these mountains
ana It may be imagined, that they have de-
scended to the southern plains as they now
occupy the north. The negro tribe discov-
cred by MIR. Ashmun, in the country ada
cent to Liberia, which had advanced in arts
and was familiar with the Arabic language,
may be Felatahs.
The solution of these questions would be
interesting in science, and are important to
Liberia, Whlchis destined to become great
! empire and may now be esteemed the nu-
cleus of African civilization. At no other
point could it SO favorably commence. In
the countries north of Sahara, where the
climate permits the white man to exist, the
savage fanatacism of the Mahometan relig-
ion would not tolerate a christian settlement.
Among the negroes of the Senegal, the
GAMBIA, and Rio Grange, that religion has
taken so deep root, that christian COLONY
OF negroes would be extirpated in obedi-
ence to the sanguinary precepts of the Ko-
ran. Liberia IS on the confines of Islam.
where the Jetiche of the simple African does
not require the blood of man, in the name
OF God. TO the west of the colony. along
the coast, are the fierce people Of Ashantee
and Dahomey, and q settlement further
south, would have been too distant from the
centre of Africa and from the coast of Amer
lea. The selection, therefore, of the wind
ward coast for the establishment of an
American colony, was by proyidential d.
rection.
The nations of the interior have already
heard with astonishmeEt and delight, that
black men from America are settling on the
coast, and that they possess the arts of the
white man. 10 cultivate good intelligence
with these nations, to make known the OBJ
Jects of the colony, its pacific and moral
character, will be deemed wise policy.
This purpose would be best effected by a
mission among the colonsts. A small ex-
urada to its head waters s.a and protecting 5c
fromthe source ofthe Niger, along its course,
would accomplish these objects, and, at the
same time, make useful discoveries.
Perhaps the solution of the questiovexata
of geography, the rise and termination of
the Niger, is reserved for the Liberian.
Such an expedition is conveniently within
the means of individual enterprise; it would
promote the general interests of science,
procure commercial advantages, and, in the
prospective of philanthropy, might have a
happy and active influence in the suppress
sion of the slave trade.
In this view, small part of the national
appropriation, might not be deemed misap-
piled for that object. Should it tie reserved
for individual undertaking, | now offer a
contribution of 800, which are placed at
the disposition of Peter S. Du Ponceau,
Esq. A scientific expedition for African
discoveries is an object worthy Of the Amer
lean Philosophical Society, and under the
direction of which, that now suggested,
should be performed.
town, gives it high rank among the
wonders of the west In the only paper
published there in 1776, Judge Brecken-
ridge gave an account of the village as it
then was. One of the papers now printed
there, gives the following contrast between
what the place was then, and what it now
Isl
In 1786, when Judge Breckenridge wrote
| his account of that settlement, it was from
tier village on the outermost limits of civ
ilized population, containing, perhaps, 100
houses. Now it has more than 2000 with
population of more than 1900 souls, and
is surrounded by suburbs or villages con-
tanning z or 5000 more. Then it had the
only newspaper printed west of the Ale
ghany now 300 are printed in the same
extent of country. At that time al! the bar
| iron brought thther was transported on
! horseback now Pittsburg is called the
Birmingham of America; thousands of tons
of metal are brought to it, to be converted
into steam engine boilers, iron, bar iron
anchors for the northern lakes, and sugar
mills and sugar kettles for Louisiana. In
stead of trade in which four or FIVE tons
of lead and furs were exchanged for few
barrels of whiskey, -four, or merchandise
300 large, and many of thems splendid, steam
boats are required for the exchanges of that
country. Among the articles exchanged
are castings, nails, farming utensils, glass
and cotton goods, manufactured in Pitts.
burg, which, forty years ago, could moi
manufacture the axes for telling the wood
and imported our window glass from Eu.
rope, but now makes window glass for Bos-
4 ton and Maine, and decorates, with its flint
glass, the table of the President. A board
ing school now occupies the place of Brad
docks defeat; old Fort du Quesne is now
within the smoke of thousands of chimnies
and on the scene of another sanguinary
battle, the Ionic columns Of new Univer-
sity are erecting. 1t is important to those
! who are engaged in constructing routes fol-