The native American., 1838-09-22
From The Christian Statesman.
AFRICAN SKETCHES.


riations depending on the season OF The year, ana
the elevation or depression Of the soil. 1t is re-
markabe neither for extreme heat nor Disagree
able chIIiness. There is nothing more striking
10 the stranger on his first visit to this part OF Al
rca, than to find the temperature OF the atmos-
phcre so balmv and pleasant. nay, sometimes
even cool. When the inhabitants OF northern
regions are pnched with cold and frost the heal
thy resident there, enjoys delightful warmth,
tempered by the fresh sea breeze.
Na,are divides the years into two seasos, the
dry and the rainy. 1t is very commonly suppo-
scd rlat the one Is characterized hv scOrchlng
heat, and the other by conl.lua rain, ne her of
which is true The rains follow the sun in his
annual passage to either tra0ic.; the rainy season
being at its height wherever he S for the time
vertical. This season begins at the Colonies,
about the end Of May, or beginning of June, va
rying either sool,r or later, as may be. 1t is
ushered in by heavy showers during the night. ac-
companiad with tornaAoes from the sea, suhsidi1g
in the same manner, with this exception, hat the
tornadoes blow from the land. These tornadoes
in their season, more particularly occur at he
changes OF the moon; nor are they by any means
SO violent as is generally imagined seldom doing
any mischief, except roofing up tree now and
then. The thermometer at this time ranges from
To- to So, and when at 72o feels cool and chlr
to the unacclimaied II barometer varies very
little, not even during 4 violent tornado. Ii is
therefore, not of mach use to navigators on that
coast, as it is in the Wes indies and other higher
latitudes. The rainy seasons are generally more
violent and long continued at the Gambia and
Sierra Leone, than at Liberia. TIE average
quantity OF rain during the season, may be stated
at 100 inches. 1t is evident also from the rise1of
the rivers in the Colony, which often happens.
wthou any rain that it falls often in the interior,
at their mountainous sources without affecting the
coast. Ten days rain month will be about the
average, tie remainder being pleasant sunshine
or merely cloudy.
Throughout the dry season asiwoll as tic rainy
the forest is always clothed with It's thick greer
foliage although the grass and plants may ht
somev hat affected by the heat, more particularly
vegetables raised from American seed The wan
OF ram is III a great measure compensated by tho
heavy deWs at nlght so much SO. that in walking
through the woods early in the morning one gct
completely wcttea through, a circumstance tia
ought to be avoided by the new emigrant. iht
thermometer, during this season, seldom rises a
bove 250, or falls below ~, in the shade
Soa.-The prevailing feature Of this part o
the coast is low level, Interrupted here and there
by thigh headlands, all covered with *hrubs an,
tr2 ;. The landscape, when viewed from dis
tarce IS rather monotonous and uueXctng. Or
closer inspection, the many huos Of the forest
from blood red TO the deepest green, tall trees
hung with festoons of wild vines, dispersed like
the most graceful drapIry, it assumes the air o.
high interest and pleasing beauty. On sailing
down the coast, from Cape Mesurado towards
Cape Palmas, ranges of high mountains are seen.
blue in the distance.
Near the seacoast the soil is light and sandy
yet from this soil most Of the wild coffee plants
brougntby the natives for sale, are obtained. As
you proceed up the rivers, the soil becomes hea-
vler, containing a greater admXure of clay and
vegetable matter. The farmer who would est;-
mate the fertility of the African soil by its appear
ance, and his experience Of the same sort of soil
IN L-merlca. would be apt to give an ntavorabIc
reporl. But for all purposes Of tropical agricu-
ture, il seems every way suited, and the com
plants made against il have been urged more as
for want of industry than the result Of fair
experiment. -.
iIMer.-The water of the rainy season, is cold.
pure and refreshing, seeming comparatively as
cold as ice water, during hot summer in Ameri-
ca. In the dry season, the water is obtained from
springs, and can always be had in most places
cool and fresh, by digging sufficiently deep, re-
source which, until lately, had not heen very gen
orally resored to. Colonsts trading in the coun
try, have spoken in high terms of the water OF the
interior, on the higher grounds. In The fores
there is to be found thick wire, of five or six
inches in diameter, which is f,Ind wound round
the larger trees. On cutting off piece of it, q
few feet in length, there runs from its porous tex.
ture, in considerable abundance, water almost as
fresh and pure as rain water. 1t was first point,
ed out to me by the natives, upon complaining oi
thirst, when travelling in the woods. | could not
help admiring this beautiful provision OF Provi-
donce for one of the most important wants Of his
intelligent creatures in that country.
Jcgctables.-Of all the grains indigenous to
Africa, rice is the most important, and happily
the most abundant, and easily produced 1t is to
the native, emphaticay, " the staff of lfe."-
The planting of his rice farm is wisely with him
a duty, to which he sacrifices all others. The
season selected is just before the accession Of the
rains. Indeed Nature herself points it out to the
native, by signs not to )o misunderstood. Walk
ing IN the woods at this time, found a large tree
OF the luguminous family, which scattcrs its seed
with loud noise, caused by the bursting of the
pod. Before discovered the cause Of the pccu-
liar noise, | asked my native attendant what il
was. He showed me a sOpcips nj lorro ho,r