Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-04-29
Letters from Africa,

Letters from Africa.
Rev William Raymond, of the Mendi Mission
is addressing a series of letters, in the American
Missionary, to those Sabbath Schools and Juve-
mile Missionary Associations in this country, that
contribute regularly to the support of the Mendi
Mission 1t is so seldom that we get authentic
and minute information from that country, that
we are disposed to place these short epistes be-
fore our readers. A knowledge of the Africans
as they are at homc-their habits, mode of life, |
government, &c, must be not only interesting,
but may serve to awaken deeper interest in that
unfortunate race.-Worniag Star.
My DEAR YOUNG FRIENDs In promising to
write to you this series of letters, impose upon
myself task for which feel myself entirely in
adequate. But since the promise must be re-
deemed, | will try to do the best my limited time
will allow. The subject Of this, the first letter,
will be the geography of the country.
After we leave Sierre Leone, which is very
mountainous, we see no mountain except one or
two at a distance. All the land in the vicinity
Of the mission is one vast plain cut up into is
lands by its many rivers. The country is so
level that the tide GIBBS and flows up all the rivers
many miles into the interior In the dry season
the water Of the river at this place is so salt that
it cannot be used either for drinking or washing
In the rains we use it for both 1t often happens
that rivers are connected together far from their
mouths. Thus this river is connected with the
Big Broom as it is called, and canoes can pass
from one to the other in the rainy seqson. The
Young and Mongray rivers are united in two
places Bordering on these rivers are what are
called Mlngroye swamps. These swamps are
very low, and at every flood tide are covered
with water. The Mangrove is very singular
tree, The trunk of the tree does not come near
the ground 1t stands upon its roots which are
{ like 50 many legs, which, coming from various
distances, act as props and braces. When they
stand near together, as they usually do, these
roots are interviewer and entangled with one an
other so as to render impcnetrablc except to the
natives When a Mangroye stands leaning over
the water, its oyerhanging limbs will send down
> shoots from half to three quarters Of an inch in
? diameter to the water, They are generally from
G twenty to thirty feet in length, apparently not
e varying the least in size. The wood of the Man
i grove is exceedingly hard and heavy 1t is SO
e hard that the Termites commonly called bug-a-
r bugs, cannot cat it. For this reason it is used
G for house-posts All the posts and timber of the
t Mission house are Mangrove. All the posts o.
: all the houses at the Mission except one, are
d of the same. They are very hard to get, but
' very durable
Many, in attempting to account for the un
hcllthtulncss Of this climate attribute it to these
: Mngroye swamps, from which they suppose
: "miasma" arises. (Thc ctfiuvia of any putriG
c mater, rising and floating in the airy For this
t reason, Mangroye swamps are terror to many
n For my own part | do not see why Mangroyt
= Swamps should produce any more masma thar
' many other places, 1t is true they are very low
: and muddy, but the water is changed every twelve
g hours, and consequently cannot become stag
: nant.
a There are also bordering upon the rivers wha
a are called Palm Pines. They are so called from
d their trunks resembling the Palm tree, and then
If leaves resembling the leaves of the Pine Apple
They do not generally extend so far back from the
Il rivers as the Mangroves, often growing only il
the edge Of the river from ten to twenty feet wide
i The river at this place was completely shut il
e with Them and it has cost me great deal of la
e Dor and expense to clear them away. The trunk
of the tree is generally about four or five inche.
S in diameter and about fifteen feet in height. anC
h stands upon its roots the same as the Mangrovc
1t has no leaves except at the top, like the Palm
= tree, and like the Mangrove is all of one size.
: There arc also in this country many Of wha
f are called grass fields" They are what in the
d West would be called ''prairies." These prairie
= produce grass of an uncommon size, similar tC
$ that have seen in the west. They produce al
so a smaller kind, fit for grazing and for matching
S houses. They are burnt every year about New
: Years by the natives. These prairies in thu
l. dry season afford pasturage for wild cattle, &c.
e but in the rains they are covered with water tC
L the depth Of two Or three feet.
c The soil has the appearance of being sandy
but it has so much clay mixed with it that j
= makes durable plaster for the peoples houses.
Perhaps | cannot find better place to say one
= word about the climate. The dry season extend.
. from November to May, and the rainy from May
= to November, In the fore part and latter par
of the rainy season, there is generally not mucl
e rain July and August are the two most rainy
{. months. In the dry season the ground is gener
4 ally dry and parched-there seldom being
d shower. AT the commencement of the rains i,
n the time for planting. In the dry season thu
5 thermometer stands at 81 and in the rainy at a
r bout 76.a Although the thermometer does no
J. sink lower, yet the air often becomes so damn
that we are chilly
+ In my next will tell you something abou
1 government
i Your unworthy missionary,
# VIM. RAYMOND.
-,