Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-11-10
Gen. ]. WATSON WEBB.
AT RICA-COLONIZATIUN

The region OF country which includes Liberia in AT.
rlca occupies the most Western point OF the African
hundred miles, with width of eighteen hundred miles
Continent; it extends from North to South some eight
and an area OF more than million of square miles,
wrltern the National lnteligencer thus speaks OF it.:
This is the region which has gained political ind
VldoaI Importance by being the seat OF the United
states colony OF Liberia and ought in our books to
receive what no region of Africa ofany thing Ike equal
extent ever has received, general definite name but
"Hich 10 save circumlocution we here call Liberia
IL 70 all habitable purposes island, bounded on
TWO soes by the Atlantic ocean, and the two others
oy oceans OF sand. Longitude 10 deg. west and 6}
deg. norm traverses Liberia near Monlovia. II is
drained by two rivers, each of considerable length of
course the Senegal flowing into the Atlantic ocean
very near the extreme cape of Africa and the
'oiloa, Niger or Bae rve, rising about two hundred
miles from the northern part OF Liberia flows directly
lhiand upwards oil one thousand miles to 1'imbuctoo,
beyond which its course uncertan but supposed be
tne same ver called the Quarra, failing into the Gulf OF
Guihea and so 1t must have an entire course OF two
thousand miles.
the term, as in all essential respects island, with
the execution that it is accessible only from the At
lanhc 10 Illustrate This observation may state
that in every direction inland the region under review
IS followed BY circle otdeser from one to two hous
anG miles, and to traverse eXpanse OF such deserts as
tn ,se OF Central africa, thousand miles is lar more
difficult than three thousand OF an ocean, But To re-
turn TO our general revsw
From the r@gon OF Liberia to the Cape of Good
Hope, the western coast OF Africa, in general dis
lance OF two thousand six hundred miles has only
made ten degrees of longitude eastward and with
not single deep bay or the reception of river of any
noticeable magnitude or length or volume In this
distance the continent is crossed by the equator over
an unbroken expanse, thirty degrees oflaiude wide,
OF desert Southwardy from the equator, The SEQ,
graphical character of Africa is fully maintained
Scattered and very limited tracts, which are in them
selves deserts, skirt the COASTS whilst all within are
and have beea IN all known past time, swept over by
the winds OF desolatlon Such is the character of
section Of the land surface Of the earth spreading over
two millions two hundred thousand square miles
Taken as whole, Africa as far as we can retrace
its colonization by man. among the first seats of
civilization Egypt the only river of the first class
1t contains, was from the dawn of lime TO this day
only heightened oasis, extended southwark and>foi
lowed by Ethiopia, (Abyssinia,l and as yet by tracts
unknown southwardly.
Bur, to close this rather long article, and taking
Africa as It really Is, It is vast sand surface but for
means OF human residence, a congeries of islands
over vast sea of sand. One more of those is
lands offer home to the whose parents were the
primitive inhabitants. The very mention of such re-
turn opens views Of the past and future too vast to
admit even glance at the present. 1t is the great
idea OF this age