Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-09-02
Africa for the African.

The records of mortality continue quite
fearful among the whites who have gone Il
Africa. a letter from resident of this city
ut Sierra Leone, July ii, 1859, states THAT
the yellow fever is making dreadful havoc
among the Europeans at this place In little
more than two months, tOrty-fve out OF ninety
or one hundred white inhabitants have died
Six Roman Catholic clergymen from France,
who arrived here short time since, have
every one died, within one or two days OF
each other Among the victims were MIR
Oldticld, agent TO the British African Mail
Steamship Company, and Bishop Bowen, OF
the Episcopal Church. The deceased prelate
was noted for MS physical power, and yet he
was permitted to occupy the See but two
years and five months-a period longer than
either of his two predecessors. Another evil
dence of this insalubrity, is given III the case
of the schooner BrOnteS, at New York, from
Sierra Leone This vessel is stated to have
left that port on the 9th of June, with a
crew OF five white men and one colOred, and
on the first day out, all hands on board, ex-
cepting the colored man, were taken with the
fever and four died of the disease. The
French establishments at Grand Bassam,
also, suffer terribly 50 much SO, that it Is
announced that the wcll-known firm of Re-
gia, at that place, is to be withdrawn, lin
spite Of the excellence Of the trade ut Grand
BaSSam."
White missionaries to Africa also die off
very fast the most recent death reported
among them being that of the Rev. George
Mcqueen, of the American Presbyterian
Mission, at CoriSco. Reliable authority
shows that, out of one hundred and seven
teen white missionaries to Western Africa.
sent by the Wesleyan Missionary Society,
tfty-four died in the field; of whom thirteen
were removed within the first three months,
twenty-thrcc in six months. and thirty-nne
within one year from their arrival. Several
were compelled to leave after a short resi-
dcnce and no one remained over four years
without returning to recruit his health
The same general fatality has followed the
efforts, in the same region, of the Church
Missionary Society Of London and indeed,
those of the Missionary Associations Of Great
Britain and the United States
The loss of life in the British expeditions
to the Niger, establishes the pestllcntial repu-
tation OF the rivers of Western Africa
Parks party of thrty-clght Europeans all
fell, including their intrepid leader. The
Liverpool Company of 1922, lost forty of
lcrty-ninc whites The celebrated expedi
ton of lS42, lost forty-two out of one hun
dred and forty-tivc whites. On the other
hand, out Of one hundred and tifty-eight
colored men that formed part OF it, there
was not death, and only three or four sick
encd. This latter As well rs other facts,
prove that the colorcd skin can better bear
the peculiariticS of the African climate than
the white, or any other race. How impor-
tant then is the work OF the Colonization
S,cicty in the single aspect Of returning.
with their own consent. the Africans In
America Their Christian character ad-
yanccd knowledge and physical training,
designate them as u natural and fixed Instru-
mentality for the elevation Of Africa. Above
all, their physical endurance constitutes an
adaptation to cooperate IN blessing their
vast ancestral continent. Providence beck
uuS them To- return: at the same time the
intruderS of other nations are warned away.
Phil. Lecturer.