Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-03-10


. dish of smoking chops. s-..- ..... ,
From Liberia-Letter from the Rev
John Seys. 7. %
Int diligence has reached the Office Of th'
| American Colonization Society, dated q
Monrovia. the LIST of January. Mr.. Sey mou
had returned from an exploration to the dis
tante Of near four hundred miles into tht
interior, and was about TO publish his report
The Rev. John Seys, Government Aeenl
for resapsured Africans, and so well knowI
for his missionary Iabors in Africa writes q.
follows:
| MoHRovIA, Qiberil.) Dec. 80, 1858.
We had very shor, and pleasant pass
age. The Stevens is fine sailor and q
noble sea.bost. In three weeks from the
day we left Cape Henry we made St. Jago
one of the Cape Verde Islands, and then
light winds and Gains arrested our progress
and it took eleven days more to reach Sierra
Leone-s:ill, however, making the voyage
in tbirty-two days, which is an unusually
quick one.
On Sunday, Dec. 10th, we made Grand
Cape Mount, and after pleasant day, Di-
vine Service being held twice, We erept up
With light breeze, full bright moon, and
a cloudiess sky over US, and cast anchor a,
9 Pm. You may imagine my surprise.
my most agreeable surprise, when next
morning very early upon going upon deck.
I saw now plainly what [ could but very
indistinctly perceive the night beiore-a
to Sn, q rural settlement, with it's scores and
scores Of neat, though rudeIy built cottages,
with their gardens and young fruit trees
scattered all over the hill side, and, with
The noble Receptacle in the midst, forming
one of the many prominent durable monu-
ments Of the ipcalculable amount of goud
done to the A fricaD race by the American
Colonization Society. To ME who had gone
to that forest ia September 1856,
traversed it again and again, marked out the
sight for the Receptacle snw it almost com
pleted, and the people under my care, the
pioneer band, measurab'y occupying it, and
then leaving Cor other work assigned me
elsewhere; to me this town Of five hundred
inhabitants, covering the beautiful slopes
Of that mounta in, town with its schools,
places OF worship, and a contented, happy
people, the effect was indescribable. The
change was as if wrought BY magic. No,
will take tha. back, and exclaim, "What
hath the Lord wrought!nA Instead of -csoak-
ing about what has NOT 1een done in two
short years, am rejoced beyond measure
at what HAS been accomplished, and while
had an opportunity afforded me to move
around. see the people at their homes, eat
and drink with them, find out their condition,
| have come to the deliberate conclusion
the evil reports of two or three dissatisfied
liberated slaves notwithstandiag-that you
have fine fourishing settlement at Grand
Cape Mount; that by all means it ought to
be .usta ned; that it is healthy, and will
prove in the end one OF the fnes: portions
of this Republic. .... -"
On arriving here (at Monrovia) on Gath
December, | was received. as usual, with
the utmost cordiality and kindness. snd my
appointment as che agent Of the United
States Government for recaptured Africans
regarded with universal approb alton.
I called on His Excele1cy, President
Benson, Immediately; was most kindly re-
ceived, and in an official correspondence
held since our interview, my commission
has been duly recognized and accredited at
the seat of government of this Republic.
The National Fair was being held on our
arrival. Instead of a crystal palace. they had
one much more appropriate "a building
made entirely of native material. bam ,oo
Hoor and sides, and the roof covered neatly
with the palm lhatch. / obtained season
ticket and mingled in the throng to see aud
examine the evidences sf Liberian improve
ment. Twas surprised beyond all au,icipa-
ton, aud could scarcely realize where was.
I cannot enumerate the articles on exhibi-
ton, but was truly gratifisd with every ce-
partment. The specimens Of sugar cane
c.nnot be excelled in the West InGies, save
| in the Island of Trinidad. Socks made of
the silk of the great silk-coiton tree of The
tropics is decidedly triumph of L berian
ingenuity. Never did | believe that the
short fibre of the article could possibly be-
spun or wove; but the daughters of Liberia
have done it. Gunpowder made here, by .
native Liberian, arrested my attention.
Beautiful furniture, made Of the superior
woods of their forests, claimed admiration
from all. But can only mention, without
commenting upoa, the touls manufac ured
! here, the superior iron ore, the cotton, cof-
fee, ginger, cornmeal, arrow roo, yams. ed
does, and macy more, all giving indisPu' able
evidences Of the vast fertility OF the soil, OF
the onward rapid march in the improvement
of the people of Liberia, and Of the consoling
fact that those who labor for their advance.
ment in the arts and sciences, or nny other
good thing, do no, labor in vain.
Of the two hundred re-csptured Africans
who landed here, ten have since died. As
they were very much emacisted on arriving
a, this port the commander o. the Niagara,
in consultation with your agent here, con-
cIuded it was best to land the entire com
pany at this place. They have been oil
housed in the socie'y's large and commo'
dious receptacle, and every attention paid
them, and every thing done to promote
their welfare by Mr.. Dennis. the represen'
,a,ive Of she Colonization Socie,y. and your
faithful physician. DR.. Roberts. have visit
ed them several times, had them called to-
gether. Addressed them by means Of an en-
terpre,er, aud held devotional exercises
emong them. They are cheerful aud con-
tented, have improved wonderfully, and bu
few show the remains Of that emaciation I,
which they were previously reduced.