Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-06-30
A BAD REPORT FROM LIBERIA.

STRAWBERRY 1LAINS, June l2.-Dan frlcc,
a bright, Intelligent muato, who lett this
ueyhborhood the 23d day of last November,
in company with thr.y-two Others for Liberia,
arrived iu our town op the 10 O'Clock train this
uorpiug, on his return from old Africa, the ma
tive country of his race, across the deep blue
sea Dan tells us a very distressing story OF
his trip, and of the fate Of many OF his reia-
lives and friends and believing that II will bc
of interest to many readers of the Chronicle,
send it to you tor publication.
He says they had not been 10 Liberia
month till they had buried nine of their little
party, all of whom died of fever, including his
wife mother, grandmother, and his oldest
child. He brought two If his little children
back with him, who were fortunate enough to
escape the fatal disease
The remainder OF the party are nearly all
sick and anxious to get back 70 America, but
as a trip this way costs fifty dollars, none OF
them eau get the fluids to return on. But few
of them have been able to do "a days work
suce they arrived in Liberia, and when they
eau work they only get twenty y-hve ccuts per
day.
He says that the agent of the colonization
society grossly misrepreseuted the country to
them nr they would never have thought OF
leaving East Tennessee The natives, with but
lew exceptions, are of the rudcst type, and
nearly all of them live upon roots, frogs,
snakes scorpions, lizz .rds. aud insects OF vari
Gus kinds. Bacon being fifty cents per pound,
and -four from twelve to fifteen dollars per hun
dred, oil course can only be used by the rich.
Corn, wheat, oats, and other staple produc-
lous Of this county cannot be grown there to
any advantage.
He never saw a team of horses, mules, or OK
eu, from the time he left New York till he re-
,la hn,n
with the hoe No one ever thinks of going
out without an umbrella or something to pro-
tect them from the intense heat OF the sun.
Settlers are often overrun by the different
Savages from the interior, themselves killed,
and their houses robbed and burned. Many OF
the natives dress In regular barbarian style;
that is, they 60 generally naked, except when
out from their places OF abode; they then dress
up with one garment, a hip-cloth
The Offices of the government are filled by
negroes. who are generally mean and tyrauicai
toward the common people The rich will not
in any way associate with the poor, and when
the poor negro works for the rich oDe he Is sent
to the kitchen for bis meals He says when he
landed iu America he was greatly surprised to
hear that colored people were demanding more
rights of the Government, for they should be
coutcnted with the privileges they already have
their best friends.
He mailed d, zen letters at this Office, which
were W itten by former slaves to their old mas
,ers u this country, all asking that money be
sent them that they may be enabled to get
back to their old homes once more. tie brought
the letters to this country and mailed them,
from the fact that none OF the writer's had the
money to pay the high rate of postage charged
,u Liberia; aud then 50 mauy letters fail to reach
America, especially those containing statements
about the true condition Of that country.
Take it all in all, Dan says, il he could even
have his health in Liberia, he would rather be
u slave here than a freeman there. Dan reads
and writes we'll, and has for years been conslL-
cred leader amoug his race in this section.
He advises his people to quit politics, and es-
pecially the civil rights bill, and 60 to work,
that they may be prosperous and happy. --Cor.
kuorviNe Chron.
ARTICLES DISCOVERED IN PoMpElI.- .--Onc
of the most Interesting features OF the eXcaVa-
tlons n this buried city ls the discovery OF many
homey domestic articles OF which we have
counterparts. 1t is astonishing how many
things 10 common use now were 10 use then.
Here you will see almost every kitchen utensll,
portable cooking stoves, jelly cake and butter
moulds in the imitation Of birds and hoWerS
pots, Kettles, crooks, dishes, cups anu sauccrs,
spoons, knives aud forks and dippers, skim.
mers, sauccpans frying pans, lamps, lamp
stands, flesh hooks, brsziers tor charcoal. lp
word, pretty much every kitchen. dining
room or chamber article found In modern use
cutered into the dolly life Of Roman antiquity
All the articles of lady's toilet, Including jew.
clIy of all kinds, gold aud silver ornaments
corals and precious stones, were found IN
houses in Pompcii. TakcD from the retail shops
were steeIyards. balances, weights and meas
urcs From Doctors Office was recovered q
iull set of surgical Instruments, Including put
kus'' for extracting teeth, aud trepans Tor
drilling holes iu the skull. There is any num-
Der of shoemaker, tailor, carpenter, aud b!ack-
smith tools, and, indeed, implements OF almost
every present mechanical operation. Taken
altogether, the collection Of articles taken from
the dead city is surprising reveat to ever,
one. showing that the aucents invented and
perfected ten thousand implements and ar.
ticles of common lite which we still use with
little improvement thereon and without giving
them credit therefor.
NIkGlNlA AGRICULTURAL l. AND NJ T.