The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-03-05
MoNRovA, THE CAPITAL OF LIBERIA

r. DAVID Bone. Dear Sir Me, Bill
that used to belong to Squire John
III Slater, of Winchester, Tenn, won
say that l have written many letters
= the United States to different plac
where | have lived; and not n bloc
y man has written line to me since
nave been in Africa. And all III
writing have received was from Ho,
, ora0le VIM. j. Slater, my believe
friend, and Squire John r. Slate
who, as | understand, has left the walk
OF men, as all Of US will have to do sool
or late. Yes, | have received a lette
from two yellow girls that live in Nash
vilIe-Bettie McNayer and Sarah AIc
Mayer.
/ am IN hopes this letter will find al
my acquaintance alive and in pooc
health. Tell them | am still in Africa
where there are some of the larpes,
great lat women of the black nation
nave ever seen, and they wear but few
clothes The grown women wear n
piece OF cloth, around their hips, in the
shape OF n shawl, but the other parts Of
their bodies are naked. They don't
wear loose sacks, and do more work
Than their men do, except when the
men are employed by the Liberians,
and then they have to work. And they
all 60 hare-footed all the time. And the
men 60 as naked as the women. When
The women are fine'dressed they wear
Jcwelry round their legs and hands, and
comb their hair in ridges These wo-
men do not wear as many clothes in
two years as one Of your women wear at
one dressing
Now, David, | will tell you all what
you wall have to do. Do what Pres.
dent Grant, in speech in Washington
City, told the black people to do. lie
tod them to 90 to Africa and make for
themselves a permanent home like the
white people have made for themselves,
in America, in the United States.
Now, David, l received n letter from
Honorable VIM. j. Slater, Editor, and
it tells me that you have gotten the let
ter | wrote to him last. And are YOU
all like the Nashville darkies? They
told me | was going to Cuba. A
course from the United States
to Africa is to start from Savannah,
Georgia, or, Charleston, South Carolina,
leaving Cuba on the right side. Now,
| went from Norfolk, Virginia, and got
On the great ship, Golconda, at the
great u. ). White house, and the shin
steered southeast course for Liberia,
with $40 Of us on board some from
North Carolina, and some from other
States. We were thirty-ive days on
the sea before we ever saw land. And
it is said to be 1000 miles from Norfolk
to Monrovia, and from Monrovia to the
point ofSouth Africa is 5000 miles.
And l would be glad to see you all
again. l could tell you more than |
could write on paper. believe the
black people must come to Africa and
set up the Christian Kingdom. was
talking with one of the Captains about
coming to the United States and he
told me he would charge me $50 to take
ne to New York. have written one
etter in answer to the letter, Sept. 10,
1889, by Honorable VIM. j. Slater,
The Editor. And | have written to
congress concerning steam navigation
lirect to Africa, and q road to run
Trough the center of Africa. | want n
lirect line from Norfolk, Va. to Cape
Mount, which is 40 miles from Monro.
'ia And | want you all to write me
md tell me what you are going to do,
md what you want me to do. Do you
Ill want me to come to see you? Then
lelp pay my passage to Winchester and
will come, if the Lord is willing |
an talk and tell more than can write
IN paper. | will give you to under.
tand that there is no money moulded
lere, no coming of gold and silver here,
hough there is discovery of gold and
diamonds, and other precious material,
n South Africa. There are different
finds of stone. | saw mountain of
White marble a few miles above Monro-
ia, and the stone is equal to gun-Aint.
Now, David, tell me the spirit of
our people. Caa they stand the true
entence of Africa's condition ? Can
'ou? All the things you ever needed
II the United States as to learning you
iced here. And the things you do not
iced are the things the people of Libe-
ia use mostly-such as ball-face and
ot-gut. You will find these big, old,
;ch negroes here in their cellars which
re full of bottles of different sizes, hold
ne from two to five gallons. All kinds