News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-11-25
COMES BACK FROM AFRICA.
An American who Does Not Think Very
Highly OF Liberia,
From the Montgomery AdYertiser.l

(From the Montgomery Advertiser.)
Anderson Jones (colored) returned to
! this city few weeks ago from Liberia,
! in Africa, where he went in the spring
of 1855.
~ left Montgomery on Feb. "a, 1855,
| he says, one year ago last February, for
New York, accompanied by my wife
and two children. We sailed from
! New York for Liberia on the last dsy of
| February. In our party there were flftv
emigrants, including men, women and
| children. We went to Liberia under
direction Of the Colonization Society of
| Washington. The society furnished us,
! according to promise, with provisions
to last US six months. After we reached
our destination we had our land sur
veyed, and set about to build houses
and settle AS for my part, | soon
found that the rainy season was too
close at hand, and did not have time to
| settle on the land set apart for me. l
then got two acres from another man in
the settlement, and built little house
in which lived while there. planted
and raised few potatoes, and we ate
them and enjoyed them. The house l
built was ten or fifteen feet. | built 1t
with small poles and covered it with
bamboo. The rainy season set in about
May /, and continued until along some
time in November. Sometimes the
rainfall would be steady for a week or
two, and then it would slack up an
hour or a day and commence again.
But for six months we had no sunshine
and dry weather, and during all that
time we were confined in doors, and
could do nothing in the way of out
door work to earn living. In the fall
the rainy spell ends, and then there is
nothing but drought and hot sunshine
for six months. Wehad no winter, and
the only cool weather came during the
rainy spell, in what we call the summer
months here"
There are many things that must
make an American feel very much out
OF place III Africa Continuing the tale
of his bitter experience, Anderson said
''In cuitivating the soil the settlers,
as well as the natives, have to do all
the work with hoes. There are no
horses or mules or cattle in that coun-
try. In some of the oldest settlements
they have few cattle, but they are very
small and dwaffsh. A full-grown COW
in Africa is no larger than a yoar-old
calf in this country. In the settlement |
where we lived | never saw but the one |
poor little calf, and not single horse !
or mule in the country. l was sick |
about three months, and was greatly |
troubled with bloodthirsty little insects |
known as jiggers. They are smaller |
than flea and far more troublesome. |
They attack victim on the feet while |
he sleeps and work their way into the |
flesh, forming bad sores. l saw many |
people with several of their toes fairly |
eaten of by the little pests. In my |
l had no medicine and no |
physician There was no doctor in the
settlement except herb doctors, who |
make their own medicine. People in
that country can't make money, and it
takes hard digging to make a little
to eat. l had little money
when / went there, but ,verything was
so high that it was soon gone The
man who is employed by the CoIoniza-
ton Society to issue provisions to the
settlers swindled us out of supplies for
twenty days, and just at a time when
we needed help most.
1.-The people over there don't much
ike for settlers TO come away. But
they can't raise any objections, and the
natives are all peaceable. When a man
decides to leave he has to post a written
notice of his intentions in public place
Tor ten days and get passport from
the government. l wrote letters to nv
people here and received replies The
letters go and come around by English
steamers. was bent on coming back
70 Alabama, though had no money
and no means of making it. My rela-
lives here and in Texas sent us the
money to return and now we will stay
here.