They then related many singular and amusing anecdotes respecting it, and acknowledged the loss of seventy to eighty men killed. If I remember right, the Colonists lost but two or three of their little band.

The means the Colony has for defence, at present, consists of twenty pieces of ordnance, and muskets, &c. for 1000 men, which may be increased from private stores if wanted. In Monrovia there are, Capt. Steward's company of Infantry, Weaver's company of Artillery, and Draper's company of rifle Rangers. In Caldwell, Davis' company of Infantry, and Brown's of Artillery. In Millsburg, White's company of Rifle Rangers. All these are volunteers and in uniform; besides which, a respectable number of militia, not in uniform, and as many of the natives under the protection of the colonial government as it may think proper to arm. These facts will, I think, satisfy any man as to the safety of the Colonists from attacks by the natives.

There is a respectable fort on Cape Montserado, which commands the roadstead, and has protected an English vessel chased in by a pirate. The military are commanded by Major Barbour-the commander in chief, is the Society's Agent.

There is much hospitality to be found in Monrovia, and among the inhabitants a greater proportion of moral and religious characters than in this city. I never saw a man intoxicated, nor heard any profane swearing during the three weeks I was among them.

The two houses for religious worship already noticed, are Baptist and Methodist—the Baptists have three and Methodists five preachers, all intelligent coloured men, merchants and traders, residing among them; so that the people have nothing to pay for the support of ministers. Five German Missionaries, some ministers and teachers, reside there, a portion of whom preach at the Methodist Church occasionally.

A trading company has been formed at Monrovia, with a capital of $4,000, and an agreement entered into that no dividend shall be made until the profits increase the capital to $20,000. The stock has risen from 50 to 75 dollars per share, in one year. It has been objected that the climate is very unhealthy-this is true as it respects the whites, but erroneous as respects the

coloured people. Those from the middle and northern states have to undergo what is called a seasoning-that is, they generally take the fever the first month of their residence, but it has rarely proved fatal, since accommodations have been prepared for their reception; those from Georgia, the Carolinas, and the southern parts of Virginia, either escape the fever altogether, or have it very slightly. Deaths occur there, indeed, as in other places, but Doctor Mechlin, the Agent, assured me that the bills of mortality would show a less proportion of deaths, than those of Baltimore, Philadelphia or New York.

I have given you a statement of facts as nearly as I could ascertain them. If there be any errors, they are, I am persuaded, unimportant; for my information has been derived from respectable sources in that country, and my own observation induces me to believe that what I have written is substantially correct.

I will add my own opinion, though I fear you may think it presumptuous. I have no hesitation in saying that I believe Liberia will, in time, become a great nation, and be the means, eventually, of civilizing a great part of Africa, and I should hope the whole of that benighted country. There are already in Monrovia, at least 60 children of native parents, and there would be, if wanted, many more.

Do you ask what kind of government the Liberians would establish, if a great nation and left to themselves; I answer, a republican, unquestionably. The intelligent emigrants having been brought up in this country, and the first laws in operation among them being republican, they would be as well prepared for happiness under such a government, as any people in the world. The adult male inhabitants consider themselves men, and know how to enjoy the blessings of a free institution, and will never surrender their liberties, but with their lives. They are now as patriotic Americans as our fore-fathers were loyal subjects of the kings of England. Should they receive no further aid from this country, they will nevertheless, in my opinion, attain to greatness eventually, but if that aid which I think they so justly deserve, should be continued, their progress to this end will be greatly accelerated.

Some are of opinion that Hayti is preferable to Liberia for colored people to emigrate to; a little reflection will, I think,

show the error of this opinion. Hayti is and ever has been in the hands of military despots; the Haytians have never known what rational liberty was, nor ever can. Experience has shown this to be the case. What would people of color from this country gain by going to Hayti?--they would be kept as laborers, "hewers of wood and drawers of water," to the haughty Haytian. They would have no share in the government, and could never rise to any degree of eminence. If they must have masters, they prefer white to those of their own color: this I have found to be universally their sentiment. The manners and customs of the Haytians are different from those of our people as is their language. The religious and even moral colored people, cannot be happy where the Sabbath is a day of revelry and dissipation, and they considered as heretics, and where the morals of the people are little better than those of the native Afri

can.

Many of our citizens seem to think that the object and only object of the Colonization Society, is to get clear of a surplus colored population. I have very little personal acquaintance with any of the members, but I never can attribute a motive so selfish to that Society; nor do I believe there can be found one among them who does not know that the increase by births in this country, is greater than the number they can transport to Liberia in any given year. Their objects then can only be the laudable ones of bettering the condition of an injured people, diminishing slavery in our country, and the civilization of Africa; all which appear to me attainable.

You may say I have given you much extraneous matter, which has but little bearing on the main question-true, but I am writing to a friend, whose goodness I know will pardon this digression, and who can expect no better from an old seaman. Yours, truly,

Letters from Liberia.

We mentioned in our last number, the return of the Colonial Agent. He came passenger in the Brig Liberia, (of Philadel phia) by which vessel letters have been received from several of

the colonists and from the Rev. Mr. Sessing, one of the German Missionaries, with whose character, as a devoted and self-sacrificing disciple of the glorious Saviour, the Christian public are well acquainted. The contents of Mr. Sessing's letter are mournful indeed, and ought to awaken the fervent supplications of the church in behalf of those of the little band of Missionaries who have gone to the shores of Africa, counting not their lives dear for the sake of Christ, and who are yet unfallen in the chosen field of their labours! But shall christians be disheartened because so many who went forth to teach the poor Africans the holy doctrines and precepts of the Gospel have been taken from their work of love to their habitation in Heaven? Let them rather rejoice that even in these days, there are believers in Jesus Christ, ready not only to be bound, but to die for his name, and let the church catch the spirit of these men of God and bear the Gospel even in the face of Death over the territories of the Destroyer. We would indeed learn wisdom from the events of Providence. But no calamities should shake our Faith in the Divine promises that Africa shall be enlightened and the world converted. If white men are not to be the instructers and reformers of Africa, Coloured men are, and the church should qualify them without delay for this work. We are by no means of opinion, however, that white Missionaries should hesitate to engage in efforts so immediately and immensely impor tant. The following is the principal part of Mr. Sessing's letter. Mr. Sessing's Letter.

MY DEAR REV. FRIEND!

Monrovia, 3d of April, 1830.

I hope you will excuse me in having not written to you by the Liberia; but the melancholy news of this letter will convince you, that our situation at that time was so critical and our time so taken up by nursing our sick friends, that I was, indeed, at a loss what to write to you. Now, my dear friend, I am better able, and have more leisure to write to you; but prepare to hear of the death of two of our beloved friends-the Rev. John Buhrer, and our dear (and for the Mission so useful) Mr. Rudolf Dietschy are no more. They both died of the country fever. This loss of two so useful brethren was very severe to us; and in the trying hour of sickness and death, we felt our courage sink, and we were led to think in our grief and sorrow, the Lord has no pleasure in our Mission; therefore, he suffers such useful men to die. During this trying time we re

ceived also news from the Gold Coast, Christiansburg, (Danish Africa) where our Society two years ago began a second Mission. At that time four of our dear brethren were sent to that place by way of Copenhagen in Denmark, where they stayed some time, to acquire the Danish language. The names are: Rev. Messrs. Henke Salbach, Schmidt and Holzwarth. And now Rev. Mr. Henke writes that his three fellow-labourers finished their course below, last August, 1829. They likewise died of the country fever, and he was left behind alone to weep over the graves of his beloved brethren. This fact, my dear friend, that six out of twelve have died already in the short space of two years, and two others suffered so much from their sickness, that they were advised by the Doctor to leave this country for their cooler home-for next to Mr. Hegele, whom I accompanied home, Mr. Handt, likewise, left this place at the advice of the Doctor and went up to Sierra Leone, where, if he is not to recover, of which the Doctors gave him hope, he will take his passage home-this fact, I say, led us to give way to such thoughts; but now, praised be God, He has given us rest again; he has strengthened our faith and hope, and directed our minds to submit unto his will, and we can say now with all our hearts, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!

I recollect now again, that you, my esteemed friend, before I took leave of you, were rather fearful about our embarking in such a small vessel crowded with so many passengers; and I often thought of your warnings, while on the passage; however, the Lord preserved our lives, and, though we, especially Mrs. Sessing, had suffered much in every respect, it brought us safely and in tolerably good health, to this, to me dear place. We arrived the 17th of January; and, to our great joy and obligations to our heavenly Father, met my dear brother, Rev. A. Kissling, in good health, keeping a free school and preaching occasionally in the Methodist Chapel. The first of February, Mr. Buhrer, and a few days afterwards my dear wife, Mrs. Sessing, were attacked by the fever. Both of them soon recovered, but a second attack brought on Mr. Buhrer an inflammation of the brain, from which not even the most tender and indefatigable care of Dr. Anderson, who attended to him, could save life. He grew weaker and weaker till he breathed his last the 26th of March. Mrs. Sessing has since had several light attacks of fever and ague; but, the Lord be praised, she is now, though weak, yet in a very good state of health. The 28th of February our two friends, Mr. Dietschy and Graner, whom we left in America, arrived safely and in good health in the Liberia-and now we were for a little while all joy, talking of and hoping for a favourable progress and success of our Mission, attended by the blessing of God; but soon our joy was turned into mourning and grief. For the 12th of March Mr. Dietschy was seized by the fever; his weak constitution was not able and strong enough to bear the weight and force of it, and thus