the native chief. The walls of the fort are extremely low, and the few guns there, had better be dismounted, and their carriages burnt, than be kept without the possibility of any useful purpose; for after one discharge, the guns would become useless, and unfit for another. Independently of the gun carriages being so defective, the garrison consists only of the Governor, and a gentleman exercising the functions of aide-de-camp and secretary, with half a dozen native servants; a force, I need scarcely remark, too insignificant even to be respected by the natives.The King of Apollonia is one among the most arrogant and insolent of the chiefs upon the coast: he is, I understand, in the practice of using not only insulting language to the Governor, but insisting upon his wants being satisfied upon every occasion, from a knowledge of the Governor's entire incapacity to resist his demands.

Formerly the gold trade was respectable; but of late it has fallen off considerably: nor is that in ivory of consequence; and as the King is supplied with goods at the invoice prices, his portion of the trade almost ruins the little which is left to the two Europeans within the fort.-The landing on the beach is extremely dangerous, the surf frequently prevents all communication for days with ships in the offing; and the difficulty and expense in procuring canoes must be considerable, as one of them cannot be launched through the surf without the assistance of one-third of the native inhabitants of the town.

Fort Apollonia was, as I understood, established originally in the hope that it might lead to an advantageous communication with the interior to windward of Axim; Fort Axim being the most western Dutch settlement upon the Gold Coast.

In the present state and condition of Fort Apollonia, and the reduced nature of its trade, the abandonment of it would, in my judgment, be desirable. I believe tribute or rent is paid to the native chief, which, while we retain our claim to Fort Apollonia, must still be paid. The river Pencorba appears to be a much more desirable point for a fort; unless the Dutch, who formerly objected to such an establishment, as being contiguous to Axim, should still persist in this objection, and have power to enforce it.

Concise History

Of Establishments recently made by the Colonial Government of Liberia, on the Coast of Africa.

THE YOUNG SESTERS.

The last accounts of our Establishment in this country, yet transmitted home to the Board, stated, that the Colony has obtained, by cession from King Freeman, an indefinite extent of territory lying along both banks of Poor river-and had proceeded to the incipient occupation of it, by founding a factory on the beach, about two miles to the southward of the mouth of the same river.

King Freeman has engaged not only to guaranty this cession, but to protect the persons and property connected with the factory, in consideration of a monthly gratuity of ten bars ($4.50).

In March, 1826, Jacob Warner received an appointment to reside at and carry on this establishment for the Colony, for one year:-for which service he was allowed 18 dollars per mensem; and was promised, in case he continued still to reside, after the termination of the year, ten acres of land in the Sesters territory, and certain perquisites arising out of the trade which he might be employed by individual colonists to transact on their account.

Mr. Warner associated with himself another colonist, who spent the first six months of his term at the factory, to assist him in the preparation of building materials. The Agent also employed, at a small compensation, a 'respectable old settler, to reside, and carry on a small public farm, for which the lands on which the factory is situated, are excellently adapted.

The want of vessels suited to the navigation of the coast during the bad season, left the factory in a languid state from March to November-when the inconvenience was in a great measure supplied by the completion of the colonial schooner Catherine.

But in the mean time, the friendly intercourse of the factor and his assistants with the country-people, and even with Free

man himself, was badly sustained, and experienced frequent and very unpleasant interruptions. The government of this patriarchal, and, in many respects, estimable individual, has the fault of being excessively indulgent, relaxed-and, consequently, utterly inefficient. His own moral sentiments are those of an unenlightened Pagan, more strongly influenced by the prospect of immediate advantage, than any future, or moral considerations. Hence thefts and robberies, so far from being severely punished and suppressed, are encouraged by a misguided indulgence; and recent facts have proved further, that the King himself is not above the disgraceful meanness of sharing in the proceeds of such felonious acts, at the total sacrifice of every thing befitting his station, character, and real interest. He has, indeed, offered, and in several instances made, the most ample pecuniary satisfaction for these injuries. But his character for honesty and good faith, is ruined. There is about him an amiable weakness, a weakness, which, connected with an uninformed conscience, is the source of his greatest faults. He is indeed one of those amiable, feeble, characters of whom Montesquieu says, "There is not stuff enough in him to make a good man. But he is proud of our establishment on his territoryand willing, as he has often told me, to relinquish to us one-half of his kingdom rather than to lose it. He is, at this date, in arrears to the Colony to the amount of more than 100 bars, (about fifty dollars) besides, at least, ten thieves not only left unpunished, but secretly protected by him against the justice of the Colony. But, as bad as is the state of things to which these causes have led, it would perhaps have been, before this date, materially changed for the better, but for a most perilous war in which Freeman has imprudently involved himself, and which threatens, and I am apprehensive will soon end in, the subversion of his power, and the ruin of his country. His nearest neighbour of Trade Town has become his enemy-and is enabled by his wealth, and great influence, to obtain powerful auxiliaries, and carry his arms into the heart of the Sesters territory. I am this very day returned from a fruitless visit to Trade Town and Sesters, which has cost me a ten-days' absence from Mensurado, for almost the sole purpose of mediating a settlement of their differences. But too much blood has been already

shed, and too strong a spirit of mutual vengeance stirred up between the parties, to admit of a reconciliation. One of the hostile parties must exterminate the other. And to this deplorable length I was, after three days spent in ineffectual efforts to reconcile them, obliged to leave them to carry their savage resentments; and gained by my mediation no other point, except that of giving to them, and the other neighbouring tribes, the strongest proof in my power, of the benevolent interest we take in their welfare. Both parties have most solemnly stipulated to respect the colonial property on the theatre of their hostilities. Both parties offered to give me the whole country of their enemy, provided I would assist them to subdue it. And Freeman and his allies engaged to enrol themselves, with all their people and country, as vassals and fiefs of the Colony, on condition of our assisting them against West. But, from the first, all were given expressly to understand, that our whole force was sacred to the purpose of self-defence alone, against the injustice and violence of the unprincipled-that while we were ready to benefit all our neighbours, we could injure none-and that if we could not prevent or settle the wars of the country, we should never take part in them.

It remained then, to be decided whether our factory at the Sesters was to be continued or suspended, till the fury of the blast was over. The possible effects of its discontinuance, even for a short time, were, on the one hand, not to be lightly incurred. We had expended some money, and been at great pains, to obtain the footing we held there. There was a fine little productive farm of five acres, filled with cassada, cotton, and sweet potatoes—the last article in abundance. There were buildings, enclosures, and stock, which ought, if possible, to be preserved. There was the best watered territory the Colony has, of which a suspension of our possession, for a short time, would, in the estimation of the natives, weaken our claim, to be retained.These were powerful reasons for keeping up the establishment, even in the confusion and dangers of a savage war. But, on the other hand, it was evident, notwithstanding the professions of the parties at war, that neither our property nor the lives of our factors, were safe for an hour, without such a guard as it is utterly beyond our power to place them under. That little or no

trade could be expected during the continuance of the troubles; that admitting the sincere friendship of the chiefs, they were not able to control the refractory and excited passions of their people. I considered, also, that my own expected absence from the country for six or eight months, would perhaps leave the establishment in a more exposed state, and be made the occasion of greater licentiousness on the part of the warriors, both of West and Freeman, than could happen, if I were present to punish any violation of good faith:-and resolved reluctantly, on withdrawing the factors, and suspending for a season, the operations of the factory and the farm.*

I accordingly lost no time in engaging a trusty Krooman (neutral in the contest) to reside at and take care of the buildings, farm, and such property as could not be removed-and in bringing away all the residue. I have this evening returned; and can only hope that a few months will effectually remove all the obstacles out of the way of a peaceable and safe resumption of all our possessions and acquisitions in the Sesters.

The Board may assure themselves, that no loss of influence on this coast, has led to the unpleasant necessity of thus giving up for a season, this possession. On the contrary, new cessions of territory are offered us, and new invitations from a distance are constantly extended to us, to multiply our establishments. But at present we have not the means--we want people, vessels, funds, a regular and ample supply of trade-goods, to enable us to close with any more offers of this nature. My present aim and endeavour is, to compress all the business, and narrow down all the connexions and engagements of the Colony, to the narrowest compass possible-and simplify all our relations with the tribes about us; in order that the intercourse of the Colony with them, during my absence to the U. States, may be easy, safe, and mutually satisfactory and beneficial. The Sesters, the most distant of our establishments by 25 miles, is given up. One new one on Grand Bassa, is just formed-and for the arrangements contemplated, in relation to both of these, and the Junk factory, for the next ten months, I must refer to the next following papers of this series. Monrovia, Feb. 4th, 1827. J. A.

* The controversy between the chiefs, has, we believe, been amicably settled.-[ED.