k 



-^ The Founding of Liberia 



another white American, Dr. Richard Randall (who had been 

 in Liberia before) to succeed Ashmun as agent. He arrived 

 at the end of 1828, and in 1829 he founded the station of 

 Careysburg in remembrance of Lot Carey. This place is 

 situated some distance to the east of Milisburg, and originally 

 was intended to be a settlement for freed slaves rescued from 

 captured slave traders. Unhappily, Dr. Randall died of fever 

 in April, 1829, just as he was conducting important negotiations 

 with the powerful King Boatswain of Boporo. He was succeeded 

 by a young doctor, Mechlin, who had accompanied him to 

 Liberia in 1828. 



Mechlin's first endeavour was to strengthen the hold of 

 the Liberian colonists along the banks of the St. Paul's River. 

 In his dealings with the chiefs he gave much evidence of ability, 

 and thus attracted the attention amongst others of Long Peter, 

 chief over Cape Mount, and Bob Gray, the principal Chief of 

 Grand Basa. Mechlin founded the settlement of Marshall, at 

 the mouth of the Junk River (which is the common estuary 

 of the Dukwia and Farmington streams). He continued with 

 vigour Ashmun's policy against the slave traders, and took 

 special pains to keep in good repair the fort which Ashmun 

 had caused to be built to control the peninsula of Cape Mount. 

 In 1832 a number of slaves who were being sent down by 

 a petty chief (called the Sultan of " Brumley ") on the St. 

 Paul's River, above the falls, escaped from their guards and 

 took refuge in Monrovia. They were on their way via Cape 

 Mount to the Gallinhas territory, where they were to be 

 handed over to the Cuban slave trader Pedro Blanco. 



Shortly afterwards Kaipa, the son of the Sultan of "Brumley,"^ 

 arrived at Monrovia, and in very insulting language demanded 



1 No doubt a Muhammadan Mandingo. He is generally referred to in the 

 records as the Sultan of Brumley. 



151 



