116 



LIBERAL ARTS LIBERIA. 



throughout Europe, are composed of those who a<l- 

 hre to the ancient regime, and object to the princi- 

 ples of equal rights, and of those who, adhering to 

 the latter, an- ihence called liberals. The struggle 

 is between tin- feudal, or aristocratic, and the denio- 

 principle. There exists, of course, a great 

 variety of shades in both parties. 



I . Ill KR A I, A UTS. See Arts. 



LIBERIA ; the name which, in 1824, on the mo- 

 tion of general Robert Goodloe Harper, was given to 

 the territory purchased by the American colonization 

 ocU-ty, on the western coast of Africa. The origin 

 and purposes of this association have lxen already 

 ,i>ed in the article Colonization Society, as well 

 as the ill success of the first attempt to establish a 

 settlement, in 1820. In the summer of 1821, cape 

 -Montserado, or Mesurado, with a large tract of ad- 

 joining country, was purchased of the native chiefs, 

 or lirad-men. The emigrants first established them- 

 selves on cape Montserado, under the direction of 

 doctor Ayres, Jan. 7, 1822. Almost immediately 

 after taking possession of the cape, doctor Ayres was, 

 in consequence of severe illness, obliged to return to 

 the United States ; but, happily for the colony, Mr 

 Jehudi Ashmun arrived, and assumed the superin- 

 tendence of affairs, Aug. 8. For more than six years, 

 this able man devoted all his powers to the work of 

 establishing, upon broad ami sure foundations, this 

 colony, so interesting to the United States, and so full 

 of hope for Africa. His defence of the infant settle- 

 ment, in December, 1822, against the united forces 

 of the natives, showed great courage and talent. In 

 1824, the system of government now in operatfon was 

 adopted, and the benefits which have resulted from it 

 are great. The supreme power resides in the agent 

 of the society, but all the civil and military officers of 

 the colony are annually elected by the people. 

 Through the negotiations of the late Mr Ashmun, 

 great accessions were made to the original territory 

 of Liberia. Full possession has been obtained of 

 l;irge tracts of country, and a jurisdiction (which ex- 

 cludes all foreign nations from making settlements) 

 acquired over the coast, from cape Mount to Trade 

 Town, a distance of 150 miles. The territory of 

 Liberia is generally low upon the coast, but gradually 

 rises towards the interior, and, at a distance of from 

 twenty to thirty miles from the sea, hills are visible, 

 of considerable elevation. About forty-eight miles 

 due north-west from cape Montserado, is Grand Cape, 

 mount, which is elevated from a level country, on a 

 base of about four miles in diameter, 900 feet above 

 the sea, which washes it on three sides. This mount, 

 the north-western extremity of Liberia bay, is cov- 

 ered with a deep and unfading foliage. Several 

 springs of excellent water descend from it, and the 

 Pissou river (a broad, but irregular and sluggish 

 stream, which has l>een traced to about a hundred 

 miles from its mouth) empties itself into the ocean on 

 its northern side. The St Paul's river, which flows 

 into Liberia bay, at the distance of from eight to nine 

 miles north of cape Montserado, is of considerable 

 magnitude, and supposed to admit, above its falls 

 (about twenty miles from its mouth), of boat naviga- 

 tion for 200 or 300 miles. The Montserado river is 

 forty miles long, and enters the sea on the northern 

 side of the cape of the same name. In the Junk 

 district, south-east of cape Montserado forty miles, 

 are two considerable rivers, one descending from the 

 north-north-west, and the other from east-north-east, 

 and pouring their waters into the ocean at the dis- 

 tance of only two miles from each other. The river 

 >t John's, eighty-one miles south-east from cape 

 Montserado, is larger than any we have mentioned 

 and represented by Mr Ashmun as majestic, and 

 navigable for vessels of 90 to 100 tons/abounding 



will) fish, and having its course through a ferti'e, 

 delicious, and salubrious country, of a rich and mel- 

 low soil, fanned sixteen hours in every twenty-four, 

 even in the dry season, by a sea breeze, tempered and 

 sweetened, in its passage up the river, by the verdure 

 which crowns its banks, rendering the scene one of 

 the most delightful that can be imagined. 



Cape Montserado, upon which is situated Monrovia 

 (so called in honour of president Monroe, one of the 

 earliest and most efficient friends of the colonization 

 society), the earliest settlement made in Liberia, is 

 about 6 27' N. lat., and 10 40' W. Ion. from 

 Greenwich. Cape Montserado is elevated about 

 eighty feet above the ocean, is washed by the water 

 on three sides, and connected with a level tract oi 

 land on the fourth. Its length, from north-west to 

 south-east, is three and one third miles ; its average 

 width, from north-east to south-west (directly across 

 from the river to the ocean), three fourths of a mile. 

 It comprehends about 1600 acres. From May to 

 October, the wind, on this coast, is uniformly from 

 south-south-west. In November and December, the 

 Seabreeze varies from south-south-west to north-north- 

 west, the land breeze commonly from north-east and 

 north. Masters of vessels should remember that this 

 coast may, at all seasons, be descended with little 

 difficulty ; but, that the ascent, between January and 

 May, is exceedingly slow, both the current and wind 

 being in opposition. Vessels standing by cape Mount 

 ought to give this cape a birth of two or three leagues. 

 The anchorage ground, at the distance of one or two 

 miles north-east of cape Montserado, is safe and 

 good. 



The American colonization society has transported 

 to Liberia 1402 free persons of colour. Between 

 100 and 200 slaves, liberated from the grasp of 

 pirates on the coast, have been placed under the pro- 

 tection of the colony. About 300 slaves, taken while 

 about to be brought into the United States contrary 

 to law, have been removed to Liberia by the govern- 

 ment of the United States. There are four flourishing 

 settlements within the limits of the colony Monro- 

 via, Caldwell, the Half-way Farms (or New Georgia), 

 and Millsburg, situated twenty miles in the interior, 

 on the eastern bank of the St Paul's. One of the 

 native tribes has voluntarily placed itself under the 

 laws of the colony, and others have expressed a desire 

 to follow its example. The natives, in the vicinity of 

 Liberia, may be divided into three great classes the 

 Fey or Vey tribes occupying the country from Gall- 

 nias river to Grand Cape mount, a distance of fifty 

 miles, and which are estimated by Mr Ashmun at 

 1500. Between cape Mount and cape Montserado 

 is the Dey tribe, about half the number of the Veys. 

 South-west of Montserado are the Bassas, extending 

 over various countries. Their number may be esti- 

 mated at 150,000. The Feys are described as a 

 proud, selfish, deceitful race ; the Deys as indolent, 

 pacific, and inoffensive, and the Bassas as industrious, 

 and many of them laborious. It is not to be under- 

 stood, however, that each of these classes is held 

 together and directed by a single government. They 

 are all of them broken up into small and feeble tribes, 

 utterly incapable of conducting warlike operations in 

 a united and powerful manner. The people farther 

 in the interior are of a more elevated and civilized 

 character, have some knowledge of the Arabic 

 language, and some acquaintance with the more use- 

 ful arts. The articles to be obtained by trade at 

 Liberia are chiefly ivory, camwood, gold, tortoise- 

 shell, hides, the teeth of the sea-horse, and a small 

 quantity of coffee. The country abounds in cattle, 

 goats, swine, and fowls, and in most of the fruits and 

 productions of other tropical climates. Thus far the 

 efforts of the American colonization society have been 



