378 11th Report of the African Institution of London.

preachers of evangelical truth were few, and were embarrassed by very trying discouragements. The neglect of early education appeared to have done much in preparing the way for this deplorable condition of the people. He perceived no rational prospect of reviving the interests of true religion, but through the exertions of missionary, and other benevolent Societies. In several places, nevertheless, people were becoming more sensible that the privileges of religious, and moral, and literary instruction, deserved to be held in high estimation, especially as they must affect the true interests of the rising generation. He was himself very deeply impressed with the importance of opening some way into those destitute regions for the introduction of such school masters and instructors of youth as would be strictly moral and pious. He also was convinced that in many places the people would afford suff-. cient encouragement to such ministers as might be found willing to combine the duties of the pastoral office, as far as practicable, with those of instructing their children and young people in the rudiments of literature and science. Having closed the services assigned him by the Trustees, he proceeded to the country of the Cherokee Indians. With a hope of promoting the temporal and everlasting welfare of those perishing heathens, he continues to labour under an appointment from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

In addition to the persons named in this narrative, the following hold commissions to act as Missionaries, and it is supposed are now labouring in the service of the Society. No communications have been received from them since they entered their respective fields. The Rev. Amos. Chase, in the north-west part of Pennsylvania. The Rev. Erastus Ripley, in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The Rev. Messrs. Elinu Mason, and William Williams, in New-Connecticut. The Rev. Messrs. Elias Cornelius, and Samuel Royce, in Louisiana.

ELEVENTH REPORT OF THE AFRICAN INSTITUTION. [Concluded from page 356.]

STATE OF WESTERN AFRICA.

Slave Trade.

The subscribers were informed in the last report, that Dr. Hogan had gone out as Chief Justice to Sierra Leone; and the Directors expressed their persuasion that he was anxiously disposed to further the objects of the Institution. In this hope they have not been disappointed. By intelligence received from that able and enlightened friend to the African race, it appears that he arrived at Sierra Leone early in 1816; and that in the short space of six months, he had, in the discharge of his official duty, rescued from the miseries of a hopeless bondage, and placed in a state of freedom and comparative happiness, more than 1500 of our fellow creatures. He had been most assiduously engaged in the investi

Slave Trade in Western Africa.

379

gation of the slave causes, which bad come before him; and early in the month of October last, had already decided twenty-two of those causes. But of all these, only one vessel was restored to her owners; and even on that case, the Chief Justice entertained *great doubts whether she, too, ought not to have been condemned. The slaves, Dr. Hogan observes, who have been released in consequence of his decisions, bear, (though upwards of 1500) but a very insignificant proportion to those who have been carried off into slavery within the same period. When the Colonial Brig returned to Sierra Leone, some months ago, she had previously, but ineffectually,chased three vessels from the Havanna full of Negroes, off Cape Mount; and certain intelligence had subsequently been received at the Colony, of four other vessels having arrived at Cape Mount and at the Gallinas, for slaves. From every quarter, on every side of Sierra Leone, authentic accounts had been received there of slave ships carrying off their wretched cargoes in the greatest numbers and misery.

The river Gambia alone, it seems, along the whole of that part of the coast of Africa, with the exception, perhaps, of the immediate vicinity of Sierra Leone, had been successfully purged of these trafficers in human flesh. Four of the cases which have already been mentioned as decided by Dr. Hogan, and one of those waiting for his adjudication, were from that river.

1

It appears that even the Portuguese, now that some more effectual regulations have been abopted by the Government of the Brazils, to prevent its subjects from carrying on the Slave Trade to the northward of the line, look to the frauds and forgeries of the -Havana to cover them from confiscation, in their evasion of the orders of their own government, and in their criminal violation of its treaty with Great Britain. One case of this description had some *months ago, come before the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone; and generally, the Portuguese brought into that port made no secret of its being the intention of their owners at Bahia to resort to this fraudulent mode of carrying on their prohibited traffic at Whidab, Popo, and Onim; the slaves obtained south of the line not being held, as they alleged, in equal estimation with the slaves procured at those places.

If the immunity of the Spanish flag from visitation and search, when employed in covering Portuguese, French, American. and even British property embarked in the Slave Trade, should be recognized, it is obvious with what facility the British abolition acts may be rendered a dead letter; and the abandonment or restric>tion of the Slave Trade, by other nations, a perfect mockery of the feelings of humanity-a mere idle, ostentatious, and delusive parade of regard to the claims of liberality and justice.

It would. indeed, be a most mortifying reflection, if after all the efforts made by this nation for the total abolition of this detestable traffic, British officers and seaman were constrained to look tamely on, whilst the felons of their own nation, and the pirates of their pirate-like slave dealers of other countries, could securely prose

380

State of the Colony at Sierra Leone.

cute their nefarious practices; and cover themselves from penalty or prosecution by a flag fraudently assumed, and no less fraudulently granted to them. Yet this must be the unquestionable result, if no international regulations are adopted for visiting, even in time of peace, vessels under whatever flag, which may be engaged in the Slave Trade.

In the case of Spain, the evil is one of peculiar aggravation; for the sovereign of that country has no territory, nor even any footing on the whole line of the coast of Africa. Great Britain, on the contrary, has established numerous settlements on the northern part of it; and where she does not claim dominion, exercises a right of superintendance over her various subjects, who are spread in great numbers along the whole western coast of Northern Africa.

Vessels under the Spanish flag have no object in visiting these parts, but to carry on a trade in slaves; and as a participation in that traffic has been declared felony in British subjects, and as it can scarcely be carried on any where on the north-western coast of Africa, without their agency, immediate or remote, such regulations appear, in the case of Spain, to be most imperionsly called for.

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The institution will not fail to continue its utmost exertions for the removal of these enormous evils.

COLONY OF SIERRA LEONE.

With respect to the state of the colony of Sierra Leone, the Chief Justice makes the following very striking remarks :

"I bave always thought, that in the infancy of such a settlement, the certainty of its striking a deep root was the most important point, and ought to be the main consideration. The little vicissitudes of occasional blight or partial bloom, if they do not materially affect the vitality of the trunk, are scarcely ever worthy of the attention of a statesman, who wishes to legislate for a lengthened series of generations, and to provide for the interests of a remote posterity. I compassionate the weakness, therefore, that can dwell with emphasis on the minute fractions of good or of evil, which may have resulted from any particular system of measures at such a period of prematurity. For my own part I am perfectly satisfied to find a solid foundation of British pre-eminerce, and of African civilization, laid here within the short space of one quarter of a century. A population of 10,000 free men collected on one spot so favourably situated, and guided and governed with a view to such noble and ennobling objects, forms too grand a stride in the moral march of human affairs, not to fix the attention of an enlightened observer, and cast into the shade every lesser consideration. When it is remembered, besides, that: the numbers now actually in a course of intellectual cultivation, in the various schools and public institutions in this colony, exceed 1000, you will do justice to the feeling that leads me to the indulgence of prospective rather than of retrospective views; to a calm

Formation of a Presbytery in Missouri Territory. 381

and encouraging anticipation of the future, in preference to a captious discussion of the past; to a settled, firm, and immovable conviction, that the good or evil management of former times can have no other effect, in the revival of contentious questions respecting it, than to create disunion between the otherwise concurrent advocates of the common cause. I take this colony, therefore, as it is; and, looking steadily to the great objects which it was from its first settlement intended to promote, am WELL CONTENT. There is no doubt much, very much, to deplore, on the score of religion, on the score of morals, on the score of manners, or of the social tact, as derived from both religion and morals; on the score of depraved, but inveterate habits, and of lingering barbarism, and tardy improvement: yet I distinctly perceive all the principal elements of social order and effectual civilization in existence and vigour; requiring only the care of a skilful hand to mould them into form, and to collect from them, in that state, the early fruits of a successful and rapid cultivation.”

It is with the deepest regret that the Directors have, within these few days, received intelligence that the able and upright magistrate who expressed these sentiments is now no more. loss to the colony cannot be too much lamented.

FUNDS.

His

The Directors must again appeal, and they trust not without effect, to the liberality of the British public, in behalf of a cause in which the nation has so frequently and unequivocally testified its deep interest-an appeal which, notwithstanding all the obloquy that has been so largely and unjustly heaped on the institution, they are disposed to believe will not be in vain. Let our own suffering countrymen be the first objects of a Briton's consideration; but let him not forget the duty which is owing, and which he is nationally pledged to discharge, towards his brethren of Africa; and let him also recollect, that a comparatively trifling sum will enable the institution to go on in its great work of extending civilization, and spreading light and information upon that extensive continent.

FROM THE MISSOURI.

In a letter, lately received from the Rev. John Matthews at St. Charles, dated December 25th, we were informed of the constitution of a Presbytery in the Missouri Territory, formed agreeably to a resolution of the Synod of Tennessee. This is good news. May the desert soon rejoice and blossom as the rose. Some additional information is found in the following

Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Salmon Giddings, at St. Louis, Missouri Territory, to the Editor, dated January 17th, 1818. "For several weeks after receiving your paper, I was confined to my room I was indeed brought to the borders of the grave. It has pleased a holy and righteous God to restore me; and I hope

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Effect of persevering Prayer.

that he will make me useful among his people. So soon as my health would permit, I met with the people for the purpose of forming a Church in this place. The desirable object was effected on the 15th of November last, and the sacrament of the Lord's supper was administered on the 23d instant, for the first time, in the church. It is no sinall satisfaction to me to behold a branch of that vine, which beareth fruit unto eternal life, planted bère, where wickedness abounds and a free scope is given to the licentious passions and vile imaginations of the depraved heart. Immediately after, I went into some of the southern counties, and commenced the formation of a church about forty miles southwest of this place; but, on account of the severity of the weather, did not complete its organization, but deferred it till April next. "Through a great proportion of this country, there is an increased attention to religion. The people appear more anxious to hear the word of God preached, and to enjoy the means of grace. When I came to the country, in April, 1816, there was not a Presbyterian church nor clergyman in the territory. Now, there are four regularly organized churches and four clergymen. We met on the 18th of December, according to appointment of Synod, and constituted a Presbytery, known by the name of "Missouri Presbytery." We prepared an address, which will be published, probably next week, in the Missouri Gazette printed at this place. I mention these things, as you may not have heard them, and as they may afford satisfaction to you and the friends of Zion; and that thus you and we, who are labouring in this hitherto neglected part of the vineyard, may rejoice together that our labour is not in vain in the Lord."

[Chil. Rec.]

GRACIOUS ANSWER TO PERSEVERING PRAYER,

The information contained in the following extract of a Letter from the Rev. Thomas Hoge of Washington County, Pa. to the Editor, dated the 2d instant, is calculated to encourage praying societies, to persevere in bumble, fervent supplication for the rich effusion of Divine grace, even though, for the present, they are not favoured with any visible tokens of the mighty power of the Holy Spirit in the midst of them.

"Within the last 9 months, a very considerable attention to divine things has appeared in this congregation, (Upper Ten Mile.) In the beginning of last summer, it appeared that in one small section of the congregation, several individuals were under deep convictions. About three years before that time, a few in that very corner of the congregation, had agreed to meet once a week for prayer and praise; and covenanted at the same time with God and each other, that they would continue to meet for these exercises, though there might be but two persons to lead in them. And indeed, this was often the case afterwards, and frequently those who attended were so few in number, that they were ready to give it