42.

AFRICAN COLONIES AT SIERRA LEONE AND LIBERIA.

"Colonization in Africa, with reference to civilization, appears to have been contemplated in England as early as 1780. Several favourable circumstances soon after occurred, which excited the public attention to the subject, and gave rise to the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, and WILBERFORCE introduduced the subject into the British Parliament "*

The colony of Sierra Leone was commenced principally by the slaves, who had served under the British standard, during the American Revolutionary war. About 400 of these slaves found their way to London, and were subject to every misery and vice. A committee was formed for their relief, they were embarked for Sierra Leone, and arrived, May 9th, 1787. After struggling through many difficulties, the establishment was transferred to the British Government in 1808. Since this time the colony has enjoyed a high degree of prosperity, and large accessions are annually made by the vigilance * Chapin's Gazetteer.

of the British cruisers in rescuing from slaveships many an African, who has been torn from his country, and sold into bondage.

The Wesleyan and Church Missionaries have laboured here with success, and a Colony has been formed, "which, in order, decency, and sobriety, and in the knowledge and practice of Christian duty," says an English gentleman, "not only may rival, but, I firmly and from my heart believe, exceeds any equal population in the most favoured part of this highly favoured country."

In the year 1817, a few distinguished Christian philanthropists in our country, touched with commiseration for the degraded and unhappy condition of many of the free blacks, met at Washington, and laid the foundation of the American Colonization Society. The object of this Society was to establish a Colony to which the free coloured people of the U. S. might emigrate, and enjoy among themselves, the blessings of free government, and be instructed in all the arts which pertain to a civilized and Christian community; which might, alsó, be an asylum for slaves, re-captured from smuggling ships. The object, that first claimed the

attention of the Society, was the selection of a suitable place for the proposed Colony. Accordingly the Rev. Samuel J. Mills, and Rev. Ebenezer Burgess, were sent out as agents, on an embassy of inquiry to Africa, to survey the coast, and ascertain the most favourable situation. The result of their investigations and inquiries was such, as to satisfy the Managers that the establishment of a Colony on the West coast of Africa might be attempted with every prospect of success. Accordingly, after selecting two places, which were afterwards relinquished, Dr. Ayres, a distinguished member of the Society, and Lieut. Stockton, of the U. S. Navy, purchased another territory, which they called Liberia. To this place, the Colonists were removed from Sierra Leone, in April 1821, and the foundation of a settlement laid at the town, called Monrovia, in honor of the President of the United States, (Mr. Monroe,) for the services he rendered to the infant Colony.

It is said that a more prosperous community than the African colony, can now scarcely be found. Some of the settlers, who began with nothing, are now in affluent circumstances. All the children in the Colony are favoured with

the privileges of a school education; a large library has been established, a house of worship, and other public buildings are erected. During the last year, (1827,) 448 persons of colour emigrated to Liberia. The whole population now consists of 1,000 or 1,200 souls.

It is believed that the establishment of the African Colony, will afford rare facilities for the operations of Christian benevolence, among the benighted African tribes. It promises to be a blessed asylum for a degraded and wretched people. It is already to the surrounding tribes, like " a city set upon hill which cannot be hid." It is also believed that the establishment of these Colonies, will have an important effect towards hastening on that time when “Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hands unto God."

43.

BIBLE SOCIETIES.

BEFORE the art of Printing was discovered, it is said that it would cost a poor man thirteen years of hard labour to obtain a copy of the Bible, so great was the expence of furnishing a

manuscript copy. But now, through the providence of God, so great has been the change, that scarcely any person who lives in a Christian country, and sincerely desires the Bible, need remain a day without this precious gift of heaven.

The formation of the BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY, is justly considered a new and important era in the Bible cause. This Society was formed in London on the 7th of March, 1804, by an assembly consisting of about 300 persons of different religious denominations.

"The primary occasion" says Dr. Owen (in his history of the Bible Society,) "of all these measures, out of which this society grew, was the scarcity of Welch Bibles in the Principalities, and the impracticability of obtaining adequate supplies, from the only source existing at that period, whence copies of the authorized version were to be derived-The Society for the promotion of Christian Knowledge. A number of individuals associated for the purpose of satisfying this want; they found others disposed to co-operate in their views; they then extended those views to the whole country; and finally they conceived the design of placing the Gospel in