rivers, and ships in their harbours, some of them built by the Liberians. Many striking attractions are presented in Monrovia, the capital—a town having twelve hundred inhabitants, regular streets, excellent dwellings, large and costly public buildings, including churches, a fort, and a light-house, a harbour rarely empty of vessels, an armed and organized militia, mechanical trades, stores filled with manufactures of different kinds, and many other things, which, however common in civilized countries, are strange and wonderful to the natives of Africa. Doubtless many of them, looking upon Monrovia for the first time, have felt like exclaiming as the African prince Balla did, when he came in sight of the city of Baltimore, "Man no make all dis. God make him." As their observations continue, they see the people living in peace, order, happiness, and prosperity, under a republican form of government. They see crime punished, industry rewarded, property and life protected, education and religion prevailing, and altogether an air of comfort and improvement, and a tone of social and moral life, such as they have never dreamed of, much less witnessed, among people of their own race.
Beholding all this, and mingling freely with the Liberians, we can easily imagine the impression which would be made upon a shrewd, inquisitive, imitative people like the Africans. And on examination, we find that the results on the natives have been fully as great as the most sanguine friends of the cause anticipated. From the first settlement of
