The Colonization herald and general register

              Colomiation
AND GENERAL REGISTER.
CONDUCTED BY   THE   PENNSYLVANIA  COLONIZATION  SOCIETY
WHATSOEVER YE WOULD THAT MEN SHOULD DO TO YOU, DO YE EVEN SO TO THEM.
Vol. I.—NEW SERIES.
PHILADEIiPniA,  WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER   13,   1838.
IVO. 37.
For the Colonization Herald.
HISTORY OF LIBERIA.
No. VIII.
The bold and decided course of Mr. Ashmun in the
case of the Clarida, and his successful negotiations
with the nitive chiefs had the effect to check mate¬
rially lhe progress of tho slave trade in the viciniiy
of the colony, and to inspire the surrounJing tribes
with great respect end confidence.
The year 1826 opened upon the colony with the
most cheering prospects. The people were contented
and industrious. The government was firmly esta¬
blished, public improvements were rapidly advancing,
and every where the bustle and thrift of busy life indi¬
cated the growing prosperity of an enterprising and
well ordered community. In a letter to the Board,
Mr. Ashmun says, " Our town begins to assume the
appearance of a beautiful little commercial West In¬
dia seaport; and certainly it has one of the most de¬
lightful situations on the face of the globe."
On thc 4th of January the brig Vine, with thirty-
four emigrants, a missionary, (the Rev. Calvin Holton)
and a printer accompanied by the Rev. Horace Sessions
an agent of the Society, sailed from Boston and arrived
at Monrovia on the 7th of Fehruary. A priming press
with its necessary appendages, a valuable supply of
books and other important articles were sent out in this
vessel by the generous citizens of Boston, who assum¬
ed the entire expense of the printing establishment for
the first year.
The Indian chief with 154 persons left Norfolk on
the 15th of February, and arrived on the 22d March.
One hundred and thirty-nine of these emigrants were
from the State of North Carolina. In this vrssel Dr.
John W. Peaco went out as United States Agent for
the recaptured Africans. He vvas also empowered by
the society to act as assistant agent and physician for
the colony.
A large proportion of the emigrants by the Vine
were pious, andthe whole company were distinguished
by their excellence of character and steady industrious
habits. Their arrival vvas hailed with joy, and the
brightest hopes inspired of their future usefulness in
building up the new home of their adoption. But,
alas! how short sighted are all human calculations.
Scarcely was the first warm greeting over ere they
were all attacked by the worst form of African fever,
and nearly half their number fell victims to its power.
The gloom of this event was deepened by the subse¬
quent death of Messrs. Sessions, Holt and Force, who
followed each other in quick succession from that field
of Christian labour, which they had just been to look
upon, to the grave.
The same Providence who in his wisdom had seen
fit to spread death and mourning among the people of
this expedition, extended his protecting care io those
of the Indian Chief, and mercifully shielded them from
the power of the destroyer. Of this large company of
151 persons, three only (two small children, and one
adult,) died in the course of the season, while the re¬
mainder suffered very little during the period of accli¬
mation, and were soon actively employed in the ardu¬
ous duties of frontier life.
A tract of land lying along the Stockton Creek and
St. Paul's river was surveyed, and as early as June no
less than thirty-three plantations on the creek and
seventy-seven at Caldwell were occupied, chiefly by
the emigrants of the Indian Chief and Vine. Cheered
and animated by the thriving condition of the colony,
and the prosperous settlement of the newly arrived
colonists, Mr. Ashmun writes to the Board for more
emigrants. "If they come from the south," he says,
"they cannot come very unseasonably in any part of
the year. * * More funds, more activity, more em¬
igrants, and I am satisfied."
On the 16th of April of this year the agency house
at Caldwell which had for some weeks been occupied
by Mr. Ashmun, was struck by lightning, and the only
person in it, the hous keeper, instantly killed. It
happened most providentially that Mr. Ashmun had
just left Caldwell to attend the anniversary meeting of
the Liberia Missionary Society at Monrovia, and his
valuable life was thus preserved at a most critical mo¬
ment for the colony.
" A Spanish schooner, the Minerva, while waiting
for the collection of her cargo, of 300 slaves, at Trade
Town, had committed piracy on American and other
vessels, and obtained possession of several recaptured
Africans belonging to the United States Agency in
Liberia. Mr. Ashmun, as agent of the United States,
demanded of the Spanish Factor and native authori¬
ties of that place, the restoration of these Africans,
and threatened, in case of refusal, to destroy, as soon
as Providence should grant him power, entirely and
for ever, that nest of iniquity. The demand was treat¬
ed with contempt. Intelligence of the character of
the Spanish schooner was communicated by Mr. Ash¬
mun to the Commander of the French Brig of war,
who soon captured her, though her establishment on
shore, at which two hundred and seventy-six
slaves were ready to be shipped to America, remained
unmolested.
Early in January, were landed at Trade Town, from
a French schooner, the Perle, goods sufficient for the
purchase of two hundred and forty slaves, though
in April she had obtained but one hundred and twenty-
six.
A Brigantine, the Teresa, from Havana, armed with
seven large carriage guns, and manned with forty-two
men, with goods for the purchase of three hundred
slaves, arrived in March, landed about one-third of
the cargo, and had commenced her odious traffic.
Three slave factories vvere in full operation at Trade
Town guarded by two vessels, mounting between them
eleven carriage guns, and having a complement of
6ixty men and twenty more on shore, all well armed;
when on lhe 9th of April arrived at Monrovia the Co¬
lumbia armed schooner, Jacinto, Captain Chase, who
in accordance with the instructions of his government,
offered to co-operate with Dr. Peaco (then principal
agent ofthe United States for the recaptured Africans)
and Mr. Ashmun, in any plan they might adopt for the
punishment of these offenders against justice and the
laws of nearly the whole civilized world. The offer
of Captain Chase was accepted; and on the 10th of
April, Mr. Ashmun accompanied by Captain Cochran
of the Indian Chief, who generously offered lo become
his aid, and thirty-two volunteers of the colonial mili¬
tia, embarked in the Jacinta, and arrived off* Trade
Town on the 11th, where they had the happiness to
find anchored, the Columbia Brig of War, El Vincidor,
Captain Cottrell, mounting twelve guns, which had
the same afternoon captured after a short action the
Brigantine Teresa.
Captain Cottrell agreed to unite his forces with those
i of the colony and Jacinta in an attack on the place. It
jwas resolved to attempt a landing on the morning of
|the 12th, on the bar of the river in front of the town,
[where the passage is only eight yards wide, lined on
ijboth sides with rocks, and across which, at that time,
the surf broke so furiously as to endanger even light
boats, and leave scarce a hope of the safety of barges
filled with armed men.
I   Tbe Spaniards were seen drawn up on the beach
within half musket range of the bar, resolved to take j mington, favourable to the formation ofa Young Men's introduction is strictly prohibited by the laws of the I think a discerning public will appreciate my true
advantage of any accident which might cccur to the j Colonization Society, held on Friday evening, 15th ult.,, empire. I motives in coming out over my own signature; indeed,
boats, and defeat if possible the attempt of those on i the following preamble and resolutions were adopted. Such a procedure is unprecedented in the annals of unless I were to do so, it would be useless to say any
board to reach the shore.    The brig and schooner j with great unanimity : j commerce.    In fact, all the circumstances connected   thing at all.
were ordered to open a fire on the town, but owing to Whereas, There unfortunately existed in this coun- j with the opium trade, are so strange and anomalous as : I think it was in the summer of 1819, that James H.
their distance their shot produced no effect except to J try, long before thc adoption ofthe federal constitution, . to stagger belief. We see the civilized, the enlight- Piper, William Revely, William Wallace, and myself,
disperse the unarmed natives who had assembled as j a mixed population differing in colour, and occupying j ened, the Christian government of Britain in the East, being then students at Washington College, Virginia,
spectators of the scene. in the main, the relative position of master and slave,   straining every nerve  to increase the cultivation of determined to make n jiunt to the Natural Bridge,
The two boats in advance, commanded by Captain j (by what means, or with what justice, the children of opium in India, for the express purpose of drugging fourteen miles off. Having obtained permission from
Chase and Cottrell, were exposed to a rapid fire from a foreign land became the dependants and property of, the Chinese empire. On the other hand, we see the the president, we proceeded on onr way rejoicing.
the enemy and were filled by the surf before they j the citizens of another, it forms no part of our present j half civilized government of China directing all its •; When we arrived at the Bridge, nearly all of us corn-
reached the shore. Their crews, though few of them i purpose to investigate,)—and __ | efforts to the exclusion of an article vvhich cannot fail menced climbing up the precipitous sides, in order to
landed with dry arms, forced the Spaniards back into j     Whereas, At the time of the adoption of the Amer-, to sap the foundation of all social, political and manly ; immortalize ournames, as usual.
ican constitution the delegates from the sevsral states ■ virtue in its subjects. We see these efforts crowned ! We had not been long thus employed, before we
of the confederacy, were instructed by their constitu-, with success, to a certain degree, and the price of the ' were joined by Robert Penn, of Amherst, then a pupil
ents to reserve to the states the exclusive right of re- J drug reduced thirty, forty and fifty per cent. And we j ofthe Rev. Samuel Houston's grammar school, in the
gulating their own internal polity, and the power of are now to see vessels, bristling with cannon, and load-; immediate neighborhood ofthe Bridge. Mr. Piper,
enacting 6uch laws as would most eSbctually secure '■ ed with the intoxicating drug, traversing the port of] the hero of the occasion, commenced climbing on the
them in their rights of property, provided such enact- ■ Canton, under British colours, resitting the local au- opposite side of the creek from the one by which the
ments did not encroach upon the federal constitution, j thorities, and discharging their cargoes at whatever pathway ascends the ravine. He began down on the
And Whereas, The peculiar institutions of some of sacrifice of lives. Whether we consider the poison- banks ofthe brook ; so far, that we did'not know where
the southern and south-western states, have been sane-' ous nature of the article which it is intended to force '. he had gone, and were only apprized of his where-
tioned both by long custom and the laws of the land ; on the Chinese, or the agents in the trade, at the head : about, by his shouting above our heads. When we
therefore j of which stands the British government of India, the  looked up, he was standing apparently right under the
Resolved, That any and every atte-npt at interfer-. main-spring of this enterprise, or the means by which larch, I suppose a hundred^feet from the bottom, and
ence by the citizens of non-slave holding states, either j it is novv proposed to carry it on, by overawing the j that on the smooth side, which is generally considered
directly or indirectly, with the rights and property of, Chinese officers, there is nothing comparable to these j inaccessible without a ladder. He was standing fiir
citizens of slave-holding states, by other means than ; transactions in any other quarter of the globe. But i above the spot where General Washington is said to
those of moral persuasion, addressed to the reason of j the most incomprehensible circumstance connected i have inscribed his name, when a youth,
the master, and not to the passions of the slave, is an j with them is, that those who are embarked in an un- The ledge of rocks by which he ascended to this
unjustifiable breach of faith towards the south, and cal-  dertaking destructive in its effects beyond any other j perilous height does not appear from below to be three
trade, in vvhich men have embarked since the abolition   inches wide, and  runs almost at right angles to the
of the slave trade, and who are prepared to pursue it   abutment of the Bridge; of course, its termination ii
the town. The flag boat, in vvhich were Mr. Ashmun,
Captain Cochran, and twenty-four men, was upset and
dashed upon the rocks; several ofthe men (among
whom was Mr. Ashmun) injured, and some of the arms
with all the ammunition, lost. Captain Barbour ob¬
serving the dangprs of those who preceded him, run
his boat a little to the left of the river's mouth, and thus
landed in safety.
Though met by a galling fire from a party of Spani¬
ards and natives at the water's edge, Captain Barbour
formed the colonists under his command with the ut¬
most coolnefs, and attacked the enemy with such vi¬
gour that they soon broke and fled into the town. The
colonists, joined by the Columbians, advanced rapidly
upon lhe town, broke down the slight palisades, and be¬
fore the frightened enemy had time to rally behind their
defences fell upon them, and drove them into the forest
in the greatest confusion.
As soon as he found himself in quiet possession of the
town, Mr. Ashmun despatched a messenger to King
West (the principal native chief) demanding the de¬
livery of all the slaves belonging to the factories. He
was told thai if there was deception or unnecessary
delay in the matter, not a vestige of Trade Town should
exist two days longer. On the same day theKroomen
of King West brought in thirty-eight slaves; and on
the next morning,_/[/.een more; the hitter a wretched
company, evidently the refuse of all that had been
collected at the station.
The natives assembled and united their forces to
those of the Spaniards, and continued, from the rear
of their towns, and under cover ofthe woods, to pour
in, at frequent intervals, their shot upon their invaders.
Captain Woodside, surgeon of the Jacinta, was se¬
verely wounded, and several of the colonial militia
slightly. Every man under the command ofthe colo¬
nial agent, lay on his arms during the night of the
12th; and until noon on the 13th, every disposition
was evinced by Mr. Ashmun to settle peacefully the
questions which had excited hostilities. But in vain.
At 12 on that day the boats were prepared, just out¬
side the breakers, to receive on board the rescued
slaves; and at two the canoes began to carry off the
mariners; and at half past three, all were embarked,
the officers leaving the shore last, and having set fire
to the principal buildings of the town. " The flames,"
says Mr. Ashmun, "communicated with the utmost
rapidity to every roof; and the town exhibited a sin¬
gle immense mass of flame, before the canoes could
get off from the beach. In one minute after, the ex.
plosion of some single casks of powder commenced,
and the moment the canoes reached the boats, a scene
of terrific grandeur was displayed which rivals all
powers of description. It was the effect of the igni¬
tion, at the same moment, of two hundred and fifty
casks of gunpowder. The concussion shook the earth,
and for a fevv moments appeared to hold the very swell
ofthe ocean motionless. Every vestige of what was
once Trade Town, was swept from the ground on
which it stood. The surrounding country and neigh¬
boring waters vvere strewed with ignited thatch, and
house palings descending from a height of more than
one hundred feet, to which they had been raised by
the explosion. A quantity ofthe ruins fell among the
boats, and some heavier objects were observed to be
carried beyond the anchorage, which was more than a
mile from the shore. At half past four, the officers,
troops and slaves were all safely on board and on their
way, before a light breeze, for Cape Mesurado."
Those who see in the affairs of men only the visible
agencies of human effort and fortuitous circumstances,
cannot fail to wonder at the unexampled success which
continued to crown the colonists in every struggle
with their enemies. But tliose who habitually believe
in a superintending Deity, controlling the elements of
nature and directing the thoughts and actions of men,
njustif
culated to  endanger the permanency of the Union
itself.
Resolved, That we believe the institution of domes*
by the most violent means, should deny that the Chi-
tic slavery to be a national, moral, political, and social j nese are warranted in treating them as the outside
evil, crushing in its onward course the temple of free¬
dom and justice, and the unalienable rights of man.
We cannot, however, countenance the tra-crusading
barbarians."
The employment of these vessels cannot be viewed
with indifference by a government so jealous of its in¬
spirit now manifested by those, who, having the same ; dependence as the Chinese. If the laws of the empire
great end in view as ourselves, differ from us as re- may be thus trampled under foot with impunity by fo-
spects the means to be employed to secure that end ; j reigners, the character of the Tartar dynasty is irre-
particularly as such a course  wou'd ntcossarily lead , trievably compromised in the eyes of its Chinese sub
far down the cliff, on that side. Many of the written
and traditional accounts state this to be the side of the
Bridge up which he climbed. I believe Miss Marti-
neau so states; but it is altogether a mistake, as any
one may see, by casting an eye up the precipice on
that side. The story no doubt originated from tbis
preliminary exploit.
The ledge of rock on  which he was standing ap¬
peared so narrow to us below, as to make us believe
us over the mutilated constitution of our country. Meets.    This squadron of armed smugglers will, there-! his position a very perilous one, and we earnestly en-
Resolved, That the destruction of life and property   lore, in all probability, bring matters to a point.    In
by mobocrats and disturbersof the public peace, meets
our most decided disapprobation, and should be opposed
by every lawful means.
Resolved, That the plan of colonizing thc free blacks
in Liberia is founded upon sound po:cy and justice,
and dictated by the most exalted motives of philan¬
thropy ; because the existence in any community of a
people forming a distinct and degrad< d caste, for ever
excluded by the fiat of society and the laws of the land
from all hopes of equality in social intercourse and
political privileges, must from the very uature of things
be fraught with unmixed evil.
Resolved, That we believe no possi.de contingency
can break down or weaken the naticnal barrier that
now exists between the white and coloured population ;
and which no man with a proper sense of the dignity
of his species desires to see surmounted. No talents,
no merit, no services, can elevate the coloured popula¬
tion to a loco! wiih tl.o wlnuo in theee united Suite*
Resolved, That the measures of the Colonization
Society have been productive of much lasting benefit
to the African race, and we believe will accomplish
much more, though their support depend upon the
encouragement derived from individual contributions;
and that we have looked with emotions of pleasure
and admiration at the generous and patriotic efforts
which have becn put forth to return to the land of
their fathers, the degraded and ill-used sons and daugh¬
ters of Africa; the land where alone they will be en¬
abled to enjoy that rational freedom and social happi¬
ness, which we believe a common parent designed for
all his children.
Resolved, That we now proceed to organize our¬
selves into a society, with the name and title of the
Young Men's Colonization Society of Wilmington,
Delaware, to be auxiliary to the Pennsylvania Coloni¬
zation Society; the object of which shall be, the gra¬
dual abolition of slavery by all honourable, fair and
constitutional means; the promotion of civilization,
intelligence, and morality among the Africans; and
for the purpose of effecting the colonization of the
entire coloured population of these United States.
On motion it was
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed
to draft a constitution and by-laws, and abo to nom
vain will the British superintendent disclaim all con
neotion with tliGse guilty enterprises, or deny his power
to interdict them. The Chinese government, wield¬
ing as it does so despotic a police, will never believe
that the vessels of the English barbarian could not put
down the smugglers which "sail under his national
flag," if he had an iuclination to do so. And his dis¬
position they will guess by the fact, that the British
government obtains the lion's share of the profits upon
every chest which can be smuggled into China. The
Chinese government will admit of no delicate distinc¬
tions, but take up the question as one between China
and Britain.
Unable to resist the armed smugglers, they will
adopt the only remedy in their power; they will stop
the supplies of tea, and proceed to lay an embargo on
all British commerce. They have already threatened
to adopt this sharp but efficacious remedy; and the
war establishment upon wliioh Uiu marchanu -ta about
to place the opium trade, will probably lead to its im¬
mediate adoption. If this calamity should supervene,
we shall have only ourselves to blame. It will have
been brought on by the unbridled cupidity which has
pushed the supply of opium from four to forty thousand
chests a year, and by the sanguinary measures to which
we have resorted in order to force the drug on the
country. The stoppage of the tea trade will decide
the opium question. The interests of the Indian reve¬
nue will then be put into the scales with those of the
English exchequer, and they will be found as light as
a feather. The company will be called on to sacrifice
the opium profits to preserve the revenues of England ;
and the morals of China may yet be preserved through
the tea-drinking propensities of England. When the
Chinese shall have once discovered that the most effect¬
ual mode of preventing the import of opium \s to pre¬
vent the export of tea, are they likely soon to forget
the lesson J
From the Knickerbocker for July.
CLIMBING THE NATURAL BRIDGE.
By the only surviving witness of that extraordinary
feat.
I have some reason to believe that I am the only
surviving witness of that most adventurous exploit of
climbing the Natural Bridge in Virginia, and believ¬
ing that the particulars ought to be put upon record,
I have selected the Knickerbocker as the medium. I
have oftentimes, and for many years, withstood repeat¬
ed solicitations to do this, for the following reasons,
vvhich I give, lest it might be supposed, by some sus¬
picious persons, that I had waited for the death of the
other alleged witnesses.
Immediately after the adventure had becn accom¬
plished, and while all the circumstances were fresh in
my memory, I recorded them in a sort of journal, kept
to record visiters'  names, by poor Patrick Henry, a
a Serampore paper of the  19th April, the following I man of color, who kept thc Bridge.    This record was
interesting article on the opium trade. referred to by Patrick whenever a visiter became in-
The accounts which are received from China by j quisitive about the circumstances. Some believed my
every fresh arrival, regarding the prospects of the | statement, and others disbelieved it; but by far the
opium trade, are of so gloomy a cast as to take away j greater number disbelieved it, as he informed me.
qualified jurisdiction actually held by the~colony over j almost every hope of amendment. The opposition of j This was far from being pleasant to one who had
the whole district," interdicted the slave-trade on the the Chinese to the trade begins now to assume so per- j never had his veracity doubted befure. But this was
whole line of coast between Cape Mount and Trade  manent a character, through the steady vigilance ofjnotall.
Town, both inclusive. the local authorities, as to convince the most incredu-       _ happened to be at the Bridge some time after the
An injury received in landing at Trade Town, was  lous, that the measures which they have adopted, do j event, when a large company of respectable looking
the means of confining Mr. Ashmun to his room, from \ not spring from any avaricious desire to throw obstruc- j ladies and gentlemen had just returned from under the
will refer to the wise purposes and abundant goodness  nate suitable persons as officers of this society.    The
of Him, the continued preservation of that little band,   Rev. William J. Clark, J. R. Cannon and Air. John
amid dangers tbe most appalling—their triumph over
difficulties the most perplexing, and their easy victory,
again and again, over the hordes of savages who
threatened their destruction. In this contest, the
handful of brave Liberians, aided by a small party of
Colombians, had encountered, under circumstances of
the greatest disadvantage, an overwhelming force of
natives, led on by a considerable body of Spaniards—
had routed and driven them from their defences, taken
and kept possession of their town, and retired with
nearly a hundred liberated slaves, without the loss
OF A SINGLE MAN.
The destruction of Trade Town contributed greatly
to check the slave-trade along the whole western
coast, and established for the colony a character which
was respected by the most powerful tribes. Soon af¬
ter this expedition, Mr. Ashmun, on the ground of "a
Noblitt were appointed that committee.
On motion,
Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be
published in the papers of this city.
On motion, the society adjourned.
Isaac Devou, Chairman.
R. J. Almond, Secretary.
OPIUM TRADE IN INDIA AND CHINA.
The Liverpool Mail of the 21st. ult. extracts from
May to October. During the greater part of this long
period, he was able to attend regularly to the transac¬
tion of business; and the affairs ofthe colony continu¬
ed to prosper under the direction of his active mind.
Dr. Peaco vvas absent from the colony, at Sierra Le¬
one, from the 21st of June to the last of July, to settle
certain claims held there against the United States
Agency in Liberia.
tions in the way of this trade, in order to draw larger  Bridge, and were waiting dinner, like myself, at the
profits from connivance at it; but from a settled deter-  house on the summit to which I have alluded.   The
mination in tho court of Pekin, altogether to prevent   conversation, among this company, naturally turned
the introduction of the drug.    The exertions of the , upon the remarkable event, as it does to this day; and
Chinese police—one of the most efficient in the world j t|)e book was referred to, as usual, for the particulars.
—have broken up the establishment of native smug-   f immediately gave Patrick the hint that I wished to
gling vessels, and dispersed the opium brokers.    The ! remain incog, in order that I might bear for myself
ports on the north-ea.t coast, into which the drug has ■ t|ie remarks upon my testimony.    It is an old saying, I 2nd"the
been clandestinely introduced, are now wached with   that a listener never hears any good of himself, and so
the greatest jealousy, and all access to them has been | it turned out on this occasion.    The company were
As the government of Sierra Leone had put the line
of coast from that place to the Gallinas under block¬
ade, for the prevention of the slave-trade, and as com-1 rendered precarious. By these stern measures, the j unanimous in discrediting my testimony, ladies and all.
plaints had been made to Mr. Ashmun, that this block-! prospects of this commerce are reduced lo so low an Little did they imagine that the man himself vvas en-
ade was violated with impunity by the merchants of! ebb, lhat in the apprehension of many, the price ofthe j sconced in a corner of the same room with themselves.
Freetown, Dr. Peaco was requested to ascertain to ! article will probably fall to 500 rupees a chest, a price j I forthwith determined to volunteer no more testimony
what extent and under what color such violations had which must infallibly dissipate their golden dreams of; about things so out of the common current of events;
been permitted, and to state explicitly : "That the J an opium revenue, on which the public authorities of j at all events, 1 determined to hold my peace, until the
members ofthe colony of Liberia would be required to  India have been accustomed to dwell so fondly. j public mind should settle down into the truth, as it ge-
submit to no restraints on their trade with the block- J    As a last desperate resort, in this unprecedented j nerally does at last.
aded coast, which were not actually and universally ; crisis, it appears to have been determined to introduce      That time seems to have arrived.     The public,
enforced upon the subjects of Sierra Leone." I the drug in the empire by force of arms.    The efforts  without an exception, so far as I know, has yielded its
The exclusion of the ordinary commerce from this ! which have been already made by more than one arm- j credence to the united testimony of so many witnesses,
part of the coast induced the chiefs of Cape Mount to'. ed vessel in the port of Canton, have been rewarded j Scarcely a periodical in the country, or a book of
open a regular trade with the colony, and the supply of with partial success; and we now learn from the Hur- j travels, but mentions the subject
rice and other African provisions in the colonial set¬
tlement became unusually cheap and abundant.
t. a
From the Delaware Journal.
COLONIZATION IN DELAWARE.
karu that several other vessels are fitting out at this j But there is another reason for coming forward at
moment in Calcutta, which will be manaed by Euro- j this time. Tradition has got hold of the story at the
peans, and so completely armed as to be able to resist j wron" end. In the very last number of your Maga-
the vessels employed on the preventive service by the | zine, one of your contributors misrepresents the matter
Chinese government at Canton. The English are,!—unintentionally, no doubt; and Miss Martineau, in
therefore, about to enter into hostilities wilh the Chi-, her " Retrospect of Western Travel," undertakes to
nese castom house, for the purpose of landing, under j detail the whole affair, scarcely one circumstance of
At an adjourned meeting of tbe young men of Wil- the protection of their cannon, an article of which the which she does correctly. Under these circumstances,
treated him to come down. He answered us with loud
shouts of derision. At this stage of the business, Mr.
Penn and servant left us. He would not have done
so, I suppose, if he had knovvn what was to follow ; but
up to this time, not one of us had the slightest suspi¬
cion that Mr. Piper intended the daring exploit which
he afterward accomplished. He soon after descended
from that side, crossed the brook, and commenced
climbing on the side by which all visiters ascend the
ravine. He first mounted the rocks on this side, as
he had done on the other—far down the abutment,
but not so far as on the oppsite side. The projecting
ledge may be distinctly seen by any visiter. It com¬
mences four or five feet from tbe pathway, on the
lower side, and winds round, gradually ascending,
until it meets the cleft of rock over which the cele¬
brated cedar stump hangs. Following this ledge to
its termination, it brought him to about thirty or forty
feet from the ground, and placed him between two
docp fissures, one on each aide of the gigantic column
of rock on which the aforementioned cedar stump
stands. This column stands out from the Bridge as
separate and distinct as if placed there by Nature on
purpose for an observatory to the wonderful arch and
ravine which it overlooks. A huge crack or fissure
extends from its base to its summit; indeed, it is
cracked on both sides, but much more perceptibly on
one side than the other. Both these fissures are
thickly overgrown wilh bushes, and numerous roots
project into them from the trees growing on the preci¬
pice. It was between these that the befcrre-mentioned
ledge conducted him. Here he stopped, pulled offhis
coat and shoes, and threw them down to me. And
this, in my opinion, is a sufficient refutation of the
story, so often told, that he went up to inscribe hia
name, and ascended so high that he found it more dif¬
ficult to return than go forward. He could have re¬
turned easily from the point where he disencumbered
himself, but the fact that he did thus prepare so early,
and so near the ground, and after he had ascended
more than double that height on the other 6ide, are
clear proofs that to inscribe his name was not, and to
climb the Bridge was, his object. He had already in¬
scribed his name above Washington himself more than
fifty feet.
Around the face of this huge column, and between
the clefts, he now moved, backward and forward, still
ascending, as he found convenient foothold. When
he had ascended about one hundred and seventy feet
from the earth, and had reached the point where the
pillar overhangs the ravine, his heart seemed to fail.
He stopped, and seemed to us to be balancing between
heaven and earth. We were in dread suspense, ex¬
pecting every moment to see him dashed to atoms at
our feet. We had already exhausted our powers of
entreaty in persuading him to return, but all to no
purpose. Now it was perilous even to speak to him
and very difficult to carry on conversation at all, from
the immense height to which he had ascended, and tho
noise made by the bubbling of the little brook, as it
tumbled in tiny cascades over its rocky bed at our feet.
At length he seemed to discover that one of the clefts
before mentioned retreated backward from the over¬
hanging position of the pillar. Into this he sprang at
once, and was soon out of sight and out of danger.
There is not a word of truth in all that story about
our hauling him up wilh ropes, and hi6 fainting away
so soon as he landed on the summit. Those acquaint¬
ed with the localities will at once perceive its absur¬
dity, for we were beneath tho arch, and it ia half a
mile round to the top, and for tho most part up a
rugged mountain. Instead of fainting away, Mr. Piper
proceeded at once down the hill to meet us, and obtain
his hat and shoes. We met about half way, and there
he laid down for a few moments, to recover himself
from his fatigue.
We dined at the tavern of Mr. Donihoo, half way
between the Bridge and Lexington, and there we re-
whole matter at the dinner table. Mr. Do¬
nihoo has since removed to the St. Clair, in -Michigan
Mr. Piper was preparing himself for the ministry in
the Presbyterian church, and the President of the Col¬
lege was his spiritual preceptor, as well as his teacher
in College. Accordingly he called him up next morn¬
ing to inquire into it, thinking, peihaps, that it was not
a very proper exhibition for a student of theoWy
The reverend President is still alive, and can corrobo^
rate my testimony. I mean the Rev. George A
Baxter, D. D. at present at the head of the Theoloiril
cal Seminary in Virginia. As to the other witnesses"
Mr. Revely afterward became a member of the Legis¬
lature of Virginia, and somewhat distinguished, I be¬
lieve, for a young man; but he unfortunately'fell a
victim to poison, as I have been informed. Mr. Wal-
lace was then from Richmond, but a native of Scot"
land, whither he returned soon after. It strikes ma
that I once heard of his death, but of this I am not cer
tain. He may be still alive, and able to substantiate
my statement. w
Mr. Piper himself afterward married a daughter of
Gen. Alexander Smyth, of Wythe, and was soon after