Liberia; Or, Mr. Peyton's Experiments (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1853 Excerpt: ...to be a sea voyage, and reluctantly availing himself of an opportunity for that purpose, he left the colony in the charge of Elijah Johnson, to whom it had been once before intrusted. The natives took advantage of Ashmun's absence to menace them with another attack, and Mr. Johnson applied to a British man-of-war, then in the harbor, for ammunition. This was freely given, and the captain also offered his men to aid in the defense, if Mr. Johnson would grant to England a piece of land large enough, to plant her flag-staff upon, as British troops could only be called upon to defend the flag and soil of their country. This Johnson refused. " We do not want," said he, " any flag raised here that will cost us more trouble to pull down than to flog the natives." He did not regret this refusal, for the natives were soon subdued; and when Mr. Ashmun returned, he found all tranquil. And, now that peace smiled upon them, they had time to think of portioning out and cultivating the land. Keziah, with her usual discrimination, selected for herself and Polydore, for their interests were at last united, a fine tract of land, lying a little out of the village. A thatched cottage was soon built upon it, and both she and Polydore worked industriously to clear the land and prepare it for planting. Like many of the other settlers, their first attempts were unsuccessful. Whatever they planted grew as if by magic, and with hardly any trouble on their part; but just as they were promising themselves an abundant harvest, legions of ants, or troops of monkeys, porcupines, or other wild animals, would in one night lay waste whole acres. Most of the other colonists were disheartened. The unsettled life they had lately been leading rendered them less fitted for st...