From: Henry Burke June 28, 1834 Marietta Gazette Marietta, Ohio The following is an extract of a letter from a colored man who went out as an emigrant to Liberia in the last voyage of the Jupiter. His name is Beverly Wilson, and he is stated by the Norfolk Beacon to be well known to many of the citizens of that borough, and a man of correct moral departments and industrious habits. Monrovia, March 4, 1834 " The emigrants that went out with us all had the fever, of which five have died, viz: one woman of 75, two children under 12, and the wife of the Rev. Mr. Wright. The rest are all convalescent. I am not prepared to tell you much the distant parts of Africa at this time; as far as I have seen I am well pleased. Monrovia is improving very fast; the town contains two-hundred and twenty dwellings houses, besides stores and other buildings; there are about ten warehouses built of stone, and a number of their dwellings have stone basement stories and are neatly furnished. There are many vessels on the coast, which are going out and coming in every day. We have also many foreign vessels here. The harbor has not been clear since I arrived. We have fruit in abundance, and the varieties are too numerous to mention at this time. We have also horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, goats. jacks. and all kinds of poultry that we have at home. The fish are very fine, I have seen them weigh up to 187 pounds. Porgeys. mullets, and sunfish are very plenty. I have been told by some who are acquainted with farming tat the land is as good as any in America. We have two Sabbath schools in Monrovia, and an every day school for male and female pupils. I have seen at the Methodist Sabbath School about one hundred children. We have also Sabbath Schools at Grand Bassa, about `00 miles from Monrovia, at Millsbourg, and Caldwell; and have established three others among the natives. Since I have arrived, we have purchased land (40 acres) on the Junk River which is good for farming, and the water is abounding with excellent fish and oysters. We have a number of different tribes to visit us from the interior; I have seen them from as far away as Arabia. I have seen the (sic) Mohometan priests in the colony; they read and write, and are anxious to converse on the Scriptures. They ask many interesting questions. I believe that this bids fair for a good country. We only want means for the people, who are sent here unprepared for farming and anything else. I have seen the sugar cane and the coffee-tree both thriving." ( Beverly Wilson, Colored emirgrant to Liberia; circa 1834) Henry R. Burke burkeh@mcnet.marietta.edu URL: http://www.marietta.edu/~burkeh