other spot selected lor
colonization. The new scene of operations was Liberia.

The territory on which the first settlement, of the colonists of Liberia
was made, forms a tongue of land of twelve leagues extent, in no part
more than a league in width, and in some parts contracted to half that
distance. This peninsula is so connected with the main land, as to
represent a scale beam, the narrow isthmus answering to the pivot; which
isthmus is formed by an acute angle of the Junk river on the eastern
side, that falls into the sea at the S.E. extremity of the peninsula
and an acute angle of the Montserado river on the western side, which
falls into the sea at the N.W. extremity. Thus the N.E. side of the
peninsula is washed by the above rivers; and the whole of the S.W. side
by the sea. The north-western termination of this linear track of
country is Cape Montserado, which towards the extremity rises to a
promontory, sufficiently majestic to present a bold distinction from the
uniform level of the coast.

The town of Monrovia is situated on the inland side of the peninsula, on
the S.W. bank of the river Montserado, about two miles within the
extremity of the Cape. The original settlement approached within 150
yards of the water, and occupied the highest part of the spiral ridge,
which traverses a large part of the peninsula, and rises at this place
to about 75 feet. At the time this territory was purchased by the agents
of the American Colonization Society, in December 1821, this tract of
land was covered by a dense and lofty forest, entangled with vines (a
very large description of parasitical plant, so called) and brushwood,
which rendered it almost impervious to new settlers.

Opposite the town, are two small islands containing together less than
three acres of ground. The largest of these islands is nearly covered
with houses built in the native style, and occupied by a family of
several hundred domestic slaves, formerly the property of an English
factor, but now held in a state of qualified vassalage (common in
Africa) by a black man.

This little community lives so entirely within its own resources, that
the individuals composing it are little known by their neighbours; their
utter indifference to whose politics, however, does not preserve them
from their dislike and envy, which, without the protection of the
American colony, would soon be converted into acts of oppression.

There are four tribes in the neighbour