After many months of delay[130] the school was established November
10, 1827, at Big Town, Grand Cape Mount. John Revey was in charge.
"The school room," says Cary,[131] "is nearly fifteen feet by thirty.
We made arrangements to have worship in it on the ensuing Lord's day,
and I had the honour to address a very attentive audience twice,
through brother John. After service I informed the congregation that I
should need their assistance the following day in preparing seats,
&c., and they turned out like men, and performed more labour by eight
o'clock, than I expected to have accomplished in the whole day. We got
seats prepared for about 60 children by 4 o'clock, and gave notice
that as the school would be organized on the day following, at 9
o'clock, A.M., all persons wishing to have their children instructed
were requested to come at that time and have them entered, and the
number received was 37. I read and explained a short set of
regulations which I had drawn up; and as I had the king and his head
men present, I got them to sign the articles of agreement in the
presence of the whole congregation. For twelve months I think the
school will, of course, be expensive. The present arrangement is--I
agree to allow brother Revey $20 per month, and find him provisions,
washing, &c."
Mr. Cary thought that by this arrangement the station at Grand Cape
Mount would net better results than the one at Monrovia. Neither he
nor the Richmond African Baptist Missionary Society were able to
maintain both. Some funds were received[132] but it developed in about
a year that the school had to be given up for lack of funds and
assistants.[133]
Other duties, moreover, required some time. Lott Cary realized from
the beginning of the colony that a missionary in Africa ought to be
more than a corrector of moral ills and a "doctor" of divinity; he
would be fortunate indeed if he could mend human bodies. As a result,
Cary was constrained to forego much of the joy which he had
anticipated from efforts to show men the living Christ by accepting
the position of Health Officer of the colony, August 31, 1822.[134] He
had no medical schooling but with the use of home remedies, patent
medicines,[135] and common sense, he was able to cure some. Until the
31st of August, 1823, he was practically the only physician in the
settlement (excepting Dr. Ayres who was present a part of the year
1822). After that Dr. Ayres returned on the _Oswego_ in the late
spring of 1825.[136] He and sixty emigrants who came with him were
soon suffering from the disease of the country and had to rely on the
medical experience of Cary. Eight emigrants died[137] and by December,
Dr. Ayres was compelled to leave the colony. The climate was so
unhealthy that hardly any one escaped its pestilence.[138] When, in
addition, the poor housing conditions, the inadequate sanitation and
the scanty hospital supplies[139] are considered, it is remarkable
that so many escaped death.
Every ship[140] that brought emigrants meant more work for Cary. On
February 13, 1824,[141] one hundred and five emigrants arrived in the
ship _Cyrus_ and in less than a month every one was prostrate with the
fever.[142] "Astonishing," said Ashmun,[143] "that in this atmosphere
should exist causes so universal in their operation, as amongst all
the varieties of age, sex and habit, not to leave one in the whole
number without disease, and that in less than four weeks; and stranger
still, that the blast should be so tempered to the strength of the
constitution of every individual, as only to have swept off three
small children. Men may call these phenomena in human life, the
effects of the laws of nature; I choose to call them singular proofs
of the Providence of God over all his creatures."
When the brig _Hunter_ arrived, March 13, 1825, with 66 settlers,
nearly all of whom were farmers,[144] all were stricken during the
first month. Although Cary himself was confined to his house nursing a
severe injury, only a few children were fatally affected.[145]
Cary gratuitously spent about half of his time in caring for the sick
of the colony. This fact was a matter of course as no funds were
specially designated for this purpose. Cary was financially able to do
such a thing. He had defrayed no small share of his own expense[146]
in equipment for Africa, and when the colonists were in need of
medical aid, he spent much of his means in this direction.[147] In
1825 he still owned a house and lot near Richmond which he was
desirous of selling.[148]
Lott Cary was so occupied with caring for the sick that his
prospective trip to America in the spring of 1826 had to be
postponed.[149] He was also physician to Governor Ashmun. The governor
was very ill in May after an exposure of four hours in attempting to
save the schooner _Catherine_ from destruction. "The prescriptions of
our excellent and experienced assistant physician, the Rev. L. Cary,"
the Governor said,[150] "under the blessing of Divine Providence, so
far succeeded as to afford complete relief, only leaving me in a very
emaciated and enfeebled state, about the end of the first week in
July."
All of this was just part of the work that Lott Cary had set himself
to accomplish. By his unselfish labors and untiring efforts he had won
the hearts of the natives. He had been indefatigable in his efforts to
uplift the colony. The morale of the settlement was greatly lifted.
Drunkenness, profanity and quarreling were unknown; the Sabbath was
observed with strictness.[151] Nearly the whole adult population had
come under the influence of Christianity. On the site of a once
desolate forest consecrated to demon worship was erected the
commodious chapel which stood as a monument of the overthrow of
heathenism and as a tribute to the Son of God.[152]
But in the sight of this landmark of Christianity, the slave trade was
carried on extensively.[153] In 1825 from eight to ten, even fifteen
traders were engaged at the same time off the coast. In July
"contracts were existing for eight hundred slaves to be furnished in
the short space of four months within eight miles of the Cape. Four
hundred of these were to be purchased for two American traders. During
the same season, a boat belonging to a Frenchman, having on board
twenty-six slaves, all in irons, was upset in the mouth of the St.
Paul River and twenty of their number perished."[154] Between October,
1825, and April, 1826, no less than one hundred and eighty Negroes
were reclaimed from slave traders and taught the Scripture.[155]
When Gurley visited the colony in August, 1824, he found the state of
religion and morality hopeful, defenses adequate, quiet Sabbaths and
physical improvements which indicated that a considerable amount of
labor had been done. For twenty-two months following, the jails were
in disuse.[156] By 1826 the people had developed from inexperienced
immigrants to efficient citizens. No family was without ample food
and wearing apparel. Wages were high and employment could be found
everywhere. The common laborers were receiving from $.75 to $1.75 a
day, while the mechanics got $2 a day. Houses were built and a
telegraph system was soon to be installed. There were also two corps
of militia, an artillery battery of fifty men and forty infantrymen.
These had charge of the fifteen large carriages and three small pivot
guns.[157]
A printing press costing more than $1,000, in addition to the salary
of a printer, had been sent out. The citizens of Liberia expressed
their thanks by subscribing nearly $200 "toward the immediate issue
and support of a publick newspaper."[158] One thousand volumes of
books, a complete set of the North American Review, a gift of Editor
Sparks, and many other useful things were on hand.[159]
Economic effort, however, did not at first play as conspicuous a part
in the missionary adventure of Lott Cary as it did in the lives of the
pioneers, George Liele and David George, who left this country
primarily to be able to make a living.[160] Nevertheless, the economic
feature developed after a time. The agricultural progress of the
country was rapidly promoted. The sultry and moist climate greatly
accelerated[161] the growth of coffee,[162] rice and cassada. The Rev.
Colston M. Waring was the first to attempt farming on anything like a
large scale. His crop of rice and cassada on a ten acre farm failed
and checked so bold an example from all except Lott Cary. He, too,
lost a promising crop in 1825 on the same kind of land because of the
birds and the monkeys.[163] This failure, however, showed him that
either farming as the natives adopted (scratching the surface of the
ground with a sharp stick) or more improved methods of thoroughly
preparing the soil had to be tried.[164] In the following year, Cary
enlarged his farm, had it cleared, dug it up with picks and hoes, and,
in June, sowed about three bushels of rice to the acre. At the first
cutting, on the 20th of October, it averaged 50 kroos (a measure
varying from 3 to 5 winchester gallons) per acre.[165]
In one letter, he says:[166] "I have a promising little crop of rice
and cassada, and have planted about 180 coffee trees this week, a part
of which I expect, will produce next season, as they are now in bloom.
I think, sir, that in a very few years we shall send you coffee of a
better quality than you have ever seen brought into your market. We
find that trees of two species abound in great quantities on the
Cape."
On the 7th of July, 1825, Cary reported a discovery of gold in the
sand near little Cape Mount.[167] The appearance of gold was certain
to develop the country commercially; some trade was already being
carried on. Endeavoring to participate therein, nine of the natives
built a ten ton schooner which carried from four to eight thousand
dollars' worth of goods each trip.[168] Doctor Alexander[169] relates
that between the first of January and the fifteenth of July, 1826,
fifteen vessels stopped at Monrovia.
Nevertheless, there were some anti-slavery leaders in America who
seriously questioned the permanent utility and moral influence of the
colony of Liberia. One of these anti-slavery groups, composed of free
Negroes of Philadelphia, was led by Richard Allen, the founder of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church.[170] In a letter to a gentleman
in Richmond, Lott Cary makes mention, September 24, 1827, of the
agitation carried on by these Negroes of Philadelphia. "Before I left
America," he said,[171] "and ever since then, the coloured people in
about Philadelphia, have been making efforts in opposition to the
scheme of colonizing the free people in Africa; and as some of their
very recent publications have reached this place, I felt that in
justice to the cause, and my own feelings, I ought to undertake to
point out to them their situation."
Unfortunately the letter closes shortly after this but singularly
enough our sources supply an "Address, _By the Citizens of Monrovia_,
to the free coloured people of the United States,"[172] which no doubt
is referred to in the letter. The name of Lott Cary is not attached to
this address, which boosts "the doings of the Colonization Society"
and which points out the political, social, economic, educational and
religious advantages enjoyed by the colonists. Nevertheless, the
document could not fully express the sentiments of the colonists
unless the feelings of the leaders were given. It is not too much to
presume that the address was gotten up by Lott Cary, the outstanding
leader of the colonists, but it is very doubtful whether he wrote it
in its present form. The correspondence of Cary reveals that he did
not express himself so clearly nor did he use so good English.[173]
The antithetical style reminds one of the writing of Ashmun.[174]
Through all of the many affairs which Cary performed, he continued
pastor of the church at Monrovia. A missionary society was formed in
connection with the church in the spring of 1826. Cary was elected
president.[175] At the first anniversary[176] on Easter Monday, in
consequence of the failure of the Rev. Colin Teague to come from
Sierra Leone, Lott Cary preached the introductory sermon.[177] This
society contributed $50 for mission work during the year 1827.[178] By
the following year, the church contained one hundred members and two
ordained preachers, John Lewis and Colston M. Waring, besides
exhorters.[179]