immediately necessary.  Congress, acting upon the suggestion of a Presidential message, passed an Act amending the Act of March 3, 1819, which empowered the President to form a five-years’ contract with “any person or persons, society or societies,” to receive in Africa and care for the unfortunates rescued from slavers, for the period of one year, and at a price of $100 per capita.  Commanders of cruisers were to be instructed to land their captures directly upon the coast of Liberia whenever practicable; immediate measures were to be taken for removing to Africa those already at Key West; and the sum of $250,000 was appropriated to defray expenses.

Three large vessels were at once chartered and stored with $60,000 worth of supplies; with the least possible delay the suffering crowd at Key West was transported to Liberia; but only 893 survived the passage.  The effect of the new orders issued to the U.S. slave squadron was soon felt in Liberia.  On August 8, 1860, the Storm King unexpectedly arrived with a cargo of 619; within twenty-four hours the Erie, prize to the steamer Mohican, followed with 867.  Tidings came that still larger numbers were en route.  The effect of this inundation of liberated barbarians upon the small civilized community, already surrounded by savage swarms, may be imagined.  The greatest consternation prevailed, and excitement rose to fever heat.  President Benson wrote to the Society that great evils would result unless means were liberally supplied, and entire control of the new arrivals given to the Liberian Government.  The Society accordingly transferred the execution of its contracts to that government, and placed at its disposal all money received by their terms.  This action seems to have allayed the worst apprehensions; and although over 4,000 recaptured Africans were landed within the space of two months, no harm seems to have resulted.  They made rapid progress in civilization, becoming assimilated to and in many cases intermarrying with the colonists; from among them arose some of the best citizens of the Republic.

President Benson’s policy in regard to the natives was successful in bringing many tribes much more closely under the influence of the government.  A number of steps were taken toward actively spreading among them the arts of civilized life, improving their methods of agriculture, and checking the evils of intertribal warfare and of superstition.  A poll tax of one dollar a year was levied on each male adult, to be collected from the chiefs of the several districts; with a part of the funds thus raised schools for popular instruction were to be established throughout the country.

The control and oversight by the central authority of so many small settlements scattered over a large range of coast had been greatly facilitated by the small armed cutter presented in 1848 by the English government.  This was now found to be hopelessly out of repair, and was generously replaced by the donor with another and somewhat larger vessel—­the Quail, an armed schooner of 123 tons.  About the same time the New York Society sent over a small steamer to provide rapid and regular communication between points along the coast.  In honor of a liberal benefactor it was called the “Seth Grosvenor.”