cunning of youth, and give them an increased power of evil, by the fragments of information they thus acquire.  If we would have our efforts to improve their condition, really effective, we should deal with them as with foundlings.  They should be removed from the contagion of their former intercourse, and apprenticed out to persons who would look after their morals, and whore they would have no bad examples set them, so soon as they were capable of applying their faculties to objects of utility.  The instances are very rare where these African children have fulfilled the expectations of their benevolent benefactors; I am persuaded that an establishment for a limited number, in which the end proposed should be the completion of the work of civilization, would be incalculably superior to the attempts to accomplish that desirable purpose with great numbers in so imperfect a manner.

Wednesday, Sept. 12th.—­Heavy and frequent showers, from last evening till near noon to-day, when it cleared up, and continued fine all the afternoon.  This forenoon, I accompanied Mr. Kenneth Macauley to the Court House, and attended the opening of the general quarter sessions.[11]

Friday, 14th.—­Attended the Court to-day with Mr. Macauley, where I heard various cases of petty larceny.  The morning was fine, but it became cloudy in the evening, and very dark with much lightning.  The latter is a strong intimation of the expected tornadoes, with which the rainy season terminates, as well as commences.  Captains Owen and Harrison, Lieutenant Woodman (agent for transports), and myself, dined with the Governor at his regimental mess.  There were also present, all the principal officers of the civil establishment.  Could our friends in England have witnessed the hilarity that prevailed at that banquet, in such a country, and at that melancholy season of the year, they would have scarcely credited what they saw and heard.  Many who were seated there on that day, are now no more!  The assistant surgeon of the North Star, who was serving on hoard a schooner, that was tender to that ship, died to-day.  His death was supposed to have been much accelerated by the gloomy apprehensions that entered his mind from the moment he was seized with the fever.

Saturday, 15th.—­Attended the Court, and heard some amusing trials for house-breaking, and stealing therefrom; in one case there were Kroomen against Kroomen:—­Tom Coffee and Bottle of Beer—­against another Bottle of Beer.

Sunday, 16th.—­Very fine day.  Accompanied the Rev. Mr. Davy on board the Eden, whore he performed divine service:  after which we dined with Captain Owen, and returned on shore in the evening, when I accompanied him to a chapel in the parish of St. George’s, Freetown, where he performed the evening service.  There are a great number of Independent chapels in the town, supported by the free black population, and with black preachers.  I unfortunately witnessed