Official Report of the Niger Valley Exploring Party   By: Martin Robison Delany (1812-1885)

by

MARTIN R DELANY

Published 1861

Contents

Official Report of the Niger Valley Exploring Party

Section I. Political Movements 229

Section II. Succeeding Conventions 234

Section III. History of the Project 236

Section IV. Arrival and Reception in Liberia 254

Section V. Liberia Climate, Soil, Productions, etc. 263

Section VI. Diseases Cause Remedy 278

Section VII. The Interior Yoruba 284

Section VIII. Topography, Climate, etc. 288

Section IX. Diseases of This Part of Africa, Treatment, Hygiene, Aliment 312

Section X. Missionary Influence 332

Section XI. What Africa Now Requires 338

Section XII. To Direct Legitimate Commerce 345

Section XIII. Cotton Staple 351

Section XIV. Success in Great Britain 361

Section XV. Commercial Relations in Scotland 379

Section XVI. The Time to Go to Africa 387

Section XVII. Concluding Suggestions 391

I

POLITICAL MOVEMENTS

On or about the latter part of July, 1853, the following document was sent on, and shortly appeared in the columns of "FREDERICK DOUGLASS' PAPER," Rochester, N.Y., and the "ALIENED AMERICAN," published and edited by William Howard Day, Esq., M.A., at Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., which continued in those papers every issue, until the meeting of the Convention:

CALL FOR A NATIONAL EMIGRATION CONVENTION OF COLORED MEN To be held in Cleveland, Ohio, on the 24th, 25th, and 26th of August, 1854

MEN AND BRETHREN: The time has fully come when we, as an oppressed people, should do something effectively, and use those means adequate to the attainment of the great and long desired end do something to meet the actual demands of the present and prospective necessities of the rising generation of our people in this country. To do this, we must occupy a position of entire equality , of unrestricted rights, composing in fact, an acknowledged necessary part of the ruling element of society in which we live. The policy necessary to the preservation of this element must be in our favor , if ever we expect the enjoyment, freedom, sovereignty, and equality of rights anywhere. For this purpose, and to this end, then, all colored men in favor of Emigration out of the United States, and opposed to the American Colonization scheme of leaving the Western Hemisphere, are requested to meet in CLEVELAND, OHIO, TUESDAY, the 24th day of AUGUST, 1854, in a great NATIONAL CONVENTION, then and there to consider and decide upon the great and important subject of Emigration from the United States.

No person will be admitted to a seat in the Convention, who would introduce the subject of Emigration to the Eastern Hemisphere either to Asia, Africa, or Europe as our object and determination are to consider our claims to the West Indies, Central and South America, and the Canadas. This restriction has no reference to personal preference, or individual enterprise; but to the great question of national claims to come before the Convention.