Alexandria Gazette, Commercial And Political

From the Commercial Advertiser.

From Sierra Leone.--The writer of the following letter is a man of color, who, after residing in the country twenty years, returned, with his wife and family, to his native land to spend the remainder of his days. Soon after his arrival at Sierra Leone, he wrote his letter to a respectable gentleman of this city, who had rendered him essential service, in procuring a passage for himself and family:--

Sierra Leone, May 3, 1812.

Dear Friend.

After a passage of 19 days, I arrived at Liverpool, and had the satisfaction to find that your friend Mr. B. has been such a friend to me as you represented him. I was detained in Liverpool four months for the want of a passage; during which time, several attempts were made by the press-gang to impress me; but my pass from New-York always afforded me the protection I stood in need of. In the interim, my son was persuaded to run away from me, and he enlisted for a soldier. Mr. B. did all in his power to get him back, but he would not consent to come, and they in whose hands he was would not force him. Under these circumstances, a passage to Sierra Leone offering, was obliged to leave him. I and my wife arrived here, in the ship Tartan, Capt. Villy, on the 2d of March, 1812. The people received me kindly: particularly a society of colored people called the "Friendly Society." They took me to the Society and requested me to inform them where I came from, and what were my motives in coming to Africa. I told them it was merely from a desire of living in my native country, as I preferred living there to any other place; and that I was indebted to you and friends for being brought to it. This information was perfectly satisfactory to them; and they desired their clerk to assist me in writing any letters that I might wish to write to my friend in England or America.

In this place, his Britannic Majesty's ships are continually capturing the contraband slave vessels.--There is in the Colony at this day upwards of 2000 Africans that have been liberated from those captured vessels, and are now enjoying the privileges of freemen. Many of them are apprenticed to the inhabitants. Some, who were brought here in 1808, are now living on their own farms, on a spot about 5 miles from Freetown, to which Town they are in the habit of bringing their produce to dispose of it.

There are very few of the colored people in this place but who have lands, consisting of a farm and a town lot: and his excellency the Governor, is empowered to grant lands to any person desirous of becoming a settler.

Give my respects to Messrs and--. And lastly, I and my wife humbly implore you individually to accept our sincere and hearty thanks, it being the only compensation we are able to make you for your unparalleled benevolence, and for the trouble you have been at, in placing us once more in our native land, from which I hope we shall never again depart, until we have to take our journey to the land where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest.

I am, Dear Friend.

Your's &c.

JOHN STEPHENS.