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people, who had collected on certain farms occupied by Gov-
ernment, in Saint Mary’s County, Maryland, Helen G. Long-
streth, who had just undertaken a visit to Mason’s Island on
our behalf, was charged with the duty of inquiring into the ‘eli-
gibility of this field of labor ; accompanied by our friend, Dill-
wyn Parrish, she visited Mason’s Island, and finding much to
engage attention at that place, and the modes of conveyance to
the distant locality in Maryland being laborious and uncertain, it
was concluded to accept the proffered aid of an experienced
friend of the cause, Emily Howland, who, accompanied by Mar-
garet Preston, a teacher and nurse in our employ, started at once
by stage to Charlotte Hall, 40 miles from Washington and about ~
eight miles distant from the nearest of the Government farms ;
thence they proceeded, most of the ey) on foot, to the places de-
signated.

On the first farm they found about 800 people, mostly occu-
pying the former slave quarters, on what had been the estate of
the rebel Col. Southron; at the head of this community were
Lieutenant O’Brien and his wife. They seemed much interested
in the welfare of the people, who were wretchedly housed and
clad, and without schools or any suitable building for the purpose,
as Lieut. O’Brien has no authority to build one; he expressed,
however, a willingness to facilitate, in every way, the object of
our Association, and intending to put a saw-mill in operation
shortly, could supply lumber for its value ; colored carpenters could
be procured, needing only a obinpdtent mechanic to superintend
them.

At the middle farm, which has a smaller community, a young
man and his wife, named Wheeler, are stationed, who are much
interested in teaching, and feel deeply the wants of the people
which they are powerless to supply. The children are very des--
titute of gy many suits of rags and little bare feet are to
be seen. .

From a letter of Emily Howland we extract the following in
addition: ‘The lower farm, one mile below, is occupied by a Mr.
Avery, an excellent man for the place, from New Hampshire.
There is no school-house there, but an unfinished addition to the
house which; I thought, could readily be converted-into a place