By May 1826, a large rice farm was being planted on the land by laborers assigned by the local ruler and were being supervised by the resident Liberian trader.
According to Ashmun, King Freeman did not want to risk upsetting his neighbors by allowing the colonial government to establish a town in his territory prematurely. So he stipulated in the lease agreement that the project be done in phases. Only if the small-scale initial farming and trading phase succeeded would large number of repatriates be allowed to settle in the area.
Footnote: J. Ashmun, “Accessions of territory – and new establishments connected with the colony, African Repository, May 1826, p. 93.
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