The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-03-29
Our Africa Letter.
CAPE PALMAs, AFRICA, July 9Th, I

CAPE PALMAs, AFRICA, July 9Th, 1859.
EDITOR GoURIEE:-
/. We left Maerovia for our
coasting trip, on the lceward coast, Decem-
o. On the 18th anchored off Grand ihlS-
satheri. did not 90 on shore. The bar
the mouth ofSt Johns river is the mos
dangerous one ON the whole coast. Their
has been so many lives lost it that it is very
seldom now that white man makes tn at.
tempt. There is safe landing on the beach
about two miles from the town, but that was
too long a walk for me-. l. should have been
pleased TO have gone ashore, as there arc
some very fine coffee plantations there. Four
teen miles below is New Sestros, once no
ted slave mart, and the last one on the Libe-
ran coast to be broken up. 1t was occupied
by Capt. Canot, who was chga red in the
slave trade for twenty years. In April, 1910,
he shipped from this place 749 slaves at one
load, this was the last. This establishment
was soon after broken up by the English; he
then settled at Cape Mount, and engaged in
! legitimate trade, but it being suspected that
he was still connected with the slave trade,
in March, 1877, he was again "cleaned,put"
by an English man-of-war. He then left the
country, and is now somewhere in South
America. His life has been published and
is very interesting.
Our next landing point was at Sinou. Five
years ago this was one of the most flourish
ing settlements in Liber.a. but the Natives
made war upon it and DESTROYED large part
Of the town, which has not been built up
again. saw here handr, DIS of fine coffee
trees, loaded with the ripe berry, which was
filling off and rotting-the settlers being too
lazy to gather it.
From Monrovia to Sinou there is range
of high hills backward from the coast, but
in sight. Below Sinou it is again low fiat
land as far back as the eye can reach.
Cape Palmas is the most southern settle
ment in Liberia. 1t is within about $50
miles Of the equator. Previous to 1857, it
was colony owned and governed by the
Maryland Colonization Society, and called
Maryland in Africa; but in that year the
Natives made war upon the Colony which
was not strong enough to defend itself For
protection they became annexed to the Re-
public of Liberia and still remain so. The
place has good location, and seems to be,
from, what I have. cory, Of II vattlaJ with a
class of more industrious inhabitants than
ANY other place have visited This, think,
is owing to the fact that until quite recently
1t has been under the control of'white men.
Since leaving Monrovia we have had hall
dozen African Tornadoes; they are ugly
customers, but not so bad as the hurricanes
of the West Indies. They come up quick,
blow and rain very hard, and are soor over;
they seldom last over an hour. The wind
always comes off shore, so there IS very little
danger to ships from then-they are merely
driven out to sea. The Harmattan wind is
now blowing. This is periodical wind felt
only in December, January and February
1t blows from the desert of Saharia, in the
interior, blows for a few days at time. but
returns often during the months mentioned,
aud is accompanied by haze Of 70 ;, like otI
Indian summers, and is extremely dry. Va
nered furniture comes to pieces; book GOV
ers curl up. When the wind holds on for a
long TIM at once, the leaves on the trees get
so dry that they are readily powdered in the
hands by rubbing, and leave fine white
dust upon the grass and leaves. No dew
falls while this wind continues; although
destructive TO vegetation, it is very healthy.
am informed that patients down with the
African fever convalcSce rapidly under its in
finence find it of benefit to myself. The
extreme dryness renders it very easy for nae
to breathe. | should be glad to have it con-
tinue during my stay on this coast. but do
not expect but a few more days of it.