The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-08-15
THIS NAVY.

| ifh NAV
1t consists of small sailing cutter,
not over $50 tons, with few small guns,
mostly six-pounders, l belicvc) and
manned by, what | Judge from reports TO
be, a dilapidated crew. On Sunday |
went ashore, and succeeded, with much
difficulty, in arranging for a frequently
deferred visit
Up TIE ST. PAUL's RIVER.
1t is due to the Ners and CoWicrs
readers, as we'll as to its representative,
to explain that the day was not selected
| from choice, but under pressure of hard
necessity, it being the only one on which
l could obtain boat crew and companion,
(the last being requisite to make the ex-
pcdition of any use at alll and there
being a prospect of the Azor leaving
early in the week. Of course, the whole
journey to Liberia would have amounted
to nothing without some sight of the
country. As for the Kroomen who rowed,
they, in ell probability, only exchanged
that exercise for gambling, with which
they usually occupy Sundays, and, in
fact, all of their leisure time. While
waiting at the boat endeavored to OBJ
tain some idea of the religious convic-
tions of these villains, but they seem
entirely destitute of any such thing.
When I asked one Of them if he ever
went to church, and, receiving negative
reply, asked "Why not?" he replied:
"What krooman want go church for?
No make money goin' church. What
for want 60 den, ehw could, therefore,
only class them as being worshippers of
THE GREAT AMERICAN GOD, GREENDAX,
of whom Cheek is said to be the prophet.
From all that l can learn they do not
even bow down 10 idols. They seem abb
solutely without any god or any religion,
or apology for religion. The only act
approaching recognition of any super
human power is the suspeuding around
their necks of bones and other "mcdi-
cines," done up in particularly dirty
little bag. Even this seems less thought
of than the strings of gaudy glass beads
and brass or bone rings, which they wear
about their necks, ankles and wrists.
Their whole object in life seems to be to
accumulate money with which to buy
tobacco, cattle, women and-(beg pardon,
was on the point ofsaying "other trash, y
-tawdry ornaments. All this in despite
of long contact with civilization. Some
few Of them have been to school, and can
read and write, while others have made
voyages to foreign countries. All these
are more intelligent than their fellows,
and one or two privately told me that
they didn't believe in the efficacy of the
medicine" which they nevertheless
wore. These educated" ones, too, gen.
orally seem disposed to limit themselves
to one wife, but they never 60 to church,
use their superior knowledge of English
chiefly in the more correct rendition of
English profanity and obscenity, and
wear no more clothes than the others.
Their constant exercise at the oar gives
them beautifully developed arms and
chests, but, like other sayages, they cover
them up when they cover anything, and
leave exposed TO view set Of miserable
black and scaly looking spindle shanks
with the we'll known parrot heel" al
though their feet are generally rcasona-
bly, small. Of honor or gratitude they
seem to have no conception, and they lie
by the yard at the drop of hat. Of
female purity they have, of course, little
idea, although they vigorously exact faith
fulness from their wives, and punish most
severely any breach of fidelity. strong
ly suspect, though, that even this is large
" due to their appreciation of the COM
mercial value of the females.
A WIFE is An EXPENSIVE AFFAIR
to krooman. In the first place he has
to pay her father for her a certain num-
Der Of cattle, beads, guns, kettles, &C.,
the price being regulated by the demand.
Then with each new wife there is some
rude marriage ceremony, and grand
feast, the principal feature of which is a
large supply Of poor rum. Then the wife
has to be decorated MS far rs the means
of her husband will 60. | saw one Of
these females, presumably favorite, with
one leg from the ankle to the knee cov-
cred with brass rings, several on the
other neither limb, a few on each arm,
and several necklaces of beads. These
represented good many days work, as
common krooman's wages are only
twenty-five cents per day, the head man
of crew getting thirty-eight. The Kroo
women generally dress in one large coarse
cotton cloth, made by the natives,
wrapped around their bodies. If they
happen to have an infant, the cloth is
wrapped about the waist, with the unfor-
tunate looking piccaninny envcloped in
its folds, and tied in front. On this day
the conscientious convictions of the kroo-
| u.n,tl1 olln,r fhapa IN ~tnlata th IN
Sabbath for less than half dollar per
diem each, just double wages. ! was
forced to submit to this extortion, and off
we started. Crossing the Mesurado Riyer
from Monrovia, we stopped for few
minutes in
"vEI TOWN."
Just Oh the opposite bank. This is the
residence of the Vel tribe, who live there
in closely built houses made of interlaced
bamboo, padded with clay, and covered
with heavy thatching of leaves. These
houses are generally circular in form, and
the roofs slope down to within five feet
of the ground, where they terminate in
deep caves. The inside walls were of
clay as were the floors, and the general
interior was very smoky, there being no
chimneys The buildings are close to-
gether, with barely room to pass between
them. They generally have a little COW
cred porch at the entrance, however, in
which the proprietor is to be found on
Sundays either standing about or swing
ing in a hammock, while his wife or wives
[according to his means) sit about inside.
These Vel men are magnificent speci-
mems Of manhood, with broad, square
shoulders, full chests and we'll Developed
limbs, and are generally tall and erect.
On Sunday they seem to clothe them
selves in European raiment, although on
week days they usually wear the one gar
ment of large cloth, but so drapcd as to
produce an effect not unlike that of the
Roman toga. Their women dress very
much as the Kroo women do, and arc not
remarkable for virtue. The Neis, how
ever, seem immeasurably superior to the
r. L.. ,,l,