The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-07-25

BY E. B. MURRAY &
THE LABoRING PEOPLE
of both sexes sre generally very erect
and walk with what in. a white mar
would be a swagger, but in them, witt
their free limbs, is merely graceful IN
dependence. The business men have the
business mans usual stoop, methodica
walk and steady look, and generally
carry an umbrella and wear broad hat
I think these natives are usually very
strong, and some of them are magnif,
Gently shaped, especially the women
The most beautiful and massive pair o.
female shoulders I have ever seen, / saw
here. Their owner had heavy load or
her head. but walked under it as straight
as an arrow, and the shoulders just spo.
Ken of were studies for an artist, being
straight, square, clean cut and well
rounded altogether perfect. Almost all
the overland transportation is clone on
human heads, there being only three
horses in the entire colony. A woman
will walk into town at good pace from
miles in the country, with child swing
ing at;her back, and from thirty to sew
enty pounds Of produce on her head,
carrying herself as well and showing as
little fatigue IS an average American
or English woman would after q miles
.unencumbered stroll. What the men
can carry am afraid to say. I saw one
start home with two huge iron pots bal.
anced on his head, weighing probably
one hundred pounds, aad he looked as if
he hardly felt them. The laborers whom
we met at the wharf bore two two-gallon
demijohns Of rum in each hand and an
other. on their heads. I saw no woman
whose dress would forbid her appearance
on the streets of an American city. The
children to about eight years old wear
very little very often nothing at all.
Now you have the people as they appear
on the streets.
LOOKS OF THE TOWN.
From the large stone dock on Ihich
we. landed we walked probably half a
block across q sort of court, on the right
side Of which was large brick ware
house, in and about which demijohns
and bales we're being handled BY q gang
of black men. Here.we reached q fight
of broad steps made of heavy stone, in
the interstices Of, which grew grass and
weeds. Ont these steps we get up short
hill, and are fairly within the town, which
does not differ much go Tar as 1 can see
from any small American seaport town.
The town. proper FreetoWnl contains
about $500 population, and the colony
Of Sierra Leone extends some Ehlrty
miles back OF the coast, ana contains
between ~, ,0oO and 4O,VQU people. Free
town is built more along the loot OF the
high hiils9 tnan !! snougnt, not running
more than g third OF the distance up
them. Inc streets are OF ordinary width,
being uupayed. Inc SOIL Is common red
clay beaten hard oy much treadlng, ana
the streets or roads are iringed on each
SIDE 0y broad border OF grass precisely
similar 70. our, American grass and weeds.
THE HOUSES
are generally one story, and built of
wood, with roofs made of reeds or rushes
plated. From the front Of each OF
these houses projects wide root cover
Ing where the pavement should be. Inc
fences are also familiar, being the ordi-
nary. slat ones, the Stats being boards, or
barrel stayes. In the little gardens,
which ars sganerally about seyeaty-6ve
feet square, grow short stalks of corn,
yams and few other vegetables, and in
most Of them a cocoanut tree or two
towers up. At long intervals q more
Pretentious building is reached, there
being several large two-story frame stores,
the upper story surronded with lattice
Wofk, aiew orlck stores, ana propaoly
half p dozen brick and wooden ware
houses. a TIN ortlie root ls occasionally
seen. The town ls well laid OF into
streets, with English names painted at
their corners. A short walk down seve-
ral corners brings us TO the place of bus
iness of -
THE AMERICAN CONSUL,
from which the GLORIOUS gridiron" floats.
Our guide has been black man picked
up from boat and on the way, he sue.
ceeds II, engaainpihimself TO wait on ehe
ship with ira conyeyance. We note en-
routa that nearly every man we mset
topches his hat and says agoo mornin pS
We see ONLY one white mana sauarely
built Englishman, in a cork hat and his
shirt sleeves, smoking 8 large pipe. and
standing under tree, superlntenolng q
gang OF iaoorers-Who eyes us super
ciliously as we pass. The American
representative Is member OF an Eng
lish firm doing the largest business in
Sierra Leone. On the first foor of his
establishment is the retail store, a wide
and deep apartment, stocked with bright
prints, cotton, beads, hats, sandals, hard
ware, notions, clothing and guns. The
latter are the old fintlock, long barrelied,
smooth bore musket. My idea is that
the man who fires one of them thereby
gives proof of courage of a very high
IL kAH II