Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-08-08
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= SCENES IN 'LIRERIA.

SCENES IN LIBERIA.
|''a Recent issues of the News and Courier con-
tain highly interesting letters from Mr.. A. B.
Williams, the special correspondent of that
paper, who accompanied the ,Azor on her voy-
age to Liberia. From these letters we make
the following extracts: ~ &C, ,,7,,r,ro, e,
+ LIBERIAN MILITIA. = : = 1 -
q, am told that Liberia claims to be able to
turn out an army of 8, 500 armed militia, SER
vice being obligatory on every citizen between
15 and 45 years of age. My informant also
told. me that this force (tbete being no stand
ing army had done good service in the wars
with the natives, Of which there have been
several! From all I can learn the "wars"
seem to consist Of s. weeks popping away at
long range and retreat BY the Vdatives or
treaty. l was told that in the last "war"
the Liberians had lest thirty men killed and
wounded. They estimated the loss of their
adversaries at one thousand. This remined
me of some war news that 1 heard between
81 and '65 This warfare is one reason why
immigration is so desired, each new arrival
contributing to keep the natives in the interi.
or, who receive greatly exaggerated reports
of the numbers, quiet.
.dn'}lc THE COTTON iRLANr! IIL1
At Clay Ashland, on St. Paul's river, I first
saw what Liberia could do in the way Of cot
ton. In my hosts yard was a large bush
some eight feet high, and branching out. about
twelve feet each way. 1t was a cotton plant
-which,- h,-be~iDformed- me, ,-bad-been- growing
therefor piipe yesrs bearing rsgplarly every
year, from 1900 te.3,eO0fbolls. Of the cot
ton itself secured specimen. 1t is long
staple, and resembles our1sea dsland, only it
is not Quite 80 lfhel This u5lom
COTTON GROWS WILD
shqntIhe country, and nobody geems t9ERay
any attention to it, except the natives, who
with their primitive looms, manufacture from
it coarse strong cloth which they wear al
most Universally. 4 They weave strips about
six inches wide, and Of any required length.
These strips are subsequently woven together
Tito the cloth, which is traded to the LiheriSn
store keeper. who sells it out again, to his Gus
toners. The cloths generally sell according
to width, abobti 2ssi cents being Charged for
dyed usually with indigo, which also oigroas
wild, in blue Stripes of different Widths OF, Che
white ground. One I saw, however, which
Tas quite elaSp ps thess beiagFEde fattphpIs ftp
at reproducing The shapes 81 flowers sA On it
Iobtained couple of these also.dt From all
I can see, I know Of no reason why Liberia
should not with proper care become one Of
the great cotton producing countries. There
is no replanting necessary except every
twelve or fifteen years; the plant bears the
first year, and soon becomes strong enough to
defy grass.il il Il A8NHDH
NATURE SEEMS TO PROVIDE EVERYTHING
az -'. ..i> rlr,> I'm y HERE. t bon yii.h .H:7N
III rambling around, my companion, The
doctor, showed me the fever plant, the Leaves
Of which, made into ttea. are ;almost'a soyer-
'iign cure for fevers; the soap tree, the leaves
of which, when bruised, lather like soap and
ars almost as leficacioas for ;cleanin sropgh
surfaces the tooth plant, white leaf, which,
as l ascertained by experiment, by little rub
bing, will clean and polish your teeth beauti.
fully; the hemorrage plant, the leaves of
which when applied to a wound staunchI the
flow Of blood pepper plants, licorice, gin
ger and lemon plants, leaf smelling and
tasting like lemon and an admirable medici-
cal agent; then the mangrove ash makes the
strongest sort of lye and the uses of the palm
and bread fruit tree, everybody knows. Cas-
sada is long root, generally about two in
ches thick, which is palatable when properly
cooked and is very nutritious. Indigo is
abundant. Walking about Clay Ashland you
kick up pure silcate from the ground in
flakes at every step, and I was shown speci-
mems of ore which, even I could see, we're
rich in iron. Some of this ore, am told,
yields 85 per cent. of pure iron. The natives
bring pure gold from the interior to trade,
andwe procured . ruby ,pickedup from the
ground. The Liberians claim that there are
diamonds also, but precious stones seem very
scarce. These things l do not give as ru-
mors but as the result of dilligent inquiries,
among different people at different, times and
places, and of personal inspection. u AT Clay
Ashland, as we'll as everywhere else in Liberia,
everybody is mad on the subject of coffe.
- - THE COFFEE TREEl 4 III
is beautiful one, generally growing, when
developed and'untler cultivation, from six to
ten feet high, with large dark green leaf
(here like everything else an evergreen.) 1t
is generally planted by scions or slips, the
little trees being. taken from the beds when
we'll started, and transplanted. The coffee
grows in thickly clustering lunches along the
branches, and is green sin color, until ripe,
when it turns red. A thick pod or case en-
velopes the grain, which is beaten off when
gathered and dried. The grains are very
large and the coffee itself is delicious to my
taste, fully equalling, if mot SURPRISING, Mocha.
The coffee trees are usually planted about
400 to the acre, and begin to bear with the
third year. The trees yield from one to FIVE
pounds of coffee grains each. which sell at 20
cents per pound, wholesale, at Monrovia.
While on this subjectH L may say that saw
in the Courthouse yard in Monrovia a coffee
tree fully twenty-five feet high. from which
from five to ten pounds of the grain is gath
cred every, year. The eofee;pickipg, season
Is over now, lasting from February to May.
l saw the trees growing wild and uncared for
in the bush in one place, and about the yards
and the streets in Monrovia. Almost every
body near the landings along the St. Paups
has little store under their dwelling where
they carry on a.; ...-
TRAFFIC WITH THE NATIVES.
Exchanging calicoes, kettles, guns, beads,
&c., for country cloths, palm kernels, coffee
and rice. The palm kernels are the nuts
gathered from the palm tree, and with the
oil pressed from them, form one of the chief
articles of export, the oil being extensively
used for the manufacture of fine paints and
soaps. The English and French manafac.
turers extract the oil from the kernels, and
press the remainder into cakes, which is said