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

creek, and on the opposite side by the
st. Paul, its apex being forme.l by The
fork where the creek flows from the river
The mouth of the latter is about six miles
north of Monrovia, Tor in the direction
of Sierra Leone,) where it empties into
the sea over heavy bar. Bushrod Island
is therefore about six miles broad at its
base by five long. | couldn't help think
ing that it would make splendid rice
crops, as the tide rises and falls on both
sides, and the water is fresh within q
mile from the bar Such an idea seems
never to have occurred to anybody in
Liberia. Stockton creek is q stream of
generally uniform width, about one hun
dred and fifty yards, l should judge. Its
flow is quiet, and its surface placid. On
either sile it spreads away among the
roots of the mangove and other trees,
and through the thick growth of "dra-
CONS blood" Ia plant resembling our
sword grass, only stronger, sharper and
more savagely barbed.) The vegetation
forms Jungle which not even the eye,
much less the body, can penetrate. The
view is varied by the featherly tops of
the palm, cocoanut, or banana; or mango,
cotton and other trees, with an occasional
indiarubber vine dropping from the
branches. In one or two places the ever
useful palm grows in what are apparently
plantations. The palm, by the way, is
the crest of the Liberian coat Of arms,
being stamped on their ugly one and two
cent coins. So precious is the tree held,
that the wanton destruction of one is
punishable by fine of So. The view on
Stockton Greek is generally monotonous,
and a description Of one portion of it
will answer for all. In one or two places
the foliage is varied by beautiful trees,
like giant ferns, of which my companion
did not recollect the names, while a few
large, white water or common weed flow
ers, and the white leaves of the "tooth
plant" CLEAN out from the dark green
bordering to the quiet water, There is
nothing especially beautiful about the
scenery of the creek. 1t is one of those
streams that one dreams about sometimes
amid the hurly-burly, wishing that he
could drift down forever on its tranquil
bosom shut out by the leafy screen on
each side from everything except lazily
| floating clouds and blue skies above. For
picture of perfect rest and repose it is
beautiful. Even the brightly hued par
rots and blue kingtishers that fly about
among the branches across, seem to move
languidly rs if infected with the general
| silence.
ESSENCE OF MUsQUlTo.
But, like all the poetical dreamssI ever
heard of, Stockton Greek is delusion
and q snare. 1 would hate nightly to
float forever down its tranquil bosom.
In the first place the floating would have
to be accompanied by the unpoctic acces-
sories of "ingun rubber overcoat an gum
elastic Shoes" and an umbrella. In the
second place, the swamps are infested at
intervals by an insect who seems to be
cross between a sand fly and a musquito.
possessing the concentrated vices of both.
II would like to stop here to write a
chapter on the proneness of ants, sand
flies, gnats and others of that ilk to per-
wade the realms made beautiful by po-
etic fancy, and knock the romance out of
tender situations. Space torbids, how
ever, and any young gentlemen who has
walked on the Battery with his adored
one during sand fly time can appreciate
it.) Then, after floating down Stockton
Creek for night or so, the foater would
probably have African fever, and COM
pletc his floating with a shaven head,
taking immense quantities of quinine.
Altogether, l would prefer allowing
somebody else to do my floating. While
on this subject, however, L must pro-
pound one question over which my mind
has often been exercised: Is it presuma-
bic that the insects above referred to in
tested the Garden of Eden? If so, can
it be supposed that the state of our first
parents in their unprotected condition
was one of unmixcd happiness? A reply
is anxiously awaited. When about two
and a half miles up Stockton Creek, the
rain began to fall us if the tloodgatcs
were indeed open. 1t did not seem to
fall in drops, but in continuous streams.
1t was literally pouring" rain. The
Kroomen rowed on through it all very
unconccrncdly, while rubber clothing
turned the water from the bodies of us
passengers, and allowed it to flow in
strcamlcts into the crackers and cheese
in the lunch basket. So We progressed.
By and by noticed at one or two places
on the right bank slight clearings, in
which native canoe WAS generally tied
up. This, was informed, was
TIE FIRST SETTLEMENT ABOVE MON
ROYIA.
1t is called New Georgia, and runs
along the banks for two Or three miles,
the houses being built far apart. The
number OF inhabitants in this munich
pality is estimated at five hundred souls.
Through the openings in the bush |
caught occasional glimpses of the dark
green coffee trees, or bananas, surround
ing some house. Then, after awhile, We
swept around Il bend, and were
on THE ST. PAUL's,
which is here about two-thirds of a mile
wide. The banks of the river are more
elevated than those Of the creek, and
generally rise in miniature bluffs from
three to ten feet above the water. The
land speedily begins to assume Il more
cleared appearance, the view being un-
obstructed BY large trees. The grass and
underground, however, generally come
down nearly to the rivers edge. The
banks themselves seemed to consist of a
hard, gray clay. Marl is said to be
abundant along the river. Most OF the
buildings l noticed along the shore were
of brick, large proportion being two
story. About five miles up the river we
stopped at landing" The landings"
invariably consist of either 4 few steps
cut in the clay from the waters edge to
the top Of the bank, or of cut down
slope into the bank itself. Such thing
as comfortable wooden or stone steps, or
a wharf, seems to have occurred to none
of them, and the Liberians 60 OH stum-
bling and sliding on the slippery clay,
and falling down and muddying their
good clothes, and swearing just as their
fathers did. 1t may be remarked also
that their sole means of transportation to
Monrovia seems to consist of the native
Il 4