The Monitor., 1891-09-04
AN AFRICAN KING.

Rt DIS mead lONU III TIC iulcflOk o 0As1AAe
Cerah, trading station Of Liberia. The
Bazas are q vary numerous and inteil-
gent peopte, inhabiting large district
nshe nest coast of Africa, and Wire
aba was One Of the most interesting char
acas un the coast. His father was
Eoyer, who repeatedly waged war to
prexent the eAmefico-Liberians from set
Ting at Grand Bassa Boyer, however,
fell victim TO the vengeance Of the LII
=berian laws, and died bloody death,
! but not before he had instilled hatred Of
the civilized blacks in the mind of his
son and heir.
After Boyer's death Whreabo attempt
ed to take control Of the government Of
his tribe, but he was prevented from do
ing so by his brother Taipu, who viii be
remembered by many old traders as
Tom Will. For months the Bassa saw
ages1in factions supporting respectively
Whreabo and Taipu, engaged in que
rilla war. Neither sde gained any de-
cided advantage. Taipu, however, had
always been more or less friendly to the
Amerieo-Liberians, 80 when the mer-
chants of Monrovia demanded that the
troubles which interrupted trade should
end the Liberian government sxerted its
power for his benefit, with the result
{ that Whpabo was driven to an asylum
in the bush, while Taipu took his fathers
town, his wives and all the Bassa eoun-
try
Taipu was not long permitted to enjoy
the dignity which he had usurped.
Trouble arose from crnelties inflicted on
Liberals citizens by the Vie people,
warliks tribe farther north, and diverted
the attention of the Liberian government
{ from the affairs Of Rsssa. This was
Whreabos opportunity Yaae he took adj
vantage of IL. He endeavored to foast
his brother from power, aud success fol-
lowed his arms, It was not many weeks
before the dead body Of Taipu. swathed
in:lnany bandages, stood mummy Hike in
q corner in his chief widows hut await
ing burial; and Whreabo began to rule
over the country ...... ....l;s 81 .=sais=a.1
3 The. fact. that Whreabo had secured
power in Bassaiand gave the Liberian
merchants excellent reason for alarm.
Almost all export articles, sach as cd,
skins, camwood, ivory and nee are gath
cred in the Bassa district. and this field,
controlled by a chief hostile TO Liberia,
meant that all commerce in this direc-
ton would be brought to disaster.
Events soon made it plain tina Vhresbo
intended to hold 10 peaceful relations
with his ctvilizsd brothers. 'Hs looted
the factories OF Liberian merchants,
drove the traders from their stations and
issued an ediet that no producs Of any
kind was TO be sold TO Liberians by any
of his people under pain Of instant
death. s.'..tz=s
The '.palayern ground in Whreabo's
town became theater wherein were
performed many bloody acts. Hundreds
of the followers Of the dead Taipu daily
lost their heads, and for weeks the saw
age chieftain held high carnival with
death, until, feeling secure, he gathered
his hordes around him and prepared to
descend on Grand Bassa for the purpose
Of driving the Liberiani settlers into the
sea. .5-..- -. i-.- 49,.
The Eies in the north at this time, en-
eoaraged by the intriguing English of
Sierra Leone, were Offering such stub
born resistance to the Liberian forces
that the Liberian government found it
impossible to Do anything for the relief
of its citizens in Bassaland, and it was
decided to issue an order THAI Grand
Bassa be aband0ned and all Liberian cit
izehs leave the country. On the day
when 1t had been determined to make
this order public there arrived in the
post of Monrovia, the Liberian capital,
the bark Edwards This vessel came
from England and brought a beautiful
ne9ress; who called herself Jacinto Boyer.
From Jacinto's earliest day stirring
incidents marked her life, While little
more than an infant she had been stolen
from her parents, who were Mandingoes,
and sold to Portuguese slave traders
The vessel which was bearing her to
Brazil was captured by an English gun
boat, and the Prov was turned toward
Sierra Leone, where the human cargo
was to be turned over to the English au-
thdrities This SLAYER was wrecked be-
FORE she reached her destination. and Of
all On board the only ones saved were
the officer in charge of the vessel and
Jaeinto. -.. .4...- Nos .s.....s.- l.l,l-
Shortly after the Englishlnan and Ja-
cinAo were cast on the beach they were
discovered by the savages, and by them
Were taken to Boyer, at his chief town
in the interior. Boyer was then ia the
midst Of his struggle with the, ,Liberians,
and the, civilized man who fell into his
power was fortunate If he was killed
without torture -
When the Englishman was brought
into Boyers presence he raised his phon
to strike him, but Jacinto sprang for
ward and threw her little arms around
the intended victim ..s.s -y.. .,,.t
NO! No, King" she said, "give me
the white man." The sudden action OF
the little captive arrested Boyer's arm
All the Bassa women are extremely ugly,
and the beauty Of the Vie girl SO pleased
the eichief that he hesitated.. ,Whreabo,
then a lad Of ten years, was an inter-
ested spectator, and when the young
girl made her plea his precocious eyes
discovered that she was fair, and struck
by q sudden fancy to earn favor IN her
sight he joined her in petitioning his
jfatAert to spare the white mans life. .'.'t'
The strange maiden shall be thy
wife, and the white man be a slave to.
both, of you," was the answer Of boyer. il.
., y few months after this Boyer wss
killed, and his town was taken by the
LiBerians. The Englishman WAS res.