Connecticut western news., 1891-10-01
AN AFRICAN KING.

BaSsas are very numerous and lntelll- gent people, inhabiting large district on the west coast of Africa, and Whre- abo was one of the most interesting char acters on the coast. His father was Boyer, who repeatedly waged war to prevent the Americo-Li iberians from set ting at Grand Bassa. Boyer, however, fell victim to the vengeance of the Li- 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 will be remembered by many old traders as Tom Will. For months the Bassa sav- ages, in factions supporting respectively Whreabo and Taipu, engaged in gue- rilla war. Neither side gained any de cided advantage. Taipu, however, had always been more or less friendly to the Americo-Liberians, so when the mer- chants of Monrovia demanded that the troubles which interrupted trade should end the Liberian government exerted it's power for his benefit, with the result that Whreabo was driven to an asylum in the bush, while Taipu took his fathers town, his wives and all the Bassa coun- try.
 Taipu was not long permitted to enjoy the dignity which he had usurped. Trouble arose from cruelties inflicted on Liberia's citizens by the Vie people, a warlike tribe farther north, and diverted the attention of the Liberian government from the affairs of Bassa. This was Whreabo's opportunity, and he took ad- vantage of it. He endeavored to oust his brother from power, aud success fol- lowed his arms. It was not many weeks before the dead body of Taipu, swathed in many bandages, stood mummylike in corner in his chief widows hut await ing burial; and Whreabo began to rule over the country.
 The fact that Whreabo had secured power in Bassaland gave the Liberian merchants excellent reason for alarm. Almost all export articles, such as oil, skins, camwood, ivory and rice are gath cred in the Bassa district, and this field, controlled by chief hostile to Liberia, meant that all commerce in this direc- tion would be brought to disaster. Events soon made it plain that Whreabo intended to hold no peaceful relations with his civilized brothers. He footed the factories of Liberian merchants, drove the traders from their stations and | issued an edict that no produce of any kind was to be sold to Liberians by any of his people under pain of instant ! death.
 The "palaver" ground in Whreabo's town became 8 theater wherein were performed many bloody acts. Hundreds of the followers of the dead Taipu daily | lost their heads, and for weeks the say | age chieftain held high carnival with | death, until, feeling secure, he gathered his hordes around him and prepared tc descend on Grand Bassa for the purpose | of driving the Liberian settlers into the | sea.
 | The Vies in the north at this ti me, en- couraged by the intriguing English o1 Sierra Leone, were offering such stub born resistance to the Liberian forces that the Liberian government found il impossible to do anything for the relie1 of its citizens in Bassaland, and 1t wa. decided to issue an order that Grand Bassa be abandoned and all Libe rian cit lzens leave the country. On the day when it had been determined to make this order public there arrived in tht port of Monrovia, the Liberian capital the bark Edwards. This vessel came from England and brought beautiful negroes, who called herself Jacinto Boyer
 From Jacinto's earliest day stirring incidents marked her life While little more than an infant she had been stole1 from her parents, who were Mandingoes and sold to Portuguese slave traders The vessel which was bearing her tt Brazil was captured by an English gun boat, and the prow was turned toward Sierra Leone, where the human cargo was to be turned over to the English au thorities. This slayer was wrecked be fore she reached her destination, and ot all on board the only ones saved were the officer in charge of the vessel ant
 Jacinto.
 Shortly after the Engishman and Ja cinto were cast on the beach they wer, discovered by the savages, and by then were taken to Boyer, at his chief towl in the interior. Boyer was then in tn, midst of his struggle with the Liberians and the civilized man who fell into hi
 without torture.
 When the Englishman was brough
 Into Boyes's presence he raised his phol
 to strike him, but Jacinto sprang for
 ward and threw her little arms around
 the intended victim.
 "No! No! King," she said, give m
 the white man." The sudden action o the little captive arrested Boyer's arm ! All the Bassa women are extremely ugly , and the beauty of the Vie girl so pleased
 the chief that he hesitated. Whreabo
 then a lad of ten years, was an inter
 ested spectator, and when the youn: girl made her plea his precocious eye
 discovered that she was fair, and strucl by a sudden fancy to earn favor in he sight he joined her in petitioning hi
 father to spare the white mans life.
 "The strange maiden shall be tn
 wife, and the white man be a slave t
 both of you," was the answer of Boyer.
 A few months after this Boyer WE killed, and his town was taken by tn
 Liberians The Englishman was re-
 cued and returned to Europe with J; i, cinto. There she was educated, an when she grew into womaEhoods despi'
 all of the efforts of her friends, she too
 passage on the Edwards for Afric; l.. where she intended to devote her life
 missionary work among the Bassas. A
 irving at Monrovia when she did, the L
 berian authorities refused her permissio