A Liberian Journey

Creator

Richard Pearson Strong

Date

8/21/26

Coverage

Kaka Town, Hinterland, Liberia

Transcription

August 21st. Kaka town.

After I finished writing on the 19th I took my temperature and finding that it was still rising I took a specimen of my blood and examined it microscopically. By that time I was so ill I felt it necessary to go to bed, which I did. I had a very severe paroxysm of sharp chilly sensations and fever which lasted from three P. M. until long into the night. I took 65 grains of quinine in the 24 hours and on the morning of August 20th I felt better with my temperature down again. I conducted my work from my cot yesterday, getting off notes to Shattuck and Allen at their two stations, sending off porters, etc. Today I feel so much better.

Just think, I have had a normal temperature all day, and it is now four o’clock. I am of course very deaf – cannot hear my watch tick at all when pressed close to my ear but I must continue with large doses of quinine for some days yet. This attack was one of the “pernicious” fever variety of the West Coast. The parasites segment only in the bone marrow and spleen and are therefore more difficult to destroy. The West Coast is known to be the worst part of Africa for the pernicious or aestivo autumnal form of malarial fever. It is the most severe form of malaria known.

Today has been a busy one. I began by negotiations with the old scoundrel of a chief “Danny Walker” and paid him 312 shillings for 103 porters for 94 loads for two days journey into the interior. I wonder how much of it the porters will get? I refer to the loads I sent off on the morning of the 19th to the northeast in charge of our native hunter.

I have explained why one of our party could not go on with them. A man brought in a little “Bongo” a small species of deer (very pretty) this morning and evidently quite young. He had trapped it and it was alive. It will not live long in captivity and as the chief wanted the meat I saved the skin and its four little hoofs. I examined the blood but found no trypanosomes or other parasites. It was evidently an entirely healthy young creature. I received a letter from George in which he says Linder’s temperature has been normal for three days and that he expects to leave by the first of next week, that Coolidge will “try” to get some porters in a few days. (Note I have since sent him enough to move him). George adds he is playing safe in remaining at Base camp No. 1. I immediately replied saying that the health of the members and the success of the entire expedition are my first thought and responsibility, that in my opinion it is not “playing safe” in delaying longer than absolutely necessary in Base camp No. 1, that I got a severe malarial infection there and that Linder and Theiler were also infected there, that he and Coolidge would almost certainly get infected if they remained and that Linder would get reinfected.

Dear George is so conscientious about everything and when he is in the open with his gun and his pipe he does not worry and time races on. His division is ten days behind and if each division is delayed that long it means the loss of a month and we only planned to be in the interior for three months. George got used to the Amazon trip methods where, after we returned, it took them about seven months to accomplish about seven weeks of work. I have not that much time to waste nor will I waste the time of these seven men, all of whom can be accomplishing something daily. Allen is making good progress with his zoological work and has already obtained about 30 species of mammals. But he must be assisted and his work better organized. When we reach the next base camp I shall look after this and arrange for native hunters to get sepcimens for him. He can only get very little himself. Linder also needs help. He has not so much initiative, and I shall get Bequaert, who is a good botanist, to work more with him. I realize fully that some of the men do not possess the energy and strength to travel across Liberia, which is a severe physical tax. So I am planning to leave some of these men in the next base camp. This camp will be at Glongo (Bongo) town, about the center of Liberia (from east to west) and near the northern boundary. Here they will have excellent opportunity to carry on their work and need only make short trips around the camp.

Type

Diary

Citation