A Liberian Journey

Creator

Richard Pearson Strong

Date

10/7/26

Coverage

Zoogu, Hinterland, Liberia

Transcription

October 7th,

Loring W. came back from hunting with a sore toe, so I was unable to take him with me to the eastern border of Liberia to take the pictures. George and I were about to start when a patient came from a neighboring town for treatment and delayed us some time. We finally got away at seven A. M. We traveled east until we reached Zoogu at 9:15. Here we saw three cases of illness that required study and made arrangements to see them on our return to Tappi town. We then took the rail again and climbed back and forth over hills and down ravines, the climbs being very steep at times and over large stones. It was really hard going. Travelling over parts of Liberia may be compared to traversing the surface of a washboard -- one goes up one hill, fords a creek or swamp at the bottom on the other side, climbs another and so on for perhaps all day. The hills on this trail however were higher than most seen recently, but none were over 700-800 feet. Still it made the walking more difficult. We reached the town of Bloh at 1:05 and here changed porters; we were some 28 in all. As soon as fresh porters were obtained, which took about half an hour, we started again and reached our destination, Sauro, at 4:35 P.M. Just before reaching Zoogu town the trail turned from east to northeast; after leaving this town the trail led southeast. At 11 o’clock we reached and crossed on a bridge the Nez river flowing about west. From here on the trail led southeast or south through the high hills. We traveled first along the northern sides of the hills and after crossing them the trail led over the southern side generally southeast, sometimes for short distances slightly north of east. From Bloh to Sauro the trail led almost directly east. Sauro, which is on the Liberian border along the Ivory Coast, is a half-dilapidated town of not more than 26 habitable huts. In some 15 or 20 more huts the walls have crumbled and only the roofs of palm remained on the ground. I have been told that most of the inhabitants have run away across the French border to the Ivory Coast, the reason probably being that a few Liberian soldiers were sent here who had maltreated and terrorized the inhabitants. No doubt this is true. I will speak of the so-called soldiers in the interior later when I discuss the system of slavery which prevails in much of the interior. I took some photographs of the town shortly after we arrived. Our cook did not appear at Sauro (he said the next day he had lost the road and had to be disciplined for his behavior) and our personal boys, already tired out from their walk of twenty-four miles and their other camp duties, had to cook the dinner necessary, particularly because we had had no lunch and George had only some bread of which he kindly gave me a piece and offered me more. The next morning at 6:30 we walked to the river ten minutes from the town, the River Nuon which marks the boundary and which flows into the River Cess. The River Cess flows southwest to the ocean. We took pictures of the river and French shore and then returned to Sauro and back by the same trail to Tappi town, having traveled forty-nine and a third miles by trail in the two days.

About an hour out from here I. received a note from Harold by messenger saying that Loring had fever. On our arrival we found his temperature had gone to 103º but was only about 101º when we came back. He had been out shooting the day we left and the morning of the day we came back, so he had only been in bed a few hours. His temperature was normal the next morning and he is quite well again, a “touch of malaria”, as we say. He stopped taking his 15 grains quinine daily on September 28th and since that date has been taking it every other day or three or four days apart. I am still on 15 grains daily. Apart from the fact that it makes me a little deaf, it does not annoy me.

Yesterday we spent studying a case of nerve leprosy, which offered some difficulties in diagnosis until the skin was thoroughly cleaned to rid it of a superimposed fungus infection.

The District Commissioner of this district arrived here yesterday, being carried in his hammock by bearers and accompanied by a retinue of some 100 people – carriers’ wives, etc. He was preceded by two drummers and a man who tossed knives high into the air and caught them. We all went to see him in the afternoon. His house is about 130 yards from ours, and we tried to get some information from him about the surrounding country. However, he had never traveled the route we are to follow to the coast, nor can we find anyone here who has or who can tell us the way, the distance, time necessary, etc. So we shall be again going into unknown country. Whether there are any villages or only forest -- “big bush” -- we do not know.

Type

Diary

Citation