A Liberian Journey

Creator

Richard Pearson Strong

Date

10/26/26

Coverage

Towya Town, Sinoe County, Liberia

Transcription

October 26th, Bashmans town.

October 24th and 25th were spent at Toya town studying cases of fungus affections of skin and of anaemia. We have seen no splenic anaemia so common in Amazonia. The anaemias we have seen here are secondary anaemias and there is no marked enlargement of the spleen. Yesterday afternoon I walked to Bashmans town and back to arrange with the Chief for porters. The Chief was away but I made the necessary arrangements and returned to Toya town for the night.

Yesterday a woman in Toya town with puerperal septicemia died. The women of the town kept up a chant all day and late into the night. They also began again at 3:30 this morning.

George and I came on with 29 loads of supplies this morning to Bashmans town, where we are now located. I left Harold and Loring to bring on the boxes which we expect to arrive from the forest this afternoon (the 27 we left there). These boxes have just begun to arrive here now, I am glad to say. We expect to leave here October 27th, tomorrow morning, on our way to Sino. This is our last “lap,” so to speak, on our way to the coast and in spite of' all our vicissitudes we are only one day behind our schedule. This morning I received Chief Doshman. He was inclined to be a little pompous at first, as he had been to Harold and Loring when they visited this town the day after our arrival in Toya town. However after I talked very plainly to him and told him what we expected of him he changed his tactics. He came back later and was most friendly in his attitude. I gave him a dash of ten heads of tobacco. I had already sent him fifteen heads the day before we came here. I also told him I would give him some gin when it was received from the “bush” with our other supplies.

I have spent several hours here in microscopical study.

Type

Diary

Citation