A Liberian Journey

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Monday July 19^th

My pictures were dry in the morning so that I could make some rather poor prints of them. Dr. strong went forth to battle with the acting sect. of the Interior who eluded him some 3 times last week and actually cornered him. Harold went out shopping & I went in search of Bread fruit trees and Paw-paws to practice photography upon. So went the morning.

In the afternoon Dr. Strong, Shat Bequaert Theiller, Coolidge & I descended upon Kru town armed with a battery or cameras. I took some movies The minute that we arrived we were surrounded by a swarm of young blacks – mostly naked of both sexes and all ages who crowded around us so close that it was almost impossible to do anything. We started with them on the beach – had them race, jump over across overturned dugout canoes turn hand springs etc. But always they crowded the camera. In the meanwhile a big 6ft2 man dressed in a flowing blue toga hearing the racket came forth with a heavy scowl and club to quell the noise. The Chief scenting a picture called to him, and as he was gesticulating & telling the chief about it all I took his pic a movie of him. Then Harold came to divert the mob.

We wandered thru the narrow little alley between the dirty thatch huts like pied piers – a crowd of 50 or more cheering urchins following ready to jump in front of us with hands waving should we lift our cameras. One old woman came out brandishing a knife – was ready to run – but she danced for our cameras. A young girl pounding cassava in a big mortar, however, fled as we rais started to take pictures. But it became impossible to do any work after that because you couldn’t shake the crowd. and

We came back to NO 1 where we collected the chief and went out to look for diseased cocoa nut palms. We lopped off many branches in hopes of finding a certain red stain which would tell us whether a certain animal parasite found only in cocoa palms was present. This special round worm (nematode) is one of 2 animal parasites found in plants. and is only found in After vainly examining countless trees we finally found one obviously sick which we chopped down with great relish – or rather Burmah chopped it down while we watched on. And in the heart of it we found some red stained pulp – good hunting. And so we returned triumphantly to the house. We will examine it tomorrow.

In the evening Hal & I went out to dinner with Farmer where we had a very quiet and pleasant time talking about Liberia’ its ways and means. He really is very agreable tho a self confessed tramp. He has this job building a warehouse and he says that he is going to take as long as possible as it will be the first work he has had in a long while. and He doesn’t want to lose it any sooner than possible.

When I got home I had to reload plate holders for the morrow.

P.S. Mr. & Mrs Hines came in to call just after we got back from the palm autopsy. They are to take us up to Mount Barclay tomorrow. 

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