A Liberian Journey

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Fri Oct 8^th This morning we got a rather curt note from the commissioner saying that the case had been represented against us and would we see him at 200. Dr. Strong was a bit annoyed and decide dot call on the commissioner “one time” but unfortunately just at that time He His Excellency departed in a hammock with his retinue to look over the road construction, particularly the cut just outside the town. So we were forced to wait. In the meanwhile I wrote in my diary and later went out to get a bird to skin but was sent back home by the continual showers. Just at lunch time the commissioner returned and so Dr. Strong went over and disappeared into the official Dwelling. In the meantime we ate wondering what was going on. When the Chief came back he seemed pleased and reported that the commissioner had been very agreeable, saw our side and that he had been sorry but with the complaint made had a felt it was necessary to bother us to the extent of a chat.

            After lunch I continued diary writing and brought it absolutely up to date. Later I got out my developing outfit and set up shop. As I was getting chemicals the commissioner came for a call and we spent a very pleasant time listening to him. In the first place he knows all the faults of the people and the govt. – particularly the frontier Force – and admits that the latter does a large amount of harm by plundering the native villages and driving the people away from the govt. Secondly he seems to know the people and can work better with them. And 3rdly he is our agreeable personage.

            He told us more about the leopard societies. In the first place the govt. is having a lot of trouble stamping it out. 30 people have been killed around tappi town in the last month. The govt gets a lot of people (suspects) and gives them the sasswood – a poison which theoretically kills the guilty and leaves the innocent unscathed. Those who confess are put in chains and a few may reform. The rest are trust to the mercy of the sasswood.

            Both men and women are members of the society but which is a society usually at the beck and call of the chiefs who use them as official assassins. Otherwise they take turns getting a victim for the common pot – for it is a cannibal society. Their clothes are as follow s- They wear a net over whitened skins which in the night looks spotted black and yellow. They have an iron set of claws like a leopards claws paw extended with which they can claw scratch and tear the subject and they have an iron implement which wounds makes a wound like an leopards tooth. So it goes. The blacksmith must be a member too. – About the grip of each ( the wrist of the leopard) is loose leopards fur as that in case of accident the hair will be evidence of a leopard. – And to finish they have a leopards food on a stick with which they make tracks around the scene of murder. 

            “Just dirt” said the commissioner another society of which he knows less and which has been stamped out by the govt is the crocodile society – This is like the leopard society but is aquatic . They have a gourd over their head to breath in. They upset the canoe and -.

            After supper I developed 32 4X5 pictures. 

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