A Liberian Journey

Thurs Oct 14^th We had quite a job getting away today. In the first place our headman tried to get the people to run away – about 3 AM. – We got up and stopped that. Then at 500 we fed them rice – or rather Burmah did. And at 545 we breakfasted and got ready to leave. One man – the headman of the town was very helpful indeed for last night he went out to some of the half towns and got us 12 men for the heavy loads. As t was with those men, the women we had kept over and the rest of the women in town we did not have quite enough to move us so that all our boys had to double up and help. My boy carried a trunk while I carried the guns. Another one – Vani had all my cameras. Colbar and Shaeffer carried boxes. Willie and Flumo carried heavy duffle bags. And so we got on our way leaving a barren town behind us. It was slow going and doubly difficult because of the many bridgeless creeks which had to be waded or crossed on slippery logs. The women – altho they carry well – are very poor at crossing these latter and usually have to have their loads crossed by the men or by a few women who are more able to walk the logs with a load. And that all takes time and trouble. However there were few real stops and at 900 we got to the River Cess – a big brown river with densely wooded banks. Then we started down it towards a crossing place of indefinite location. The trail was but a path – and very frequently a muddy one where the river has flooded its banks and spread its fine mud over the dead leave and roots. And every few minutes we came to some sluggish brown creek with steep banks which crossed might be crossed by some perilously slender log – or waded – at times above ones waist. It was slow going and we were constantly helping the people across these streams. At about 1100 having worked up thru the carriers I sat down on a huge root which crept snake like for some 2 ft away from the base of a huge tree overhanging the River. I ate a couple biscuits which I had in my pocket and counted the porters as they came thru. There I took out my notebook and wrote as follows – I am sitting by a river – a big muddy brown torrent which roars beside me – On a majestic root of an equally majestic tree. And all about me are slender but tall trees, and vines, which rise up-up-up to leaf out into a delicate green ceiling which permits only little elusive patches of sunlight to clash thru and light up the dead leaves of the floor. Locusts drone in chorus – first one getting the rust out of his wings in rasping clicks before bursting forth in full blast, to be followed by another and another until the rivers roar becomes but a murmur by comparison. And then suddenly they cease – together and as the silence shuts in the river comes back to life. A butterfuly jerkily flights from one sunlit patch to another alternately disappearing in the shadows. A hornbill passes overhead on creaking wings to sail by with the wind rushing thru his feathers. Then I am alone again with only the rolling waters and the breathless trees waiting for some caressing breeze, sitting on a majestic root of our equally majestic tree.

            Then I got up and continued on my way. Soon I came to another creek where the women were having a particularly hard time – so I staid there and helped them across by lifting the loads off their heads and carrying them up the bank. <Drawing of man and boat> All in all I was there some seventy minutes before all had crossed. And the next one was the worst for it was about 30 yds across and in one place was up to my neck. Here I took off my shirt and for the next half hour carried box after box across on my head. Most of the women are a good 6 or 8” shorter than I and would have disappeared completely under their loads. My big stunt was to carry a 2 man trunk – about 100 lbs across without breaking my neck or depositing it in the water. But less the sun always shines and the girls were so over joyed that they put their arms around my neck – or to be more accurate two of the small girls who were carrying very light loads – could not swim – and being small I swam them across the deepest part carrying them on my back. Hal wanted his movie camera. Then off again. And immediately came to another creek. Here I became arboreal and climbed thru the trees with my gun – water bottle umbrella etc. I thought I was doing well but later I saw Shaeffer do the same with a chop box on his head on top of which was perched a green duffle bag. And still people doubt evolution.

            But at the 430 we came to what we thought to be the crossing. All in all we must have crossed 30 creeks during the day some of which we waded, some we crossed on poles and some we took to the trees. The women were all good and tired so that when they deposited the loads, they leaned up against roots or logs and full asleep. Most of the men – including our boys climbed into the branches to rest some of them climbing way out over the water. Before we got thru it looked as tho a party of big monkeys had descended on the place and had perched themselves in the trees to watch us. But two were missing – Burmah and Vani – for B. had had a fever and had been up most of last night keeping the porters from running away and distributing rice. Then when he carried a box it was too much and he had collapsed. Vani stayed with him and neither came in by dark.

            As soon as we got to the river bank some natives showed up on the other shore but after looking us over departed. One of our men swam across and after a while finally we got in thought with a youth – who spoke English and who told us that the crossing was about a mile below. Finally But we persuaded him  to cross with a raft – which he finally did but down stream – and then walked up to talk to us. But by that time it was to dark. He told us that his people were afraid that we were soldiers and had run away, but that if we sent a white man with him he could better get porters. So we let him go back and asked him to return in the AM. Then we set about setting up our beds. After great difficulty I got a small fire going in a place where I thought we could camp and had the boys clear it. Then we got the essentials brought up and set up the beds – nets etc in the open with no protection except the leaves overhead. We all got out rain coats in case of trouble but otherwise were unprepared. In the meantime Sando had cooked supper so that we were soon able to sit down at our table in the forest to a hot supper. It was very pleasant to be sitting among green trees and tall straight tree trunks a few of which caught the lantern light and stood out from the inky blackness which surrounded us.

            And then between us and the river were our porter s- squatting or lying around fires – small glowing fires over some of which were boiling pots of rice. A tired lot of porters – mostly women – but uncomplaining as they sat around fitfully flicking coals in the jungle blackness. There were some six of the groups and as we wandered among them after supper – ready to distribute rice – we had to carefully step over the prostrate forms of many whom sleep had overcome. And over all was impenetrable shadows.

            Just before going to bed Hal and I sat down – with the white shadows of our mosquito nets looming vaguely about us. And over all the ground was almost a solid mass of luminous phosphorescent covering all sticks and roots where we had scraped away the surface covering. I picked up a stick to find it glowing on all sides as I rolled it over. And occasionally patches of moonlight filtered down to us from above. The river roared – and at times big deep throated tree frogs practically bellowed from out the darkness. And so to bed. We changed our watches today

            Thurs Oct 15^th 25 minutes to better conform better with the sun.

Leave Weea 710 Arr. Crossing 430