Richard Pearson Strong Diary: September 20, 1926

Creator

Richard Pearson Strong

Date

9/20/26

Transcription

Monday, September 20th

The native chief arranged some dances yesterday afternoon. There was nothing remarkable about them. He took part himself, a little intoxicated. The Mandingo chief also came with his adherents later and they danced at the other side of the circle. The Mandingo women and the people generally are somewhat superior to the other Liberian tribes.

I did not stay long but slipped away after a few minutes observation. Today has been spent largely in laboratory work. In the afternoon one of our collectors brought in a beautiful little antelope alive. It is a very rare specimen, the smallest of the horned ruminants (Neotragus pygmaeus). It is only four and a half inches long and yet perfectly formed. No specimen has been obtained from Liberia before, though it has been found on the West Coast. This specimen of ours is not quite full-grown, but when full grown no specimens have been found larger than a rabbit, though its legs are longer and more delicate. It is sometimes known as the royal antelope. Among other small mammals I found two lemurs (Galagos) which a native had in the forest and brought them in for Allen. These were only between four and five inches long. A mongoose was also brought in yesterday.

Type

Diary

Citation

Richard Pearson Strong, “Richard Pearson Strong Diary: September 20, 1926,” A Liberian Journey: History, Memory, and the Making of a Nation, accessed May 18, 2024, https://liberianhistory.org/items/show/1142.