636 JOURNAL OF THE 



none of my things without permission, which might have 

 served as a good example to the people of Liberia. 



Wednesday, July 14th. — We left in the afternoon, and 

 anchored on Friday, July 16th, about ten o'clock, a.m., off 

 Cape Palmas, to take in a fresh supply of fuel. The Cape is 

 formed by a narrow projection into the sea, on the foremost 

 part of which, the houses of the American colony have been 

 built. The dwellings of the fishermen are situated on the 

 part nearest the main land. Their huts are very different 

 from those of the Kroomen of Grand Bassa, being without 

 raised floors, and having much more pointed roofs. The 

 buildings of the American colony are straggling, and they 

 extend, as I was told, about four miles into the interior. 

 There are none but people of colour at the Cape ; the only 

 whites, if I understood rightly, being a few missionaries, who 

 devote all their attention to the natives. At this colony, the 

 soil is very bad ; the rock, frequently protruding through it, 

 consists of hornblende (micaceous slate). The soil is a very 

 hard iron-clay, in small clumps, originating, according to 

 Rosher's statement, in the debris of decomposed granite veins 

 traversing the rock ; but to me it appears that the rock itself 

 has much to do with the formation. Further up the stream, 

 the land is said to be good. North of Cape Palmas, the river, 

 according to the statement of the Governor, is navigable for 

 seven miles with canoes, and empties itseelf into the sea, 

 through several mouths. From a distance, the Cape has an 

 agreeable aspect ; the isthmus is well clothed with vegetation, 

 and beyond it the beautiful forms of the Oil and Fan Palm 

 are seen. 



My excursions were limited to the isthmus and nearest 

 parts. On the isthmus grows Phoenix spinosa, Th., a low 

 shrub ; beyond the river it is said to produce flowers and 

 fruit. A few Cocoas* had been planted, some years back, and 



* The inhabitants believe, that whoever plants a Cocoa-palm, will die 

 before it produces fruit (i. e. in about seven years) . The chief of tne 

 fishermen yielded at last to the entreaties of the American Governor, and 



