February i, 1906.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER ^VORLD 



147 



RUBBER PROSPECTS IN LIBERIA. 



' T^HIv flotation in London of a large company for ex- 

 I ploiting rubber in Liberia, reported in these pages 



last month [page 124], has served to attract re- 

 newed attention to a region long known to contain rubber, 

 though to what extent was never suspected until of late. 

 The fact is that Liberia, tliough for manj' years recognized 

 nominally as having a civilized government, in reality is 

 to-day one of the least known regions of Africa. Thesettlt- 

 ment at Monrovia, in 1S21, under the auspices of the Unittd 

 States, of a number of (reed slaves, and their subsequent 

 founding of a republic was suggested by and modelled after 

 the creation of the colon}- of Sierra Leone, inimediateley to 

 the north, under British philanthropic influences, for the in- 

 tended benefit of former black slaves in British dominions. 



Liberia is really administered by the English speaking 

 blacks of .'Vmerican origin — who do not exceed 15,000 in 

 number — onlj- along the coast line of 350 miles, and over a 

 belt 35 to 40 miles wide, extending inland. The remainder 

 of its area of 45,000 square miles is covered for the most part 

 by forests of such density as are scarcely to be found else- 

 where. Herein dwell, it is estimated, more than 2,000,000 

 natives— more or less savage, almost nude, and in places ad- 

 dicted to cannibalism — with whom the ruling caste onh' of 

 late have begun to cultivate friendly relations. 



Sir Harrj- Johnston, k. c. m. g., k. c. b., mentioned in 

 the last IxDi.\ RruHiiR World as having made a favorable 

 report on the rubber resources of Liberia, has long been a rec- 

 ognized authoritj- on Central Africa. Within the past two 

 years he has spent some time in Liberia, where his researches 

 were supplemented by those of Mr. Alexander Whyte, a stu- 

 dent of African botany for a half century. As a result of 

 their combined observations. Sir Harry recently read a pa- 

 per on "Liberia" before the Royal Geographical Society 

 (London), * from which are extracted the following details 

 bearing upon India-rubber: 



The wealth of this forest in India-rubber producing trees, vines, 

 and bushes is without parallel in any other part of Africa, unless it 

 be in one or two small areas of the Congo basin Counting the 

 four rubber producing figs, there appear to be at least twentj^-two 

 trees, plants, or vines which produce salable rubber. These species 

 include the well known and widespread Laiidolphia Ou'aricnsis 

 and the magnificent Funltnnia elasiica, the rubber tree once so 

 abundant in Lagos colony. The FutUumia elasiica is slated to 

 grow over 200 feet in height. It closely resembles in appearance 

 the allied species Funlitniia Africana, but there is a very consider- 

 able difference in the price of the rubber yielded by the one and 

 the other — the rubber derived from Ftintuviia Africana may, per- 

 haps, be sold for 18 pence [ =36>2 cents] a pound, but the elasiica 

 ranges in value from 3 to 4 shillings (=73 to 97^2 cents]. The 

 distinctive features of the leaves, flowers, and fruit, which enable 

 the observer to decide whether he is tapping the valuable or the 

 valueless Fiintumia, will shortly be illustrated in my book on Li- 

 beria. The range of the Fitnlumia elasiica appears to extend 

 from the middle of Liberia eastwards as far as western Uganda. 

 It is found in a portion of the Bahr-al-Ghazal region and in the 

 northern part of the Congo Free Slate. The Fuiiluinia Africana 

 is more strictly west .\frican in its range, from Portuguese Guinea 

 to the Congo basin. In the western regions of the Congo Free 



* Reported in the Ceogt aphical Journal. Vol. XXVI (1905). Pp. 131-153. 



Slate and in Angola a third />/«/«>«7a is found which, like />/«- 

 linnia A/ricaiia, is not of much value to the rubber trade. 



The new company referred to, and in which Sir Harry 

 Johnston has become a director, has obtained a monopolistic 

 concession from the Liberian government, and the hope ex- 

 ists that, for a number of years at least, the hitherto unsus- 

 pected wealth of nibber will afford a yield comparable with 

 that of Lagos at one time. An interesting fact noted in Sir 

 Harry's paper is that Liberia appears less unhealthy for 

 Europeans than Sierra Leoi.e, the Ivory Coast, the Gold 

 Coast, or Lagos. The remarkable absence of mosquitoes is 

 noted, and the less marked prevalence of malarial fevers 

 Mr. Whyte, by the way, has seriously suggested the spread- 

 ing of Liberian 'anti-mosquito soil" over certain other 

 parts of the earth as a beneficial measure. 



A BIT OF BRITISH SARCASM. 



A SKIT advertisement which appears in the Financial 



Times (Loudon), and which is commented on elsewhere in 



these pages, ran as follows : 



This Prospectus has not been filed with the 

 Registrar of Joint Stock Companies, because he 

 ciidii'l seem to like it. 



THE 



SIBERIAN LUBBFR COMPANY, 



UNLIMITED. 



Uncnrporated under Seal of Secrecy.) 



C.APIT.AL - - .^00.000,000. 



Divided into a few Shares of the Largest Possible 



Amount. 



DIRECTORS. 

 'Sir M T. GASBAGS (Director of The Tyre 



and Sidf-n Company). 



*Sir BOMI'AS BOUNDER A.O B. 



*THE BLAtK MACINTOSH OF THAT ILK. 



*Sir SIDESLIP FLATCATCHER. L.S D. 



*\ViIl leave the Board as soon as j-ossible after 



allotmtnl. 



BANKERS. 



The Coinpaty will do its own. 



SOLICITORS. 



RUBIN BOSHWELL & HARD. 



BROKERS. 



These will be kept out as long as possible. 



AGENTS. 



MAKEABIT QUICKLY & QUIT. 



SECRETARY (very much pro tern.), 



VON DOVA JOKO. 



OFFICES. 



SQF.EDGEE COURT. 



N B.— Please wipe your feet on the Rubber Mat; 



it's all the Rubber we have. 



PROSPECTUS. 



This Company has been formed to exploit the rubber industries 

 of Siberia. Siberia contains over four million square miles, thous- 

 ands of which are covered with dense forests, so it is obvious that 

 large quantities of rtibber will be found there if it is ouly looked 

 for long enough. 



The Company will take over and keep as long as it can all the 

 cash it can possibly collect. 



The first payments which will be made are the Directors' fees. 

 These are very large, and are a first charge on the Company's as- 

 sets, and are guaranteed b)- the Articles of Association. 



The Company is actjuiring and has entered into contracts to pur- 

 chase all the interests, rights and titles of the Maldivian Golosh 

 Company, the Brandypavvnee Hot-water Bottle Company, the 

 Baby's Comforter and Windsucker Company, all of which, being 

 most flourishing concerns, are naturally anxious to dispo.se of 

 their bu.sinesses: 



The Company will acquire from these concerns all their stocks 



