Liberia <*- 



Thou();h Muhammadans, the Mandingos are full of super- 

 stition. The amulets which they wear so profusely are 

 ahnost invariably verses of the Koran sewn up in neat leather 

 packets and hung about the neck. 



The Fdi and the closely allied Gbandi are like the 

 Mandina^o in many aspects of their character. They are usually 

 the best liked (by Europeans) of all Liberian races. As to 

 their women, every writer on Liberia, since Canot and Koelle, 

 has described their charms of manner and person. Mr. Braham 

 writes : " The Vai or Mandingo lady ot high degree in tuU 

 costume is a picturesque and pleasing object. These women 

 are good-natured, smiling, fascinating, and by far the most 

 interesting aboriginal people in Liberia. They are sott-spoken, 

 and their language is the Spanish of West Africa." Vai men 

 are said by some writers to be cowardly, but I do not think 

 this accusation is well founded. They are peaceable, fond of 

 agriculture and commerce ; but the fact that they are the only 

 race which at present furnishes reliable porters, guides, inter- 

 preters and servants to European expeditions exploring the 

 interior of Liberia or establishing rubber-collecting stations 

 amongst turbulent cannibal people relieves them, I think, from 

 the charge of cowardice. According to Canot, they could be 

 very bloodthirsty on occasion (see p. i68), though whether his 

 account of their bloody orgies is not to a great extent inven- 

 tion is an undecided question. The Vai certainly evinced no 

 repugnance at assisting Europeans in the slave trade for 

 centuries, but on that point none of the African coast tribes 

 have an easy conscience. No single separate African race or 

 tribe yet has felt anything like solidarity with the black race 

 in general ; otherwise Europe and Asia would not continue 

 to dominate Africa. 



Koelle describes the Vai, especially the men, as very 



944 



