Liberia <«- 



from America and have only been in vogue during the last two 

 or three hundred years, it is difficult to understand what the 

 Liberian savages lived on (unless they were more cannibalistic 

 and carnivorous) in the days before the Portuguese, French, and 

 English introduced into the coast-lands of their country the food 

 staples of Tropical America or the Mandingo brought from the 

 north-west the cultivated plants of the Sudan. 



For example there is the manioc or cassava {^Manihot^ a 

 species of Euphorbia).^ A favourite way of preparing this for 

 food is as follows : The manioc roots are pared of their outer 

 rind and then boiled till quite soft, after which they are mashed 

 in a wooden mortar until they form a thick, stodgy paste. This 

 paste is rolled into gluey balls, which are then cooked again in a 

 liquor of meat, fish, or palm oil, something as dumplings would 

 be in broth. The soup is much seasoned with pepper, and a 

 good deal of red pepper is mixeci up with the manioc balls. 

 This form of food is generally eaten by means of spoons. Small 

 pieces of the manioc paste are cut off with the spoon and 

 swallowed whole with mouthfuls of soup. It is impossible to 

 chew this form of manioc, as it would stick the jaws together. 



The manioc planted in Liberia is of two kinds — bitter 

 [Manlhot ut'ilissima) and sweet (M. palmata). The former has 

 a minute proportion of prussic acid in the tuberous roots which 

 must first be got rid of by scraping and soaking. The latter is 

 without this disadvantage, and the roots can be eaten raw. The 

 cultivated grains of Liberia are Guinea corn (sorghum), I'ice^ and 

 maize. 



Amongst other cultivated vegetables and fruits, there are 

 the sweet potato, arrowroot {Maranta), guava, tomato, okro " 



' Known to the Americo-Liberians as " dumboy"; Vai "dumbai." 

 * The okro or edible Hibiscus {H, esculciitus) is known as "gbonbon' among 

 the Vais. The young seed pods are eaten, and they make a most deHcious vegetable. 



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