264 LIBKRIA. 



The Americo-Liberians of course are Christians, oeionging entirely to various 

 sections of the Protestant churches — Anglican, Methodist Episcopal, Metho- 

 dist, Baptist, Presbyterian, etc. There is one establishment at Monrovia of the 

 White Fathers, a Roman Catholic mission, mainly French and Dutch in the 

 nationality of its missionaries. So far the fathers have made no converts, but 

 the mission has only just been established. There is a good deal of activity 

 amongst the various missionary societies dependent on the Pi-otestant churches 

 represented in Liberia, and this is largely financed from the United States of 

 America. The work is carried on almost invariably by missionaries having 

 some proportion, large or small, of African blood in their veins. A good deal 

 of their work is educational, and has certainly brought solid advantages to 

 the coast negroes of Liberia. Outside the negroes of American origin there are 

 not many converts to Christianity. Such as there are come from the Kru 

 peoples and the Grebo principality. I'erhaps of all the native races the Grebo 

 is the most Christianized and civilized. The Vai, some of the Gora, and nearly 

 all the Mandingo peoples are Mohanunedan — not fanatically, but very genuinely 

 as regards adherence to ]Mohaoiniedan precei)ts. The spread of IMohannnedan- 

 ism in the western and northern districts of Liberia has been of immense bene- 

 fit to the country, diminishing the traffic in alcohol and checking di'unkeuness, 

 which elsewhere in Lil>eria is so common among the negroes — a drunkenness 

 induced just as often by the native forms of alcohol (palm wine, etc.) as by the 

 consumption of European spirits. 



At the present time the ports of entry into the Liberian Repulilic at which 

 foreigners may settle and trade are the following (running from west to east) : 

 Roberts Port, Monrovia, Marshall, Grand Basa, Grand Ses (Cess), Greenville, 

 Nana Kru, Cape Palmas, and Kavalli. Foreigners also are allowed to trade 

 within a zone of 3 miles along all the inland frontiers of Liberia. It is, I 

 believe, the intention of the Liberian executive to add to these recognized 

 ports of entry places in the interior and on the coast as soon as communica- 

 tion has been opened up and the Liberian Government is in a position to main- 

 tain law and order at these places. 



