Liberia 



54^ 



Gora of to-day and the " Golahs " of writers in the first half 

 of the last century.^ 



The St. Paul's River is referred to by Dapper, but is 

 evidently regarded as a much more insignificant stream than 

 the rivers farther north. 



According to Dapper, the true Grain Coast does not begin 

 till the mouth of the River Cestos is reached, and extends 

 thence to the mouth of the Cavalla. Dapper constantly refers 

 to the French settlement of Petit Dieppe at the mouth of a 

 river. (J Bis5 River, near Grand Basa.) 



The tribal name for the Kru people is spelt Krouw, which would 

 be pronounced in Dutch *' Krau." The Kru people behind Cape 

 Palmas were classed by Dapper as cannibals, no doubt correctly. 



Besides the Dutch, both the English and the French were 

 very active on this coast. The River Cestos appears to have 

 been the most frequented trading station, and during this 

 century it exported large quantities of ivory. It was, as well, 

 the headquarters of the pepper trade. 



According to Dapper, the English at this time frequently 

 ascended the St. Paul River, and were always active on the 

 Junk and St. John Rivers, searching for ivory and camwood. 

 The Dutch were shy of this river exploration, because they 

 disliked travelling in canoes. 



Dapper and the Dutch traders from whom he derives his 

 stories seem to have concentrated their researches chiefly on the 

 northern coast of Liberia, the Vai country, generally mentioned as 

 Quoja. A very detailed description is given of the forest trees and 



' Benjamin Anderson's researches (1868) show that even at that late date there 

 were De settlements fifty miles west of the middle St. Paul's River, behind the Vai 

 peoples and west of the Gora. So the Folgia and possibly Kvvoya conquerors may 

 have been akin to the Kru peoples. The Gora, by their language, are the indigenes. 

 The Mamba people who inhabit the country east of the Lower St. Paul are allied to 

 the De and Basa. 



88 



