Liberia <4- 



blow. They place their posts in a row, and cement them together 

 with a kind of fat, red clay, which, without any mixture of 

 lime, makes a strong and durable mortar. Their bedchambers 

 are raised three feet above the ground. This would seem 

 to indicate that the country is marshy or sometimes inundated. 

 But this is by no means the case. The soil is dry, and they 

 take care to build their houses beyond the reach of the greatest 

 floods. But experience has taught them that this elevation 

 contributes to health, by securing them from the damps caused 

 by the copious dews, 



" The women work in the fields, and kindly assist one 

 another. They bring up their children with great care, and 

 have no other object but to please their husbands, 



" The extent of King Peter's dominions towards the north 

 and north-east is not well known ; but from the number of 

 his soldiers, there is reason to believe it considerable. The 

 eastern boundary is the River Junco, about twenty leagues 

 from Cape Mesurado, and the western is a little river, about 

 half way from Cape Mount. 



" The whole country is extremely fertile. The natives have 

 gold among them ; but whether found in this country or 

 brought thither in the course of trade is not precisely known. 

 The country produces fine redwood, and a quantity of other 

 beautiful and valuable woods. Sugar-canes, indigo, and cotton 

 grow without cultivation. The tobacco would be excellent 

 if the Negroes were skilful in curing it. Elephants, and con- 

 sequently ivory, are more numerous than the natives wish ; 

 for those cumbrous animals very much injure their cornfields, 

 notwithstanding the hedges and ditches with which they so 

 carefully fence them. The frequent attacks of lions and tigers^ 

 hinder not their cattle from multiplying rapidly ; and their 



' Leopards of course are meant. 



