■^ A Dutch Account of Liberia 



trees are laden with fruit, in spite of the mischief done to 

 them by the monkey tribes. In a word, it is a rich and 

 plentiful country, and well situated for commerce, which might 

 be carried on here to any extent by a nation beloved like the 

 French ; for no nation must think of establishing themselves 

 here by force." ^ 



The result of King Peter having given Bushrod Island, 

 in the estuary of the St. Paul's, to the Chevalier des Marchais 

 was that he formulated a scheme for the establishment of a 

 French colony at Cape Mesurado. This was laid before the 

 Senegal Company, and if it had been carried out a French 

 settlement might have completely anticipated Liberia. The 

 Chevalier, after careful consideration of the best sites for the 

 capital of this colony, finally selected the actual plateau on which 

 Monrovia is now built. He wrote : " Clay fit for bricks 

 abounds everywhere, and even stone proper for ashlar work. 

 Building timber grows on the spot, and the common country 

 provisions are extremely cheap. Except wine, brandy, and 

 wheat flour, which the Company must supply, everything else 

 is to be had on the spot. Beef, mutton, goats, and hogs cost 

 little, and game abounds. Antelopes and deer graze quietly 

 with the tame cattle in the meadows. There are many species 

 of birds. The basin {i.e. the lagoon), the rivers, and the sea 

 afford plenty of fish and turtles. No river on the coast is 

 as much frequented by sea-horses as the Mesurado. The flesh 

 of these animals is good ; and their teeth, whiter and harder 

 than those of the elephant, are scarce and dear." 



Among the goods which he recommends should be sent 

 from France for trade in such a colony are brandy, gunpowder, 



> The foregoing abstract is mainly taken from C. B. Wadstrom's translation 

 in 1792. Pere Labal published Des Marchais' and other French explorers' work? 

 op West Africa about 1744. 



191 



