Liberia ^^ 



but treated very badly the shipwrecked Germans who had landed 

 in their boats. These unfortunate people were robbed of the 

 small luggage they had saved and even stripped of their clothes. 

 Adding insult to injury, they were compelled to sign a grotesque 

 document drawn up in broken English by an educated Kruboy 

 in which they professed to have received most considerate treat- 

 ment from the natives of the place where they had been ship- 

 weecked. They were then compelled to walk along the beach 

 (fording streams where necessary) until they could reach the 

 European trading establishments at Greenville (Sino). A 

 German ship of war, the Victoria^ was immediately dispatched 

 to the Liberian coast. Taking for granted that the Liberian 

 Government had no effective power over the Kru people, the 

 commander of the Victoria proceeded first to Nana Kru and 

 bombarded the towns round about the scene of the shipwreck. 

 The Victoria then proceeded to Monrovia, and deposited a claim 

 for _^900 on behalf of the shipwrecked Germans, a claim by 

 no means unreasonable. So short of money was the Liberian 

 Treasury, however, that even after a delay of six months which 

 was granted to them for the purpose they were unable to find 

 this sum, and it was only paid eventually under the threat 

 of a bombardment, and by the co-operation of the European 

 merchants settled at Monrovia. 



Soon after this (in 1883) occurred the wreck of the Corisco^ 

 a British mail steamer belonging to Messrs. Elder Dempster. 

 The Corisco^ carried out of her course by a current, struck on 

 a concealed rock (Manna rocks) near the mouth of the Grand 

 Cestos River. The passengers took to the boats, and crew 

 but they were surrounded on landing by crowds of natives who 

 plundered them of all they possessed, including most of their 

 clothing. Amongst the passengers were four ladies, who would 

 have suffered cruelly but for the kind consideration of the 



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