Liberia ««- 



had been a terrible outbreak of smallpox in 1871 in Maryland, 

 beginning at Cape Palmas. Then ensued in the same region 

 more wars with the natives, chiefly the Grebos. In 1875 the 

 Grebos burnt two Liberian settlements on the outskirts of 

 Harper — -Bunker Hill and Philadelphia. In the following year 

 (1876) "jiggers" ^ or burrowing fleas were first introduced, by 

 a ship coming from the Portuguese island of Sao Thome to land 

 or recruit Kru labourers. The jigger has since spread all over 

 the coast regions of Liberia, but is not so abundant as it was 

 a few years ago. 



In 1879 President Gardner (who had recently been made 

 a Knight Grand Cross of the Spanish Order of Isabella 

 Catolica) resolved to institute a Liberian Order of Chivalry, 

 which was named the Order of African Redemption (see p. 271). 

 Under Gardner's Presidency, on April ist, 1879, Liberia joined 

 the Universal Postal Union.^ 



In 1877 there had been a fresh accession of Negro colonists 

 from Louisiana, who were mainly distributed about the Lower 

 St. Paul's River. Some of these subsequently returned to 

 America. No immigration of any organised or important kind 

 has taken place subsequently from America, though individuals 

 from the United States and the West Indies have from time 

 to time found their way to Liberia and settled there more or 

 less permanently. By 1880 it is probable that the total Americo- 

 Liberian population scarcely reached ten thousand in number. 

 The birth-rate was small, and the somewhat slow increase at most 

 atoned for the departure of disappointed settlers or the rather 

 heavy death-rate from disease ; for some sixty years' experience 



^ Sanopsylhis penetrmis. This pest is indigenous to tropical America, where 

 it is known as the " chico." It was brought in sand ballast by a Brazilian ship 

 to Ambriz in 1855. 



^ In 1903 an agreement with regard to the exchange of money postal orders 

 was entered into with the United States and Great Britain. 



274 



