Liberia 



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the Kru country and to prevent the pillaging of wrecked ships. 

 Then, and at every other effort on the part of the Liberian 

 Government to assert its authority, the Kruboys showed fight ; 

 but in spite of their splendid muscles and their bullying manner 

 they are a cowardly race, and generally gave in to resolute 

 action on the part of the Liberian Militia. Nevertheless, the 

 writ of Monrovia does not completely run through the Kru 

 country yet. The existence of the Krumen both tempted to 

 aggression on Liberian territory and yet was one of the motives 

 which obliged England on several occasions to intervene when 

 any Power seemed advancing towards the absorption of Liberia. 

 France snapped up the sixty mile stretch of coast between the 

 San Pedro and the Cavalla so as to have under her own flag 

 a supply of Kru labour. But although at that period Great 

 Britain was disposed to make many concessions to France, the 

 late Lord Salisbury drew the line at the Cavalla. Several 

 attempts were made by the German house of Woermann to ob- 

 tam a concession for the recruiting and exporting of Kru labour, 

 and regulations governing this recruitment were from time to 

 time drawn up by the Liberian Government ; but so far, any 

 monopoly has been wisely avoided, while on the other hand 

 not too much unnecessary red tape has been introduced into the 

 engagement of a people who have very good ideas of looking 

 after themselves. Now and again, of course, unscrupulous 

 steamer captains managed to convey Kruboys to a destination 

 which was opposed to their wishes. Employers on the West 

 Coast are very soon ticketed with a character good or bad by 

 the Kru community on the coast of Liberia and at Sierra Leone. 

 A bad or inconsiderate employer very soon fails to get men ; 

 so in time, on the lines of the survival of the fittest, it has 

 come about that Krumen receive fair and considerate treatment 

 wherever they are employed, lest by breaking this rule it would 



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