Liberia <♦- 



is the case with most Liberian products), the merchants who 

 handled this article gave it little attention — prices and profits 

 being so good — and in course of time prices in the home 

 markets fell. Other West African countries began to compete 

 and gradually the price dwindled, the value decreasing rapidly 

 until it descended to the low level of about ^lo rising to ^20 per 

 ton, at which quotation it now stands. The difficulties of selecting 

 the good from the bad piassava are great, enormous losses occur 

 by shrinkage in weight, and the trade is practically at a stand- 

 still. Although a steady export goes on and profits are made, 

 the risks are great and merchants are less keen to embark in 

 this uncertain trade ; the piassava market is too speculative — for 

 one shipment ^^15 may be obtained, and for the next, identical 

 in quality, only _;/^io. 



Grand Basa was, and still is, the headquarters of the pias- 

 sava export. Efforts are being made, with some slight success, 

 to regulate this trade and to improve the methods of production, 

 but the low and uncertain prices ruling (and which are Ukely 

 to rule) will prevent the trade from increasing to its former 

 proportions. 



Coffee^ Rubber, Palm Oil, Palm Kernels, and Piassava may 

 be regarded as the staple exports from Liberia. 



Camwood. — At one time — in the 'seventies and 'eighties — 

 camwood was a most important article of export in Liberia (as 

 with other parts of the West Coast), and as much as £4rO and 

 ^^50 per ton were realised ; but the discovery of aniline dyes 

 had a disastrous effect, and now, although small quantities are 

 still shipped, the price (^10 to ^13) is too low to encourage a 

 steady export. These remarks apply to annatto and other dye 

 stuffs, all of which have been affected by the introduction of, 

 aniline. 



Ivory is not largely exported, although occasionally a ton] 



410 



