CHAPTER XIX 



GEOGRAPHY OF LIBERIA 



IN drawing up this summary of the little that is known con- 

 cerning the geography of Liberia, it will be more convenient 



to deal with the coast regions first, and then describe the 

 interior. 



The territory of the Liberian Republic begins on the 

 left (east) bank of the River Mano, a river which higher up in 

 its course is called the Bewa. The Mano is formed by the 

 conjunction of two streams, the most eastern of which is taken 

 as the main stream for the purposes of the Anglo-Liberian 

 boundary frontier delimitation. Like most other Liberian 

 rivers, the Mano is only navigable for a short distance from 

 the sea by boats or canoes. It flows through a region of dense 

 forest, which is described by the Anglo-Liberian Boundary 

 Commissioners as being full of rubber-producing vines. There 

 is practically no Customs station or sign of Liberian authority at 

 the mouth of the Mano River, though there are Americo-Liberian 

 settlements a few miles to the east, and there is a large trading 

 village at Gene about twenty miles from the sea. 



Proceeding eastwards, the next stream flowing into the 

 sea is the Mafa, a river with a course of about thirty-five miles, 

 which under the designation of Marfa, Mahfa, and Marfi has 

 often figured in Liberian history. This stream is shallow and 

 not navigable for any distance from the sea. Its banks are 

 frequented by a few Liberian and native traders. The Mafa 



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