-^ Geography of Liberia 



of access from the sea, were it not for the convenience of 

 Stockton Creek. This is a tidal channel which connects the 

 lower St. Paul's near its mouth with the Mesurado Lagoon at 

 Monrovia. Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, is indeed situated 

 only about four miles to the south of the St. Paul's River. 

 Monrovia has perhaps about the best bar on the Liberian coast, 

 and a fair anchorage at about three-quarters of a mile from 

 the shore. Consequently it is easy and relatively safe to land 

 goods and passengers at Monrovia, from which place they can 

 be taken by steam-launches or boats along the Stockton Creek 

 into the main St. Paul's River, which they can then ascend as 

 far as White Plains, at a distance of about eighteen miles from 

 the sea. 



At low tide the Stockton Creek (named after Captain 

 Stockton, the Commander of the U.S.A. brig Nautilus, who assisted 

 the Liberians in 1822) only has a depth in places of about 

 two feet, so that it can only be navigated by vessels of very 

 light draught. Just above White Plains begin the first rapids 

 of the St. Paul's, ascending from the sea. These rapids continue 

 at frequent intervals for about seventy miles. Then it is said 

 that the river becomes navigable to boats up-stream for a con- 

 siderable distance, and that the River Tuma or Toma is also 

 navigable. If these reports are exact, the St. Paul's River and 

 its affluents might play a considerable part in the future internal 

 communications and trade routes of Liberia. It would be rela- 

 tively easy to make a carriageable road, and later on a short 

 railway or tramway from White Plains to the upper St. Paul's, 

 and this might open up about one hundred and fifty miles 

 of navigable waterways. 



Between the Rivers Mano and St. Paul's, in the coast region, 

 we are in the territory of the Vai people. On the eastern side 

 of the Lower St. Paul's the natives belong mostly to the 



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