Liberia «' 



elaborate coifFure of hair worn in knobs. On the whole it may 

 be said that the skill that all these people display in their wooden 

 carving shows them to be capable of strong artistic development 

 if led along the right paths. 



The gourds which are cut in half by them make useful 

 calabashes, or ladles or cups. Cleaned out and preserved intact 

 they can be used as bottles or clysters. Some gourds are hand- 



400. COTTO.N-U'ICAVING IN WESTERN LIUEKIA 



somely ornamented with engraved designs in black and white — 

 conventional figures of men, crocodiles, elephants, combs, and 

 dogs. Combs, perhaps, should have been mentioned amongst the 

 wooden manufactures, as they are generally cut from that sub- 

 stance, though occasionally they are made from bone or ivory. 

 Mats are woven or plaited by most of the tribes, usually from 

 the useful filaments of palm fronds, sometimes also of grass. A 



1014 



