Liberia *- 



extinct in Liberia, though they were in use to some extent four 

 hundred years ago. A forest life renders the shield nearly 

 useless. 



Iron is smelted almost universally throughout Liberia, but 

 less perhaps amongst the coast Kru people, who for their iron 

 implements prefer to make use of imported iron from the 

 European steamers. Farther away in the interior iron is 

 smelted from the abundant ironstone ; and the huge ant-hills 

 of Termes belli cosus are generally made use of as furnaces. 1 The 

 drawing on p. 1020 illustrates a typical forge, with bellows 

 composed of wood, stone, two parallel gun-barrels, and blowers 

 of banana leaves (the place of which is often taken by goatskins). 



From out of this native iron they fashion long swords, 

 knives, arrow-heads, spears, and such simple utensils as are 

 required in the fashioning of these tools; also iron blades for the 

 hoes, iron bells for music, fine chains, bracelets, and rings. 



The musical instruments of the country scarcely differ from 

 those of Negro Africa in general. There is a very elementary 

 harp (see illustration, p. ion), with a sounding-board below 

 made of a calabash. The Mandingo, as already mentioned, 

 use the xylophone or " piano " made of slabs of resonant wood. 

 Flutes are also used by the Mandingo, the Buzi, and some of the 

 tribes of the north-west. Trumpets are made from the horns of 

 the bongo tragelaph (Bcocercus) or from elephant tusks (see 

 p. 1023). There are also wooden trumpets made to imitate the 

 ivory ones in shape and size. Some really pretty music is 

 derived from tapping iron bells or gongs. Rattles filled with 

 seeds are shaken during the songs and dances (see illustration, 

 p. 1053), and the drum (see p. 1017) of course is the basis of 

 all popular music. It is made in varying shapes and sizes, 



1 For a description o| a I.ihcrian iron-smelting furnace, sec j>. jScj of vol. ii. 

 of Hiittikofer's Rcischildrr mis l.il/cria. 



1026 



