424 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph by T. C. Mitchell 



A MOTHER OP THE BUZI TRIBE AT ZINTA 



She is hanging out the weekly wash, unim- 

 peded in her labors by her conveniently placed 

 babe. 



noisy turmoil of its 6,000,000 people. 

 At the former, one steps carefully from 

 the one-ton, antiquated motor-launch on to 

 the dubious-looking single landing plank 

 and springs ashore into the mud. 



There are three cottages in view, built 

 upon supports of bricks, which might be 

 called bungalows if they were more care- 

 fully constructed. But New York, Africa, 

 also has its skyscrapers — two immense 

 cottonwood trees. It also has its turmoil — 



the deafening croaking of hundreds of 

 bullfrogs. 



The Liberian farmers devote themselves 

 to coffee-growing, their product being 

 popular in Germany and the Scandina- 

 vian countries. The bean is large and the 

 coffee is excellent, though very strong. 



Palm oil, which all Europe finds indis- 

 pensable in its soap manufactories, in 

 glycerine production, and in other indus- 

 tries, and the demand for which is rapidly 

 growing in the United States, is produced 

 by the natives and forms a remunerative 

 export, which could be vastly increased if 

 means of transportation from the great 

 palm forests were made available. 



Piassaba is the third product of impor- 

 tance — a strong palm fiber from which 

 the brushes for rotary street-sweepers are 

 made. 



ROADS TO THE INTERIOR ARE ESSENTIAL 

 TO LIBERIAN PROSPERITY 



None of these exports can be increased 

 appreciably until the interior regions are 

 tapped. There is only one way to accom- 

 plish this and to add to Liberian products 

 such material wealth as may be found 

 hidden in its jungles. 



The vital need is roads. To-day the 

 only way of sending a bundle of palm 

 nuts from Kolahun, on the northern 

 boundary of Liberia, to the coast is on 

 the head of a naked native. He will 

 walk for days on narrow native paths, 

 wandering in all directions, wading 

 streams, covering 300 miles, whereas a 

 straight road 200 miles in length is what 

 is needed, with motor-trucks to deliver 

 produce from the northern boundary on 

 the piers at Monrovia in 24 hours. And 

 that is why the Liberians were so desirous 

 of borrowing money. 



The enthusiasm for road-building al- 

 ready exists. Two years ago, when the 

 writer was residing in Liberia, the "road 

 talk" began. Monrovia, however, was a 

 difficult locality from which to start a 

 thoroughfare into the interior, because it 

 is built on a high point overlooking the 

 Atlantic and is surrounded on three sides 

 by the ocean and the wide rivers flowing 

 into it. 



The only direct way would be to build 

 a bridge over three wide rivers ; and such 



