148 REPORT OF THE HARVARD AFRICAN EXPEDITION 
In this part of the country, we had also to cross a great many narrow, deep- 
running streams, particularly when we were travelling parallel with and near 
the river Cess, into which the many cross-streams flow with considerable swift- 
ness near their mouths. 
On account of the many obstacles the number of porters who deserted 
increased from day to day. Small bands of them would slip away from the 
trail into the surrounding forests where we would not be able to find and detain 
them. Many of them obviously became frightened at being away so long 
from their own villages in the forest. Others, we learned from our interpreters, 
thought that we were taking them down to the coast to make slaves of them. 
Most of them also believed that they would never receive anything for their serv- 
ices, and the carrying had become irksome to them. They had never been re- 
munerated for work before. In a few instances in the eastern part of the country 
where we had paid porters at the close of the day, they seemed surprised at 
receiving silver and ran away promptly, perhaps fearing that we would later 
take the money from them. After many desertions by small groups, forty 
of our porters disappeared in one night. The following day we had to collect 
our supplies in the forest and select from them only the most necessary articles 
and abandon the rest. We finally crossed the river Cess and eventually reached 
the bank of the Sangwin River. Here we were able to persuade the Kulu 
people on the opposite banks that we were not hostile, but friendly. After 
considerable parley they sent emissaries across with two canoes and assisted 
us to cross and to travel to the village of Towya. There both rice and chickens 
were obtainable, and thence on to the coast at Sino only the usual difficulties 
of land travel in Liberia were encountered. 
Among these ordinary difficulties of travel in Liberia is the management of 
the baggage train so that the porters do not become exhausted before the end 
of the day’s march and unable to continue with valuable scientific speci- 
mens and collections, and with the tents, kitchen, and other equipment neces- 
sary for healthful camp life. In order to avoid the loss of valuable material, 
the column of march needs frequent supervision, a responsibility which can 
never be delegated to natives. Although theoretically it is inadvisable to travel 
in the tropics in the sun during the greatest heat of the day, with an expedition 
of the size and scope of ours, it was very often not practicable to avoid doing 
so. Although the actual breaking of camp, particularly when performed every 
day, can be carried out expeditiously, the summoning of porters before day- 
break, and the inspection of their physical condition before the march, the 
division and arranging and tying of their loads upon their shoulders and heads, 
can never be done quickly, and usually consumes several hours. It is always 
especially difficult to collect porters before dawn. As many of the interior 
natives have no conception of discipline, the column of march may not start 
until eight or sometimes even nine o’clock in the morning. This obviously 
necessitates marching through the noon hours and usually until the later after- 
noon before making camp. When the sun is shining in the morning, as it usu- 
ally is, the effect of its heat rays from ten o’clock onward made travel more 
