Liberia: Description, History, ProblemsStarr, Frederick
History
Liberia: Description, History, Problems
Starr, Frederick
Liberia
The Bishop stated that we must not tarry, as we were expected at
Clay-Ashland. A half hour by steamer brought us to its landing, where
the resident clergyman, Mr. Cooper, son-in-law of Bishop Ferguson, met
us. We walked up through a straggling settlement to the little church,
near which a sign in brilliant lettering announced “Welcome.” Here we
turned to the right and in a moment reached Alexander Crummell Hall, in
construction. Here another brilliant lettering proclaimed “A Hearty
Welcome to You.” The building is to be of wood with corrugated iron
roofing; it is not yet covered in, but promises to be a fine and
suitable structure. Only the side verandah was usable; it was covered in
and adorned with palms in honor of the occasion. The boys and young men
were seated on two lines of benches facing, between which we walked up
to the speaker’s table. There were perhaps forty students present. They
carried through a little program--reading, singing and addresses, all
carried through with fine swing and vigor. The address of welcome was
given in good English by a Bassa boy. In some interesting and
appropriate remarks Major Young spoke to the boys of the life and lesson
of Alexander Crummell, in whose honor the hall was named and whom he
himself had known. It was now well on in the afternoon and time for us
to start on our return journey. This was rapidly accomplished as the
current was in our favor and we tied up at the landing in Monrovia at
6:30, with stars twinkling in the sky above us and town lights reflected
in the water below.
Bishop Ferguson had invited me to see the Kru service on a Sunday
afternoon. Two Kru men called to escort me to the little chapel, which
is situated on a rocky slope overhanging Krutown. The native settlement
is at the waterside, upon the low sandy beach; its population, houses
and life are purely native. Down there they speak Kru; men and boys all
know English; some women and girls do. It is a hardy, vigorous,
energetic population. The men are water folk; they are splendid canoe
men; they are the main dependence of the steamers, which they serve as
crews and wharfingers. When we arrived at the little chapel we found it
crowded; more than a hundred men, women and children were assembled. The
women were a sight for tired eyes, with their brilliant wrappings, gay
head bands and ring-loaded fingers. Few Liberians were present--Bishop
and Mrs. Ferguson, Superintendent Bright and a few teachers. Pastor
McKrae is native--but a Grebo, not a Kru. The two tribes are related and
their languages are very similar. I was warmly welcomed and an
interesting program of singing and recitation was carried out--all in
Kru except the Bishop’s introduction and my own remarks, which were
interpreted from English into Kru as we spoke. These people are
enthusiastic; they are interested in their chapel and contribute to its
support; they are crowded in their present quarters and are about to
raise a larger and finer building.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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