at home in the water. At Cape Palmas and other places on the Liberian coast, the steamer stops to allow them to land, which they do in very small canoes, brought off from the beach by their country-men, in which no other human beings would venture. They make a fearful noise as they are departing and preparing to do so, and if not hurried off by the officers, would detain the vessel much longer than necessary. Sometimes the steamer starts before they have all left, and then without the slightest hesitation they throw into the water such of their property as will float, taking the rest in their hands, and jumping overboard swim with the greatest ease to their canoes. Such a scene occurred in our ship. Those who were still on board when the steamer started, had a number of swords, iron pots, pistols, kegs of powder, etc., the wages of their labor, which they prefer rather in goods than in money. I saw several jump into the water with swords in both hands, but there was one who had five swords and two iron pots, certainly not weighing less than thirty-five or forty pounds. Their canoes often upset, but this they consider quite a matter of course; a dexterous jerk from one side rights them again, and in another instant they are in their place bailing out the water.
