CHAPTER IV

TRANSPORT AND  ITS  DIFFICULTIES

I HAVE already alluded to the first great difficulty of
transport—the blocking of the upper waterways.

Although the country is well watered with rivers, some,
like the Sulima (or Moia), running completely through it
and even for several days' journey beyond, yet so packed
are they with boulders that they are useless even for the
smallest canoes.

The question then arises, how is produce to be brought
down to the navigable heads of the waterways ? This at
present can only be done by means of native carriers ; and
when you consider that it takes thirty men to carry down
a ton of palm kernels in the primitive manner depicted
in Figure 4, it will readily be seen how impossible it is to
deal with any large quantities from far off" places. The
result of this difficulty is that the greater portion of
Hinterland is altogether unworked.

Imports cannot penetrate ; native produce cannot reach
the coast; and consequently the revenue of the Colony
from Customs duties does not increase.

The opening up of trade into the remoter parts of
Sherbro is therefore of paramount importance; not only

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