No. 439.
Mr. Smyth
to Mr. Evarts.
Monrovia, August 13, 1879. (Received September 15.)
Sir: I have the honor respectfully to inform you that on the morning of the 12th of August I received a dispatch from the Department of State of Liberia, inviting me to attend an interview to be held at the executive mansion, between the President and Mr. Fanba Sissi, who bore a message from King Blanca Sissi to the government.
At 10 o’clock a.m. of August 12, I reached the mansion, and was presented to Mr. Fanba Sissi, and listened to the following interesting conversation—message and reply from and to the King through his relative:
Mr. Sissi began by saying that the King desired to live in peace with the Americans (the aborigines so style the Liberians) and carry on trade with them instead of with the settlement of Sierra Leone, and gave as a reason the fact that when he sent a caravan from Musardú to Sierra Leone the distance was much greater than between Musardú, his country, and Monrovia, and required a period of three months in going and three months in returning, which was to the King’s disadvantage; whereas the distance between Musardú and Monrovia could be compassed in twenty-four days going and the same length of time returning, or one-third the time and distance as compared with Sierra Leone, which the King regarded as mutually advantageous to him and to Liberia, could the governments agree to keep the roads open.
The King also stated through the messenger that there were between his country and Liberia three predatory chiefs, whose interference with travelers would need to be put a stop to, and said he held himself ready to aid Liberia in conciliating these chiefs or chastising them.
On being asked by the President how the King proposed to conciliate them, the messenger said by a joint palaver of the King’s men and Liberians, and in giving these people an interest in keeping peace and protecting travelers on the road; should this course fail, then Liberia and the King to make these chiefs powerless to interfere, by a “war palaver.”
The King’s messenger said, as to the products and trade of the King’s country, that the land was good, affording abundance of food; that much gold was produced, and immense herds of cattle, goats, and horses were owned by the people, and the King was able to raise an army of 10,000 horsemen and many more foot-soldiers.
When the messenger ceased to speak, the President looked directly at me; and I said, “Sir, should you make a treaty with King Blanca Sissi, and this trade be diverted from Sierra Leone and come here, your administration would be regarded as the most illustrious of Liberian administrations.”
To which the President replied that he fully appreciated the good results that would accrue to Liberia by friendly relations with so powerful a king; and said to Mr. Fanba Sissi that he might inform the King of the pleasure his offer gave him, and that he would direct Minister Blyden on his part to write a letter in Arabic which he would give him to convey to the King in respect to the proposed treaty.
[Page 692]The question arose as to the sending of commissioners to confer with the King as to the prospective treaty, when the following suggestions were made by Mr. Fanba Sissi:
That it would be necessary to send men who were sober—who did not drink spirits—because such men talked two ways, and the King and his people talked one way; also, that they be Mohammedans, book people, and have sense. He said as to a friendship, that Mohammedans liked all book people, and never wanted to make war with them. (The King and his people are Mandingo Negroes.)
Here the conference ended.
The President assured Mr. Sissi that he would act promptly in the matter.
Should the trade of this interior Mandingo kingdom be diverted from Sierra Leone by a wise action on the part of the Liberian Government in concluding a treaty, and emigrants should settle in and near the dominion of Blanca Sissi, the benefit to the commerce of Liberia could not be too highly estimated, since the time would not be distant when the trade beyond Musardú, in the heart of Central Africa, would reach the sea, and thence Europe and America through the Republic of Liberia.
I am, &c.,