The Sherbro and its hinterland . ism, as they were unable to produce theirclearance from the Custom House at Freetown, for theplace they were originally going to. They said they hadlost it with other things. As I could not conceive thattheir tale was true, I provided them at once with food and D 34 THE SHERBRO AND ITS HINTERLAND CH. iii gave them shelter while I communicated with Freetownto know if they had cleared at the Customs. In a fewdays I was officially informed that they had done so, andthey were accordingly allowed to leave and given a freshclearance. I mention this incident to show t
The Sherbro and its hinterland . ism, as they were unable to produce theirclearance from the Custom House at Freetown, for theplace they were originally going to. They said they hadlost it with other things. As I could not conceive thattheir tale was true, I provided them at once with food and D 34 THE SHERBRO AND ITS HINTERLAND CH. iii gave them shelter while I communicated with Freetownto know if they had cleared at the Customs. In a fewdays I was officially informed that they had done so, andthey were accordingly allowed to leave and given a freshclearance. I mention this incident to show the effectof the Harmattans upon the atmosphere, and how verytreacherous they may prove to boatmen using no is, I think, an advantage in having only twoseasons—inasmuch as one knows pretty well what toexpect and when to expect it, and one makes prepara-tions accordingly ; while in England, for instance, theseries of four seasons may, I am informed, occasionallybe experienced during a single day even in the [fo JrtCC pcixc 35. Fig. 4.—Natives carryixg down Produce from the IIixterlaxd ofSherbro, in Palm Leaf Hamters. CHAPTER IV TRANSPORT AND ITS DIFFICULTIES I HAVE already alluded to the first great difficulty oftransport—the blocking of the upper waterways. Although the country is well watered with rivers, some,like the Sulima (or Moia), running completely through itand even for several days journey beyond, yet so packedare they with boulders that they are useless even for thesmallest canoes. The question then arises, how is produce to be broughtdown to the navigable heads of the waterways ? This atpresent can only be done by means of native carriers ; andwhen you consider that it takes thirty men to carry downa ton of palm kernels in the primitive manner depictedin Figure 4, it will readily be seen how impossible it is todeal with any large quantities from far off places. Theresult of this difficulty is that the greater portion ofHinterland is altog
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