CHAPTER 5MANDINGOS
I spent the next several days flying with Deet and other company pilots, learning the routes, procedures, and navigational landmarks to the mines, villages, and missionary stations that the company served. The iron mines were owned by large international companies, including some based in the US. The companies were all well capitalized and had the best airfields. The laborers were housed nearby in concrete block buildings with metal roofs, and there was often a small store owned and operated by a Lebanese merchant. The engineers and foremen had quite substantial and very comfortable quarters. The iron mines were in Liberia to stay.
In addition to the iron mines, there were four principal diamond areas in the country. They were fairly close together, maybe within a radi
