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THE GOLD COAST l’AS’l‘ AN 1) PRESENT NCO431/112/ TI—IE GOLD "COAST ‘ PAST AN D PRESENT A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE B Y ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ " (IILORGIL MAL DONALD IA'I‘ )i.\|, DIR) \ 'lnlx' HI II‘l (A'IIUN I'UR TH| GOLD kl)A.\'l' COLONY AND I'I\‘UTIZCTUR:\I l. I.\\I‘|,tl(>k‘ U] SLHUULS; \II\1IH.R ()1: TI” ROAR!) ()l‘ IDI'CA'I’IUX; ORGANISIIR \Nl) \IKNAULR “1' TH]: GUVI RNMIZNT SCHOOLS, I.’IC., I It. II'ITII ILL [XS '1'1\'.>I’1'1(>_\'5 LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK AND BOMBAY 1898 A 11 rig/Its r'vsu'rul LOAN STACK ‘\‘\'I‘I\'I‘ M‘\_ll-'S'I’\ H\ 'lHl (yUII‘ \(¥\\‘J, PREFACE. IN the compilation of the historical portion of the present volume the following authorities have been consulted :— Bosman. Coast (f Gm‘mw . . . I ,‘03. Snelgrave. N'ctu Aa‘mmz‘ of (inf/aw . 1734. Benezet. 501m: A ((0101! (y‘ Gumm . I 787. Bowdich. #1233222}: to A s/zmzz‘z' . . 18 I 7. Cruickshank. 7711? Gold Coast . . 1853. Burton. ll’aizdei‘z'ilgx 2'” ”2117‘ Afriaz . 1863. Gordon. Life 0/1 [/16 Gold Coax! . . 1874. Burton and Cameron. To [/16 Gold Cum! for Gold . . . . . . 1883. Ellis. Ts/zzls/wa/cz'ng I’m/1A“ 011 1/11" Gold Coast . . . . . . 188 7. I am indebted to Messrs. Chatto & VViiidUs and to the proprietors of Black and l’V/zz'le for descriptions of the Lake Village in Apollonia, and also to Messrs. Skuse 8: Hughes, Photographers, of Cape Coast Castle, for many of the illustrations, which are from photographs taken by those gentlemen, during my tours of service in the Gold Coast Colony (1893-97). Should the present volume help to draw attention to one of our most important W'est African Colonies, its object will have been attained by THE AUTHOR. LONDON, july, 1898. H98 CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The Gulf of Guinea—Divisions—Early Expeditions to the Coast —French and Portuguese Claims—Early English Trading Companies—The Gold Coast in Bosman‘s Time—The Gold Coast of To-day—General View of the Colony CHAPTER II. The Early Inhabitants of the Gold Coast—Their Traditional Origin — The Dominant Powers — Manners — Customs ——- Superstitions—Occupations—Religion—Manual Arts-—The Aggrey Bead . . . . . CHAPTER III. The SeasonsirrrClimate—The Harmattan—Productions-—Vege- tation —— Animal Life 7 Exports— Imports— Habitations — The Slave Trade—Its Rise and Fall—The Labour Question CHAPTER IV. Gold in West Africa—Antiquity of the same—Gold-producing Areas—Present Gold Mines—How Obtained—Gold Work —Gold VVeights—The Future of West Africa as a Gold- producing Country . . t CHAPTER V. Half Assini to Axim—Apollonia—The Lake Village—Axim and its Neighbourhood—The Ante CountryfiCape Three Points —Chama and the Prah—The Kingdoms of VVassaw, Denkira and Sefwi PAG ES 30-61 62-89 90-12I 122-150 viii CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. Chama to Elmina—Commendah, British and Dutch—Cape Coast Castle—Landing—The Town in General—The Lighthouse —The Resting-place of “ L. E. L.”——-A Memoir—The Road to Kumasir~Mouri and Fort NassaufiAnamaboe and Saltpond—The Tufel and Assin Countries . CHAPTER VII. Appam—The Devil’s Mount—Winnebah-—Bereku—Accra or Akra—-The Akra People——Manners and Customs—The Adangme Tribe—Names—The Present Town~Christians- borg—-Meridian Rock . CHAPTER VIII. The Akim and Kwahu Countries—Begoro, Kyebi and Abetifi— The Akim Forests—The Tshi People—Manners and Customs —The Future of Akim—Native Traditions—Akwamu or Aquamboe ' CHAPTER IX. The Aquapim, Adangme, Awoonah, Krobo and Akwamu Coun- tries—Their Peoples—Pram Pram—Ada and Kwitta—Krepi and Peki Countr‘ies—r-The Volta River—Anglo—French Con- vention, 1898 CHAPTER X. \Ae Kingdom of Ashantii—Its l’eopleraOrigin—History—— DwabenhThe Capital, Kumasi-—W’ars down to 1817~The Town—Constitution and Laws «Roads from Kumasi . CHAPTER XI. Monthly Notes—Wars with England, 1807-1817—~Mission to AshantiiaSecond Ashanti \Var, 1821~Third Ashanti W211, [863—Fourth Ashanti War, 1873—The Last Ashanti \Var ——D0wnfall 0f Prempeh, 1896 . . . . . . PAGES ISI-I77 178-207 . 208-234 . 235-261 . 262491 192-315 CONTENTS. ix CHAPTER XII. Progress of the Colony—Education—The Basle Mission—The HMS Wesleyans —The Roman Catholic Mission—The Schools of the Colony—The Future of the Colony—Want of Rail- ways and Central Harbour . . . . . . . 3I6-338 APPENDICES. A. AsI—IANTI KINGS, BATTLES AND WARS . . . . 339340 13. DISTANCES BETWEEN COAST TOWNS, WINDWARD AND LEEWARD . . . . . . . . . . 341-342 C. FARES FOR HAMMOCKMEN. CARRIERS AND CANOEMEN . 342-343 D. DISTANCES BETWEEN INTERIOR TOWNS . . . . 344-345 E. GOVERNORS ON THE GOLD COAST . . . . . 346-349 F. OUTFIT FOR THE WEST COAST . . . . . . 350-352 a; n “WY » jfii. M 4—9319 FIN saw- ‘9 IO. II. 12. H 9" 14. ’15. ’26. 7. ”8. 19. 20. ,21. 22. 0 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 3o. 31. 32. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. NATIVE MAJESTY ON THE GOLD COAST . . . Frantispiccc PAOI: MAP OF THE GOLD COAST OF THE PRESENT DAY . opposite I THE GOLD COAST OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY . . 13 A FETISH PRIEST . . . . . . . . . 48 NATIVE POTTERY AND SILVERWORR OF THE ASHANTIS . . 52 NATIVE LOOM FOR WEAVING CLOTH . . . . . 54 . GOLD COAST BEETLES: THE GOLIATH . . . . . 77 TYPICAL NATIVE HUTS . . . . . . opposite 81 A GROUP OF LABOURERS . . . . . . . . 87 ASHANTI GOLD WEIGHTS . . . . . . . IOI ASHANTI GOLD WEIGHTS - . . . . . . . 113 FORT ST. ANTHONY, AXIM . . . . . . . I36 SQUARING MAHOGANY ON THE BEACH, AXIM . . . . 141 INTERIOR 0F WESLEYAN SCHOOL: CHAMA . . . . 146 A STREET SCENE IN ELMINA . . . . . opposite 153 CAPE COAST CASTLE . . . . . . opposite 157 THE LIGHTHOUSE, CAPE COAST . . . . . . 160 INTERIOR COURTYARD OF CAPE COAST CASTLE . . . 169 VIEW OF THE TOWN OF CAPE COAST . . . opposite 177 VIEW OF THE BEACH AT CAPE COAST . . . ofimsitc 185 CHRISTIANSBORG CASTLE, ACCRA . . . . . . 190 TOWN TRAVELLING IN ACCRA . . . . . . . 201 A GROL‘P 0F OFFICIALS AND MERCHANTS . . . . 203 BASLE MISSION STATION, BEGORO . . . . . . 214 BASE OF A BIG TREE, ABURI . . . . . . . 241 THE ROAD To KUMASI . . . . . . ofipositc 265 THE TOWN OF KUMASI (1817). . . . . . . 285 ROADS FROM KL'MASI . . . . . . . . 29! GROUP OF NATIVE WOMEN . . . . . opposite 304 BRITISH RESIDENT AT KUMASI AND OFFICERS . . . 313 A NATIVE BEAUTY . . . . . . . . . 320 A WEDDING GROUP . . . . . . . . . 329 I. H ,, guezzxam,.....".n::,. « < ‘I uJ- _FZ » ¢ ’ 9 <9“ 9" I? \Q‘ 03 1'0 \\ V ’0th 090“ $5 0“ AQUA MBU cw?" O 20 [Valker {‘7' Boutallsc. THE GOLD COAST OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. I4 TIIE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. part of Guinea known as the Gold Coast to be studded with forts and factories from end to end. A glance at the map on page 13 will show a total of twenty-five, three of which were Danish, two Brandenburgers and seventeen Dutch and English. There were probably more. The Rev. Mr. Reindorf gives the total as thirty-five, sixteen Dutch, fourteen English, and five Danish. These forts served a three-fold purpose: defence against hostile attack by the natives and from other European powers, as a pro- tection for the trading factories, and as slave barraeoons. We have seen that the Portuguese lost St. George del Mina to the Dutch in 1638, by whom they were finally ex— pelled from the coast some four years later, in 1642. Bos— man drily remarks: “The Portuguese served for setting dogs to spring the game, which, as soon as they had done, was seized by others ”. The Danes in their turn ceded their possessions to the English in 1850, and the Dutch in 1868 and 1872, and many of the old forts are now a mass of ruins and tangled bush. A complete list of the forts will be found at the end ofthis chapter. The history of the English upon the Gold Coast forms a very interesting study, par- ticularly when regarded with our action of the present day concerning this neglected spot of our great empire. The first English mercantile transaction recorded is that of Captain Thomas \Vyndham, who in 1551 made the first voyage to the coast and sent home a cargo of Mala— guetta pepper (Guinea grains) and a large amount of gold dust. It is however stated that the English were ac— quainted with the coast as early as the reign of Edward the Fourth, but of this there is no authentic record, though the date is fixed at 1556. About the latter end of the reign of Edward the Sixth, some London merchants fitted out ENGLISH EXPEDITIONS. I5 the first English ships that ever traded to Guinea, and in the reign of Queen Mary, and for the first ten or twelve years of Queen Elizabeth, sundry other private ships were fitted out for the same parts ; but the English, not having as yet any settlements or plantations in the West Indies, and consequently no occasion for negroes, traded in such ships only for gold, elephants’ teeth and Malaguetta pepper, and all such voyages were under- taken and performed at the hazard of losing the ships and cargoes if they fell into the hands of the Portuguese, without the least ground to hope for any redress or satisfaction for the same. In the thirtieth year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, England, being then at war with Spain and Portugal, formed a company for the “better discovering and carrying on of the gum trade, from the northernmost part of the river Senegal, and from and within that river, all along that coast unto the most southern part of the Gambia and within the same ”. To this company was also granted the sole right to trade, in, to and from the said rivers and countries for a certain term of years, with prohibition to all others to trade to the same places, on pain of forfeiture of ships and goods ; and these were the first merchants that ever traded to the coast of \Vest Africa, by and under the authority and protection of the Crown of Great Britain. In the reign of James the First and his successor Charles, and during the time of Cromwell, other persons were encouraged by public authority to trade to other parts of Guinea, and to take such measures for the better carrying on and improving the same as they should judge most proper. The result of this was that one fort was built at Cor— mantine in 1624 on the Gold Coast, and another on the 16 THE GOLD COAsT PAsT AND PREsENT. river Gambia on the North Coast, and these were the only places of consequence which the English possessed on the West Coast at the time of the Restoration. King Charles the Second, soon after his restoration, was made acquainted with the precarious state to which the trade of his subjects in those parts had been reduced, and having received many complaints touching the interrup- tion to and the depredations committed upon the ships of his nation by the Dutch West India Company on the coast of Africa, it became necessary to consider not only a proper method for protecting and securing the trade for the future, but likewise in what manner reparation might be obtained for damage done. From this arose the first corporation for trade with West Africa, and such subjects of the king as were willing to engage in this trade were granted such powers, privileges and en- couragements as the circumstances at that time required. This was done by letters patent under the great seal of England, bearing the date of 10th January, 1662, and the body of English merchants was styled the “Com- pany of Royal Adventurers of England trading to Africa”. This power was further augmented in 1672 by charter bearing date of 27th September, granting all the lands, countries, havens, roads, rivers and other places in Africa, from the port of Sallee in South Barbary to the Cape of Good Hope, for the term of 1000 years, with the entire trade and traffic into and from the said countries and places, with prohibition to all others of his subjects to visit or frequent the same without the license of the said Company. Subscriptions were invited from all His Majesty’s subjects, but only :1 sum of £111,000 was obtained, which was largely spent in repairing the exist— THE ROYAL AFRICAN COMPANY. 17 ing forts and in hastily building new ones. The small English fort at Cabo Corso was enlarged, and Fredericks— borg or Fort Royall near it was purchased from the Danes, forts were also built at Accra, Dixcove, Winnebah, Sekondi, Commendah and Anamaboe, thus placing the English Company on a footing with the Dutch. The fort on the Gambia was lost in 1695, being taken, plundered and destroyed by a squadron of French men— of-war, from which time the French disputed our claims in that territory. ' Very little good was done, and it was not until later times that any serious effort at establishment was made, to extend the English trading station and fort established at Cormantine in 1624 between the present Saltpond and Anamaboe. The effort gradually extended itself until, in 1662, we find a company incorporated under the patronage of the Duke of York, after- wards ]ames the Second, when the present James Fort was built in Accra. This was known as the “Royal Com- pany,” or the “Company of the Royal Adventurers of England trading to Africa”. The life of this venture was of short duration, for from repeated attacks by the Dutch admiral, De Ruyter, it was compelled to surrender its charter to Government in 1667, after a brief existence of five years. The decease of this company was, however, quickly followed by the formation of another, and in 1672 we find fresh powers and privileges granted to “maintain and extend the African trade,” under the title of the “Royal African Company”. This venture was more successful than its predecessor, and soon some fifteen forts and factories were established along the coast to enjoy a somewhat short and changing prosperity during 2 IS THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. the time that William Bosman was the chief factor for the Dutch at Elmina, and to whom we are indebted for much of our knowledge of the coast at this time. A strange fatality, however, seemed to follow the formation of the English trading companies. The “Royal African Company” declined, became bankrupt and disappeared from the scene, and to take its place in 1753 the “African Company” was established for free trade on the Gold Coast to all His Majesty’s subjects. This company followed in the wake of the others, and in 1821 ceased to exist, and all British possessions on the West Coast of Africa were, by the English Parliament, made mere dependencies of Sierra Leone. This was about the worst thing that could have happened for the prosperity and general welfare of the colony. This was in 1821. Six years later saw another change. Owing to the expenses of Sir Charles McCarthy’s Ashanti war, the Government found themselves compelled to deliver the various forts of the Gold Coast over to the merchants, on condition that Cape Coast Castle and James Fort, Accra, should still be administered from Sierra Leone, and that the general affairs should be under the control of three African merchants and a paid secretary, the Home Government contributing £4000 per annum towards the necessary expenses. This arrangement lasted until 1844, when Government again took possession of the Gold Coast, Commander Hill, R.N., being appointed the first Governor. From this period to the present time the various vicissitudes through which the coast has passed will be fully dealt with in succeeding chapters. According to Bosman, the Gold Coast originally extended for about sixty miles, but this is not at all ENGLISH AND DUTCH FORTS. 19 accurate. He says: “The Gold Coast, being a part of Guinea, is extended about sixty miles, beginning with the Gold Rz'wr, twelve miles above Axim, and ending with the village Pomzz', seven or eight miles east of Accra”. This is so far incorrect, with regard to the distance, that one wonders by what mileage it could have been computed, though it is quite possible the Dutch mile of 9000 yards was the medium of measurement. From my own actual travelling on the coast, I make the distance from Accra to Cape Coast about eighty—one miles, and from Cape Coast to Axim much the same; add to this the twelve miles between Axim and the Gold River and the seven or eight miles between Accra and the Ponni Village, and we have a distance of about 180 miles English for the extent of the Gold Coast, early in the eighteenth century, between its western and eastern limits as laid down by this old Dutch author. A glance at the map on page 13 will show to the reader the extent of the coast, with the numerous forts and factories studding the whole coast line, one to every eight or nine miles. Twenty-five are mentioned in his map, of which three were Danish, two belonged to the Brandenburgers, and the remaining twenty to the Dutch and the English. At Accra the English had but James Fort, while to the west of Accra, or to the windward as it is termed, they held \Vinnebah, Mumford, Gomoah, Tantum, Cormantine, Anamaboe, Cape Coast Castle, Commendah, Sekondi, Dixcove and Beyin. Intersecting these were the Dutch establishments of Barracoe, Appam, Cormantine, Mouri, Chama, Commendah, Takoradi, Boutri, Acoda, Hollandia. Brandenburg and Axim, while to the east they 20 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. held Dutch Accra, Labaddi, I’ona, Temma and Pram Pram. In addition to these there were five held by the Danes, 22233., Christiansborg, Fredericksborg, Augustenborg, Kon- genstein and Prindenstein, all situated between Accra and the Volta River. The countries included in the Gold Coast numbered eleven, and extended from the Ancobra River to the Ponni Village, each containing two or three towns or Villages, situated upon the sea-shore, either under or between the forts of the Europeans ; but the largest and most populous towns were found farther inland. These districts were then known by the following names : Axim, Ante, Adom, Jabi, Kommany, Fetu, Saboe, Fantyn, Acron, Agona and Aquambu. At the present day the Gold Coast consists of a much larger territory than that just described, the coast line having been considerably increased by the addition of the Apollonia country to the west, and the Adangme and Awoonah countries to the east. These last men- tioned territories were added to the Protectorate in 1850, when the King of Denmark sold his forts on the Gold Coast to the British Government for £10,000. Some seventeen years later, in 1867, the Governments of Great Britain and Holland by mutual agreement re— arranged their possessions upon the Gold Coast. England transferred all her forts, rights and privileges west of the Sweet Water River as far as Newtown, its western limit, to Holland, and in return the Dutch Government gave over to the English all the forts, rights and privileges pre— viously held by them to the eastward of the same river. At this period neither Dutch nor English claimed TRANSFER OF TERRITORY. 2I any land outside their forts, though the former held, near Axim, a very considerable tract of country, watered by the Ancobra, and bounded by the kingdoms of Apol- lonia, Denkira and VVassaw. A further transfer of terri- tory was made in 1872, when the Dutch Government handed over to the British all its remaining forts and territories held by them at that time, including those that had been previously transferred to them by the English in 1867. Thus, from 1872, the whole coast has been in British hands, with the French for neighbours on the west, and the Germans on the east. The French at this time took but little interest in their possessions to the west, having stations only at Grand Bassam, Assini and Little Bassam, so much so that they let their pos- sessions to Messrs. Swanzy & Co., who opened up a great trade upon the Assini and Tando Rivers, and the lagoons connected with them. Although the French had practi— cally withdrawn, no formal declaration of such was made, and they contented themselves by maintaining a naval connection only with this part of the coast, to be again developed in later years by actual occupation and mer— cantile activity. Thus ended the rights of the Portuguese, Dutch and Danes upon the Gold Coast of Africa, so that instead of the strip of sixty miles mentioned by Bosman, there is now a seaboard of some 360 miles extending from Newtown, its extreme western limit, to Danoe in the east, bordering upon French Guinea and Togoland respectively. This seaboard is now divided and recog- nised as consisting of some eight distinct native political divisions, in place of the eleven known in the early part of the eighteenth century, and mentioned by Bosman. 22 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. These countries occur in the following order from the west :— I. Apollonia from Newtown to Axim. . Ahanta from Axim to Sekondi. Chama from Sekondi to Chama. Elmina from Chama to Cape Coast. Fanti from Cape Coast to Bereku. Ga or Accra from Bereku to Pram Pram. Adangme from Pram Pram to Ada; and .Awoonah from Ada to Danoe. Besides this large increase of seaboard, the interior territories have been extended in a most irregular manner, until the whole of the countries from the coast, up to and including the eleventh parallel of N. latitude, are now under British protection, under the comprehen- sive title of the Gold Coast Colony and Protectorate. Geographically the coast extends from 3° 2’ W. longi- tude to 10 3’ E. longitude, a distance of some 360 miles from point to point. The interior territories now include some very im- portant states, the chief of which are :— I. Aowin and Sefwi. ] 90>! 991-me Wassaw. . . Denkira. in the west. Tufel. J Assin. Akim. Aquapim. . Krobo. 9 Krepi. J While still farther inland to the north are the important countries of Ashanti, Kwahu, Nkoranza and Dagwumba. in the east. 00>! .091sz A. VIEW OF THE COAST. 93 Viewed from the deck of a passing steamer, this coast presents to the eye an almost unbroken line of low, flat, sandy beach, rising at intervals into bold, rocky headlands, projecting in some cases far out to sea. Along this low-lying shore, the great Atlantic rollers break with unceasing violence, causing the beach to be continually fringed with boiling surf, thus making the landing on the coast anything but pleasant, should duty take you there. Upon the Apol- lonian, Adangme and Awoonah shores, this surf is the most dangerous, and it is only at such places as Axim, Takoradi, Dixcove and Elmina, that landing in an ordinary ship’s boat is at all possible, and then often only in ex- ceptionally quiet weather. Navigation along the Gold Coast, and in fact, along the whole coast of the Gulf of Guinea, requires much caution, as the shore is flat and comparatively destitute of any conspicuous landmarks, while the heavy surf, borne in from the whole breadth of the vast Atlantic, breaks continually against the shore. Landing from a steamer is accomplished by a surf—boat. No companion ladder can be used on account of the swell. Men clamber over the side of the ship by a rope ladder of the roughest description into the surf-boat waiting to receive them, while lady passengers are swung between sky and sea in a tub or basket kept for the purpose. Once in the surf—boat one feels comparatively safe, though to my mind there is more danger attending this last mile and a half of the journey than in the whole 4000 miles’ run from Liverpool. Except at the places I have mentioned, great care has to be exercised in the selection of a situation for the anchorage of a ship of any size. As a rule, steamers anchor from one to two miles 24 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. from the shore in about six to ten fathoms of water. Smaller trading vessels may approach nearer, but as a very heavy swell almost continually sets in, it is necessary not to be too near the breakers. The strength of the current varies along the whole coast, but its average rate may be taken as from one to two miles to the eastward per hour. The surf is supposed to be at its worst at the new and the full moon. The sea-breeze is very regular along the coast and comes up from the south-west. On this account the coast has been divided into windward and leeward districts, the former extending from Cape Apollonia, 2O 35' west longitude, to the Secoom River, some ten miles west of Accra, and the latter from the same river to the town of Danoe upon the eastern boundary of the colony. An ordinary surf-boat is manned by a crew of eleven men, ten to paddle and one to steer. Good time is kept in paddling, and the work is somewhat varied by the monotonous droning of a chant in the vernacular, of which the chorus is generally in native English, and runs as follows :— “Good old massa come from home, Leave him fader, leave him moder, Dashee me one hunder pouns, Good old massa come from home”. When near the shore a wave is selected ; all row for dear life, and, riding in on the crest of the sea, the boat is run upon the sand before the next breaker is able to over- take it. The great danger lies in the boat getting broadside on and turning turtle. Vegetation in the colony flourishes in many places down to the water’s edge, thus causing the spectator, who views this part of the globe for the first time, to THE CAPITAL OF THE COLONY. 25 think that perhaps, after all, it is a much better land than it has been painted, and giving the country the appearance of being very fertile and extremely well wooded—a character which it most undoubtedly de- serves. From the shore, stretching far away into the interior, alternately extend rolling plains and impene- trable bush, gently undulating, rising at last, as far as the eye can carry, to a range of mountains of considerable height, running almost parallel with the coast from south- west to north-east, and branching and extending into the Akim, Kwahu, Aquapim, Krobo and Krepi countries. In some respects Nature has been most lavish in her gifts to this land, whilst in others, she appears to have been niggardly and selfish. On the one hand, she has given a teeming population, an abundantly well-wooded and fertile country, an unlimited wealth of gold and a fair average of internal water—way; whilst on the other hand, dangerous shoals line the coast, unceasing surf thunders along the shore, the river mouths are locked with sand, where the water surges and boils as though it were the sport of ten thousand giants, and deadly malaria impregnates the air. The present capital of the colony and the seat of the Government since 1874 is Accra, an anglicised term of the Fanti word “ Nkran,” meaning an “ant,” by which appellation the Akras were once known, and about which I shall have more to say in a subsequent chapter. Accra is situated on the coast near the eastern confines of the colony, and is really composed of three distinct towns under separate native rulers, via: James Town, Ussher Town and Christiansborg, the whole forming one long, irregular settlement, extending from west to 26 THE GOLI) COAST PAST AND PRESENT. east for a distance of about three miles, there being, however, a considerable stretch of open country between Ussher Town and Christiansborg. James Town and Ussher Town are most irregularly constructed, and contain but few decent streets; narrow alleys and tor- tuous turnings serving as passages from one part of the town to another. Fortunately, a large portion of this crowded and ill-built section of these towns was com- pletely destroyed by fire in 1894. The area, once thus occupied, is now being cleared; and I believe in the place of the former miscellaneous collection of mud huts and hovels of all shapes and sizes, that Accra will soon be able to boast of a large portion of its area having been laid out in well—planned and symmetrically-arranged streets. Cape Coast Castle, also on the coast, and about eighty miles to the west of Accra, is the next important town, and was the seat of the Government of the colony until it was removed to the present capital in 1874. Cuba Como was its original name. It is situated on hilly ground, and is, like Accra, most irregularly built, smells horribly and is very hot—native huts and European quarters jostling side by side in all parts of the town. From the sea it looks very picturesque. Other towns of importance on the coast are lilmina and Axim to the west of Cape Coast, Saltpond to the east, and Ada and Kwitta on the eastern shores of the colony. In the interior are many well-situated towns, at most of which, especially in the eastern part of the colony, are to be found members of the “Basle Mission Society,” with their wives and families. Their most important centres are A/mn' and A/cropngr in the Aquapim country, Kz'ZI/Iz' or Kyclzz' and Ib’i’goro in the Akim country, AMI}? in INTERIOR TOWNS. 27 the Kwahu country, Oa’umasc in the Krobo country, and Ammz in the Krepi country. Ada, at the mouth of the Volta, is also an important “Basle Mission” station. This mission, of which a further account will be given in the later pages of this work, has a two-fold purpose, misc, that of trade allied to civilisation and Christianity. The Wesleyan Mission has also a station at Aburz' in Aqua- pim, though the headquarters of this body are at Cafe Coast, from whence their branch stations extend east and west for the whole extent of the coast, with a few minor interior centres. On the coast, too, are found the stations of the Roman Catholic Mission of “ St. Francis de Sales” from Lyons, their most important centres being Elmimz, Cape Coasl, Sa/z‘pwm', Accra and sz‘rm. The population of the Gold Coast Colony is roughly estimated at 1% millions, mostly the descendants of the negro family, possessing, in the majority of cases, the marked racial physical characteristics of that people, though the close observer might detect slight differences of build and facial expression among the various peOples of the different countries comprising the colony. The wandering Arab of the desert is to be found in every town, and is a stately and well-ordered member of the West African population, though perhaps not quite so clean and sweet-smelling as he might be. The men generally give one the impression of being physically very strong and capable of great endurance ; the women are for the most part tall and well—proportioned, and easy in their movements. Maturity in both sexes arrives early, prime of life is of short duration, and senility follows quickly in its wake. The children are active, lithesome little mortals, and, when young, are very precocious and 28 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. apt to learn. No one, however, in this part of the world seems to work for work’s sake. So long as the immediate wants of the present can be satisfied, no one cares to remember the past, or has any ambition for the future. Mm: works to satisfy his most pressing needs, and woman works for, and to satisfy, the wants of man. The whole coast from end to end is dotted with in- numerable fishing villages, and the male population in these spend their time in catching enormous quantities of all kinds of fish with which the tropical waters of the Gulf of Guinea abound. The fish is then dried and cured in a peculiar native fashion, which to the European nose is most offensive, packed in loads, and carried by the women and children to the interior towns, to be ex- changed for other food products not obtainable near the coast, or to be sold for cash. Fishing on the Gold Coast was and is still esteemed next to trading, and those who follow it are more numerous than those engaged in other employments. It is now generally followed along the whole coast, and every morning (Tuesday excepted, which is Fetish day or Sunday) hundreds of canoes put out to sea and return about noon with a plentiful harvest, which is dried and sold to the inland inhabitants, who have come down to buy and sell again at the interior towns. COMPLETE LIST OF PORTS ON THE GOLD COAST. (A.) DUTCH. Situation. Name. When built. P‘resent. Axim . . . . . St. Anthony. . .Pl’ortuguese. Stillused. (captured by the Dutch in 1642). Montfort . . . .l’redcricksborg. . 1725. . . . Disused. Boutri . , , , .Bartenstein . . . ,, . . . . ,, FORTS ON THE GOLD COAST. Situation. Takoradi Sekondi Chama . Commendah . Elmina . Elmina . Moree Cormantine Appam . Seniah Cape Coast Dutch Accra . Accra 'l‘eschi Ningo Addah Quittah . Takrama Acoda or Acquidah . Beyin Dixcove Sekondi . Com mendah . Cape Coast 7’ 77 Cormantine Tantum . Gamma . Winnebah . Accra Pram Pram . Vernon Name. When built. . Vt'ilsen . . 1725. . . Orange . . . 1680. . St. Sebastian . 1690. . Vredenburg . 1688. . St. Jago . 1640. . St. George . 1481. . Nassau. . 1637. . Amsterdam . 1665. . Patience . 1697. . Bereku. . I667. . Cabo Corso . 1624. . Crevecoeur(Ussher 1650. Fort). (13.) DANISH. . Christiansborg . . I659. . Augustenborg,r . I700. . Fredensborg . 1735. . Kongenstein . I784. . Prindenstein. . 1784. (c.) BRANDENBURG. . Takrama . . 167.1,. Dorothea . . 1682. (0.) ENGLISH. . Apollonia . . 1690. . Dixcove . 1691 . . Sekondi . 1685. . Commendah . . 1681 . . Victoria . 1685. . William — . Macarthy . — . . Cormantine . . 1624. . Tantumquerry . ~ . Mumford . . — . . VVinnebah . 1694. . James Fort . . 1662 . 29 Present. . Disused. . Still used. ' ,7 . Disused. . Still used. 77 . Disused. ' 77 . Still used. . Still used. . Disused. ' 7, . Still used. 77 . Disused. .9! . Disused. . Still used. 77 . Disused. ‘ 77 The present lighthouse. . Disused. 77 ’7 . Still used. ,7 77 30 CHAPTER II. The Early Inhabitants of the Gold Coast—Their Traditional Origin —-The Dominant Powers—Manners—Customs——Superstitions —Occupations—Religion——Manual Arts A—-The Aggrey Bead. AFRICA is supposed to have derived its name from the Punic word signifying “Ears of Corn,” and to the ancients was one of the three great divisions of land, of which the world was then supposed to consist. Its western part, covering the whole Gulfof Guinea, and ex- tending southward to the mouth of the Niger, is the home of that portion of mankind known as the Hamitic family, which must have pushed its way westward from the main branch until stopped by the Atlantic Ocean. To trace the origin of the early inhabitants of the Gold Coast is a most difficult task, inasmuch as there remain neither direct traditions nor authenticated accounts, either among the people themselves or from their supposed visitors before the Christian era, or from those who visited it for some centuries after that epoch. By early writers it was supposed that there once existed in this part of the world a most powerful kingdom, whose ruler, by his numerous victories over weaker tribes, subdued the whole of the surrounding country, and formed the so—called mighty kingdom of Guinea, bestowing this name upon the whole coast from Cape MeSurado to Biafra. Other authorities refute this, notable among whom is TIIE KINGDOM OF GUINEA. 31 Bosman, who says: “ How great this mistake is, I hope to evince to you, since the very name of Guinea is not so much as known to the natives here, nor the imaginary Guinea Monarchy yet to be found in the world”. The supporters of those who believe in the supposed kingdom of Guinea, attribute to the Phoenicians the first visitation of foreign powers to the west coast of Africa, surmising that Pharaoh Necho, King of Egypt, employed Phoeni- cian mariners to visit the coast some 600 years B.C. After them came the Carthaginians, who are supposed to have explored the greater part of these western shores and even to have settled there. The Rev. Carl Reindorf in his recently published book, 1895, says : “ Hanno the Carthaginian sailed with sixty ships of fifty oars each, some 30,000 men and women and stores and provisions to establish permanent settlements upon the \Vest Coast of Africa, and seems to have reached that particular part now known as the Gold Coast”. Com- ing down, however, to much later times, Mr. F. Romer, the Danish merchant who resided at the present Christians— borg, at the extreme eastern limit of Accra (1735-43), con- firms the statements with regard to the early existence of a mighty kingdom. He says : “ The Gold Coast was a part of the western division of the empire ruled by the Emperor of Benin, whose territories extended along the coast from Benin to the Gambia, and whose kings were appointed by that emperor”. He also quotes the finding of the mosaic or aggrey bead on the Gold Coast and the Slave Coast, as evidences of a trade that must have then existed between West Africa and Egypt, and also men- tions that the insignia of the royalty of Accra were the same as those in use in the Benin country, and that many 32 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. of the religious ceremonies were identical in both countries. Other writers assert that the whole of the tribes now in- habiting the Gold Coast, some nineteen in number, came originally from the interior, being gradually pushed t0wards the coast by more powerful Arab tribes, who invaded their territories in order to enrol them beneath the banner of the Moslem faith. Foremost among these tribes were the Ashantis and the Fantis, at this period branches of the same family, who are reported to have settled in the countries round the Kong Mountains, a district then known to the Arab traders as 'Wangara. This migration towards the sea of the present people in- habiting the western part of the Gold Coast from the far interior, appears likely to be perfectly true, but of the tribes to be found in the eastern part of the colony the supposition cannot hold, for according to present local tradition in this part of the country, it is asserted, that the Kings of Lagos came from Benin, and such people as the Akras and the Lates arrived on the coast at dif- ferent intervals from the East. That the King of Benin once held sway over this eastern part of the Gold Coast, is strengthened by a statement made by the previously mentioned Mr. Romer, via, that a ruler for the Akim country came with the Akras from the sea. Another tradition asserts that the Akras and several of the other tribes now inhabiting the eastern portion of the colony came from a country farther east, situated between two large rivers, and crossing the Volta River, distributed themselves over the country, the Akras settling on the sea—shore. There seems no doubt that about the same period that the Ashantis and the Fantis were moving from the interior southward towards the sea, THE EARLY INHABI’I‘ANTS. 33 the whole coast line of the present Gold Coast was peopled with the numerous branches of the several tribes, who came from the East by the sea, and occupied distinct and different portions of the country, but divided from each ‘other by a difference of speech, habits, manners, customs and superstitions. These people from the East seem to have been the aboriginal race along the sea—coast from Assinie to the Volta, at the time when the Ashantis and Fantis were occupying the lowlands of the Kong Mountains, and are now represented by the Akra, Cheripong, Late, Apollonian, Ahanta and the Adangme tribes. The King of Late is reported to have had thirty towns under his sway, whilst that of Cheripong ruled over fifty. To leave this maze of superstition and tradition, and to come down to the descriptions of early writers upon the Gold Coast, we find many of the small aboriginal tribes disappear by the absorption or entire obliteration by their stronger neighbours, and a great part of the coast line, from Chama to Bereku, occupied by the Fantis, who have migrated farther from the interior to the coast, subduing and driving out the peoples they met on their way, and themselves breaking away from their traditional brothers the Ashantis, to found a kingdom of their own. This division of the two great tribes is said to have been the result of a famine, and the origin of the different .names is also due to this cause, though more probably, the division was due to the growing power of the one part of the tribe over that of the other. The common language spoken by the tribes who mi— grated from the interior towards the coast was then known as Aka”, which is still spoken by the Ashantis, Akims, 3 34 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. Denkiras, Wassaws, and other peoples of the interior, thus marking the common origin of these various families. Of this mother language, the Fanti of the present day is the most important dialect, a tongue that will carry you throughout a large portion of the colony, but which is more particularly spoken by the Fantis, Elminas and Chamas. This settlement by the Fantis along the shore had the effect of dividing the original inhabitants of the coast into two parts, the newly formed Fanti kingdom being the dividing state. This would account for the relation- ship still claimed by the Apollonians, Sefwis, Aowins and Ahantas in the west to the Akra and Adangme-speaking people in the east, who still claim to be brothers. About the same period that saw the removal of the Fanti tribe from their old headquarters, in the inte- rior, towards the coast, witnessed also the first growing power of the Ashantis, and the settlement of such power- ful tribes as the Sefwis, Denkiras, VVassaws and Akims to the north of the sea-coast families; until at the end of the seventeenth century, we find, according to Bosman, some eleven different states along the shore in addition to those already existing in the interior. A full list of these states has already been given in the previous chapter, so no further mention need be made of them here, except to state that the migrating tribes from the interior became from this time, 216., the seventeenth century,the dominant races upon the West Coast of Africa. Among the races thus mentioned was a common tradition, that the whole of these people were originally included in twelve tribes or families, according to Bow— dich (1817), while the Rev. J. B. Anaman of Cape Coast Castle denies this, and claims only seven great divisions, \ ANCIENT FAMILIES. 35 though the latter authority includes as sub-divisions, several of those mentioned by Bowdich as distinct families. Each of these families contained different branches, which were known by different names in the districts to which they belonged. The families mentioned by Bowdich are: Aquonna, Abrootoo, Abbradi, Essonna, Annona, Yoko, Intchwa, Abadie, Appiadie, Agoona, Tchweedam and Doomina, all of which are given in the Rev. Mr. Anaman’s list of seven families and their sub-divisions, though somewhat varied in the orthography. It would appear that each family name had a distinct significance: thus Aquonna meant bu ffalo, which was a for- bidden animal to that family ; Abrootoo was a corn stalk or ear of corn ; Abbradi, a plantain ; Essonna, a bush—cat; Annona, a parrot; Yoko, red earth: Intchwa, a dog; Appiadie, a servant; Tchweedam, a panther; Agoona, palm oil, or a place where palm oil was collected. That certain families exist down to the present day is quite true, for I have, in my travels, verified the existence of many of them, in which the natives still class themselves without regard to their national distinctions, and have seen people of quite different tribes at the present day salute as brothers, when each has mentioned the stock family to which he belongs. Of the families mentioned, perhaps the buffalo, bush- cat, panther and dog, are the oldest, marking the people who lived by hunting ; while the corn stalk and the plantain represent the beginning of agriculture; the red- earth family showing attention to buildings and dwellings; and the palm-oil family denoting the introduction of com— merce, in which the natives include the Portuguese, who were among the earliest traders to the coast. 36 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. This latter can hardly be possible, for palm oil was not known as an export in the early days, though perhaps the family was named from this commodity being used as food by the natives. There are, however, natives to be found on the Gold Coast, who assert that the Ashantis were once a water- side people, from which place they migrated to their present inland territory, conquering on their way a very powerful people called the Inlay, and many small tribes, finally establishing themselves and building Kumasi about the beginning of the eighteenth century. This conquered nation, the Intas, was supposed to have been rich in barbaric arts, many of which were adopted by their conquerors, in addition to a great portion of their language and their complete system of weights. The headquarters of this ancient Ashanti kingdom were doubt- fully placed in the country, behind the present Winnebah, along the banks of the river Ainsu, but the whole theory is not a likely solution of the origin of such a powerful race as the people in question. The ancient history of the kingdom of Ashanti is most uncertain, as it is bound to be, from a pe0ple possessing no written language or recognised traditional records; and to make it more difficult, enforcing laws to make it a capital punishment to even mention the particulars about the death of one king or the life of another. This supposed migration of the Ashantis from the coast is assumed to have been conducted by a great leader called Osai Tootoo, who, encouraged by superstitious omens, founded Kumasi, was made king and received the “stool " or native throne from his followers. To conciliate the other chiefs who accompanied and assisted him in the foundation of this FOUNDATION OF ASHANTI. 37 barbaric monarchy, he created the aristocracy, and passed a law making the royal family and its descendants exempt from capital punishment. The foundation of the Ashanti kingdom with Ku- masi as its headquarters about this time may be re- garded as an absolute fact, but as to whence they came, must still remain an open question. In the Ashanti history, dating from 1700, it will be found that a sister nation, known as the Dwabens, has always played a very important part, and it is generally admitted that the Dwabens became a distinct branch of the Ashantis, under the leadership of a chief Boitinne, a sister’s son and cousin to Osai Tootoo, at the same time that the Ashantis were building Kumasi. The town of Dwaben is stated to have already existed, some eight miles east of the site selected for the capital of Ashanti, and it is supposed when the suggested exodus from the coast took place, that the stronger party under Boitinne attacked and captured Dwaben, leaving Osai Tootoo, his weaker companion, to found Kumasi. Although the two parties thus became separate, they still remained the firmest of allies in war, sharing equally in all spoil and conquest. This common interest remained intact for over a century, all other interests becoming sub— ordinate to the one great policy of aggressive increase of territory and acquisition of barbaric power. No earlier authentic records of the Ashantis have been found, either at Cape Coast Castle or Accra, than 1780. The Moors state that the Ashanti kingdom was founded in 1700, and upon this foundation it rests, there being no chrono- logical records in existence to substantiate the statement. Osai Tootoo appears to have concentrated his energies 38 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. upon the consolidation of his newly established kingdom, making Kumasi the headquarters of his military power, and requiring his subordinate chiefs to reside in the various towns that sprang up in the immediate neigh- bourhood of the capital, bestowing dignity upon them by means of titles. 'He conciliated his conquered tribes by making them tributary powers, and checked their possible desertion by requiring their constant presence at all political festivities. He held absolute sway over all, while his chiefs and his created aristocracy held all judicial and legislative power, and looked after the common business of the state. Osai Tootoo was killed by the Atoiis in 1720, on a Saturday, some time before the completion of the build- ing of his capital. The story goes that he declared war against the people of Atoa, inhabiting the district between the Akim and Assin countries. These people, unable to face such an invader in the open field, dis— tributed their small force through the bush, and passing the main body of Osai Tootoo’s army, surprised the king and his rearguard of some 200 or 300 followers, killing them all, and shooting Osai Tootoo as he lay in his hammock. This is said to have happened at a place called Cormantee, and on a Saturday, and was the origin of the most solemn oath of the Ashantis for the future, visa, “ Miminda Cormantee,” 226., by “Saturday and Cormantee,” from which date and circumstance Saturday has always been looked upon as a fatal day by the Ashantis, and upon which no enterprise or important undertaking has since been attempted. So from the beginning of the eighteenth century and on for more than one hundred years we shall find the Ashanti power MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 39 spreading over the whole of the Gold Coast, until at last the whole country from the Ancobra to the Volta is com— pletely under their sway. As a later chapter will deal with the growth and decay of the Ashanti power, the subject may be dismissed from the present pages. At the time of which I am writing, the negro tribes inhabiting the Gold Coast were very much alike in their manners, customs, superstitions, religion and occupations. Their disposition was naturally crafty and cruel, seldom to be trusted, and they lost no opportunity of either cheating the European or one another. In addition they were naturally idle and careless, and possessed none of the finer qualities of mankind that are to be found in other races. Fortune or misfortune concerned them but little, all occasions, whether of grief, pain, joy, or even death, being seized upon as opportunities for feasting, singing and dancing. They lived in the present, speedily forgot the past, and cared not for the future. Of personal adorn- ment they were very fond, while a single cloth worn round the middle was their only clothing, thus leaving the upper portion of the body and the arms and legs quite bare. This cloth was of cotton, silk or velvet, according to the station of the wearer, whilst arms and neck were variously adorned with chains and rings‘of silver, gold or ivory. A particular vanity of the women was the manipulation of their hair in all manner of grotesque shapes and pat- terns, which they interspersed with ornaments of gold, coral or the aggrey bead to the value of many pounds sterling. The bearing and the rearing of children caused but little trouble in a negro household. The women apparently care little about their offspring, the men care less. In some t 40 ‘ THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. parts of the country the children are named after the day upon which they are born, and in others from the order in which they are born. Thus we get what in English would be Monday boy and Monday girl, and First boy, Second boy, First girl, Second girl, and so on. For the first two or‘three years the children are nursed by the mother, and then, when able to run, the child goes where it pleases, to the market for food, to the water to swim, with no one to let or hinder. Male children, as a rule, follow the occupation of their father, and are brought up when very young to his calling, while the female children become the domestic slaves of the house, till ready for sale as a wife to a neighbour. The ordinary diet of the bulk of the population was, and is at the present time, of a very simple nature. Bos- man says that twopence per (lay was sufficient to diet one of them, and at the present day but threepence is allowed for daily subsistence. Their food consists chiefly of pounded corn, yam or plantain mashed together after boiling, to the consistency of an linglish dumpling, over which is poured a little palm oil, or a few boiled herbs and peppers, to which they add a little fish. This latter is most offensive to liuropean nostrils, and is deservedly termed “stink—fish ”. In the interior fish cannot always be obtained, but its place is often supplied with a piece of dried meat of some animal caught in the chase. Of their own native drink, palm wine, they are inordinately fond, and they have also acquired a strong desire for all liquors of an intoxicating nature, but more particularly rum. The old Dutch factor of Axim must have had many opportunities of noticing their predilections in this respect, for he says : “ Let the world go how it will, CLASSES OF ’PEOPLE. 41 they must have brandy in the morning and palm wine in the afternoon, and he that hath a penny in money, thirsteth after threepenny worth of drink, which is wel- come to them night and day ; and we are forced to give strict orders to our men to watch our cellars at night, for they know too well how to get at them. They are so fond of strong drink and tobacco, that you may equally entrust bacon to a cat, as either of them within their power.” I am afraid they have not altered much since Bosman’s time, and they are not the only people endowed with such procliv'ities. In early times the people were divided into five classes or degrees, foremost among whom were the Cn/Jfaz‘ns. This title descended in direct line from father to son, and in default of such issue, to the next male in the direct line, being only set aside on account of poverty, or when another branch of the family possessed great wealth. The second were called Ca/ma’ers or 61150667193 as Bosman calls them. These were the chiefs or headmen of the town or village, whose duty was the care or welfare of the people, and to settle disputes and any tumults that might arise. The third class included all who had en— riched themselves by trade, or who had inherited wealth from their ancestors, upon the amount of which their reputation depended, and of which they made great show upon all available occasions. The fourth class compre- hended what would be called the common people, all those who obtained their living by agriculture, fishing or manual work of any kind ; while the fifth and last division was entirely composed of the slaves of the community, who were looked upon and regarded as chattels, and had ’ . 42 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. either been sold by their relations, captured in war, or brought to such a stage by poverty, if such a state existed. Of time and its divisions they had no idea except what had been learned from the Europeans. The moon to them was their clock, and by it they calculated their times for sowing and reaping. A name for each day of the week is however found in their language, pointing to the fact that the divisions of the week must have been long known to them. The general Sunday on the coast falls on our Tuesday, and that of the Mohammedans on our Friday, though it differs from no other day in the week to them ; except that no person may fish, all other kinds of work are perfectly allowable. Many of the in- terior tribes divide their time into lucky and unlucky periods, with a set time dividing the two. This dividing time between the two fortunate periods lasts seven days, which are observed as a time of idleness, or vacation, and during which they neither travel nor work. The great lucky time lasts nineteen days, then follow the seven days of unlucky time, again followed by the lesser lucky time of seven days. Though this idea is generally prevalent in the interior, the “good” and “evil” days vary in different districts. Why this distinction has been made it is difficult to determine; possibly the result of some important event first settled it, from which it passed into custom, to ultimately become a law. Marriage among the negroes is easily arranged, and the knot once tied, it can be as easily untied should the occa- sion arise. Among the lower orders the bride brings no fortune, and the bridegroom need have but very little to recommend him. Custom shows that when a young man desires a young girl for his wife, nothing is much more MARRIAGE CUSTOMS. 43 requisite than for him to apply to her father, or mother, or her nearest relations to give her to him. The request is seldom denied, and no feelings of the daughter are allowed to bar the way. The consent of the parents or relations once gained, the wedding is fixed, and all the bridegroom needs is sufficient to pay the expenses of his wedding- day, which consist of some fancy clothes for his bride and presents to her family and relations. These presents often consist of sheep or goats, rum and other drinks, together with a little gold dust or a sum of money. The richer the bridegroom, the more expensive his wedding— day; but, as a rule, a strict account is kept of everything that is presented to the bride or her relations, in order that he may recover their value again should his wife feel in- clined to leave him. Should the husband wish to leave the wife, he is free to do so, and the account is then con— sidered closed. For some days before the wedding the bride is dressed in her best, her hair done in the most approved fashion, and if her family be a rich one, she is well bedecked with gold ornaments for the hair, the neck and the arms. These are borrowed for the occasion and returned soon after the marriage. Polygamy is the rule, and a man may keep as many wives as he cares for, who often do all the work and thus keep the husband in idleness. Often in the richer families, one or two of the wives are exempt from the manual labours of the others, their work being solely to manage what household there is, and to keep the rest in order. Bosman declares that as many as twenty wives were sometimes kept, but the common number is from three to ten. The goods of married people belong separately to each, and the mother just as often sustains the children 44 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. as the father, upon whom falls the expense of clothing for all—in many cases not a very great one! In the eighteenth century it was the custom, when a man or his wife died, for the relations to come and take away everything that was left ; helping in their turn to defray the funeral expenses of the departed. Should a man have a child by one of his slaves, the child is looked upon as a slave also, unless set free before the death of its father, in accordance with the usual rites and customs necessary to be performed upon such an occasion. If this be properly carried out before the father dies, the child is then treated in every particular as a free person, but should it be neglected, the relations treat the offspring as a mere chattel to be disposed of as they will. The native law of inheritance upon the Gold Coast appears to European ideas a very strange one ; the children seldom inheriting property left by their parents. The only exception is, I believe, among the Akras. The eldest son, supposing the father to have been a king, or chief, or captain, succeeds to the title only, together with the arms borne by his deceased parent. Should the father wish to endow his eldest son with worldly goods he must do it during his lifetime, and then it must be done in a very careful manner, for should it be discovered, the relations can demand restoration from the son after his father’s death. Instead of the children inheriting the property, when there is any, it descends to the children of the brothers and sisters of the parents. The eldest son is heir to the mother’s brother or his sons, and the eldest daughter is heiress to her mother’s sister or her daughters. Thus we find many instances of the native kings and chiefs educating their sister’s son as their own, and ap- SUPERSTITIONS. 45 pointing him as next successor to the throne. This extraordinary rule of succession, excluding all children but those ofa sister, is explained in the following manner. The natives say they are more sure that the son of their sister is of their own blood than they are of their own ; and that if the wives of the sons are faithless, the blood of the family is entirely lost in the offspring, but if the daughters are faithless to their husbands, the blood is still preserved in part. Not a great tribute to the Virtues of the women, certainly ! Superstition is still rife among the natives, particu— larly among those of the interior. In Ashanti the tra- dition of the origin of the white and the black man is known to every one, though it differs somewhat from the tradition current on the coast. This forms the source of their religious ideas, and runs as follows: “ In the beginning of the world God created three white men and three black men, with the same number of women ; he resolved, in order that they might not after— wards complain. to give them their choice of good and evil. A large box or calabash was set on the ground, with a piece of paper, sealed up, on one side of it. God gave the black men the first choice, who took the box, expecting it contained everything, but on opening it, there appeared only a piece of gold, a piece of iron and several other metals of which they (lid not know the use. The white men opening the paper, it told them every- thing. God left the blacks in the bush, but conducted the whites to the water—side (for this happened in Africa), communicated with them every night, and taught them to build a small ship, which carried them to another country, whence they returned after a long period, with 46 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. various merchandise, to barter with the blacks, who might have been the superior people.” In some parts of the colony, the people believe that man was created by a great spider called Amanfie, whilst among others the opinion is generally shared that God created two kinds of men, black and white, and offered them two sorts of gifts, 21213., gold and knowledge. The blacks had the first choice, and being covetous chose the gold, leaving knowledge to the white man. God gave them their gift, but as a punishment he decreed that the whites should be for ever their masters, and they (the blacks) should be obliged to wait on them as their slaves. No part of the Gold Coast is without its particular deity, which is known as a “fetish,” and is supposed to inhabit particular animals, forests, mountains, trees and rivers. These fetishes are revered in proportion as their predictions (known through the fetish priest and told to the people) are realised. The river Tando was a favourite fetish of the Ashantis, and also the Prah ; whilst at Accra the bush—cat was revered, and at Dixcove and other places along the coast the alligator. This last is still worshipped in the present century, and the natives say there is an alligator about twelve feet long in a fresh-water stream near Dixcove, which appears at the call of the fetish man, and receives in payment a white fowl. I was invited to test this by the natives in 1895. Bosnian derives Fetishe to mean false God, which the natives call “ Bossum,” hence the Bossum or sacred Prah of the Ashantis. The fear of the fetish is deeply im— planted in the breast of every negro, particularly those who reside in the interior of the colony. When travelling through the Kwahu district in 1897, I \VEST AFRICAN FETISH. 47 found upon inquiry, that the principal fetish of the district had previously resided in a range of mountains called Atiwa Yaw, supposed to be named after him. He was, from all accounts, a very clever fellow, for he imposed upon the people for years, until, emboldened by ' his success, he threatened to clear out all the natives in his district who professed Christianity, with a breath. What a sulphurous breath he must have had i A stir was made, a trap laid for him, and he was captured and deported to Accra. \Vhen arrested, he refused to go unless accom- panied by some Christian natives, to protect him on the way from the violence of his previous dupes and votaries, who were now as greatly incensed against him as they had previously been in fear of him, seeing that he was shown to be human like themselves, and not a spirit. He, how- ever, threatened to return, but never did. Two false “ Atiwa Yaws,” however, sprang up, both were captured and well flogged by the natives, and many sheep were killed in order to mark the event, the false “Atiwas” being called upon to pay for all the sheep killed. The Krobo Mountain in the eastern part of the colony, near the river Volta, was once a stronghold of fetishes, and held the whole of the surrounding country in its power, until destroyed by the late Sir W. Brandford Griffith early in 1893. Every family has its own domestic fetishes, supplied by the priests. These consist of rude wooden figures of people and animals, ofthe most extraordinary shapes and propor- tion. They are kept in the house, and upon all customs and festivals are the recipients of good-will offerings and drink. A string across a road, a branch laid in the path, a bottle hung outside his hut, are sufficient to deter a native 48 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. from any undertaking, so afraid are they of “fetish”. A FETISH l’RIliS'I‘. Upon every occasion his aid is invoked; for trade, for THE FETISH PRIEST. 49 war, for a journey, for good, for evil, the fetish priest is visited, his verdicts are easily swallowed, and his word never doubted. Happily all this deception is slowly passing away, but in the past every village and town had its appointed grove dedicated to the fetish, where both chief and people frequently visited to make their personal or other offerings. These groves were sacred, and no one was allowed to pluck, cut or break the branches of the trees that formed them, under the most terrible male- dictions and punishments. The fetish priests, or as they are more commonly called, the fetish men, are of two orders, the superior and the inferior classes. The first are generally supposed to actually dwell with the fetish, for whom a small, round house is generally provided a short distance from the town or village, and which no ordinary inhabitant dare approach. The superior classes of fetish men question the spirit upon all matters relating to the future fortune or state of the individual who invokes their aid, convey the answers of the oracle, and call the attention of those spirits to the questions asked by their relations left on earth, who seek advice upon some important point con- cerning their present welfare. The lower classes of fetish, in addition to their supposed spiritual work, follow their ordinary daily occupation, assisting only in the annual native customs and festivals, and act in general as very ordinary specimens of magicians or sorcerers. This power, however, is quite enough to strongly impress the native mind, and an exhibition of it consists of tying, knotting or dividing a number of cords behind the back, or of plaiting and separating several strips or thongs of leather. There are fetish women as well as fetish men, but 4 50 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. these generally confine their attention to medical cures, and are further notorious for their loose ideas of morality. Every application to the fetish must be accompanied by a gift-offering, which, in gold-bearing areas, is gene- rally preferred by the deity (so says the priest) to be in the shape of a quantity of the precious metal. The kings of Ashanti paid as much as ten ounces of gold, in addition to several slaves, for each invocation of the fetish priest ; whilst the poorer inhabitants could invoke his aid for a sum varying according to their circum— stances. Bowdich says the Ashantis had no fixed fetish day or Sunday, different families selecting different days of the week, upon which they abstained from work and drink. The former abstention I can quite understand, but not the latter. Of all their customs, that of the yarn is the most im- portant. It occurs annually at the maturity of that vegetable, which, planted in December, is ready for gathering in September, and furnishes the opportunity for the wildest exhibition of native licence and passion. Theft, intrigue and assault are all forgiven during the continuance of this annual feast. Throughout the whole length of the land, the inhabi— tants of the coast towns obtained their living by fishing and the making of canoes. These latter vary much in size: the smallest from ten to twelve feet long by two to three feet broad, to the largest size some thirty feet long by six feet broad. In the management of these frail craft they are most expert, and do not appear in the least concerned should they capsize and precipitate their worldly belongings into the sea. The canoe is quickly righted, baled out, and again manned, to be OCCUPATIONS. 5 1 again very soon the victim of a similar fate. In addition to the use of the canoe for fishing, it forms the means for communication and transport of goods from port to port. In them the natives will venture far out to sea, quite out of sight of land, using a large square sail, that bellies out with the wind, and carries the boat through the water at a rapid pace. The canoes carry, according to size, from three to fifteen men, who sit in twos along the sides of the boat, leaving the odd man to steer from the stern. All the larger boats have weather boards in the bow, consisting of planks raised two feet or more to keep out the seas. Instead of oars, paddles are used, which along the Gold Coast are made with a broad spade—like blade, with rather a short handle. In other parts of the colony plantation work is the general occupation, and in the early days of the colony much rice was grown, particularly in the country round Axim, and carried to all parts of the coast. In other parts the people gave their attention to the cultivation of corn, yams, potatoes, plantain and bananas, and the preparation of palm oil. It would be very difficult to find at the present day a potato grown in the Gold Coast ; rice is now very largely imported, but much attention is still given to the cultivation of the yam, cassada and the sweet potato. A large proportion of the people are, and always have been, engaged in trade, acting as the middle— men between the traders on the coast and the people in the far interior. People of all tribes find employment in this capacity, particularly the Ashantis in later years. Head carriage forms almost the only means of transport in the colony, though, where possible, canoes will be found on all the larger water-ways and lagoons. The average 52 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. native will carry a load of from forty to sixty pounds upon his head for some fifteen miles in a day; though for his own purposes he will carry much more; a private NATXYE POTTERY AND SIL\'ER\VORK OF THE ASHANTIS. load often weighing as much as 100 pounds. Everything is carried on the head, from an empty bottle to a case of MANUAL ARTS. 5 3 provisions, and it is very seldom that an accident occurs. Through the swamps knee-deep in thick, black mud, up and down the rocky mountain sides, and through the rivers, men, women and children do all the transport work, bringing down the produce of the interior to the coast, and returning to their homes laden with articles of European produce of all descriptions. In manual arts the colony is not rich, which by Bos- man is attributed to the general laziness of the negro. The chief arts to which they turn their attention are the manufacture of wooden and earthen cups, matting, brass or copper ointment boxes, and ornaments of gold, silver and ivory. In the manufacture of gold and silver orna- ments they are very adept, particularly when the rude nature of their tools and implements is taken into con— sideration. Specimens of their work will be found on page 52. One of their chief handicrafts is smithwork. In past times all their own implements of war (guns excepted) and agricultural tools were made with the aid of a hard stone for an anvil, a pair of tongs, and a pair of bellows with two or three pipes blowing into an open fire. I have not seen any examples of the gold and silver hat bands made for the Dutch in the time of Bosman, of which he says the thread and texture was so fine that he questioned whether European artists would not be much put about to imitate them. I must not omit to give some description of the weav— ing of native cloth; an illustration of the loom used will be found on page 54. Bowdich says that he found the Ashanti loom to be precisely upon the same principle as the English, being 54 T1119 (ROLI) COAST PAST AND PRESENT. worked by strings held between the toes. The web from this loom is never more than four inches broad. They use a spindle for spinning, holding it in one hand, and twisting the thread (which has a weight at one end) between the finger and thumb of the other. In this primitive manner they manufacture cloths of great fine— NA'l'lYli 1400M l“()l{ \\‘l{A\'IN(i CLOTH. ness, variety of pattern, and brilliancy of colour, the pattern running through the cloth, and having the same appearance on both sides. This loom, of which an illustration is given, is not common to the Ashanti country. 1 have seen them at work in the Awoonah, Akin} and Kwahu territories, though very possibly it NATIVE LOOMS AND CLOTHS. 55 was introduced into these countries by Ashanti work- men. The cotton from which their native cloth is made is either imported linglish yarn, dyed with native dyes, or spun from the cotton produced in their own country. They prefer their own dyes, saying that European colours are not fast. Bowdich mentions two dyes only used by the Ashantis, red and yellow, obtained from dye woods, and a third, blue, obtained from the leaves of a plant growing about two feet high, which when mixed with their yellow produces a very fine green. I have found these myself in the Akim forests and in the Krobo country, and in addition, a fourth, a black dye. This is a climber called Otatsche, which, when pounded and boiled, gives a rich deep-black dye. The bark and the wood of the Odubeng give the yellow; the leaves of the plant Akasé, or as Bowdich says, Acassic, for blue, and the seeds of the fruit Tsere, a bush growing in Krobo, which yields a red dye called Tchara. Mr. R. Mohr was kind enough to obtain speci- mens of these for me in 1897, when I was at Begoro in that year inspecting the schools of the Basle Mission at that station. On another page will be found illustrations of the native pottery of the coast, particularly the pipes. The manufacture of these is not confined to the Ashanti country; most of the specimens I obtained from Osino, in Akim, only one coming from Ashanti. They are of two kinds, black and brown, made of clay, both admitting of a high polish by friction, and decorated with rude patterns, the grooves of which are filled in with a white chalk. A long stem, often of silver, is 56 THE GOLD COAST LPAST AND PRESENT. attached to these pipes, the bowl being allowed to rest on the ground when smoked. Leather is prepared and worked in Ashanti and the countries farther inland, particularly in the Hausa territory; sandals, cushions, belts, pouches, saddles, cases for native knives and swords, and coverings for bottles being among the chief manufactured articles in this branch of industry. Of their woodwork the Ashanti stool is a fair specimen, which is cut from a solid block and variously ornamented. Chief among the occupations of the people in the early history of the colony were fishing and hunting. For the latter, the poisoned arrow was largely used to bring down the largest game, including even the elephant. At Labadi and Ponni, villages to the east of Accra, were enclosures, in which was stored the ivory obtained from the slaughter of the elephants, once so numerous, even in the Gold Coast. To the Fantis is attributed the credit of being the first to manufacture nets and hooks for fishing in the sea, and no great improvement in these articles appears to have been made down to the present day. Next to fishing and hunting, came the manufacture of salt and the washing for gold. The former was carried on at all towns along the coast, that were not engaged in trad- . ing with the Europeans who frequented this part of the world, and appears to have been done in the roughest manner. Sea—water was boiled in earthen pots, some ten or twelve in number, arranged in two rows, and cemented together with clay. Under this a fire was kindled and the salt obtained by the evaporation of the water. The Portuguese are supposed to have intro- duced the use of salt-pits and pans, into which the sea and lagoon waters were allowed to run and spread t NATIVE. GAMES. ' . 57 themselves, to be evaporated‘by the extreme heat of the sun. “In this way the people of the coast towns supplied the tribes of the interior with salt in exchange for slaves and gold. Washing for gold was carried on in Akim, Denkira, \Vassaw and Ashanti, whilst people on the coast through- out Fantiland, at Elmina and Axim, washed for gold on the sea-shore after a heavy fall of rain. Thus, agriculture, pottery, fishing, hunting, weaving, salt—boiling, gold-washing and gold—work were the original occupations of the people, to which have been added by the Europeans the arts of carpentry, cooperage, masonry, tailoring, boot-making and clerkship. Native games are few; the chief of them is known as \Varri, which, like Bowdich, I have been unable to under- stand. [l is a game played by young and old, [lie only regm'sz'les bez'flg some émm‘ or cozmlem‘ and Izoles in t/ze ground, or a [ward upon a rival lzollowea’ wll/z taps into tolzz'r/z 1126 (071111673 arc played. It is understood in all parts of the colony; is no doubt of very ancient origin, and is reported to have been played in Syria. Another favourite game is draughts, which is again almost uni- versally played, somewhat resembling the Polish game in its details. The moves and takes are backwards and forwards, and a king moves like a bishop in the game of chess. A third game is played with a board resembling a cribbage board in its perforations, which run in oblique lines in all directions, and each line composed of three holes for pegs. The players have each an equal number of pegs, and begin to play at the same time, and the one who completes a line first, in spite of the play of his adversary, wins a peg from him, and so on until his stock 58 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. is exhausted and the game won. At Akropong in the Aquapim country, and at several other places, I found the natives gambling for cowries, by spinning beans upon a mat spread on the ground. The native name for this game I was unable to discover, but it was well known by the English name of “marbles”. Any number of players can join in the game; sitting in a circle with the mat spread in the centre, a stake is fixed upon, and the winner is the one whose bean knocks out most of the others when all are set spinning. Needless to say, noise, animated discussions and interference by the lookers-on form part of all native games. I cannot do better than close this chapter with a de- scription of the “ Aggrey Bead,” one of the few genuine antiquities of the coast. They are reported to be found in the following countries, and are as a rule worth twice their weight in gold: Denkira, Akim, VVassaw, Ahanta and Fanti. The natives say the greater number is found in Denkira, owing to its extra richness in gold. They were originally used as ornaments of dress, and the riches of an individual were computed by the number of these aggrey beads which he possessed, in addition to his wealth in gold. The Rev. Carl Reindorf says: “The mosaic beads known as aggrey beads (Bosnian calls them Conte de Terra) found chiefly on the Gold Coast and the Slave Coast must have been brought hither from Egypt”. The beads are found in the ground, and native tradition asserts, that the people are directed to dig for them in those spots where a spiral vapour is seen issuing from the ground, and that they are seldom found near the surface. The finderof aggrey beads is said to be assured of future good fortune. They are of two kinds, plain and varie- TIIE AGGREY READ. 59 gated. The former are of a blue, green, yellow or dull red, while the latter embrace every variety of shade and colour. The Fantis are said to prefer those of the plain yellow colour, whilst the Apollonians prefer the yellow and blue shades. Wherever they came from and what- ever their origin, they are of great antiquity, the art of making them, if it was ever known in these parts, being entirely lost, so that it is not improbable, if Egypt ever had any communication with this part of Africa, they may have been imported from that country. Dr. Leyden says : “ The aigris is a stone of a greenish- blue colour, supposed to be a species ofjasper, small, per- forated pieces of which, valued at their weight in gold, are used as money”. Bowdich never heard of this, and I must say I have never heard of them being used as money. The late Sir R. F. Burton speaks of them as the “ Popo Bead,” which the above rather describes; though that is semi—transparent, something like carnelian, and said to be found in the same manner as the aggrey bead. Another writer upon the subject, Issert, says: “They are a sort of coral with inlaid work ; the art of making the beads is entirely lost, or never was known in these parts, thus pointing to their foreign origin i’. The beads of variegated strata are so firmly united, and so cleverly blended, that they seem superior to manu- facture; some resemble mosaic, whilst the surfaces of others are so delicately covered with minute flowers and regular patterns, the shading so softened into one another, and into the shades of the body of the bead, that nothing but the finest painting could equal them. Others show flowers and patterns deep in the body of the bead, with opaque lines of colour running from the centre to the 60 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. surface. Imitations of the true aggrey bead have certainly been manufactured and imported into the country during more recent times (I have in my pos- session several such imitations), which the natives called boiled beads, stating that they consist of broken aggrey beads, ground into powder and mixed. They are also heavier than the true aggrey bead. A belief is common among the people. that if aggrey beads are buried in the ground, they not only grow, but breed. This probably arose from the practice of burying a number of these beads with the corpse of a deceased person, the number of beads buried varying in proportion to the rank of the departed. Another use for them was to grind a number to powder, and after the body of the deceased had been well greased, to paint the body with the dust of the aggrey beads before its interment. The burial of the dead in this part of the world is accom- panied with many rites and ceremonies,and much drinking of spirits and palm wine. The lamentations are dismal and loud, and respect is supposed to be paid to the de— parted by the firing of muskets at intervals throughout the days before the funeral. ln some parts of the country the corpse is interred under the floor of the dwelling-house, accompanied with many presents of gold and beads for the use of the departed. These buried treasures often form stores of wealth for the family to use hereafter, so that a man, when poor, may dig over his forefather’s grave and obtain the wealth there hidden. I have heard a native of Accra state, that he has thus lived for years upon his ancestors! The bodies of kings were often kept above ground for a whole year. l’utrefaction was prevented by placing the body upon a wooden bier something like THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD. 61 a gridiron, and keeping a very slow fire burning under- neath, by which process the body was slowly dried. When this was complete, the body would be richly clothed and placed in the coffin, other rich cloths, gold dust and aggrey beads being also placed with the corpse for use in its future state. The richer the deceased had been, the greater the number of the articles that were buried with him, and the greater their value. The burying places for the kings were always selected in secluded spots, either in the mountains or away in the depths of the bush. The actual place of interment was carefully concealed, and often the bearers who had carried the corpse to its last resting place were, upon their return to the town, ordered to be put to death by the chiefs, in order to preserve the secret of the burying place. This was a common practice in the Akim country. 62 CHAPTER III. The SeasonsACliInateu'l‘he Harmattan —I’roduetions*Vegeta- tion-Animal Life — Exports -—Imports ——Habitations — The Slave Trade—Its Rise and Fallrr—‘The Labour Question. SITUATED north of the Equatorial line between the parallels of 4” 45’ and 6” 45’ North, according to the early extent of the colony, the seasons are naturally divided into the wet and the dry periods. The former com- mences early in April and continues until late in August, and the latter lasts from this latter date until the suc- ceeding April. Although this period is called the “dry” season, it must not be supposed that no rain falls. On the contrary, September, October and November are each interrupted by what are called the “smalls” or the second rains, but from the end of November to the fol- lowing April fair weather prevails. As in other tropical countries, each change of season is marked by violent atmospheric disturbances in the shape of thunderstorms and tornadoes, those introducing the rainy season being by far the most violent of any that occur on the coast. The rains come, as a rule, from the cast, but often veer round to the south, finally settling down to the south-west. It must not be imagined that rain falls uninterruptedly during the rainy season. After the first burst, bright days of sunshine intervene from time to time, but, owing to the extreme amount of moisture to be found every- THE SEASONS. 63 where, clouds of vapour rise from the wet earth, and hang about like a white fog. The wind is uncertain, everything is damp, and malaria accumulates from the great pools of water and the rapidly decaying vegetation which everywhere abound. The rains, though severe at all parts of the coast, are more so at and in the neigh- bourhood of Cape Coast, heavy thunderstorms, continu— ous downpours, and violent tornadoes, following in succession, with but short spells of sunshine intervening : rivers become torrents, low—lying lands are inundated, and the coast lagoons burst through their banks into the sea. Towards the end of the rainy season the showers become lighter and less frequent; dense masses ofvapour gather at night, and are not dispelled till the sun is well up next day; the weather is much colder, particularly the nights, and the period is generally considered to be the most unhealthy time for Europeans on the coast. The fogs that prevail at this time are known as the “smokes". October, November and December particularly are con- sidered to be the hottest months in this part of the world, as September is generally the coldest. The dry season fairly sets in by October, and with the exception of the “smalls” or lesser rains in November, fair weather remains, with brilliant sunshine, until the following April, when nature again proceeds to usher in the rainy season. In the interior, owing no doubt to the dense vegetation and the elevation of the land, the rains begin earlier in the season, and are more sudden and frequent in their appearance than on the coast line. The land- and sea-breezes alternate very regularly throughout the wet and the dry seasons. The former comes up about sunset from the north-west and the latter from the south- 64 THE. GOLD COAST PASTlAND PREsENT.‘ west soon after sunrise every morning. Upon the moun- tains in the interior it is later, occurring with great regularity about 10 A.M., from sunrise'to that time being often a period of stifling heat. So far as I have been able to ascertain, the Fantis are the only people along the coast who divide the year into divisions, according to its climatic conditions, bestowing upon each a distinct and particular name. These divisions are nine in num- ber, commencing with the Harmattan in January, and finishing with the small tornadoes in December. The Harmattan is a periodical wind which blows at the beginning of the year, varying in its commencement from the middle of January to the middle of February, and which is generally ushered in by a violent tornado. Mr. Zimmerman, an old resident on the coast, describes. it as blowing from January to March or April. This wind blows with a peculiar effect, drying and parching the skin and drying up the vegetation. A fine dust comes with it, and during its continuance its progress is marked by the creaking of Madeira chairs and sofas, the cracking of veneered articles, and the curling up of papers and the covers of books. During my last tour (1896—1897) its influence was felt at Aburi, some twenty— seven miles north of Accra, as early as Christmas Day, 1896, and continued throughout January and part of February. The air becomes hot and dry, with very cool mornings and evenings, which to the European are very beneficial, though not so to the natives. Sensible perspiration is sensibly diminished, the action of the kidneys is far more active than at other times, and a sense of dryness is experienced in the nostrils and about the lips. Table salt, which at all ordinary times is in a THE \HARMATTAN. ‘ 65 semi-liquid state, owing to the extreme humidity of the air, becomes solid and hard, and glasses have been known to crack and fall to pieces as they stood upon the table. Its extreme dryness may be indicated by the fact that evaporation proceeds at the rate of several inches per day (9%), whilst the total evaporation in England is but 36 inches per annum. Much of this extreme dryness is accounted for by the direction from which this wind blows, coming as it does from the great Sahara Desert, from a point a little to the west of due north. To “old coasters” this breeze is very wel- come ; to new comers it is apt to be a trifle trying. The term Harmattan is of disputed origin. On the Gold Coast it is called by the natives Aharabata or Ahalabata, while the Rev. Mr. Christaller in his book gives it as Hara- mata, and the Spanish is Harmatan, an Arabic word. The average range of temperature throughout the Gold Coast is not excessive, though the climate must be described as hot, with some variations during certain seasons of the year. The average shade temperature ranges between 85° and 90° F., falling to 86° during the Harmattan, and of course lower during the tornado season. The extreme humidity of the atmosphere at times gives one the sensation of cold rather than of extreme heat, causing Europeans to wear a much heavier kind of clothing than is usually considered ne- cessary in countries so near the Equator. Woollen garments are the best to wear next the skin, and blankets the most comfortable to sleep under at night. So great is the humidity, particularly along the coast, that all descriptions of wearing apparel rapidly spoil, that which is not destroyed by the ravages of moth 5 66 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. and cockroach being quickly attacked by mildew and rust. Much difference of opinion exists with regard to the general unhealthiness of this part of the world. Sierra Leone was of old known as the “White Man’s Grave,” and in course of time the same appellation was bestowed upon the Gold Coast and Lagos. That the country has been unhealthy for the continued residence of Europeans admits of no question, and that it will remain for ever so, more or less, while only a narrow strip of low—lying malarious coast line forms the country selected for the habitations of the white traders and officials compelled to reside there, admits of little doubt. In the past, white men were quartered amidst surroundings that were totally unfit for habitation, and in which, in England, people would have hesitated to have located an animal. European quarters were rented side by side with the huts of the natives, round which the accumulated filth of families was allowed to rapidly decompose, and to poison 'the surrounding air. Little or no system of drainage existed, and consequently every channel and gutter in the street became a sort of open drain when the rains set in, and began to disturb and carry away the stored up dirt of the dry season, spreading disease and sickness among the white population. This sickness gradually disappeared as the rains decreased, and with the advent of the dry season, a more general feeling of safety for the next few months brought relief to the re- maining white population of the towns along the coast. This was of annual occurrence for a long period, particu- larly when Cape Coast Castle was the headquarters of the seat of the Government. After 1874, when a more CLIMATE or THE COAST. 67 healthy site was looked for, it was decided to transfer the capital to some other spot. Accra was fixed upon, why I have never been able to discover. It possesses no more natural advantages for commerce than Cape Coast offered, and is situated upon a low-lying tract of sandy soil, bounded both east and west by lagoons. No attempt seems to have been made to secure an elevated spot a short distance from the coast as the seat of Government, and for the residence of Europeans. Many such spots exist, but there was, and is still, no transport to these higher grounds, except upon the heads of the natives by means of a hammock. The hill region of Aquapim lies within twenty miles north by west of Accra; Aburi is but twenty—seven miles from the coast and stands 1400 feet above the sea, where Europeans now go to recuperate after a dose of malarial fever. Why not have faced the difficulty of transport and constructed a railway from the coast to this elevated inland district? But no, Accra was selected, and from Accra no railway could be laid because no railway machinery and plant could be safely landed without first constructing a harbour, and this meant an almost unlimited outlay of money. SO the Gold Coast has gone on from year to year with its death—rate much about the same. Constant change of officers, want of continuity of service and work in the same department, limited occupations, scanty amuse- ments, poor quarters, have all contributed to keep up the bad name of the colony, and to embarrass commercial progress in one of the richest of our tropical possessions. \Vithin the last few years many improvements both in quarters and sanitation have been effected, but there still exist in many places along the coast habitations 68 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. that are not fit for the continued residence of Europeans. Until the higher situations are selected, away from the native quarters of the towns, so long will the death—rate continue to be high and violent epidemics occur. On account of the prevalence of the sea-breeze from the south-west, the western portion of the Gold Coast is called the Windward District. This extends from Half Assini to the mouth of the Secoom River, some twelve miles west of Accra. From this point begins the Leeward District, which extends eastward to the Volta River. Thus, on the coast windward means west, and leeward, east, similar to the West India de- scription, but in East Africa the opposite is the case, for there windward means east. Bosman found the hottest months to be from October to March, and the coldest to be September, when he says, “We could well endure a fire as in Europe”. He also ascribes the unhealthiness of the place to two reasons: First, the extreme heat of the day followed by the cool- ness of the night, and second, the thick damp or mist that is constantly rising from the low-lying marshy grounds. This latter is made more noxious, he says, “by the negroes’ pernicious custom of laying their fish for five or six days to putrefy before they eat it, and to their easing their bodies round their houses and all over their towns ”. There is no doubt that the great difference between the air in Europe and West Africa has the effect of lowering the constitution, causing one to be the more susceptible to malarial influences, and that, after an attack of fever, the great drawback is the poor quality of the food obtainable. There is little or nothing in the way of food, to be tempting to a weakened digestion. The PRODUCTIONS OF THE COUNTRY. 69 oxen, sheep and fowls are all lean, dry and tough, requiring an amount of energy, appetite and determina- tion to eat them that a sound man seldom possesses, much less so a man who has just recovered from an attack of malarial fever. Early writers describe the good weather as beginning in September and continuing for the five succeeding months; the bad weather or wet season taking up the remaining six months of the year. The latter season, the rainy one, was further described as containing two rainy, two misty, and two windy months. But then, as now, the seasons altered from year to year, the dry season coming one year earlier than another; the same of which may be said of the winds and the rain. The productions ofthe country are largely agricultural, supplying the natives with such a continuous succession of crops, that famine and want of food are absolutely unknown. The whole soil of the country is extremely fertile, providing an abundance of food plants, fruits and useful trees. These may be divided into two classes: those indigenous to the soil, and those that have been introduced into the country. Among those that-were cultivated by the early inhabitants, and upon which they lived, were yams, cassada, maize, rice and variOus kinds of beans, while the arrival of Europeans upon the coast stimulated further cultivation, and led to the introduction of many foreign grains, plants and fruit trees ; the Portu- guese being-credited with the introduction of millet, corn, plantain, banana, orange and apple. There is a tradition in the country that the plantain and the banana belonged to the Gold Coast, and were first discovered in Akim, but it is more than probable that the first roots were taken there from one of the ports on the coast. After 70 THE GOLD COAST PAST ANT) PRESENT. the Portuguese, the Danish traders interested themselves in teaching the natives to further cultivate the soil, and in- troduced coffee and cotton plantations upon the hill lands behind Accra. Since these early times the Basle Mission has worked very hard to teach the native to improve the cultivation of his country, both by example and by the introduction of missionary labour from the West Indies. In 1843, some twenty-four members of the Mor- avian Mission in Jamaica were brought to the Gold Coast and established at Akropong, a hill station some 1400 feet above the level of the sea, and two days’ journey north by east of Accra. The expense of this experiment was borne by the Basle Mission Society, and at the present day there is one ofthese \Vest Indians still living at Aburi, the Rev. Mr. Clark. By this expedition, the coco, mango, mountain—pear and bread—nut were introduced into the country, and attempts were also made to cultivate to- bacco. In addition to the fruits already mentioned, the paw-paw, water-melon, lime, pine—apple, sour-sop and guava grow in different parts of the colony, but they lack many of the fine qualities expected in such fruits, owing to the want of care upon the part of the natives in their cultivation. Rice is grown in Apollonia in the west, and at Quahu in the north, while ground—nuts, beans, onions and tomatoes are found in different parts of the colony. The sugar-cane flourishes in the wet lowlands t0 the east, and coffee is now very extensively grown in all parts of the colony, particularly by the members of the Basle Mission Society, and Messrs. A. Miller Bros. A great variety of useful trees is found throughout the land. Along the shore, particularly at its western and eastern limits, cocoa-nut palms grow in great PRODUCTIONS OF THE COUNTRY. 71 abundance, but little or no use is made of them for the export of copra, coir fibre and coir yarn. In the west, chiefly in Wassaw and Apollonia, the bamboo palm grows freely, supplying at one time a good article of export in the form of fibre, called piassava. The most important of the palms, however, is the oil palm, which grows most luxuriously and abundantly in many parts of the colony, furnishing the markets of liurope and America with most valuable articles of trade in palm oil and palm kernels. Many kinds of rubber trees and vines are to be found in the extensive forests that stretch across the country from the Ancobra to the Volta, and a large and increasing trade is now being done in ma— hogany and other timbers of an equally useful nature. The oil palm, before mentioned, supplies the inhabi- tants with their native drink, we, palm wine. Bosman says in his day there were four varieties of this palm known in the colony, and sings high the praises of both the oil and the wine that were obtained from them. The same writer also states that rice was once so plenti— fully grown, that it was easy to load a ship with it, perfectly cleaned, at one penny or less the pound. Vegetation in the Gold Coast may be said to flourish down to the water’s edge, though near the coast line it is of a bushy and scrubby nature. The coast plains to the east on the right bank of the river Volta are covered with a thick, coarse, rank grass, growing some four to six feet high, and interspersed at intervals with clumps of bushes and shrubs. After the low—lying coast plains are passed, the country becomes elevated and more wooded, the hillsides are covered with timber, and the bush on either side of the path becomes impenetrable, 72 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. . owing to the dense tropical undergrowth that exists on ‘all sides. The forests are full of valuable timber trees. The animal life of the colony has much changed during ,the last two centuries, and at the present day you may travel through the length and breadth of the land without finding occasion to use your gun. Through the thick bush nothing is seen and very little heard, while on the plains, an occasional bush deer or a few birds form the only sport to be met with. Up the rivers you may be fortunate enough to have a pot shot at some lazy alligator sleeping in the sun on the muddy bank, but should you miss him, he soon disappears and seeks safety in the depths of the river beneath you. To-day very few tropical animals find shelter in the thick forests, that once formed the hiding-places of elephants, hyenas, leopards, panthers, antelopes, buffaloes, wild hogs, por- cupines and squirrels, whilst the trees were alive with gorillas, baboons and black and many other coloured monkeys. At one time a great trade was carried on in monkey skins, but these are now much scarcer throughout the coast, the increasing warfare against these animals having practically exterminated them in the provinces near the shore. As late as 1894110 fewer than 168,045 skins were exported of the value of £41,000, while in 1896 the number fell to 67,660. Add to this the number that annually dies, and it is not far distant when the pro- cess of extermination will outstrip that of reproduction. To find solitary specimens of these animals you must now travel to the remotest and least frequented parts of the colony, and then possibly be rewarded only by disappointment for your energy. Snakes of many varieties, including pythons, horned adders, puff adders ’ ANIMAL LIFE. 73 and black cobras, though common, are seldom s‘cen in the day time. Many of the smaller kinds are of a most poisonous nature, but the largest are not so dangerous. At Kpong, on the right bank of the Volta, I have seen them as long as twelve and sixteen feet, and as big round as a man’s leg. These were generally killed by the watchman at night, when they came from their hiding- places among the palm oil barrels to“make their de- predations upon the poultry in the yard. Bosman tells some very good snake stories, of which the following are examples. At Axim, during his time, the natives killed a snake twenty-two feet long, which, when opened, was found to contain the body of a full-grown deer. Another snake, not quite so large, was found near Boutri, in whose body a negro was found. He also relates that his servants when near Mouri found a snake seventeen feet long, engaged in a combat with two porcupines. The men, after witnessing the battle for some time, killed all the combatants, and brought them to Mouri, where they were eaten by their comrades with great relish. \Vhile the Dutch fort was in course of con- struction at the same place,’the workmen found a snake of considerable dimensions behind a heap of stones (a common hiding—place), and to dislodge him they removed a great number of the stones, until half of his body was uncovered. One of the natives then seized him by the tail, thinking to dislodge him in this way, but finding this not at all an easy task, he hacked away as much of his body as was visible, and continued to clear away the stones. The snake thus freed, clung round the body of the native, darting his poison into his face, and some entering his eyes, he became temporarily blind, but 74 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. again recovered his sight. Leopards were once plentiful in the colony, coming down to the trading forts and seizing and carrying off any stray animal to be found within their reach. Bosman calls them tigers, and describes how he assisted in killing one about the size of a common calf, besides being well provided with large teeth and claws. They must have been common along the whole coast, for he also mentions that a boy from their factory at Sekondi was attacked and killed by a tiger. The countries ofoim and Ante were full of these animals, and the capture of one was the occasion for much drinking and enjoyment on the part of the negroes. Elephants too were once numerous in the Gold Coast, but very few of these animals have been seen of late years. The old Dutch chronicler’s account of an elephant shoot is very interesting. “In the year 1700, in December, at six in the morning, an elephant came here to Elmina, walking easily along the shore under the hill of St. jago. Some natives were so bold as to go against him without anything in their hands, as a sort of welcome to bring him in, when one of our officers belonging to the hill and a native who came down with him, fired on him immediately, the officer’s ball hitting him above his eye. This and the following shots which the natives poured on him were so far from provoking him, that they did not move him to mend his pace in the least. He went on, and lastly stepped into our garden, expecting perhaps civiler treatment there. This drew the Director-General and myself into the garden, followed by our people. \Ve found him standing in the garden, breaking down the cocoa—nut trees. either to divert himself or to show us his strength. \Vhilst he ENCOUNTER WITH AN ELEPHANT. 75 stood here above one hundred shots were fired at him, which made him bleed as if an ox had been killed. During all which he did not stir, except to set up his ears, which were of a prodigious size. But this sport was accompanied with a tragical event, for a native fancying himself able to deal with him, went softly behind him, caught his tail in his hand, intending to cut a piece of it off, but the elephant, being used to wear a tail, would not permit it to be shortened in his life time. Wherefore, after giving the native a stroke with his snout, he drew him to him, and trod upon him two or three times, and, as if that was not sufficient, he bored in his body two holes with his teeth, large enough for a man’s fist to enter. Then he let him lie without making any further attempt upon him, and stood still also whilst two natives fetched away the dead body. After the elephant had killed the native, and had been about an hour in the garden, he wheeled about as if he intended to fall on us, so that each endeavoured to secure himself by getting away. We all flew out of the garden by the fore-door, and the elephant took to the back door, which, whether in his way, or too narrow for him to pass, he flung, though a brick and a half thick, a good distance. After which he forced his way through the garden hedge, going softly by Mount St. Jago towards the river, where he bathed, in order to wash off the blood and to cool himself. After a little while in the river, he came out and stood under some trees among our water tubs, which he broke in pieces, and also a canoe which lay by them. While the elephant stood here, the shooting was renewed till at last he fell down, and the natives cut off his snout, which was so hard and tough that it took thirty strokes 76 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. to separate it, which must be very painful to the elephant since it made him roar, the only noise I heard him make. The elephant was no sooner dead than the natives fell upon him in crowds, each cutting off as much as he could, so that he furnished a great many, black as well as white, with food enough for that day. He was not very large, his teeth only weighing about thirty—four pounds.” Insect life on the Gold Coast is varied and prolific, ranging from the tiny sand fly to the largest of beetles. Butterflies are plentiful, particularly in the months of May and june. They are of gaudy colour, large and small, and in the interior many rare specimens are to be found. Bird life is well represented, and the variety of aquatic and forest birds is very great. Among these may be mentioned kingfishers, ospreys, herons, snipes, cross bills, storks, pelicans, curlews, wild ducks, spur plovers, hawks, crows, vultures, parrots, nightingales, pigeons, bottle birds, doves, \vood-peckers and swallows. The plumage is most brilliant, but the birds are for the greater part songless. The chief domestic animals are the horse, cow, ox, sheep, goat and pig. Of these, horses are only found in Accra, and are not native. They are brought from the far interior, or from the Canary Islands, and do not thrive anywhere on the coast, except in the Accra country, on account, it is said, of the tsetse fly. The tropical waters of the Gulf of Guinea abound in fish, and many varieties of the edible kind are caught by the fishermen along the coast. Some of these are very fine, and include mackerel, skate, bonetta, flying—fish, sole, snapper, barra-couta, eel, I mullet and herring. This last forms the staple food of the fisher people, and when dried is carried in enormous (it)liD COAST BlClCTLES. 77 quantities to the people of the interior countries, by whom it is esteemed to be a great relish. In spite of the few improvements that have been made in the colony to render it more habitable to the Euro— pean, the export and the import trade of the country has very considerably increased duringr the present century, and though the present trade is said to be A,, W, ._« ooLI) COAST iii-Lii'rLizs (one—third life size). “ 'I‘he Goliath." Young Male, Full-gm“ n Male and Female. dull, no doubt owing to the recent annexation of the Ashanti country‘ and the present troubles in the hinter— land‘ it will recover and increase so soon as the native mind settles down and recognises the new order of things. The following)r information may be of use to some readers :— 78 THE GOLD COAST EXPORTS. Rubber. Timber. Kola Nuts. Coffee. Copra. Skins. Gold Dust. Guinea Grains. Gum. Ivory. Kernels. Oil. Quartz. Ore. Quills. Ground Nuts. Fibre. Cocoa. PAST AND PRESENT. IMPORTS. Silk Goods. Cotton Goods. Woollen Goods. Hardware. Earthenware. Glass. Metal Work. Provisions. Drugs. Furniture. Oils. Sugar. Stationery. Books. Beads. Perfumery. Wearing Apparel. Soap. Candles. Wines. Spirits. Building Rice. Tobacco. Materials. The revenue of the colony is obtained chiefly from the Import Duties and Spirit Licenses, of which the follow- ing are the chief:— IMPOR'I‘ DUTIES. S d. On wine, ale, porter and beer7 gallon or part 0 On spirits and liqueurs ,, ,, . 2 6 On manufactured tobacco cigars or snuff, per pound or part theieof . . . . 1 o On unmanufactured tobacco. per pound or part 0 4 On gunpowder ,, ,, 0 6 On lead ,, ,, o 0!: On firearms (each) 2 o EXPORTS AND IMPORTS. 79 d. On filled cartridges, per hundred o On unfilled ,, . . 0 On percussion caps . . . I o W hile a IO per cent. ad valmcm is charged on the following im- ported articles: — H0130 ,7 Beads. Timber. Boats. Machinery (not mining nor Canoes. agricultural). Brassware. Perfumery. Bread. Provisions. Biscuits. Rice. Building Materials. Silk. Cordage. Soap. Cottons. Sugar. Earthenware. Apparel. Flour. \Voollens. Furniture. And on all other goods not Hardware. enumerated and not Kerosene. exempt. Oils. Spirit licenses are a source of great income to the Government. A license to sell spirits not to be consumed on the premises, £5 per annum, and a license to sell spirits which may be consumed on the premises, £5 per annum. These licenses have lately been increased in amount. On their habitations I am unable to bestow much praise. It is only of late years that two-storied dwellings have been more commonly built by the natives, and then only by the more opulent living in the towns on the coast and in the interior at the large mission stations. It is very rare to find a two-storied dwelling in an interior town. The materials from which their houses are built depend largely upon the natural resources of the neighbourhood. 80 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. In the eastern and western parts of the colony, where no swish is to be foundhthe native huts are entirely of bamboo, laced tightly together with the runners of trees, roofed over with a thatch of palm leaves. In all other parts of the colony the walls are of swish (native mud), and in some isolated cases, of native stone cemented together with swish. In many cases the walls are built after the size of the hut has been laid out in the following manner: Two rows of sticks and wattle-work are placed at a distance apart equal to the intended thickness of the walls of the house. The space between these is then filled up with loose, gravelly clay, mixed with water, and the inside and outside of the framework of the wall smoothly plastered over with swish to give it the appear— ance of a solid mud wall. The roofs are made with gable ends, to form which, three poles are joined, one from the ridge of the roof, and one from the point to form the sides to the base of the triangle. Over all is spread a framework of bamboo, into which the thatch of leaves is interlaced. This is tied to the poles running from end to end of the gables, and on the inside to the framework of bamboo. Holes are left in the walls for windows, into which rude shutters are fixed at night. At the present day stone buildings with iron roofs are fast becoming more numerous in all the coast towns. The flooring is mostly of the same nature as the walls, sometimes of cement, seldom of wood, and is generally raised from one to two feet above the surface of the ground, the floor being reached by one or two steps of the same material as the walls. The walls of the huts are often washed over either white or red. This latter wash is obtained by making an infusion of red earth found in the neighbour- HU’I‘S. NATIVE TYPICAL NATIVE BUILDINGS. 81 hood with water, with which the walls are daily coated, the former being ordinary whitewash. The doors are often made of an entire piece of wood, with other pieces, cut and carved, nailed across them. The only fastening is a native Hausa or a common European lock, often to be used on the inside of the door only. Many huts require no door, the fourth side of the house being entirely open to the winds of heaven. When this is the case, the habitation consists very often of three or four distinct huts enclosing a compound with their open sides turned towards the centre, the whole being enclosed with a palisade of bamboo with a door or gate at one angle. In the centre of this compound the cooking is done, meals are taken, and sheep, goats and fowls roam in and out at will. In many places neither chairs nor tables are to be found,the floor being a substitute for both, and also forming the bed at night, with the addition of a thin bamboo mat spread at night, and rolled up and put away in the morning. Bosman says the natives build their villages without the least regard to situation or to pleasantness; having no regard for pleasant prospects or walks, nor the valleys and rivers with which their country abounds. This is very true, and they are just as indifferent with regard to the making and the keeping of their roads. A road, which need not be more than two miles in length, is frequently more than three on account of its windings. The native seldom troubles to get over an obstacle in his path, he goes round it like the ant, and the time lost is of not the slightest value to him, and in this respect he is quite at a loss to understand the haste of the European. “ One time,” or as we should say, “ at once,” is 6 82 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. to him, presently, and soon, in his vocabulary, means any time from one hour to a day or even more. The abund- ance of time and the climate of the country are the two chief factors against hurry in West Africa. Commercial progress is very slow, and the whole country suffers too much from the literal interpretation of the native saying, “Softly, softly, catch monkey ”. This may be true of catching monkeys, but I fail to see its universal applica- tion to all the improvements so necessary in \Vest Africa. There is little doubt that slavery has existed in Africa from the earliest times, and the testimony of the ancient writers goes to prove that such early nations as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Arabians, all drew their supplies of slaves from the interior of the Dark Continent. Among the inhabitants of Africa, slavery was always the portion of those prisoners of war that were not needed for sacrifice or human food, and so the desire for traffic in human bodies was deeply rooted in the African nature, long before the advent of the Europeans in the fourteenth century. For centuries before this period, the great Mohammedan states of the northern interior were the centres of organised slave-hunting expeditions, by which many of the present tribes inhabiting the Gold Coast were driven farther and farther from the interior towards the sea. For their own defence and safety, family joined with family and tribe with tribe, the increase of numbers bringing increase of power and greater immunity from capture, and possibly leading to the formation and es- tablishment of such extensive tribes as the Ashantis and Fantis of the present day. Slavery existed in the time of Moses, it flourished in the early and middle ages, and EARLY SLAVERY. 8 3 assumed its worst form when the slave or pawn became recognised as a transferable article of commerce. The slavery of ‘black to the black and of black to the Arab in these early times was nothing when compared with the slavery of the negro to the white man, that was in- stituted soon after the discovery of America, and which grew and flourished during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries until the year 1807. For years before the dis- covery of the new world slaves were common in Europe, particularly in Spain and Portugal, where it became necessary to legislate to lessen the severity of their lot. These slaves were, however, the result of kidnapping expeditions to the West Coast, and not the result of an exchange for those European commodities that afterwards tempted the eye and incited the wily African to capture his weaker neighbour, or the stranger passing through his country, and at last even his own relation, in order to barter him away for some glittering gew—gaw that had aroused his insatiable cupidity. Though slaves in Africa, they were at home, retaining certain privileges, and able to be freed ; but when once deported to work for the European in the cotton, rice and sugar fields of newly—discovered America, all privileges ceased, and freedom became an impossibility except under most degrading conditions. It appears from ancient voyages collected by Hackluit, Purchas and others, that it was about fifty years before the discovery of America that the Portuguese attempted to sail round Cape Bojador, and landing on the western coast of Africa, began to make incursions into the country and -to seize and carry off the native inhabitants. As early as [431 Alonzo Gonzales landed on the coast and pursued and attacked the natives, returning six years later and 84 THE GOLD COAST PAST ANT) PRESENT. taking the first twelve prisoners, with whom he returned to his vessel and carried them to Portugal. The traffic in slaves was undoubtedly inaugurated by the Portuguese and the Spaniards early in the sixteenth century, for as early as 1503 we hear of their employ- ment by these nations as miners and field workers in the newly-acquired territories in South America. Some fifteen years later, we find Charles the Fifth granting the exclusive privilege to a favourite Flemish courtier, of annually importing a stated number of slaves into America, which privilege he quickly disposes of to some Genoese merchants; who from this time organise and carry on a regular traffic in slaves, the magnitude of which was soon to be equalled and ultimately surpassed by their rivals, the English. Thus in I562, in the reign of Elizabeth, we read of the honours bestowed upon Sir John Hawkins, who went as far as Sierra Leone and “got into his possession partly by the sword and partly by other means, to the number of 300 negroes at the least, besides other merchandise”. From this time the trade grew and flourished, until the English, copying the example of the Portuguese and the Spaniards, be- came the leading European nation engaged in this ne— farious trade. So, from the middle of the seventeenth to near the end of the eighteenth century, statistics show that nearly 2} millions of the negroes were deported from their own country by European adventurers to work in the English colonies in the West Indies, the total for given years reaching to no less than 75,000 slaves for a good years wo1k From this time until early in the nineteenth centu1y the traffic inc1eased lather than di- minished, and after all countries except Spain and Portu- TRAFFIC IN SLAVES. 85 gal had declared such traffic to be illegal, there is ample evidence to prove that more than I 30,000 were still being annually deported from their homes across to America. Educated by European example, the natives throughout the whole coast of Guinea became expert slave raiders themselves, in order to meet the demand of the white man for slaves, and now we wonder why West Africa has made so little progress in the civilisation that has been gradually spreading over the world. The answer is nat far to seek. For centuries the tribes inhabiting the coast line had been the means of robbing the interior countries of their best men and women to work in a foreign land; there was no market for old men and children, so they could be left behind and allowed to die in their own country, or more often were killed in the raid that took place, and the wonder is that the previously thickly-populated countries did not more rapidly become changed into more thinly—peopled territories than they did. To encourage and extend this trade, the coast from Apollonia to Danoe was studded with the forts and trading stations as shown in Bosmean’s map on pageli, and how eager must have been the competition, is shown by their great number in so small a strip of territory, divided as they were between the British, Dutch, Danish, French and the Brandenburg Companies. To the chiefs and the headmen of the towns where these forts were built, a kind of monthly rent was paid, and upon this slender understanding the tenure of the European was acknowledged in \Vest Africa. Little or nothing was ever done in these early times for the improvement of the native, and the only object in the erection of so many forts, seems to have been to protect the occupiers 86 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. and to extend the slave trade. No jurisdiction was claimed over the surrounding country, and no interference was attempted in the affairs of the people, except where the squabbles of neighbouring chiefs interfered with the profits of the various companies, by the temporary dis- organisation of what was then a very lucrative trade. These squabbles or “palavers” were of very frequent occurrence, often purposely invented by the chiefs and headmen in order to secure an increased monthly payment upon their notes, or to make an extra profit by causing temporary delay in the supply of the cargoes, that were anxiously competed for by the various trading companies. This was the state of things that reigned for more than two centuries. Popes had granted decrees authoris- ing the slave trade, kings and emperors had given monopolies for pursuing it; and even Acts of Parlia- ment had approved of the continuance of it. All things, however, have an end, and towards the end of the eighteenth century Denmark was the first European Power to forbid the traffic in human flesh and blood. The United States and England soon followed; France partly agreed, and the interests of Portugal and Spain were bought out by the English, by the payment of huge sums of money to the respective nations of those countries, in order to secure their co—operation in putting an end to a trade that had existed for so long. Towards the end of the reign of \V'illiam the Fourth, the right of search was agreed upon by most of the liuropean powers, and in 1842 the United States and Great Britain agreed to maintain a fleet, for the prevention of the exportation of slaves from the coast of Guinea. The great question affecting the commercial interests NATIVE LABOUR. 87 of the Gold Coast of the present day is the one of labour. Here is a vast country, full of undeveloped mineral wealth (as yet unsurveyed and unexplored), with deep impenetrable forests containing many kinds of valuable trees, only waiting for organisation and discipline with regard to its labourers to cause it to become one of the most important of our \Vest African colonies. The natives in this part of the world appear to work better A GROUP OF LABOURERS. out of their own country ; thus the Gold Coast is worked by Kru labour, while the best artisans and mechanics from the Gold Coast seek and find employment in the Oil Rivers and the Niger Coast Protectorate farther south. Most of the \Vest African stations, established by the Portuguese for slave tradingr and captured by the Dutch, who carried on the traffic, fell into the hands of the English, who vigorously pursued the same trade 88 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. until the middle of the present century. From this date civilisation has been the order of the day—by the aid of the trader—and the old forts became simply centres for the export of palm nuts and oil, ground nuts and gold dust, and for the importation of gaudy articles of European manufacture. Since their emancipation, civilisation and freedom were going to do much for the people, but for years, instead of progressing, they have gradually declined. At the present day a new phase of their existence is opening up ; the English are beginning to see their importance, and the Government to wake up to its responsibilities. The same remarks that apply to one of our West African colonies apply alike to them all, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Gold Coast and Lagos, with regard to the labour question. The people, inured for centuries to a system of slavery, resent free labour, and hold agriculture as a degradation to a free man. The women and children perform the field work, the man’s ambition is to be idle or at most to become a petty trader. The richest lands are uncultivated and thinly populated, either one or both, and lands once left, soon become an impassable tract of bush. Ofthe four colonies, the Gold Coast is perhaps the better supplied with popu- lation, but labour is scarce, and a strain soon exhausts the supply. A compulsory labour ordinance had to be passed as late as 1896, in order to secure carriers for Government loads for the interior, but even that does not work satisfactorily. Fortunes could be made by the natives by the cultivation of coffee, which grows to per— fection, cocoa, rice, cotton, rubber and tobacco for export, and by the cultivation of fruits and vegetables for con— sumption by the resident Europeans. Hardly any capital THE LABOUR QUESTION. 89 need be expended ; organised and disciplined labour is all that is required, but even the superior class of native does not seem to be possessed of the necessary energy for the organisation of native labour to carry this out. The Fantis, Akras and Apollonians will work better than the rest of the tribes, and I firmly believe that much native labour could be organised in the interior, with the assistance of the chiefs of the various towns, to work the gold mines that at present exist, and to open up new ones. Accurate and regular payment for work done, and the establishment and the opening of stores in the interior, would soon create a desire in the native mind for better articles for daily use, and this desire once created, the native would soon work to satisfy his demands. Until the face of the country is cleared ofbush, organised white labour is out of the question, except in a few more favoured parts; the importation of coolie labour would be of no use, as coolies would not stand the climate. The native himself seems to be the only person who can stand the climate, and who should do the work, but the question is, how is he to be induced to do it, in order that it shall be profitable to those who invest their capital? In July, 1897, the late Governor, Sir \Villiam Maxwell, caused sixteen Chinese miners to be sent to the Gold Coast. This was to test the climate for Chinese labour, and to see what were the prospects of gold mining in the colony. They returned to England in December last, and spoke exceedingly well of the gold-mining prospects in the Akim and Tarkwa Districts, where they considered alluvial gold was very plentiful, but the climate was in no way suitable to their health. None had died, but most of them had been at times very ill. 90 CHAPTER IV. Gold in West Africa—Antiquity of the same—Gold-producing Areas—Present Gold Mines—How Obtained—Gold VVork— Gold Weights—The Future of West Africa as a Gold-produc- ing Country. TO obtain a thorough idea of the value of the Gold Coast as a gold—producing area, it is necessary to go back to its early history of the fourteenth century, when the French declare that they imported the precious metal from the present Elmina, just one century before the arrival of the Portuguese. Whether the French claims are good or not, it is certain that the Portuguese, under Gonzales Baldeza, brought gold from the Gold River or Rio de Ouro in 1442, and that in 1470 other navigators brought supplies of it from the neighbourhood of Chama into the European market. About the same period another Portuguese merchant, Fernando Gomez, bought from the King of Lisbon the monopoly of trading in gold dust for five years, at a yearly rental of less than £50, and binding himself in addition to explore some 300 miles of coast line every year. This exploration led to the opening of large and important mines at Commendah, to defend which, it is assumed the castle at Elmina was built, and a flourishing trade was carried on till early in the seventeenth century, when the mines at Commendah were shut down and the digging of gold GOLD IN \VEST AFRICA. 91 made fetish by the king, since which time no gold has been worked in this neighbourhood. The rich stores of gold, however, were known to, and used by, the natives long before this period, and it is a very difficult point to settle who were the first navigators to this part of the African continent. Herodotus tells us that the Cartha- ginians obtained their supplies of gold from black people, who brought it across the great desert from the western shores of the continent, and thus describes the trade that was then carried on. “There is a land in Libya and a nation beyond the Pillars of Hercules which they are wont to visit, where they no sooner arrive but forth- with they break cargo, and having disposed their wares in an orderly way along the beach, leave them, and returning aboard their ships, raise a great smoke. The natives, when they see the smoke, come down to the shore, and laying out to view as much gold as they think the worth of the wares, withdraw themselves afar. The Carthaginians upon this, come ashore and look. If they think the gold sufficient they take it and go their way, but if it does not seem to them sufficient, they go aboard once more and wait patiently. Then the others draw near and add to their gold till the Cartha— ginians are content. Neither party deals unfairly with the other, for they themselves never touch the gold till it comes up to the worth of their goods, nor do the natives ever carry off the goods till the gold is taken away.” This evidence of the early trade in gold is also supported by other writers upon this part of the world. This trade was continued in gold and slaves for many centuries until Guine or Guinea became the great gold—producing area of the old world, soon after 92 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. its discovery by the Portuguese. The Portuguese gave way to the Dutch, who held sway over a great part of the coast from 1637 until 1868, but who were interrupted in their turn by the English and the French adventurers, who had heard of this El Dorado of Western Africa, and began to take their share. The first Englishman to bring away the precious metal was Captain Thomas Wyndham, who in 1551 brought to England 150 lb. of gold dust from the Gold Coast. He was quickly followed by many others, among whom were Captain Philips, Richard Thompson and Richard Jobson, but by far the larger share of the gold then produced, fell to the Portuguese and the Dutch traders of that time. The gold-bearing areas in the vast continent of Africa are three in number, two of which date from the most remote times. The first is found in the north-eastern corner of the continent, including Nubia and Abyssinia ; the second extends along the whole of the western shores from Morocco to the Volta, while the third occu- pies enormous areas in the south-eastern districts. The two first—mentioned areas are of most remote origin, while the third is of comparatively recent date. Tradi- tion on the west coast of Africa points to sensational finds of the precious metal, and the barbaric splendour of some of its past rulers freely justifies such tradition. Ghana, the old name possibly of Guinea, was famous among the ancients for its golden throne: Bontuko, for its golden stool, while Bowdich tells us that the King of Gaman, of which Bontuko was the capital, had steps of solid gold by which he ascended to his bed. The Ashantis were most proficient in the manufacture of ornaments made from gold, but were surpassed by the GOLD-PRODUCING AREAS. 93 people of Dagwumba, who inhabited a large territory to the north-east of the Ashanti country, ornaments being made in weight to the extent of more than 1000 ounces. In fact, the whole of the states north and south of the great range of the Kong Mountains were more or less well supplied with extensive deposits of the precious metal, the source apparently being the Kong range itself, the northern limits being the borders of the Niger. For centuries this vast territory poured into Europe millions of pounds’ worth of this precious metal, and ‘coming down to Bosman’s time we find six distinct areas in and about the Gold Coast supplying the yellow ore. These were Denkira, including \Vassaw, Encasse, Juffer ' and Commendah, Acanny, Akim, Ashanti, Adansi and lastly Aowin. A reference to the map on page 13 will show the relative positions of these territories. As the old Dutch traders were most assiduous in securing as large a supply as possible of the gold then produced, it may be fairly assumed, that what Bosman says concern— ing the quantity produced by these countries is correct. With regard to Denkira, he says : “ The first country which produces gold is Den/tint, which includes the conquered states of Wassaw, Encasse, Juffer, and Com— mendah”. The Denkiras at this period were a very powerful race of people, possessed of vast treasures of gold, partly obtained from their own mines, and from plunder and commerce with the interior tribes. That the countries mentioned produced a vast supply is proved by the fact, that the Denkiras from their own territory and from those in subjection to them, produced enough gold to satisfy the demands of the coast from Axim to Sekondi, a distance of forty miles, containing some eight 94 THE GOLD-COAST PAST AND PRESENT. forts or trading stations. The metal thus supplied by the Denkiras was very pure, though often alloyed with “fetishes,” oddly-shaped figures composed of several in- gredients. Sometimes these “fetishes” would be mixed from one-third to one-half their value with alloys of earth, silver or copper; those of pure gold being kept by the natives for ornament and seldom parted with. Thus in the early days of his history, the native knew the value of trying to sophisticate his gold for the European. The second district was Aazmzjr, a province not marked in Bosman’s map, but lying somewhat north-east of the Axim country between Ashanti and Akim. The people of this country were greater traders than the Denkiras, and bought the gold of Ashanti and Akim, which in addition to their own, they brought down to the forts of Elmina, Cape Coast, MOuri, Anamaboe, Cormantine and Winnebah. The gold brought to the coast by the Acanny people was never mixed with “fetishes,” and on this account it was known to the coast natives as “ Acanny Sika” or Acanny gold, “Sika” being the native word for the precious metal. These people in turn fell to the power of the Denkiras, who themselves were defeated by the Ashantis, and in after times formed one of the most powerful allies of that rapidly extending state. The third district was Alt/m, which in Bosman’s time produced as large quantities of gold as any land that he knew, and that being also the mOst valuable and pure of any carried away from the coast. It was easily distin— guished by its deep colour. The gold of Akim was brought to Accra unalloyed in any manner whatever. Auriferous Akim, as it has been termed, was generally GOLD-PRODUCING AREAS. 95 described as the hill-land, lying an easy journey of a week north by west of Accra, and north of the Aquapim Mountains. The Akims in their turn fell before the superior powers of Ashanti and Aquamu, and were early in the eighteenth century forbidden to dig gold by their conquerors. Eight times they were defeated by the former power, and upon each occasion again purchased their independence by the enormous supplies of gold that their territory produced. The three countries I have mentioned were esteemed in the time of the Dutch to be the most prolific gold- producing areas of the Gold Coast, though there were others not then thought to be so rich in the precious metal. The principal of these other places were Ashanti, VAdansi, or Anansi as Bosman has it, and lastly Aowin. dFrom this it will be seen that the gold-bearing districts in the colony were six in number, and extended from the Tando River in the west to the Volta River in the east, the whole coast well deserving the name that was be— stowed upon it. Bosman gives us but little information concerning two of these last three states owing to their distance from the coast, and we must also remember that in his time the power of the Ashantis was in its infancy. In the time of Bowdich, the Ashantis possessed vast stores of gold obtained from their own mines and as tribute from conquered tribes, and which passed as the currency of the country. Issert, the Danish physician, says, speak- ing of the King of Ashanti: “This mighty king has a piece of gold, as a charm, more than four men can carry, and slaves are constantly at work for him in the moun- tains, each of whom must collect or produce two ounces 96 THE GOLD COAsT PAST AND PRESENT. of gold per diem ”. The Ashanti pits at Soko were re- ported to yield from 700 to 2000 ounces of gold per month, and their store was further increased by the daily washings throughout Denkira and the hills between Akim and Assin, then reputed to be very rich in gold. Each chief paid a tax to the King of Ashanti upon the gold ornaments in his possession, and all tributary states con- tributed annual payments amounting in all to nearly £10,000 per annum in addition to the tribute demanded in slaves, cows, sheep, cotton and silk goods. Rock or nugget gold had, when fOund, to be always brought to the king, a third of its value being given to the finder. On stated occasions the market-place in Kumasi was washed, and produced as much as 800 ounces of gold at a time. Gold dropped in the market—place belonged to the king and could not be again picked up on pain of death. The gold thus obtained was stored up by the fetish men against future difficulties, and in times of danger, it is said, was buried in their sacred river the Prah, where I believe much will ultimately be found. The fifth territory was Adansi or Anansi, the country to the south of Ashanti east of the Tando River and to the east of Denkira, which also furnished large quantities of gold. The sixth and last place was Aowin, the strip of country lying north of Apollonia and to the west of Axim. At one period it supplied vast quantities of the precious metal, which was pure and unalloyed, and the people who brought it to the coast were among the civilcst and fairest dealers of all the negroes, with whom the Dutch, according to Bosnian, “traded with a deal of pleasure”. The country of Aowin was, however, des— tined, in its turn, to become tributary to the rising power \VIIERE THE GOLD \VAS FOUND. 97 of Denkira, though not until many battles had been fought. After their defeat, the gold brought down by the Aowins decreased in amount, the inhabitants of the country preferring rather to let it remain in the ground, - than to dig it for the benefit of a neighbouring tribe. The gold obtained by the natives in these early days was of two kinds, dust gold and mountain gold. The former was of the finest nature, often as fine as flour and obtaining the highest price, whilst the latter varied very much both in size and quality. The size of the pieces of mountain gold varied from grains no larger than a pin’s head, to others varying in value to twenty or thirty guineas, but these latter were always mixed with a multi- tude of small stones, which greatly reduced their value. The gold thus found was produced, according to the natives, in three different kinds of places, the exact locality of which was seldom or never divulged to the European, for fear that he should take possession of their mines, and thus rob them of their store of wealth. The best gold was found in or between particular hills, where the natives dug pits and separated it by washing from the earth thus obtained. The second place was in, at or about some rivers and waterfalls, where the Violence of the water brought down large quantities of earth, bringing the gold with it. The third place was along the sea-shore, particularly where the streams and rivers emptied their waters along the coast. This all points to the fact that many of the present hills and mountains in the interior of the Gold Coast must form the sources from which these supplies were then obtained, and that in spite of the enormous quantities 7 A ) 98 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. that have been obtained in the past, there must still re- main in the interior of the'country vast stores of the precious metal, waiting to be discovered and worked by European energy and enterprise. In later times, the known gold-bearing areas became reduced to three, Wassaw, Akim and Ashanti, with its powerful rival, the Gaman country, none of which have ever been properly developed, and which became practi- cally forgotten by the opening up of California and Australia, on account of the gold discoveries in those countries. After the lapse of many years, attention is again being turned towards West Africa as a gold-pro- ducing area, and a short account of what really does exist in the Gold Coast will perhaps not be out of place in these pages. Axim ever was and has continued to be the gold port of t 1e colony, situated as it is to the south of one of the best gold-producing countries, 77's., \Vassaw, where most of the present gold mines are situated, and many attempts at development are taking place. Tarkwa, the present centre of the mining industry of the colony, is situated in \Vassaw, some fifty miles from the coast, travelling by bush and river. The mineral deposits of the \Vassaw district may be divided into two classes,t'z'3. :— (I) Gold—bearing quartz, and (2) bedded alluvial de- posits, in addition to more recent alluvial deposits. The first are stated to be found to the west of the Ancobra, while the second are found to the east of the same river. There is no doubt that the present group of Tarkwa mines was one of the places in the \Vassaw country, from which the Portuguese and the Dutch were supplied with their gold, though the mines themselves EARLY GOLD MINES. 99 were never held or worked by these early adventurers. Though Bosman may allude to these places as the source of their gold produce, he distinctly says in his sixth letter treating of this part of the world: “There is no small number of men in Europe who believe that the gold mines are in our power, and that we, like the Spaniards in the West Indies, have no more to do than to work them by our slaves ; though you perfectly know that we have no manner of access to these treasures; nor do I believe that any of our people have ever seen one of them ”. That the Wassaw mines were the ones then supplying the gold is further strengthened by his statement at the conclusion ofhis first letter, for he says : “Several years past we had a fort in the country of Equira (or Eqwira) and drove a very considerable trade there, for besides the afflux of gold thither from all foreign parts, the country itself affords some gold mines, and I remember, when I had the Government of Axim a very rich one was discovered, but we lost our footing there in a very tragical manner, for the commander-in— chief of the negroes, being closely besieged by our men, shot gold instead of bullets, hinting by signs that he was ready to treat and afterwards to trade with the besiegers, but in the midst of the negotiation he blew up himself and all his enemies at once ”. Bosman marks the liquira country north of Apollonia, to the west of the Ancobra, south of the Aowin country, and Burton and Cameron give it a similar position in their sketch-map of the Gold Coast in 1883, but since that time the name seems to have disappeared from existing maps. The fact is, that all the countries of the present day, Ashanti, Sefwi, Adansi, Denkira, Assin, Wassaw and Ahanta, which 100 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. form the western part of the Gold Coast, form one of the most promising ofthe gold—producing areas of the colony, lacking only transport and capital to place their wealth before the European market. Many attempts have been made in this direction, only to meet with failure, be- cause, in the companies formed, adequate preparations were not made, either for the landing or transport of the machinery absolutely necessary for the working of the mines. The top alluvial beds have been worked out, and engineering science is now needed to obtain the gold from the quartz and the lower strata, where it still exists in large quantities. Remains of old Dutch forts are also to be found at Essaman, some twelve miles north-west of Tarkwa, near the main stream of the river Ancobra, and some forty miles from Axim in a straight line, and this is no doubt the place referred to by Bosman, when he says that the gold comes from as far inland, that our servants are commonly five days in going from Elmina to it, and ten days from Axim, not so much on account of the distance, but on account of the difficulties of the road. In the Apollonian country are to be found remains of old native mines which were visited and described by Burton and Cameron in 1882, and leased through their instrumentality by Mr. R. B. N. Walker, who had first Visited the place in 1881. The first was called the Izrah mine, situated within an easy march of the coast from Nanipoli and promising to pay and pay well ; the second lay some distance east, a little south from the first at a place called lmyoku, near New Amanta, and could be easily approached from the town of lisiamo on the coast. This mine also gave some wonderful specimens and pro- mised to give a rich reward to the owners. Nothing, ASHANTI GOLD \VEIGI’ITS. 101 however, is heard of it at the present day. A third was situated at Ingotro, a short distance west of the Ancobra River, and was of far larger dimensions than the two previously mentioned. Nothing has been done with this. ASHANTI GOLD \VI‘IIGHTS. Down to the end of the eighteenth century the mines remained entirely in the hands of the native owners, but 102 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. in 1825 the Gold Coast Mining and Trading Company, with a capital of £750,000, was formed, for the purpose, among others, of extending the intercourse now subsist- ing with the native chiefs and princes, and to make arrangements with them to introduce a better method of working the mines and pits in the Denkira, Wassaw, Ahanta and Fanti territories on the Gold Coast. This company, however, left mining alone, and confined its attention to trading. Coming down to still later times, 2/2332, 1874, M. Bonnat, a French trader, drew attention to the possibilities of this part of Africa. He explored the Volta River until stopped by the Ashantis, and was held by them for five years as a prisoner in Kumasi. Re- leased by the Ashanti war of 1873-74 he returned to France, and succeeded in the foundation of the Société des Mines d’Or d’Afrique Occidentale. This was more of a syndicate than a company, and devoted its energies to the acquisition of concessions and demonstrating the practicability of dredging the bed of the Ancobra for gold. The exploration of this syndicate lasted for about three years, when Bonnat again returned to France, and in 1879 he was instrumental in forming the Anglo— French Compagnie Miniere de la Cote d’Or d’Afrique, or the African Gold Coast Company. He returned to the coast again in 1881 and died there in July, 1882, being buried at 'l‘arkwa. His name will always be associated with the Tarkwa mines, for he was the first European to call attention to their possibilities, and to Visit them. Others have followed, but he was the first. The two French companies joined hands in 1886, and in 1888 the mines were taken over by an English company, who have since that time been quietly opening them up, with PRESENT GOLD MINES. 103 promise of great success. Early in 1889 the Tarkwa group of mines was visited and fully reported upon by the late Sir W. Brandford Griffith, the governor of the colony at that period, a full account of which will be found in No. 66 of the series of reports relating to Her Majesty’s Colonial Possessions, published in 1889. I cannot omit the closing remarks of this report. “ My visit has impressed me with the following con- victions :— “ Ist. That the country is rich in gold and that it is merely a matter of the necessary time and scientific application for that gold to pay well for extraction. “ 2nd. That earnest and well—considered attempts are now being made to secure success. “ 3rd. The country once opened up and cultivated would yield rich returns to capital invested in the economic agriculture of any kind of tropical produce; but “ 4th. That the natives of the country cannot, unfortu- nately, be relied upon to supply the necessary labour, which must come either from the Kru country or from China.” The following is a list of the mines then in existence :— 1. Eassaman Mining Company. Akanko Mine. . Swanzy Shaft of the VVassaw, at Adja Bippo. . Teberibe Mine. Cinnamon Bippo Mine. . Swanzy Estates. . Tarkwa Mine. . Abosso Mine. Essaman. . Gie Appantoo. 5° opmVOxgn-bm .— 104 THE GOLD COAST FAST AND PRESENT. In the same report will be found an account of the auriferous lands in the Winnebah district of the Gold Coast, contributed by the request of the Government by Mr. Henry Eyre, a then District Commissioner. Having discussed at some length the mines of the Wassaw country, I will now endeavour to show that other parts of the colony are as rich, and have been so from all antiquity, as those at present known. I refer to the Akim country. Let us see what history has said con- cerning it. BoSman speaks of it as being the third place of importance for the production of gold, placing Acanny as the second, but neither Acanny nor Akim is to be found upon his map. His information was drawn from intercourse only with the natives, and I am inclined to believe, that the “ Acanny Sika ” of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the purest gold of any obtained on the coast, was none other than Akim gold, Acanny, accord- ing to Dr. Leyden, being another name for Akim. The position of this important country in these early times was very uncertain ; the natives purposely avOided giving its exact location in order to retain in their own hands the enormous supply of precious metal that it furnished. Bosman says : “ Having several times heard that Akim was an extraordinary large country, I took once the oppor— tunity of asking some of the Akimese how many days their country was; they replied, that very few natives knew how far it extended inland towards the Barbary coast, which, according to what they told me, was incredible ”. Again Bowdich says, in quoting Dr. Leyden : “On the west of Aquamboe lies the powerful state ofAkim, some- times denominated Akam, Acham and Acanny, which occupies almost all the interior of the Gold Coast, and GOLD IN AKIM. 105 is supposed by the natives to extend to Barbary ”. This somewhat proves that Akim was the same as Acanny. In Dr. Leyden’s map, he places it east of Dahomey, instead of west of the Volta, which is its true situation. In the earliest maps of Africa it is marked Aha/z, ride in gold, and of this fact there is no doubt, for in more modern times it ranks second in importance for the production of the yellow ore, Acanny being lost sight of entirely. So far as I have been able to ascertain, both from reference and from actual travel through the country, no European attempts at mining have ever yet been made in the Akim country, though the whole territory is largely honeycombed with native pits and women‘s washings. The abolition of the slave trade and the introduction of rubber into the EurOpean market from this part of the world, form no doubt two of the chief reasons for the decline in the working of the gold in the Gold Coast colony. To collect rubber, which abounds in the Akim forests, is far easier than digging and washing for gold, and thus little has been heard of late years of the gold in Akim. It is my firm opinion that the whole ofAkim is impregnated with the precious metal, and this opinion has been formed from actual travelling through the country, not once, but ten times. What would (be thought of a place, that I can mention, where pieces of quartz, broken off an outcrop in the very street of the town, gave visible gold and assayed sixteen dwts. to the ton? Yet the quartz in this part of the colony has never yet been touched by European machinery, and the whole of Akim is practically unexplored. I will add the testimony of others in addition to my own. Captain Butler described \Vestern Akim as“ a country 106 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. teeming with gold,” while Captain Glover has stated “ that in Eastern Akim gold is as plentiful as potatoes in Ire- land, and the paths are honeycombed with gold pits”. In his l/Vzmderz'ngs in West A frz'ca, the late Captain R. F. Burton says: “ In several countries, especially Akim, the hill region lying north of Accra, the people are still active in digging gold. The pits, from two to three feet in diameter, and from twelve to fifty feet deep, are often so near the roads that loss of life has been the result. ‘ Shoring-up’ being little known, the miners are not un- frequently buried alive. The stuff is drawn up by ropes in clay pots or calabashes, and thus a workman at the bottom widens the pit to a pyriform shape. Tunnelling is, however, unknown. The excavated earth is carried away to be washed. Besides sinking these holes they pan in the beds of rivers, and in places collect quartz which is roughly pounded.” Mr. H. Ponsonby found the natives getting quantities of gold by digging holes eight to ten feet deep on either side of the forest paths. He saw as much as three ounces taken up in half an hour. Around the capital of Eastern Akim, Kyebi or Kibbi, the land is honeycombed with manholes, making night travel- ling dangerous to the stranger. It requires a sharp eye to detect the deserted pits, two feet in diameter, and sunk straight as if they had been bored by huge augers. The workman descends by footholes, and works with a hoe from four to six inches long by two broad, and when his calabash is filled it is drawn up by his companions. It is generally acknowledged that the earthquakes, which occurred in and about this part of the Gold Coast in 1862 (April and July), so disturbed the hills in the Akim country, that the natives left their ordinary hole GOLD IN AKIM. 107 diggings, and went in great numbers to the Atiwa Moun- tains, where huge landslips had occurred and exposed much nugget gold in the mountain sides. The largest nugget found was reported to have been as large as a child’s head. One small village, Adadentum, near Kyebi, was nearly destroyed by a landslip, and report says that so much gold was uncovered, that the natives were enabled to obtain enough mountain gold to fill their calabashes daily. Another authority, Captain J. S. Hay, stated before the R. G. Society, in 1876, that the entire country of Aki'm is auriferous in a high degree ; the natives, how- ever, are too ignorant and too lazy to work the gold pro— perly, and content themselves with digging circular holes from sixteen to twenty feet deep to obtain it, in the shape of small nuggets and dust, the latter being also found in the rivers and water-courses, where I have myself seen them washing it. The country is honeycombed in some parts with these gold holes, which makes walking a diffi- cult and somewhat dangerous operation. The soil is a heavy, tenacious, red clay, quartz strata and red sand- stone cropping up in every direction. Gold washing is, as a rule, the work of the women throughout the colony. Each woman is furnished with a number of large and small wooden bowls or calabashes, which are filled with the earth and sand obtained by the men from the manholes. This earth is repeatedly washed with fresh water in a most adept manner, the stones and earth being thrown out by a rapid rotary motion of the bowl, till it is cleaned from all the earthy matters. The gold, on account of its weight, sinks to the bottom of the tray. This residue is then passed to a smaller tray and 108 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. the process repeated until nothing is left but the grains of gold and a little sand, which are again washed and the gold finally extracted. Throughout the whole of Akim, wherever water is available, these washings are carried on, and the farther inland one travels the richer the allu- vial deposits become. In some places the quartz is roughly pounded, and generally consists of only those pieces that show visible gold. A slightly hollowed slab of granite is generally used for this purpose, upon which the quartz is pounded with a hand-stone. Often the same stones are used for grinding the quartz, that are used for pounding the corn to make flour. The Fantis and the Ashantis are the most expert gold- smiths at present in the colony, but in the past each important tribe, in fact each important town, had its goldsmith, who fabricated rough ornaments for the king and chiefs, and the richer portion of the community. These generally took the shape of bangles, rings, studs, bracelets, brooches, chains and charms of all kinds, or fetishes as they were called, ornamented with a common pattern, the “signs of the zodiac,” which were no doubt introduced to the country by the first visitors, the Portuguese. The workmen, however, are very skilful in the art of imitation, and can make an article to a set copy, or to any design that may be furnished to them. Articles thus made are sold for the value of their own weight in gold, plus a commission of twenty-five per cent. for workmanship; thus an article weighing one sovereign would be sold for twenty—five shillings. Gold ornaments thus made are very soft, owing to the absence of alloy, which, when it is used, generally consists ofa little silver. The natives work in silver as well as gold, NATIVE GOLD \VORK. 109 charging fifty per cent. of the value for workmanship in the former, owing to the greater difficulty of working the harder metal. The implements at the command of the goldsmith for his work are of a very primitive char— acter. Some bees’ wax, a modelling block and stick, melting pots and trays are his chief tools. Their mode of procedure is as follows: Sufficient bees’ wax for making the model of the article wanted is worked out upon the modelling block or table by the side of the fire on which stands a pot of water ; the modelling stick, a piece of flat, hard wood, is dipped into this, and with this the wax is made of the requisite softness for work- ing; it takes the workman about a quarter of an hour to make the model of a ring. When the model of the article wanted is finished, it is enclosed in a case of wet clay and charcoal, which, being closely pressed round the model, forms a mould. This is then dried in the sun, and has a small cup of the same materials attached to it (in which to put the gold for melting) communicating with the model by a very small aperture. When the whole model is finished, and the gold for the article to be made enclosed safely in the cup, the whole is placed in a charcoal fire with the cup undermost. When the gold has had time to become fused, the cup is turned uppermost, in order that it may run into the place of the melted wax, and take its place in the mould ; when cool the clay mould is broken, and the article taken out, which if not perfect is again melted and the whole pro— cess gone through again. The stoves for their fires are built of swish or native mud in a circular form and about three or four feet in height, being open for one— fifth part of their circumference. Through the closed IIO THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. part a hole is made on a level with the ground of the fire, through which the nozzle of the bellows is to pass. The bellows are an exact imitation of our own, made with sheepskin tied to the wooden sides with leather thongs, and often two or three pairs of bellows are used to one fire. Should an anvil be wanted, a large stone is generally selected for the purpose, or a piece of iron placed on the ground, and upon this rude surface all hammering work is performed. When the article is completed, it is covered all over with a layer of a kind of red :ochre (called lnchuma by the natives), and placed in boiling water mixed with salt and some of the same red earth, boiled for about thirty minutes, and then taken out and finally polished. This process gives a good colour to the gold. In addition to the manufacture of ornaments for the people, the gold- smith is the buyer and seller of the gold dust for the district. He possesses a complete set of weights and scales, the former varying from the value of a farthing to £24 65. The ackie or one-sixteenth part of an ounce is the unit of value. A native proverb says,“ You cannot buy much gold for a farthing,” and in this, at least, all Europeans will agree. There are thirty-five weights, each with a distinct value, in use in the Ashanti and Fanti countries, a complete list of which will be found at the end of the chapter. The complete set of weighing ap- paratus is curious and very complicated, consisting of blowers, sifters, spoons, native scales, and weights of many kinds. The smaller weights are no larger than tiny seeds, whilst the larger consist of brass or copper castings of almost every article, animal, fruit, fish or vegetable with which the people are acquainted. Illus- NATIVE GOLD \VEIGHTS. III trations of these weights will be found on pages 101 and 113. The King of Ashanti was reported to have scales, blow-pan, boxes and weights all made of the purest gold that could be manufactured. These weights are of great antiquity, and complete sets are very rare. The king’s weights are allowed to be one-third heavier than the current weights of the country, and all gold expended in provision is weighed out in the former and expended in the latter, the difference going to enrich the cook and the chief domestic officers of the king’s house, as it is thought derogatory for a king to pay his subjects for their services. In the same manner the linguists derive the greater part of their incomes, for all the presents of gold made by the king in the year are weighed out by the royal weights and reweighed by them in the current ones. Bosman in his day found them to be of sufficient interest to mention them. He says : “ I am obliged to say something concerning the gold weights, which are either pounds, marks, ounces, or angels. In Europe twenty angels make an ounce, but on the Gold Coast but sixteen go to one ounce.” Thus in the time of the Dutch, one angel was equal to the native ackie of the coast. He also mentions the peso and the bendo, the former being equal to four angels and the latter equal to two ounces. Four bendos made one mark, and two marks one pound of gold, equal in the seventeenth century to 660 guilders. Notwithstanding all this, he goes on to say: “We con— stantly here reckon three marks of pure gold to be worth [000 guilders, and consequently judge of the other weights in the proportion which they bear to this quantity. We use here another kind of weights, which are a sort of beans, the least of which are red spotted 112 TIIE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. with black, and are called dambas (equal to twopence), twenty-four of them amounting to an angel, and each of them reckoned two styver weights. The white beans with black spots, or those entirely black, are heavier, and accounted four styver weights; these are usually called tacoes, but there are some which weigh half or a whole guilder. But these are not esteemed certain weights, but are only used at pleasure, and thus often become instruments of fraud! Several have believed that the negroes only used wooden weights, but this is a mistake, all ofthem having cast weights (see pages 101 and 113), of copper or of tin, which though divided or adjusted in a manner quite different to ours, yet upon reduction agree exactly with them.” Since its first discovery by the Europeans, it has been roughly estimated that from 600 to 700 millions sterling of gold have been produced from the Guinea Coast, and in its most flourishing days the town of Elmina alone annually exported £3,000,000 work of the precious metal. Early in the eighteenth century Bosman computed that twenty-three tuns of gold were annually brought by the natives to the forts along the coast, a tun of gold in Holland at that date being reckoned at 100,000 guilders, or about £10,000. He made the total output 7000 marks, and estimated it in the following manner :— The Dutch West India Company . . 1500 Marks. The English African Company . . . 1200 ,, The Zealand Interlopers . . . . 1500 ,, The English Interlopers . . . . IOOO ,, The Brandenburgers and Danes . . IOOO ,, The Portuguese and French . . . Boo ,, Makingr a total of . . . . . 7000 ,, ASHANTI GOLD \VEIGIITS. 113 Early in the nineteenth century the export became reduced to slightly under £500,000 sterling, about 120,000 ounces, and averaged this amount for nearly ASHANTI GOLI) \VEIGHTS. half a century. Early in the sixties this export fell to under 50,000 ounces, constantly varying between .‘hat and the 120,000 ounces of the earlier part of the century. 8 114 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. This became again reduced in the seventies and the eighties of the present century to an annual average of about £120,000 sterling, which is about the output at the present time. With the decline of the slave trade began also the decline in the gold-mining industry, though the dis- covery of new gold-bearing areas in more healthy parts of the world, must also have had its effect upon the output of the Gold Coast. Another reason for the de- cline is that the natives always wash and dig for years in the same place after the rains. They seldom or never follow the gold to the hills from whence it is carried by the torrents, but rest content with the head waters of the various rivers that flow from them, Where the rapidity of the stream has already cleared much of the sand and clay away for them. As a rule, the richest deposits are found after the rains, near the foot of some hill where gold has been previously seen. According to the natives, the most likely places in which to find gold, are those that contain a foundation of reddish sand mixed with small particles of black matter, like fine gunpowder, and called by the natives “sana mira”. The same style of washing and panning is common throughout the ' Gold Coast, and apparently there is an art even in this simple process, for some women will find gold where others cannot. No mercury is ever used, and conse- quently much fine gold must be lost in the primitive process of washing. In some places nugget gold is again buried, in order that a more bountiful supply may be obtained in the future, and tradition has it, that in some places the presence of a thin white smoke or vapour leads to a rich deposit, while the finding of GOLD DEPOSITS. r 1 5 white gold (silver) invariably leads to the abandonment of that particular place. The presence of ferns is also regarded as a sign of ground rich in the precious metal. Fetish too plays an important part in West African gold finding. Accidents were common in the native shafts owing to the inability of the natives to shore—up the walls, and these caving in often caused loss of life, and led to the closing of that particular place. This is particularly true of the country round Winnebah, near Mankwadi, or the Devil’s Hill, and near the right bank of the Volta, where there are supposed to be some very rich deposits. Generally speaking the gold deposits are stated to extend in more or less quantity from the French boundary on the west to the Volta River in the east, a direct distance of some 240 geographical miles, and inland to a distance of about 100 miles. They may extend east of the Volta, but that they extend for more than 100 miles inland, I am sure, for the country near the town of Obo in Qwahu, where the river l’rah has its source, is honeycombed with native shafts, and when there early in 1897, I was offered twenty-seven pounds’ worth of gold dust by the natives in exchange for small English silver, which is much wanted in these interior provinces. Very little, however, will be done in the way of mining in the Gold Coast, particularly in these interior pro— vinces, until some comprehensive scheme of roads and transport has been devised, in order that the interior may be reached in less time and with greater ease than at present. What development can be expected in a country where head carriage forms the only means of transport, and it takes ten days for a parcel of sixty 116 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. pounds’ weight to reach Kumasi from the coast, at a minimum cost of [25. 6d. for carriage, a rate equal to nearly £25 for a ton? No mining scheme for the Gold Coast will ever succeed, that does not include provision for a means of transport and the construction of better roads than at present exist. A Roads Department is wanted in this country, with travelling road commissioners, who should report from actual inspection upon the state of the roads. Narrow paths are of no use; they soon become overgrown with bush and practically useless for all transport purposes. A minimum width of sixteen feet should be cleared, well banked in the centre, ditched on either side, stones being used wherever obtainable for the edges of the roads. Timber exists in abundance for bridges, and soft places could be corduroyed with the trunks of the smaller trees. A Roads Department was created in 1894 by one governor to be abolished by another in 1896, when it was merged into the Public \Vorks Department, before it had had time to prove its worth or uselessness. All departments in the colony suffer alike from this want of continuity of purpose. In the height of their power the Ashantis knew too well the value of roads, for they caused to be kept open and maintained, no less than nine good roads that led from their capital to the other most important parts of the Gold Coast. These roads were to Dwaben, Akim, Assini, \Vassaw, Sauree, Gaman, Soko, Daboia and Salaga. The chief Kumasi-Accra roads were two in number, both passing through the Akim country; one took fifteen days and the other seventeen. This latter passed near Lake Bosomshwi and covered a distance of 230 miles in a south-easterly direction (see page 291). THE FUTURE OF THE GOLD COAST. 117 The future of the Gold Coast lies in its commercial prosperity, and this can only be increased by greater attention to the mining capabilities of the colony, and the production of timber and rubber. Good roads once established, the introduction of wheeled traffic will soon follow, though the matter of animals for draught pur— poses will still be somewhat of a difficulty. Horses do not thrive, oxen have never been tried, elephants would be too expensive, but I think mules from Canary could be used to great advantage. These last are now being tried by the Government in the Works Department. Before much introduction of these animals takes place, large areas in the mining districts of VVassaw and Akim should be cleared of vegetation, and “ hydraulicked ” for the gold that they contain. This should produce enough gold to pay for the railways necessary for the transport of heavy machinery, in order to work the reefs that would be laid bare by the process previously referred to. Before any railway can be laid, a port on the coast is wanted where a breakwater could be easily constructed, and railway plant securely landed. Under existing circumstances everything is transferred to a surf—boat for landing, and more often than not the goods are landed in the last breaker on the shore, instead of upon dry land. Much damage and loss is the result, in addition to a great waste of time, which to a white man often means loss of money. Every igast ”line, however bad, has somewhere in its length a natural coign of vantage, where engineer- ing artifice could easily step in and make the necessary improvements. This natural advantage in the coast line is to be found, along this surf—beaten shore, between Dixcove and Sekondi in the western part of the colony, 118 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. somewhat nearer to the latter place than the former. At Takoradi is a bay large enough to contain a fleet at anchor, with deep and comparatively still water, and at Apoassi, or Sekondi, is a natural point, which could be extended into the sea without much difficulty, and formed into a breakwater, along which vessels could moor and discharge their cargoes, undisturbed by the long Atlantic swell for ever breaking on this coast. This point should be made the chief port of entry for the colony, a coast railway should be constructed west to Akim and Apol- lonia, and east to Cape Coast, Saltpond and Accra, with branches to Tarkwa, Insuaim, Kumasi, Kyebi and Abetifi. The Tarkwa line could run direct from Sekondi; the Insuaim-Kumasi line from Saltpond, and the Kyebi- Abetifi line from Winnebah or Accra. The capital required to construct a harbour at any other point along this coast would be sufficient to lay the greater part of the much-needed coast railway. If Apoassi were made the Chief port of entry for the colony, I am aware that it would necessitate the establishment of a Customs station and the European officials at or near that point. So much the better; Accra is not a desirable place for headquarters. There are many places in the west far better suited for the residence of Europeans. Boutri is one of these, Dixcove and Sekondi are others, all situated in what was known as the Ante country in the days of the Dutch and the Portuguese, and where the former traded considerably for a large quantity of gold. Boutri is situated about one and a half miles east of Dixcove and originally possessed a fort built upon a very high hill, strengthened with two batteries of eight small guns. The Dutch name for this place was Bartenstein EXPORT OF FALSE GOLD. 119 (barte meaning profit), though Bosman humorously remarks it should have been called Schadenstein (schade meaning loss) on account of the decline of the trade in the place during the‘latter years of his sojourn on the coast. In the next chapter I will attempt to justify my selection of this place as a habitation for Europeans, and cannot do better than close the present one by a short description of the false gold manufactured by the natives in many of the gold—producing parts of the colony, parti- cularly bythose inhabiting the Dixcove or Infuma country. In the palmy days of the gold export from Guinea, the natives were very adept artists in the sophisticating of gold, neatly counterfeiting and falsifying both the gold dust and the mountain gold, so as to deceive even experienced traders who came to the coast. Nugget gold was made, with the outside of the thickness of a blade of a knife of the purest gold, while the space, within was filled with copper or iron filings. Other nuggets were made of a mixture of silver and gold, or copper and gold, highly coloured to improve upon the deception practised. Dust gold was sophisticated by the introduction of copper or coral dust, the whole being highly coloured in order to complete the fraud. To such an extent was this carried on that Bosman de- scribes the natives of the Dixcove country to be so intractable, fraudulent, villainous and obstinate that the English could not trade with them, but were compelled by the natives at last to jointly agree to cheat all the ships that came to trade there, by putting this sophisti— cated gold upon them. The old Dutch factor was very strong upon them, having no doubt been bitten in his turn, and quotes a case where the masters of two small 120 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. English ships received false gold for the whole of their cargoes, of which they disposed, one to the value of £1700. Bosman says they complained to the English governor at the time, but that to complain to him was as good as going to the devil to be confessed, and the trade in false gold so prospered that open business was done in it at the rate of one dollar for two pounds’ value sterling of false, until this part of the country became known as the false mint of Guinea. TABLE OF GOLD WEIGHTS AND THEIR VALUES IN ENGLISH MONEY USED IN THE GOLD COAST COLONY. Weight. Value. Weight. Value. ,6 S. 11. £ 5. d, Puwa . 0 o oi Akau-dwuasru . o 15 o Pesiwa. . 0 o 1 Abau-dwuasru . 0 18 0 Damba. . o o 2 Suru 1 o 3 Simpuwa . . o o 3 Piresuru 1 2 6 Kokuwa . 0 o 4 Asia. 1 7 6 Akau Taku . 0 o 6 Kandwua . 1 11 6 'l‘aku . . 0 o 9 Anamfi—sur 1 13 9 Ntaku-mmiensa . o 2 3 Abau-dwua 1 16 0 Suwa-fa . o 3 4% Osua . . 2 0 6 Dumba-fa . . o 4 0 Ndwua-mmien . 3 12 0 Agyiratwi-fa . . o 4 6 Ndwua-mmiensa 5 8 o Suwa . . . o 6 9 l Asuanu. 4 1 o Ntaku-akum . . 0 6 9 , Asuasa . 6 I 6 Dumba. . o 8 o Benda . 7 4 o Agyiratwi . . o 9 o . Pireguan . 8 2 0 Nsuwa-nsa . . . . o 10 1:} T Ntanu 16 4 0 Bodombu . . . . . o 11 5 Ntansa. 24 6_ 0 Nsau . . . . . .o 15 6 ‘ I will conclude this chapter by endorsing the remarks of Bosmanxwritten nearly two centuries ago, but which are nevertheless true of to—day. “ I would refer to any intelligent metallist whether a vast deal of ore must not of necessity be lost here, from which a great deal of LOSS OF THE FINE GOLD. 121 gold might be separated, for want of skill in the metallic art ; and not only so, but I firmly believe that large quantities of pure gold are left behind, for the negroes only ignorantly dig at random, without the least know- ledge of the veins of the mine. And I doubt not but if this country belonged to the Europeans, they would soon find it to produce much richer treasures than the negroes obtain from it.” Notch—Since this chapter was written, a copy of the Atlas Maritimp dc I’Asic ct dc I’Afrique (1764) has come into my possession. In map 106, “ La Coste d’Or,” the two divisions of the Akim country are marked as follows: Western Akim as “ Pays d’Akanni, autrefois tries puissant et riche en 01',” and Eastern Akim as “ Pays d’Akim on brand Akanni, 7 tries étendu et riche en or ‘ . same as Akim Gold. See pp. 104 and 105. This proves that “ Acanny Sika” was the CHAPTER V. Half Assini to Axim—Apollonia—The Lake Village—Axim and its Neighbourhood~~The Ante Country—Cape Three Points— Chama and the Prah—The Kingdoms of Wassaw, Denkira and Sefwi. THE lower course of the Tano or Tando River forms the western boundary of the Gold Coast colony, though the coast extends in a strip some two or more miles wide farther west to Newtown, a short distance beyond the Assini Hills, where it joins the territory known as French Guinea, the old Ivory Coast. Here the French have two important trading stations, Grand Bassam and Assini, or as the latter was once called, Fort Joinville, from which port large quantities of timber are now ex— ported. The whole of the Apollonian coast, from New- town to the mouth of the' Aneobra River near Axim, is a low stretch of sand, studded with no less than forty fishing towns and villages between the two points I have mentioned, in a distance of some sixty odd miles. Immediately behind Newtown, extend the Tano and the Eyi Lagoons, into which are discharged the waters of the river bearing the former name, after a course of some miles from the ancient town of Takima, some dis- tance north of Kumasi, whence the Fantis are supposed to have originally come. The most important towns along this western seaboard are Newtown, Half Assini, Beyin, THE APOLLONIAN COAST. 123 Attuabu, Esiamo and Kikam, which become at times special ports of entry for steamers when the need arises. Landing along this coast is at all times most dangerous, the breakers rolling in upon the rapidly shallowing shore from seven to ten deep. You may land safely, but seldom if ever with a dry skin. Travelling along these sixty miles of sand is monotonous in the extreme, and gives one the idea that it is a part of the coast that has been long forgotten. No elevations break the regular coast line, and during the whole history of the colony but one fort has ever been built in this part of the country. This was built by the English at Beyin, and called Fort Apollonia, for which an annual ground- rent was paid to the king, and where a large trade in gold dust was carried on until about the middle of the present century. In past times Newtown was also famous for owning a fine alluvial gold deposit, some distance north of the lagoon that borders the town, and the traveller can still, or could as recently as 1896, purchase nugget gold from the native traders in this town. The English fort is now a mass of ruins and overgrown with bush, though repaired and occupied as a store by Swanzy’s early in the eighties. If I remember rightly part of it is still so used, but little or no trade is done in the place. Beyin, the headquarters of the kings of the country, who once ruled the whole coast from Assini to Axim, was the scene ofa fight in 1848, when Captain William VVinniett, who succeeded Commander Hill, R.N., as governor, 1846-50, attacked the then King of Apollonia, Quaw Attah, and took him prisoner for having killed the French Commandant at Assini. The western boundary of the colony proceeds from 124 THE GOLD COAST FAST AND PRESENT. Newtown into the interior in a most irregular manner, and at the present day is not at all well defined. In the map published by Stanford in 1895 a note states that, “The boundary between the English and French possessions has been taken from the text of the agree- ment between Great Britain and France of 12th July, 1893, and the map attached thereto, but has not been demarcated on the ground, and the line must therefore be regarded as only approximately correct”. This approximate line of demarcation runs east from Newtown for some twenty-five miles, and turns north to follow the Tano River for about the same distance. It then leaves the Tano, still going north, trends north—west until the same longitude as Newtown is again reached, and then north again for about [00 miles, to turn off again towards the east. Thus the whole of the upper waters of the Tano are in English territory, and the lagoons into which its waters are emptied remain in French Guinea. The result of this is, that the French port of Assini has become the centre of the mahogany trade that comes down the Tano River, which is in English territory. A canal should be cut from the lagoon behind Half Assini to the shore, and an English timber port established at this latter place. The inland territories to the north of Apollonia contain the kingdoms of Wassaw, Sefwi and Denkira, which will be separately treated in this chapter. This coast received its name of Apollonia from the Portuguese, who named it from the saint bearing that name, the presiding saint of the day upon which it was first discovered, 27‘s., 9th February. There is also an Apollonias of 5th March. In the old days the Kings of Apollonia were held to APOLLONIAN SACRIFICES. 125 be important personages, and much human sacrifice was practised upon all great occasions. Meredith in his Account of 1116 Gold Coax! says that when a king died, twenty men were sacrificed every Saturday for the fol— lowing six months, when the “great custom ” took place, while the journal of an African cruiser, published in 1848, mentions the royal residence of the Apollonian kings as being most gorgeously furnished in imitation of European style, and containing vast stores of riches. The death of a king was the occasion for the sacrifice of sixty men to attend their lord to his next realm, each being buried with knife, plate, cup, sword, gun and cloth for use in the unknown land, while the corpse of the king was well oiled and powdered with gold dust. In the early history of these savage people, many strange devices were resorted to in order to escape falling into the hands of their enemies, many preferring death by their own hands to torture and death from the hands of the victors. One illustration will be sufficient as an example of a practice once common throughout the colony. About the year 1785, the King of Apollonia died, and two competitors appeared and claimed the “ stool,” one of whom was called Suikee. To test their right each collected his slaves and adherents and fought. Suikee was defeated in the engagement, fled and hid himself in the bush. In the meantime his opponent was duly made king, but the people being dissatisfied with the conqueror, Suikee reappeared against his old enemy and besieged his capital. The king, his rival, reduced this time beyond all hope, threw all his gold, which filled several jars, into the lake, and collecting his wives and the different branches of his family, took them to 126 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. a remote part of the bush, cut all their throats with the exception of one son, who assisted him to bury the bodies. He then made fetish, and caused his son to swear upon it that he would kill and bury him, and never disclose the place of the burial of the bodies. The son did this and returned to Apollonia, and was for a time lost sight of. Suikee, now seated firmly on the throne, by some means discovered the burial place. He caused all the bodies to be dug up, carried to Beyin and ranged them in a sitting position upon the beach, with stakes supporting their arms and heads. There this horrid spectacle remained until even the bones had perished, and Suikee had thus gratified his revenge upon the dead bodies of his adversaries. Many instances of similar barbarities could be given. The country immediately to the north of Apollonia was known as Amanahea. Both were once under the sway of the Ashantis, who extorted gold from them in various quantities, though no annual tribute was fixed. The Apollonians are a branch no doubt of the once great Akan family, all speaking the same language, and related to the Akra, Cheripong, Late, Ahanta and Adangme tribes, and include the people of Axim, who are Apollonians. Their speech differs somewhat from the Fanti, but each is intelligible to the other. Fishing is their chief occupation, though the Apollonian men make good hammock men and carriers. They are fond of drink, somewhat noisy, easily pleased, and clean as regards the washing of their bodies. Fowls, goats, cattle and sheep thrive throughout the country, the sheep being among the best in the colony. The women are much the same as all others in the colony, though a MINES IN AI’OLLONIA. 127 trifle taller, and perhaps a little more graceful in their movements, with here and there a cast of countenance more resembling the Moor than the true negro. The children are noisy and precocious when young, learn easily, and as easily forget what they learn. The Wesleyan Missionary Society have some seven or eight inspected schools along this seaboard. The people take an interest in learning English, the chiefs setting the example to their people by giving an annual donation to the schools. The King of Beyin gives £20. When— everl have visited this part of the colony I have been most hospitably treated; king, chiefs and elders at- tending the examination of the scholars, the schools and their approaches being gaily decorated with palms and flags in honour of the visit of the “white big-book man,” as they were pleased to call me. Many of the Apollonians find occupation at the Tarkwa or the French mines, where they are said to have a good reputation, and work well under European disci- pline. Gold too is to be found in Apollonia, and would no doubt pay for mining were proper facilities afforded. The native mines at lzrah, Inyoko and Ingotra have already been described in the previous chapter, so that a mention of them here will suffice. No proper survey either geological or geographical has ever been made of this country, but when it is, I confidently expect that it will be found worthy of European capital and enterprise. Bitumen has been obtained some distance inland from Newtown, and petroleum has recently been discovered in the neighbourhood of Half Assini, though the latter has been found to be more of a lubricant than an illuminant, and is mixed with sand. 128 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. Until quite recently, big game and elephants were to be found within a two days’ journey in the grassy lands above Beyin, but it is very seldom now that a tooth is ever brought in, though quite close to the old Ivory or Tooth Coast, belonging to the Cote d’or of the French. I cannot leave the Apollonian country without giving a short description of the lake village that is to be found a short distance inland from Beyin, and which has been visited by very few Europeans. In Meredith’s Accozmz‘of t/ze Gold Coast (1812) it is thus described : “About three miles from the fort inland, there is a very fine lake of fresh water that forms the boundary of the plain, and may be computed at six miles in circumference. It is deep, for no bottom was found about the centre with a line of thirty fathoms. There is a variety of fish here: the crocodile or alligator inhabits it. and a large species of snake has been discovered on its banks. A small village is erected on this lake; the houses are formed on wooden piles; they are separated from each other so that every house is insulated. The inhabitants form a communication by means of canoes. which are generally paddled by women. “The original inhabitants of this village are said to have been composed of disaffected and ill-disposed persons, who emigrated from their native country Chama, a small state some distance eastward of Apollonia and where the Dutch had a fort. It is reported that the King of Apollonia at first refused them any indulgence, and desired them to depart from his kingdom ; they, however, entreated him with much importunity, and informed him that they were willing to undergo the meanest office if he would permit them to settle in any part of his country. At length the king allotted to them a small spot of THE LAKE VILLAGE. 129 ground adjoining to the lake, but told them they must not build upon it but endeavour to erect houses in the lake, so as to be secluded from his subjects. Necessity thus obliged them to exert all the ingenuity and art they were masters of ; and after much labour they suc- ceeded in forming comfortable and secure houses of wood, chiefly of the bamboo cane. The inhabitants of this village are careful in retaining their primitive language, and have no further intercourse with the Apollonians than a trifling trade will admit of, which only consists of the fish caught in the lake, and for which they get corn and rice in exchange. Whatever may have been their character and disposition, they appear to live peace~ ably and happily. Their situation is favourable to tran- quillity, as no part of a family can move abroad without some difficulty, which affords no opportunity of using mal— practices, and fearful of incurring the displeasure of the king, they must be strict in their behaviour and conduct.” This village is of great antiquity, and is situated a short distance to the east of the town Nuba or Niba, which can be approached either from Beyin or by a long water- way running parallel to the coast from the fishing village of Eku Enunu Ebomesu at the mouth of the river, some sixteen miles to the east of Beyin. The locality of this peculiar village is not shown on any ordnance map before 1887, and an interesting account ofa journey there, made by the then District Commissioner of Axim, Mr. C. A. O’Brien, appeared in Blair/é and IV/zz'te in january, 1897, of which the following is an extract :— “ The lake village is situated in Apollonia, the most western part of the Gold Coast Colony, some miles from Beyin town and five or six from the coast ; yet its existence 9 I30 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. is virtually unknown to Europeans, close as it is to the coast line. Doubtless this is owing to the fact that the white population in that portion of the colony resides at Axim, some thirty-five miles away. Till after 1887 no trace of such a village could be found in the maps pre- pared by the Intelligence Department of the War Office. Burton and Cameron were both at Axim for a time, and explored the country and its vicinity. Still they make no mention of this extraordinary village, which they certainly would have done had they seen it.” The writer here is so far correct in stating that Burton and Cameron never saw it, but that no mention is made of it by them is a mistake, and I am sure he will forgive me for pointing it out. In the map prefacing volume i., To z‘lze Go/a’ Coast for Gold, by Burton and Cameron, 1883, the lake village is distinctly marked, as also the waterway leading to it, but not the town of Nuba, while on pages 148-151, volume ii. of the same work, is to be found a full description of the lake village and its sur- roundings, which I shall have pleasure in quoting later on. Mr. O‘Brien continues: “I had occasion to travel to Nuba, lake village and some other places by a route other than the ordinary one—that is, not by Beyin, on the coast line. It became necessary to travel through dense bush or forest to several villages unknown to white men save by name, and thence by a series of lagoons; some of them, though dignified by this title by the natives, were naught but evil-smelling drains, sometimes not three feet wide, and often with no more than six inches of water in them. Completely covered in by trees, they were even in the daytime dark tunnels, while at night the blackness became awful in its intensity. Having THE LAKE VILLAGE. I31 been through several of them by day, I determined to push on to Nuba by night. So my party embarked in canoes and entered the most evil-smelling waterway imaginable. The lanterns at the head of the canoes merely rendered the darkness more palpable, and shortly after the start progress became well-nigh impossible, owing to the water being insufficient to float the craft. In this emergency the four canoe-men in each boat were obliged to get out and drag the frail craft over the slimy mud. Whenever the water was sufficient, they resumed paddling, only to jump out again to pull the canoe over some fallen log that barred the way. This, with the accompanying danger of snakes dropping from the trees, and of being upset into the slime, made this night travelling anything but pleasant. At length the Nuba was reached about midnight, and a halt was called till next morning. Daylight, however, seemed to change the outlook considerably. Presently bright daylight was admitted, with shade sufficient to protect us from the sun. Time and inclination to look about were now afforded, and I noticed on each side tiny waterways just large enough to admit the smallest description of canoe, which occasionally glided as though from the land into the now ten-foot wide lagoon that was by-and—by covered with water lilies. Indeed, it assumed a close resemblance to the backwater of some English stream. “ Paddling gaily along for some time, we suddenly burst into an exquisite lake some two miles square with this extraordinary village built in the water opposite to us. It is hard to describe the splendour of the morning when we emerged from the lagoon—tunnel into this lovely expanse of water that mirrored the palm—trees and other 132 THE GOLD COAST I’AST AND PRESENT. tropical foliage on its banks. It affected even the canoe- men, who challenged one another to race. The five canoes were ranged in line, and then started for the lake village. While this two-mile struggle was in progress, I had time to notice the peculiar village we were ap-- proaching. It is built on piles and is surrounded by water, while each house, placed on a kind of platform, supported by these stakes, seemed to be distinct from its neighbour, and to have its own rough ladder leading to the water. The only means of communication is by boat, there being no connection with the land at the back. If a native desires to visit another three or four houses off, he has to go down his ladder, enter his canoe and paddle to the house. The population numbers about 300, and I should say there are sixty or seventy houses in all. I tried to discover the reason for building the village in this manner, but could get no satisfactory explanation. One said that the method adopted was convenient for fishing; and another, that the place was once used as a place of confinement for persons trouble- some to former kings of Beyin. The present inhabitants, at least, are not prisoners in any sense, as their canoes have free access everywhere. Like other natives on the coast, they live by fishing and trading.” 1 The account given by Burton and Cameron of this extraordinary village is not from their own pen, but from an excursion made to the place by Mr. Edward L. McCarthy, in August, 1881. I will give the ac— count in his own words, and the reader can judge for himself how the two accounts agree. Mr. McCarthy says: “Accompanied by Prince john Coffee, heir to 1 By the kind permission of the publishers of Black and IVhitc. THE LAKE VILLAGE. I33 King Blay, three other chiefs, their servants, and my own party of Kroo men, we left the town of Béin, Apol- lonia, to go up to the village in the bush called Esua-ti. Half a mile from the town we found canoes awaiting us, and in these we were poled along for over half an hour over what in the dry season is a native path, but now a narrow Channel of water, winding about in a dense jungle of reeds. . . . Emerging from these reeds, one broad sheet of water presented itself to the eye, encircled by a low shore fringed with canes, bush and palm trees. The lagoon receives several small streams and empties itself into the sea by the Ebomesu River, its mouth being about half—way between Béin and the Ancobra. The length of the lagoon appears to be about three to four miles, and about one to one and a half in breadth. Twenty minutes’ paddling brought us round the point of a small headland, where we came in sight of a pretty lake village, built upon piles, at some little distance from the shore, the whole forming a most picturesque and animated scene. “ From house to house canoes laden with people, plantains, etC., were passing to and fro; groups of villagers, some standing, others sitting, upon the raised bamboo platforms outside their houses, were busy barter- ing fish for plantains, while the Children played around, apparently unconscious of any danger from falling into the water. The settlement consisted of over forty houses, mostly of bamboo, a few of swish, forming one long irregular line, and three or four standing away from the rest, round a corner of land, after the Fanti custom. These houses were built on a bamboo platform supported by piles, and raised above the water some three and a half feet. One half of the platform is covered by the 134 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. house; the other half, left free, is used to fish from, for the children to play about on, and for receptions when palavers are held. The distance from the shore varies with the overflow of the lake, at the time of my visit about thirty or forty yards, though for miles beyond this the ground was saturated with water, whose depth varied from three and a half to nine feet. I closely questioned the natives as to why they had built their village upon the lake, and they invariably gave as their reason that they chiefly fished at night ; and, as the water often overflowed, they would have to build their houses too far away to come and go during the night ; whereas, ‘now,’ they said, ‘we are close to where we catch our fish, and we often catch them even from our houses’. Under- neath each house were tied from one to five and sometimes more canoes. These were much lighter, more rounded off in the keel, stem and stem than the beach canoes.” 1 “Three white men, they told me, had visited their village, Captain Dudley in 1876, judging from the age of a child that was born at the time of his visit; Captain Grant and Mr. Gillett in 1878, I afterwards learnt were the other two.” Thus, except for the visit of Mr. McCarthy, who wrote the above account, I believe Mr. O’Brien is the first white man to visit this interesting spot since that time. The port of Axim lies as near as possible in latitude 50 N. and 20 14' 45” W. longitude. Its appearance from the sea is most picturesque, and the first impressions of the place are far from dispiriting, and upon the whole, the health of the Europeans stationed there is decidedly good. Two bays are visible from the sea, a larger and a 1 To the Gold Coastfor Gold. Burton and Cameron (1883). THE PORT OF AXIM. I 35 smaller. The former stretches from Akromasi Point to Pépre’ Point, and includes the latter, which contains the bay of Axim. Vegetation flourishes down to the water’s edge, backed with a dense forest of enormous trees, which stretches away inland as far as the eye can reach. Landing here is comparatively easy, and it is one of the few places along the coast where it can be accomplished in a ship’s boat. Opposite the landing—place is the island called Bobowusua, or more commonly called “ pigeon island,” the native haunt of many kinds of birds, from the turkey-buzzard to the pigeon. In olden times Axim was a country, and embraced that region marked in some maps as Hollandia, with the town of Axim as its port. It suffered much at the hands ofthe Apollonians, but on account of its position has always recovered from its greatest disasters, and became and still remains the chief gold and timber port of the western part of the colony. Old authorities state that Axim was once, according to the notion of power in this part of the world, a powerful monarchy, but that the arrival of the Brandenburgers in the seventeenth century, divided the inhabitants into two factions, one part putting themselves under the protection of their new masters, and the other part remaining faith- ful to their old. The country of Axim extended in those days for some twenty or more miles from the Rio Cobre or Ancobra River to the town of Bushua, then called Boesua, three miles to the west of the Dutch fort at Boutri. The inhabitants at this time were very rich, driving a great trade with the Europeans for gold, and being other- wise engaged in trade, fishing or agriculture. This last included the cultivation of rice, which then grew in this v part of the colony in such abundance that it was carried I36 TIIE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. to all other parts of the coast and exchanged for millet, yams, potatoes and palm oil (then used for food), which were not to be obtained in any quantities in the Axim district. The Ancobra, or Snake River, called so on account of its windings, is the Rio Cobre of Bosman, and is now navigated in steam launches for some eighty or ninety miles. “ It was,” says the same author, “ a waterway too FORT ST. ANTHONY, AXIM. pleasant to be lightly passed over, its mouth being some distance to the west of Fort St. Anthony.” It possesses a wide, shallow estuary, sand—locked like all other rivers in this part of Africa, over the bar of which the great Atlantic rollers thunder with unceasing roar, that makes it im— passable to ordinary vessels; while a short distance inland, it grows deeper and narrower for some miles of its course, THE ANCOBRA RIVER. I37 and becomes a useful stream. In the early part of the eighteenth century, a small three days’ voyage upon it was considered a great undertaking, and afforded a pleasant tripe In those days the banks down to the water’s edge were adorned with lofty trees, affording the most agreeable shade to the voyager, while the trees were enlivened with troops of monkeys and varieties of birds of the most variegated plumage. The lower reaches of the river are very tortuous, and many towns and villages are scattered upon its banks. For some years the Dutch held a fort at the village of Equira, some miles from the mouth of the river. This district was then the centre of a large gold—mining industry, and the people did a very considerable trade in the precious metal derived from the mines then in existence in the neighbourhood, as well as from the great amount of gold brought in from the surrounding country. Burton and Cameron must have passed near to the source of this wealth when on their way to the Ingotra mine described in the last chapter, though I am of opinion that this mine is one of the old native workings of that date, included in this district of Equira. In my copy of Bosman’s Guinea (1705) no mention is made of the name of the fort at this place. Burton calls it “ Fort Equira,” while Bosman speaks of it as “the country of Equira”. Some authorities, among whom are Bowdich and Mere- dith, place lilisa Carthage at this spot, while others, in— cluding Bosman, Lieutenant Jeekel (Royal Dutch Navy) and Burton and Cameron, place Elisa Carthage upon Akromasi l’oint, near the mouth of the Ancobra River. The account of the destruction of the fort is men- tioned by most authors, but the difficulty remains as to I38 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. whether it was Fort Equira or Fort Elisa Carthago. The latter place was built by the Portuguese, sometime before I 700, and captured by the French, who held it for a considerable time, did a great trade in gold’, and were finally driven out by the Dutch. These last pos— sessors did not enjoy it for long. The following account of its destruction is by Bosman: “I remember when I had the government of Axim, a very rich one (mine) was discovered, but we lost our footing there in a very tragical manner, for the commander-in-chief of the negroes being Closely besieged by our men (so fame reports) shot gold instead of bullets, showing by signs that he was ready to treat and afterwards to trade, but in the midst of their negotiations he blew up himself and all his enemies at once, as unfortunately as bravely putting an end to our siege and to his own life, and, like Samson, revenging his death upon his enemies. To encompass his design he had encouraged a slave, by promise of new cloths, to stand ready with a match, with which he was to touch the powder when he saw him stamp with his foot, which the silly wretch but too punctually performed, undis- covered by any one but one of our company’s slaves, who, observing it, withdrew as silently as timely, being only left alive to tell us the news; and since we could get no better account, we were obliged to believe this, it being too certain that our fort, to the cost of our director and some of our enemies, was blown up.” The Axim of the present day and the immediate country surrounding presents a very different appearance to what it did in these early times. The old Dutch fort has seen several masters and undergone many changes. Originally built by the Portuguese about 15 I 5, in the days FORT ST. ANTHONY, AXIM. 139 of Don Manuel, and named Santo Antonio, it fell into the hands of the Dutch in 1642 and became St. Anthony. It was captured by the English in I 782 under Captain Shirley, restored to its Dutch owners three years later, to again come into English hands in 1872, by the con- vention at the Hague. It is now the headquarters for the district, and in the upper rooms of the old fort resides the District Commissioner,and until quite recently,an assistant colonial surgeon ; while the lower rooms furnish the neces- sary accommodation for Commissioners’ Court, Post and Telegraph Offices and Customs and Police. The base- ment is occupied by numerous darksome, evil—looking cells for the detention of prisoners. A long, straggling path leads from the beach road through the principal street of the town up to the fort, which commands Axim Bay. A short distance to the east of the present fort once stood the chief settlement of the Brandenburgers, Fort Branden- burg or Fredericksborg, called after the Elector of that name, which fell into the hands of the Dutch soon after the capture of Santo Antonio. The Brandenburgers finally left the coast in 1720. For many years prior to this they maintained several important stations in the neigh— bourhood of Axim, the chief of which was Fredericks~ borg, and which were the source of no little trouble to the Dutch. Speaking of this chief station Bosman says : “Their principal fortress is not above three (Dutch) miles east of ours of St. Anthony, situated on a hill Mamfro, and is handsome and reasonably large, strengthened with four large batteries furnished with forty-six pieces of ordnance, but too light and small. The gate of this fort is the most beautiful on all the coast, but proportion- ally much too large for the structure, so that the garrison I40 . THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. seems to have an equal right with the burghers of Minde to the advice, that they should keep their gate shut for fear the fort should run away!” This was called Fredericksborg and was near to the town of Princes at the mouth of the Princes or St. John’s River. Only the great double doorway now remains. Some ten miles farther to the east was another Brandenburger fort called Dorothea, which appears to have been given by the Dutch to the Brandenburgers, who considerably enlarged and improved it. It was fiat-roofed, contained two small batteries, and was fur- nished with a number of rooms and conveniences slightly built and somewhat crowded. A third place of impor- tance belonging to these interlopers, as they were styled, was a small fort-house between the Mamfro Hill and Fort Dorothea, built on the middle tongue of Cape Three Points, at the village of Takrama, in 1674. At the end of the seventeenth century these places were the centre of a thriving gold trade ; at the present time they have disappeared and their sites are almost for- gotten. The Brandenburgers were not successful in their dealings with the natives, who treated many of the directors and officers of the company with the utmost contempt, finally breaking their power and becoming masters over them, until they were compelled to leave the coast through the stagnation of their trade. Axim is now an important trading station, and has yet a great fortune in store as the entrance port to the valuable Tarkwa mining districts, and to the timber forests to be found on either bank of the Ancobra River. The amount of gold still shipped annually from this port amounts to £6000, whilst thousands offine mahogany TIMBER AT AXIM. I41 trees are felled every year, and towed down the Ancobra, to be squared upon the beach and exported to Europe. Rubber and skins are also brought from the interior to this port in large quantities. The surrounding country is hilly and well wooded. Water is plentiful and the whole district is very rich in gold. Transport is the one thing wanted to transform this comparatively healthy SQUARING MAHOGANY ON THE BEACH, AXIM. part of the Gold Coast into a busy centre of mining industry and trade, which is at present crippled by a trans— port costing some £25 per ton from Axim to Tarkwa. Axim is variously written Axem, Atzyn and Achen, while the natives called it Essim. It must not be con- founded with Akim in the eastern part of the colony to the north of Accra. I42 THE GOLD COAST FAST AND PRESENT. The country of Ante or Hante, the present Ahanta upon modern maps, was continuous with the Axim territory, and extended from Bushua or Acoda in the west to Sekondi, a distance of some twenty-five miles. For many years the Ante country included Axim, which was known as Upper Ante. It was a populous and powerful state, inhabited by a war-like people, who gave much trouble to the Dutch, and were constantly at war with their neighbours, more particularly with those to the north of their own territory, in the Adom country, and who finally broke their power. At Dixcove, or Dick’s Cove, the Dikjeschoft of the Dutch, in the Infuma c0untry, a little to the west of the village of Bushua, the English established themselves and built a fort in 1691, after several struggles with the Brandenburgers, who disputed this territory with them. This took six years to complete, and became the headquarters of the trade in sophisticated gold mentioned in the previous chapter. Burton says it was built in 1681 and finished in 1688. At the present day it has a territory quite distinct from the Ahanta country, extending along the shore to Achowa Point, and for some twenty miles inland. Three miles to the east of this settlement were Boutri Village and Fort. The small river running into the sea at Boutri rises in the Adom country, which is said to abound in gold. Amanfee also abounds in very fine gold, which is generally found in quartz, and is ground upon stones arranged under large sheds for the purpose. The former remains, but the latter has been long in ruins, while sixteen miles farther to the cast was Sekondi, where the Dutch had a small station called Orange Fort, below which the Ante country ended. I trust I may be excused THE AHANTA COUNTRY. I43 for treating of this part of the coast in so minute a manner, but my excuse must be, that I believe it will become in the near future a part that will be found more suitable for European residence than many other spots on the coast, and will ultimately be, on account of this and its natural facilities and richness, the great centre of future trade, and contain the chief entrance port for the Gold Coast colony. The coast line contains the one natural harbour, where a landing stage could be easily constructed, and from which the railways of the colony could run, and deep water is to be found up to the very shore. The Ahanta country is extremely well wooded, rich, fertile and well watered, and could be made to produce an almost unlimited supply of grain, fruits and vegetables of all descriptions. The hill lands, which are abundant, contain, I believe, many quartz formations, and I have myself brought home specimens of gold-bearing rock which yielded on assay, no less than I 02. 12 dwts. 5 grs. of gold to the ton of ore, in addition to 5 dwts. of silver. These specimens were obtained within an easy distance of the sea-shore. In past times it was a land that yielded its cultivators as plentiful a crop as could be wished, and was well furnished with all kinds of tame and wild animals, particularly at the end of the seventeenth century. The English (1615) and the Dutch (1680) possessed forts at Sekondi, where they were rivals for many years, much to the detriment of both companies. During Bosman’s time the English fort was destroyed by the people of Ante, thus leaving the Dutch masters of the field, where they traded very considerably for a large quantity of gold. The English made several attempts to 144 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. rebuild their fort, but met, upon each occasion, with much opposition from the natives, the town of Sekondi itself falling at last before the ravages of the people of Adorn. Sekondi is also described as being one of the healthiest places on the coast for the residence of Europeans. The country round is diversified and very fertile. Some four miles west of Sekondi are Takoradi Bay and Fort, the latter now in ruins and overgrown with bush. The fort was built sometime before the middle of the seventeenth century, and has had many European masters, the English, Dutch, Brandenburgers, Swedes and the Danes each having had possession in turn. De Ruyter took it from the English in 1665, during the Dutch wars in the reign of Charles the Second, and after many years of prosperity the town gradually declined, to be at last destroyed by the people of Adom. Takoradi was the scene of the murder of the Dutch military commandant ofBoutri and his assistant in 1837, and an encounter between the Dutch troops and Bousu, the chief of the Ahantas. The whole country appears to have been at the height of its prosperity at the end of the seventeenth century, when it contained numerous villages, well popu- lated, a plentiful harvest, and abundance of cattle, so much so, that the Dutch soldiers, who could hardly live on their pay elsewhere, could here live well upon half. Bosman declares‘Boutri to be healthier than other places along the coast, for during his stay there he observed, that fewer people died there in proportion to the number of people and time than anywhere else, and that if the whole Coast were like it, it would soon lose its deadly name. About midway between the village of Boutri and CAPE THREE POINTS. I45 Takoradi Fort is the small town of Adjuah. This place, though not very large or populous, is a port of entry, and is provided with customs, post and telegraph offices. It is reported that large beds of slate are to be found in this neighbourhood, which may in time prove of value. The mosquitoes at this town at certain times of the year render life to the European almost unbearable. The Ante country was finally subdued about 1692 by the Adom people, who were governed by five or six principal men without a king, and who were a terror to all the tribes around. Their country extended north of Ante from the Ancobra to the Prah, a distance of more than fifty miles, and for about the same distance inland. Their leader in war was a native called Anquah, whose name was a terror to all the tribes around, on account of the atrocious manner in which he treated his prisoners. Cape Three Points stands about midway between Axim and Dixcove, upon the middle point of which stands the present lighthouse. This was the old Cape Tres l’untos of early days, forming an excellent landmark for mariners, the capes being respectively fifty, forty-five and forty miles west of Cape Coast. About four miles to the east of the cape are the remains of another Dutch ruin, now called Acquidah, the Acoda of the seventeenth century, one of the stations of the Brandenburgers, built about 1680 and named Dorothea, which I have previously described. Good oysters abound here. The next town of interest along the coast is Chama, situated at the mouth of the Prah River, between which point and the town of Sekondi extends a strip of country known by the same name. Chama is also written Chumah and Essama, pronounced by the people Nshama. IO 146 THE GOLD COAST PAsT AND PRESENT. It is continuous with the Ahanta country, and resembles it in point of fertility. The town itself is fairly large and well populated, but is very hot, and on the whole not so healthy as the country farther west. The present fort, overlooking the town, was built by the Portuguese in 1680, and captured from them by the Dutch. It is very small, containing four batteries, and is known as i’l’fl/l/fl; I Ira/113‘} f INTERIOR 01’ \VI'ZSLICYAN SCHOOL, CHAMA. Saint Sebastian. It furnishes miserable offices for the District Commissioners who reside at lilmina, and quarters for an assistant Colonial Surgeon in addition to the usual rooms for customs, post and telegraph require- ments. In the Dutch wars with England it was almost completely destroyed, but was restored by the Dutch, in whose hands it remained until the whole coast was TIIE BUSUM OR SACRED PRAH. I47 finally handed over to the English. The country round Chama produces the finest oranges of any part of the colony. The skin of this fruit, when perfectly ripe, is of a deep green colour, and contains much essential oil. A short distance to the east of the town the river Prah empties its waters, twenty-five miles west of Cape Coast Castle. By the Ashantis and the Fantis it is called the Busum Prah, which means the sacred river, and in time past human sacrifices were made to it at its source. This is to be found in a rugged mountain near the town of Obo, a little to the south of the Kwahu country, nearly 200 miles from the coast. It runs in a south-west direction to Prahsu, where it soon bends south and falls into the sea at Chama. The total length of this river, with its windings, cannot be less than 400 miles. At the mouth is a dangerous bar, with water from two to five feet deep, which makes the river useless for navigation, though small crafts can proceed up it for a three days’ journey, until stopped by the rapids and waterfalls. From the town of Prahsu, for some sixty miles to the north—east, this river formed, until the last Ashanti war, the boundary between the Ashanti country and the Gold Coast. At this town it flows between steep banks varying from forty to sixty feet in height, and runs with a current at the rate of three or four miles per hour. The Dah and the Ofin are its chief tributaries on its right bank, the former rising near the old town of Kwaben north—east of Kumasi, and emptying its waters into the Ofin, which carries the two waters into the Prah, at a distance of some two days’ journey west of Prahsu, while on the left bank it receives the waters of the Birrim, which joins it at a point about one day’s journey north-east of the same town. The whole 148 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. of the upper courses of the Prah and the Birrim flow through a rich auriferous country, Eastern and Western Akim, which I hope will be opened up in the near future to European development. The kingdoms of Wassaw, Sefwi and Denkira lie directly to the north of the Apollonian, Ahanta and Chama countries on the coast. The largest of the three is Wassaw, which was governed in the past by four chiefs, whose relation and power were exercised independently of each other. Sefwi and Denkira form the northern boundaries of this country, which is generally given to extend from 100 to 120 miles east to west and some sixty miles from north to south, the eastern portion of the country coming down to the sea at Sekondi. The Anco- bra flows through the centre of the country, and the Tano upon its western border, almost dividing it from Assini in French Guinea. The Tarkwa and most of the present well—known mines are situated in Wassaw, and most of the timber exported from Axim is obtained from the same territory. The chief towns are Akropong. Awudwa and Tarkwa. It is very thinly populated in proportion to its size, and was once a strong tributary power to the Ashantis, paying an indefinite yearly tax, based upon the number of towns and villages found in the country. Sefwi lies due north of Wassaw, having Aowin for its western boundary and Ashanti on its north. Very little is known about the country and its inhabitants even at the present day, this part of the colony having been visited by very few Europeans, and consequently but little explored. Like Wassaw, the country is well wooded and is watered by the upper courses of the same rivers. In some maps this country is included in the Ashanti SEFWI AND DENKIRA. I49 territory, and the people were no doubt tributary at one time to the dominant power of this race. The chief town in the Sefwi country is Wiawusu, near the northern border of VVassaw. Sefwi is also written Sawee and Sahue. Denkira is the third of these inland states, lying north- east between VVassaw and Ashanti, and is the smallest of the three territories. Its capital bears the same name and is situated a little to the west of the ()fin River, which passes through the centre of the country. Osai Tootoo, the first King of Kumasi of whom mention is made, conquered Denkira, notwithstanding that the latter country received help from the Europeans at Elmina, in the form of cannon, about I 720. These cannon were captured by the Ashantis and carried as trophies to their capital. Before this time the Dutch governor of the coast paid a monthly sum to the King of Denkira for Elmina Castle, which, by his conquest by Osai Tootoo, became the spoil of the victor, whose ancestors enjoyed it for many years afterwards. These monthly pay- ments were called “ Notes,” and many stations along the coast were held by the Europeans in the same way. The brother Apokoo, and successor to Osai Tootoo, com— pleted the conquest of Akim, and secured from the people of that district the paynotes that the Akims held for the English, Dutch and Danish forts at Accra and for those farther to leeward. These paynotes had been originally held by the chiefs of Accra, who lost them to the Akims when seeking help from them against their enemies, the Aquamboes, a Volta River people. Judging from their language the Wassaws, Sefwis and Denkiras all speak dialects of the same tongue, 150 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. which would induce to the belief that they have sprung from the same source, being only different branches of the same family, and related to the Fanti, Akim and Ashanti people. Before leaving this part of the coast, I mUSt mention one other station belonging to the Dutch, some five miles west of Chama. It was then called Aboary, the Aboaddi of our modern maps, and forms a small point of rocks jutting for some distance out to sea. For several years during the early part of the eighteenth century, a Dutch lodge was maintained at this place, but as it appeared to bring more profit into the pockets of the officers residing there than into the coffers of the old Dutch Company, it was closed as being unnecessary, the first principle in Dutch trading being, “That you must trade with advantage to yourself or not trade at all”. 151 CHAPTER VI. Chama to Elmina—Commendah, British and Dutch—Cape Coast Castle—Landing—The Town in General—The Lighthouse— The Resting—Place of “ L. E. L.”——A Memoir—The Road to Kumasi—Mouri and Fort Nassau—Anamaboe and Saltpond ——The Tufel and Assin Countries. I’ROCEEDING eastward from the mouth of the Prah, the coast preserves much the same Character until Elmina is reached, and no very important places are passed on the way. Some ten or a dozen fishing villages dot the coast, and ruins of a past commercial rivalry are to be found at Commendah, which is situated about half-way between Chama and Elmina. This strip of shore was known in early days as Kommany, but now more generally called the Commendah and Elmina countries, extending east- ward from the mouth of the Prah for some twenty miles, and bordered upon the inland side by the Adorn and Jabi territories. Bosman says: “The country of Kommany extends itself five (Dutch) miles long by the seaside, reckoning from the river of Chama (the Prah) to Mina ; and it is about as broad as it is long, In the middle of it, on the strand, at Little Kommany, or Ekki-Tokki as the natives call it, we have an indifferent large fort, built by Mr. Lwertz in the year 1688, called Vredenburg, and a musket shot or two from thence the English have a very large fort of which more hereafter.” 152 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. The old Dutch fort thus mentioned was a square building, strengthened with large and roomy batteries, on which was accommodation for no less than thirty-two guns, each gun having its separate port in the breast- work, and garrison-room for sixty men. It was seldom, however, that the full complement of guns and men was found necessary to defend the place against the attacks of the natives. In 1695 the place was besieged by the surrounding tribes, and sustained a vigorous attack, of which the following is the Dutch account :— “Our enemies attacked us by night, when I had but a very sorry garrison, not full twenty men, half of whom were not capable of service, and yet I forced them to retire with loss, after a fight of five hours. ’Twas wonder— ful that we lost but two men in this action, for we had no doors to most of our gun-holes, and the natives poured small shot on us as thick as hail; insomuch, that those few doors which were left to some gun-holes were become like a target, which had been shot at for a mark, and the very staff which our flag was fastened on, though it took up so little room, did not escape shot-free. You may imagine what case we were in when one of them began to hack our very doors with an axe, but this undertaker being killed, the rest sheered off. The general to whom I had represented my weak condition, advised two ships to anchor before our fort, in order to supply me with men and ammunition. Peter Hinken, the captain of one of these vessels (the day before I was attacked), sent his boat full of men with orders to come to me, but they were no sooner on the land than the natives fell upon them so furiously, even under our cannon, that they killed several of them, which though I saw, I could not ‘ m '- \\ ~ “mun \_ ‘ . , mum \ » as s. wwwflww a...— LMINA. Ii SCEHE IN ST R E E 'I‘ A COMMENDAH, BRITISH AND DUTCH. 153 prevent, for attempting to fire upon the enemy with the cannon, 1 found them all nailed, of which piece of villainy, my own gunner was to all appearances the actor. For this reason I was forced to be an idle spectator of the miserable slaughter of our men, not being able to lend them the least assistance, and if the natives had at that instant stormed us, we were in no posture of resistance. But they going to eat, gave me time to prepare for the entertainment I afterwards gave them. I cannot help relating a comical incident which happened. Going to visit the posts of our forts, to see whether everybody was at his duty, one of the soldiers quitting his post told me that the natives, well knowing that he had but one hat in the world, had maliciously shot away the crown, which he would revenge if I would give him a few grena- does. I had no sooner ordered him two than he called out to the natives from the breastwork in their own lan— guage, telling them he would present them with something to eat, and kindling his grenadoes, immediately threw them down amongst them ; they, observing them to burn, crowded about them, and were at first very agreeably diverted, but when they burst, they so galled them that they had no great stomach for such another meal.” The quarrel of the natives with the Dutch came about over the supply of the precious metal, and this disagree- ment allowed the English to firmly settle themselves at Commendah as rivals to the old Dutch traders. The Dutch were settled on the western bank of the little river Susu, and the English, under the “Royal African Company of England,” built their fort upon the eastern bank of the river, each having their own native town under the walls of their forts. The rivalry between the 154 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. two companies existed for many years, and at the present day Commendah is divided into two factions, English and Dutch, though the forts and trading factories have long since disappeared from the scene. The Dutch fort was destroyed during the American War, and time and climate have destroyed that of the English. When approached from the west Commendah is backed by a high hill, an insulated elevation known as the Gold Hill, the source of the native dispute with the Dutch, which is related as follows: Large quantities of gold were exported from this part of the coast, and the Dutch were naturally anxious to become possessed of the source of these supplies, supposed to be the Gold Hill. Arrangements had been made with the natives, and in 1694 the Dutch caused four miners to be sent from Europe to prospect the country for gold. They were ordered to assay the hill in question, which was situated in the Kommany country, about two miles from the Dutch fort Vredenburg, which seemed to be well placed for the purpose, and promised to reward them well for their pains. As was often the case with the natives of the coast, this hill was at this time a fetish, and dedicated to one of their many gods, and thus considered sacred. The Dutch miners went to work, but in a few days they were assaulted, ill-treated and robbed by the natives, and even taken prisoners. The Dutch complained to the king, but in the usual shifty fashion he placed the blame on somebody else, and the war began between the Dutch and the natives which led to the firm establish- ment of the English, as before mentioned, on the ruins of the old fort they had previously possessed. Com- mendah has been variously written Commenda and ST. GEORGE D’ELMINA. 155 Kommany, and is called by the natives Ekki-Tokki or Akatay Ki, and sometimes Akatay Kin. The English were said to be well fortified at this place, so well so that Bosman said it would be impossible to move them except in time of war, and even then they would have a nice bone to pick. The fort was large and possessed four batteries, in addition to a turret that could also be used for guns, and seriously incommode the Dutch, as well as having more and larger cannon than their rivals. Commendah is one of the towns mentioned by Barbot to which the Rouen and Dieppe traders sent their fleet of three vessels as early as 1383, one of which, called [.a l'z'rzgp, touched at Komenda or Komani one hundred years before the arrival of the Portuguese. Some ten or twelve miles to the east of Commendah stands the present important town of Elmina, with its two forts of St. Jago and St. George d’Elmina, famous as being the first European establishment on the Gold Coast. The castle of St. George is supposed to have been built by the French in 1383, rebuilt by the Portu- guese in 1481, captured by the Dutch about 1638, and handed to the English by the last owners in 1867, and is one of the largest and finest castles remaining upon the Gold Coast at the present day, standing as an example of the patience, skill and industry bestowed by the Portuguese and Dutch upon their colonial possessions. The native name for the town is Oddena, Addina or lidina, and why the Portuguese named it Ora del Mina or mouth of the mines, it is difficult to say, for no mines are now found in the immediate neighbourhood, though it was famed for centuries as the port from which the greatest output of gold came, probably drawn from all 156 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. parts of the coast, and which reached its zenith early in the eighteenth century, with an annual export of nearly £3,000,000 of the precious metal. The castle is one of strength and beauty, built square with very high walls, and four batteries within and another on the outworks of the castle, all well furnished with brass and iron guns (of course now obsolete), and providing garrison accommodation for 200 men, in addi- tion to the officers’ quarters. On the land side it was supplied with two canals or moats, cut in the rock on which the castle stands, in order to provide enough fresh water for the garrison and the ships frequenting the port. Above it, a short distance inland, stands Fort St. Jago or St. James, called by the Dutch Conrads- burg, on a hill bearing the same name, which completely commands the other fort of St. George, and is a large rectangular fort with one square tower, the whole being now used as a jail. St. Jago was built by the Dutch in 1640, and it was from this hill, before the fort was built, that they directed their guns and compelled the sur— render of the Portuguese in Fort St. George in 1638, the one completely commanding the other. Directly under the fort of St. George is situated the native town, long and irregularly built, the houses being mostly of stone, which is very plentiful in the neighbourhood, and con— trasting very much with the ordinary mud houses of the coast towns. A short distance east of Elmina the Sweet River runs into the sea, possibly called so because it brings down so much fresh water in the rainy season that its waters are quite fresh, while in the dry season the opposite is the case. This river rises in the Denkira country, and in early times formed the boundary between .mqhm’rz'/z'.s‘/z [fa/[It‘s places its capture by Admiral llolmes in 1661, and this is borne out by another authority, the Rev. J. B. Anaman, who states that the English enlarged it in 1662. However this may be, Cabo Corso was the finest fort in the hands of the linglish during the eighteenth century, Containing well- built quarters for its officers. It was strengthened with five batteries and a turret, all well supplied with guns, commanding both the land and the sea, which made it almost invincible to attack from either side. The Cape Coast of to—day is a large and irregularly built town of some 12,000 inhabitants, liuropean quarters and native huts being in close proximity,much to the detriment of the health of the inhabitants of the former. Next to the castle the chief buildings ofimportance are Gothic House, the residence and offices of the District Commissioner, the Colonial Hospital, the English, Roman Catholic and \Ves— leyan places of worship and their respective schools, and CAPE COAST CASTLE. 159 the houses of the merchants and the richer natives. The streets are very rocky and hilly, and the town is sur- rounded with high lands on the north and east, with a large lagoon upon its western side. These are generally said to contribute to the unhealthiness of the town, though I believe it is more attributable to the general want of sanitation, and the dirt that is allowed to be thrown into the streets. The town is very hot, the light glaring, and it seems an impossibility to secure shade and breeze. The town is of great political importance, being the gateway of the coast through Prahsu to the Ashanti country, and was the chief seat of the Govern- ment until 1874, when it was removed to Accra. A very considerable trade is done at Cape Coast with the interior tribes, the most important exports being rubber, gold dust and monkey skins, in exchange for articles of general European character. A little to the north-east of the town lies Connor’s Hill, the present site of the Government schools, once the military barracks, and the location of the Army Hospital during the 1895-96 Ashanti campaign. This should be the site for the future residence of the Government officials, and many of their present quarters in the town should be burnt. It is the best site in Cape Coast, but would involve a short morning and evening walk from the Government offices. Excellent school buildings are in progress at Cape Coast to the west of the town for the Government scholars, and the present site is, or soon will be, available for building purposes, if not already allotted for an official bungalow for the governor. The officials at Cape Coast are much worse housed than those at Accra. The best quarters are, of course, to be found in the castle, [60 THE GOLD COAST PAST ANT) PRESENT. but this has been, and will remain, in military hands for some time to come. The result is that other officers have to live where they can, there being little other pro- vision for their accommodation. Landing at Cape Coast is at times very unpleasant, but during the Harmattan season in December, January and February the sea is fairly calm, and landing is effected THE LIGHTHOUSE (FORT \VILLIAM), CAI’E COAST. without the least danger, while between May and August the surf is often so bad that boats cannot work for days together. The principal landing—place is a small bay just under the north-east of the castle, partly protected by a reef jutting out from the rock on which the castle is built. Near the landing—place are a number of cannon (lately piled to extend the breakwater) lying near the CAPE COAST CASTLE. 161 beach, landed no one knows when, and left there ever since to rust away. Cape Coast is not the only town along this shore where now obsolete cannon ornament the beach, a tribute to the lack of energy of bygone days. The whole coast is an example of the undoing by one Governor of the doings of his predecessor. There has been in the past little or no continuity, and this perhaps is to be accounted for by the fact that each new—comer, knowing his stay will be brief, is anxious to carve out fame for himself as quickly as possible, by pursuing a plan that brings the individual into pro— minence, but sometimes to the detriment of the general welfare of the colony. West Africa is a country where great haste is injurious, and the native motto “Softly, softly, catch monkey,” is a very true one. The motto of one governor was “Festina lente”. It was erased from the place where it was inscribed by his successor. Both are now dead and gone, but the fact points a valuable lesson nevertheless. In the triangular courtyard of Cape Coast Castle lie the mortal remains of Mr. and Mrs. Maclean, the last resting—place of the poetess “L. E. L.” and her husband, President Maclean. The local practice of inter—mural sepulture was here followed, and the floors of the surgery, the kitchen and the store-rooms of the colonial hospital have all been used for the same purpose. The graves are marked in the following manner, and a neat tablet on the wall near by, bears record of the death of the poetess, and the survivor’s grief. II 162 THE GOLD COAST FAST AND PRESENT. Mr. and Mrs. Maclean landed at Cape Coast in August, 1838. The poetess died on the 15th of October, and her husband followed her in May, 1847, to the great regret of the whole population. The story of her tragic death need not be retold in these pages, but a short account of her life may be of interest to many readers. Laetitia Elizabeth Landon was descended from a ' Herefordshire family, which held landed property in the county. Her grandfather was the Rev. John Landon, Rector of Tedstone. This living, together with Tedstone Court and estate, was sold in his lifetime, and the family was left with very slender means. At an early age his eldest son, Miss Landon’s father, went to sea ; but some years later he settled in London, where he became an assistant and finally a partner in the house of Adairs, army agents. Soon afterwards he married a Welsh lady of the name of Bishop, and took up his residence in Han’s Place, Chelsea, where in 1802 his eldest child, Laetitia Elizabeth, was born. In her sixth year she was sent for a few months to a boarding school, almost next door to her father’s house; but Mr. Landon having taken a farm on the borders of Herefordshire, which he confided to the superintendence of one of his brothers, “L. E. L.” 163 thither the whole family removed. Here her cousin became her governess. But she would learn nothing that was not in accordance with her own inclination, though books were her early and almost sole delight. Many years afterwards, when on a visit to the family of her uncle, she thus playfully wrote in reference to her want of accomplishments 2—- “ When I first arrived, Julia and Isabel began to cross- question me. ‘ Can you play?’ ‘ No!’ ‘Can you sing?’ ‘ No!” ‘Can you speak Italian?’ ‘ No!’ ‘Can you draw?’ ‘No!’ At last they .came down to ‘Can you read and write?’ Here I was able to answer, to their great relief, ‘Yes, a little’. I believe Julia, in the first warmth of cousinly affection, was going to offer to teach me the alphabet.” The date of her first literary composition is not known. In 1815, when Laetitia was about fourteen, her family returned to London and settled in Brompton, where they chanced to have for a neighbour Mr. Jerdan, the editor of the Literary Gazette. Her literary tastes had grown with her growth, and like most persons similarly situated, she wrote or rather scribbled incessantly, until the encouraging “ not so bad ” gradually rose to “ very clever, indeed,” and inspired the longing desire to appear in print. Mr. Jerdan was con- sulted: his fiat was favourable, and the destiny of the youthful aspirant was fixed for life. From this period her “Poetical Sketches,” to which the magic letters “L. If. L.” were appended, appeared regularly in the Liz‘rmry Gazetz‘e, until the initials emerged into a popular and celebrated name. In I 824 appeared the lillflrovz'salrz'ce, the success of which was unequivocal. “ L. E. L. ’s ” voca— tion was now confirmed; for with fame came fortune, I64 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. which the straitened circumstances of her family made doubly welcome. Shortly after the publication of the [ill/Jrovzlvaz‘rz'ee, which, though far from being her best, was her most popular work, Miss Landon lost her father, to whom she was deeply attached. In 1825 she pub- lished a volume containing “The Troubadour”; “ Poetical Sketches of Modern Pictures”; and “Historical Sketches”. The next production of her muse was T/ze Golden Violet in 1826, followed by T/ze Venelz'am Bracelet in 1829. Miss Landon might now have gracefully reposed upon her well-earned poetic laurels. But she resolved to enter the lists with the novelists of the day, and to struggle in a new arena for the wreath of fame. Her first venture in this new and perilous field was Romance and Rea/z'zjy, published in 1831, followed by two others, Francesca Carmm and [it/1e! C/zz/re/zf/l. From her childhood “ L. E. L.” might be said to have lived upon the same spot, and with the same people. Soon after her father’s death she became an inmate of the family of the Misses Lance, who had occupied the house in Hans Place, in which she had for a brief time gone to school, and which was for many years a temple of tuition, and could boast ofmany gifted scholars, among others, Miss Mitford and Lady Caroline Lamb. Her attachment to London was intense. She paid a visit now and then to her relations in the country; but we find from her correspondence that her heart was always in London. In the summer of 1834 she joined Sir A. Farquhar and his daughter in an excursion to Paris. She does not appear, however, to have been so deeply impressed with the novelty, gaiety and picturesqueness of the French metropolis as might have been expected FORT MACARTHY. 165 from her lively and susceptible imagination. On her return to London she resumed her literary pursuits with even greater zest than before. In the spring of 1836 the friends of “L. E. L. ” were apprised that she was about to form a matrimonial alliance with a gentleman whose friendship she had long enjoyed. Circumstances, however, induced her to break off this engagement, and in 1838 she gave her hand to Mr. George Maclean, Governor of Cape Coast Castle, who had been for some time on a visit to England. A fortnight after her marriage she sailed for her home on the shores of Africa, full of plans for the continuation of her literary pursuits. But all her anticipations of the future were doomed to disappointment. The same vessel that brought to her friends and relatives so many pleas— ing hopes and reminiscences, conveyed also the stern announcement that “ L. E. L. ” was no more, for early on the morning of the 15th of October, 1838, she was found dead in her room, lying close to the door. A little to the north of the castle stands Fort Ma— carthy upon an isolated eminence, while about one mile to the north-west lies a large lagoon, known as the Salt— pond, the scene of a skirmish with the Ashantis in [816, and approached by the Saltpond Road. Women have frequently washed gold from the sands to the west of the castle, and the land at the east side of the town is studded with gold-diggers' pits, now become receptacles for all the refuse that can be found to be thrown into them ; evidences of the richness of the soil in former days. About one mile to the east of Cape Coast Castle is the small fishing Village of Manful or Amanful, the scene of an Ashanti attack early in the present century. 166 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. One of the best roads in the colony extends from Cape Coast to Prahsu, until recently the boundary of the Ashanti country, a distance of some seventy—nine miles almost due north from the castle. This road was con— structed in 1873 by Sir Garnet Wolseley for the transport of the troops to Ashanti, and has been kept in good re- pair since that date. This road has now been carried across the Prah, through the Adansi country to Kumasi, and tele- graphic communication is now established the whole way. The total distance from Cape Coast Castle to Kumasi is about 180 miles, but in a direct line not more than 125. The country for the first few miles along the road to the Prah is covered with rather stunted bush, giving way at last to taller trees and the denser growth that extends through the country from east to west for about fifty miles north of Kumasi, this in its turn giving way to the vast grassy plains that roll away to the foot of the Kong Mountains. From the river Prah to the Adansi Hills, which are about forty miles away, the country is more open and a little less wooded—thinly peopled by scattered villages of not more than 500 people. After the Adansi Hills are crossed the real Ashanti country is entered, and the villages on the road are more numerous and more thickly populated. The Adansi Hills constitute the most serious physical difficulty to be overcome between Cape Coast and Kumasi. They cross the Prah road some forty miles from l’rahsu, and are supposed to be connected with the Akim and Aquapim ranges in the east. The ascent on the south side is very rugged and steep, rising to 1600 feet, where a small plateau extends for a short distance to lead down on the other side by a much more favourable path. THE ROAD TO KUMASI. 167 There are other roads across this range of hills known only to the natives of the country. Immediately to the north of the old Fetu country in which Cape Coast is situated, and to the king of which an annual rent was once paid for the ground on which the castle now stands, are the countries of Tufel and Assin, extending for some fifty miles into the interior until the southern limits of the Adansi country are reached. The lower reaches of the l’rah water the Tufel country, and the main road from Cape Coast to Prahsu passes through the middle of Assin. The nations inhabiting these territories be— came each in their turn tributary to the old Ashanti power, once dominant from the Ancobra to the Volta. The whole country is well watered and covered with dense forests, supplying the natives with abundance of palm oil and rubber, which they bring down to the ports on the coast. Transport is only needed to bring down the fine timber with which the forests abound. Mam- pong, near the l’rah, is the most important town in the Tufel country, and Mansu and Prahsu the chief centres of the Assin territory. The main road from Kumasi to \Vassaw and Apollonia passed through the Tufel country, and that to Cape Coast and Elmina through the Adansi and Assin territories. These means of communication to the centre capital had to be kept open by the tribu- tary states, and in this way the subdued tribes were made to prepare a path for their conquerors, available for use by the Ashantis upon the appearance of the slightest appre— hension of revolt on the part of their weaker neighbours. Bosman describes the strip of shore extending from Cape Coast Castle to within a short distance of Mouri as the kingdom of Saboe, though in his map of the 168 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. Guinea Coast he marks Saboe as an inland country. Saboe, he says, begins at the bottom of the hill and ends about half a mile below Mouri, being in its whole extent along the shore about two miles (Dutch) and about twice as broad. From the Danish mount, 225., Fort Victoria, it is about half a mile (Dutch) to Congo, where the Dutch formerly had a fine stone house, divided and situated upon two small hills, upon which their flag was planted in order to keep out other Europeans who might have been tempted to trade there, and thus have considerably interfered with the trade done at Mouri. The Congo of which he speaks I am unable to find any mention of, and the site seems to have disappeared from the maps, if it was ever marked. Saboe was about equal in power with Kommany, and its people were as great villains, but the country produced an abundance of corn, yams and potatoes, and from Mouri about 100 canoes were daily laden with palm oil for Axim and Accra. The Dutch fort at Mouri was called Nassaw, and was built by them in the seventeenth century, being their chief place of residence when the Portuguese held Elmina. It was a large fort, almost square, with the front somewhat broader than the other sides, provided with four batteries supplied with no less than eighteen pieces of ordnance, the walls of the fort being higher than those of any other fort along the coast, lilmina excepted. The curtain on the seaside contained two batteries, almost as spacious and convenient as those at Cape Coast, while at each angle of the fort was a spacious tower. This place was once garrisoned by seventy men for defence against the natives and the attacks of other MOURI AND THE IRON IIILL. 169 European powers. The village of Mouri was situated close to the fort. It was not so large as lilmina but contained more people, who were chiefly engaged in fishing. The Dutch exacted a toll upon this town, as also upon Axim, Chama and Elmina, of every fifth fish that was caught by the natives, which was paid every day to the factor who governed the town. From Mouri alone some 400 or 500 canoes would go out to fish daily, INTERIOR COURTYARD OF CAl’li COAST CASTLE. so that the garrison must have been well supplied with this useful article of food. No other Europeans on the coast ever exercised such a prerogative as this over the natives. Near Mouri is the Iron Hill, an elevation about a quarter of a mile long, covered with the thickest bush. From the fort on this hill the Fanti country stretches away to the east, a description of which must I7O THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. be reserved for the next chapter. The true Fanti country commences at the foot of the Iron Hill and extends along the sea-board for some thirty-five miles, and into the interior for some ten or a dozen. In early times the English held four stations in this territory—one fort and three lodges, and the Dutch had one fort also. The first English settlement was at the present Anishan, some eight miles east of Cape Coast, where, according to Bosman, “the entire garrison consisted of one whole Englishman, who lies there”. Some hours’ journey to the east of this lodge is Anamaboe, where in early times we had a small compact fort, which was the centre of a very considerable trade, English vessels being always in the roads, much to the chagrin and annoyance of their Dutch competitors. Anamaboe Fort was built bythe English in I753,but the natives were So troublesome that they often confined the English garrison within the walls of the fort, and held generally such power over the traders that, when a governor was sent to the fort to superintend the trade there, and in any way displeased them, they returned him in a canoe again to Cape Coast. Peace was con— stantly bought with them by presents, and the oftencr this was done the more troublesome they became. As a native town Anamaboe was the strongest on the coast, on account of the number of armed natives that it con— tained : the whole land round was well populated, besides being very rich in gold, slaves and corn, this last being sold to the English vessels in great quantities. The present town of Anamaboe was once the flourishing centre of a very important trade, which has of late years been considerably diminished owing to the rise of the neigh— ANAMABOE TO\VN AND FORT. I71 bouring town of Saltpond. In the year 1807 the town was the scene of a very determined attack by the Ashantis, which was repulsed by the garrison of the fort. The town was once the headquarters of the VVes- leyan Mission on the coast, and still possesses a very handsome chapel, but the large houses of the town, once inhabited by the prosperous merchants, are now mostly in ruins, and give one a most depressing idea of its present state. It contains about 2000 inhabitants. The Fantis in this part of the coast owned allegiance to no king, but the reins of power were vested in the hands of a chief commander or leader, who was termed “ Braffo,” and who administered the affairs of the country, under the advice of a council composed of the elders of the community. The inhabitants of the coast touns gained their living by fishing and trading with any vessel that might come into port there, in direct opposition to their arrangements to trade with the English and Dutch vessels only. The people of the interior towns and villages were mostly occupied in agriculture and in the drawing of a particularly good kind of palm wine, called “Quaker,” which possessed extraordinary exhilarating properties, and was eagerly sought after by the natives on the coast, though sold at double the price of the ordinary wine of the country. A very short distance from Anamaboe Fort was a smaller post occupied by the English, but I am not able to trace the date of its construction. According to the old Dutch authority, it was called Adja, and originally belonged to them, till they lost it by the so-called treach- ery of the English. It would appear that the two garrisons, Dutch and English, jointly occupied it, and that with our 172 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. usual ambition to be sole masters or not at all, we pushed out our enterprising rivals, much to their disgust. The remains of an old fort are still to be found here, and the latest map of the Intelligence Department of the War Office marks the place “Etsin”. This was probably the site of the Dutch Adja, and the cause of the com- mercial rivalry early in the eighteenth century. Not far away stood the village called Little Cormantine, where the Dutch held the fortress called Amsterdam, which was the chief residence of the English traders in Fantiland until 1665, when the Dutch admiral De Ruyter drove them out. The fort was built by the English in 1624, was of fairly large dimensions and contained one large and three small batteries, mounted with twenty pieces of cannon, and in the time of the Dutch governed by a chief factor, as at Mouri. Near Little Cormantine, upon another hill about a cannon shot from Fort Amsterdam, stood a large and very populous town called Great Cormantine, the in- habitants of which, besides being traders, were fishermen to the number of 1000. Nothing but ruins are now left of Fort Amsterdam, and the towns of Cormantine are of the most wretched description. The original Fanti kingdom ended at Mumfort or Mumford, and between Cormantine and this place were two more English establishments, Tantum or Tan— tumquerry and Mumford, the former place being known as Tuam. Both these forts were built by the English, after much opposition on the part of the natives, towards the end of the seventeenth century. The buildings have long since disappeared and their sites are almost for— gotten. The country in which these two towns are THE FANTI COUNTRY. I73 situated was once known as Gomoah or Gomoor, and was situated on the east of Fanti and to the south of Akim. The district itself was well populated, all the inland towns being quite surrounded by the densest forests, where the people long maintained their barbarous practices. The people now inhabiting the coast towns are almost entirely engaged in fishincr. The Fanti natives in those early days gave much trouble to all the traders, and their character is best shown by the following extract :—~— “The English and the Dutch possess in Fanti an equal power, that is, none at all, for when these villainous people are inclined to it, they shut up all the passes so close that not one merchant can possibly come from the inland countries to trade with us; and sometimes not content with this, they prevent the bringing of provisions to us till we have made peace with them. They have a hank upon us, we having formerly contracted to give them a good sum of ready money, besides 300 guilders, for every one of the company’s ships which for the future should bring any goods hither, in consideration of their aid in taking Fort Amsterdam and other auxiliary assistance; but in this contract it was particularly stipu- lated that slave ships should be excepted from paying anything, notwithstanding which they are now become so unreasonable that they will make no difference be- tween slave ships and others, obliging us equally to pay for all, and all our remonstrances that it is contrary to the treaty are wholly ineffectual, for if we will live at quiet, we are always obliged to humour them.” In later times Fanti included all the countries from the Sweet River, Elmina to Mumford, and comprised Cape Coast, Anamaboe, Abracrampah, Dunquah, Domi- i74 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. nassi, Mankassim and Adjumako, all of which and many other smaller towns are governed by separate kings and chiefs. At the present time Fanti is the most con- fused part of the Gold Coast with regard to political divisions. In every croom or village there is a king or chief, though his land often does not extend for a mile round his so-called capital. Fanti is, however, the most civilised portion of the western division of the Gold Coast. At Cape Coast and Anamaboe are some good, strong, substantial buildings of native-made bricks and stone, but in the majority of the towns the houses are of simple mud and sticks. The towns are quite devoid of properly laid out streets, the native huts being jumbled together in a confused mass, many presenting a very unfinished appearance to European eyes. About one in a hundred of the Fantis can read and write, and ninety-nine of a hundred still dress in the native fashion. Gold is found all through the Fanti country in small quantities below the surface soil, which is washed by the women ; the men consider it beneath their dignity to do such work, and spend the greater part of their time sitting lazily about under the shade of the trees. Domestic slavery exists in all its various forms. The women are the hard-working portion of the community, tilling the ground and bringing its produce to the markets for sale, which is exchanged for either gold or silver Yams, plantains, cassada, corn and a large quantity of vegetables are grown in the country within a few miles of the sea coast, but very little or nothing of native growth is exported fl‘om this fertile part of the colony. Domestic slavery and the plurality of wives enervate the energies of the male population, so that even the produc— THE TOWN or SALTPOND. 175 tions for home consumption are often not sufficient for the wants of the people. The currency of the country is gold dust and silver, but in some of the towns to the east of Cape Coast cowry shells are still used as money. Gold, monkey skins and a little ivory are brought down from the interior, and palm oil from the districts round Saltpond. The Saltpond of the present day is a town of compara- tively modern growth. It is situated some two miles east of Cormantine, and possesses no fort like most other towns on the coast. The Government House, the residence of the District Commissioner, is situated on the beach, and contains the usual departmental pOst, telegraph and treasury offices. The custom office is situated in an adjacent building. The main street of Saltpond runs almost north and south, and a fairly good road runs out of the town through the Adjumako and Essecumah districts to the capital of Western Akim, and from this point there is a good road to Kumasi. The town is a rising and prosperous one, contains rather more than 4000 inhabitants, and is rapidly in- creasing in size and importance. Compared with other towns in the colony the streets are wide and well drained, and the houses of the more prosperous traders are large and substantial. There is a large lagoon at the eastern extremity of the town, which undoubtedly contributes greatly to its unhealthiness. The surf at Saltpond is one of the most dangerous on the coast. The nature of the country is undulating, fertile, and well wooded, the more inland parts being exceedingly rich in the oil palm, and an enormous quantity of palm oil and palm kernels are annually I76 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. exported from this town, in addition to large quantities of rubber and monkey skins. As a port, Saltpond ranks third in importance on the Gold Coast. The in- terior country is well watered by the rivers Amissa and Narkwa. The former is a stream ofconsiderable breadth, though shallow and unsuitable for navigation, and flows, after a course of nearly fifty miles, into the sea at a distance of five miles east of Saltpond. The river Narkwa rises near Insuaim, the capital of Western Akim, and after a course of some sixty miles empties itself into the sea near the town of Narkwa, some ten miles away. The schools in the town of Saltpond are among the best in the colony, and are under the management of the Roman Catholic and Wesleyan Missionary bodies. They are well attended, and new and substantial school premises have lately been provided to meet the wants of the population in this respect, which is fast awakening to the value of a sound elementary education for its children. Tufel and Assin are two small states lying immedi- ately to the north of Elmina and Fanti, and to the south of Ashanti, by which power they were conquered under Osai Tootoo. Very little is known about the former country, except that it is remarkably well wooded and is watered by the middle courses of the river l’rah, and was possibly once a part of the great kingdom of Denkira, before that power became tributary to the Ashantis. Assin is situated to the south—east of Denkira, and was also once a powerful province of Ashanti. It was originally bounded on the north by that country, south by Fanti, west by Denkira and east by Akim. It was politically divided into two divisions, each of which had firm/NOD ”.733” LC 74.53% w::_ LC .5m:./ THE ASSIN COUNTRY. 177 its own king, one of whom lived at Mansu and the other at Yancoomasie. They were not very powerful monarchs, nor are their successors at the present day, whose chief occupation is sitting all day on a large stool, surrounded by their chiefs and headmen, who sing and dance to amuse their kings and join in drinking their rum. The kings settle all disputes, inflict heavy fines which go to provide more drink, and they are re- ported to run away on the approach of an enemy. The country of Assin is by no means well peopled; it contains the main road from Cape Coast to Kumasi, along which its principal towns are situated, with a few scattered villages on either side. The whole surface of the country is covered with a thick, dense forest, with very few hills and no mountains. The soil is fertile but is very little cultivated, and the people are generally very poor, almost barbarians, and lazy. A small quan- tity of gold is said to be found in this country, towards the Denkira boundary, but there are no known gold mines of any importance. 12 178 CHAPTER VII. Appam—The Devil’s Mount--~Winnebah—Bereku~Accra or Akra —The Akra People—Manners and Customs—«The Adangme Tribe—Names—The Present Town—ChristiansborgHMeri— dian Rock. OF the coast countries known to the early Visitors to this part, there are now but three left to describe. These are marked in old maps as Acron, Agonna and Aquam- boe. The first extended over the present Winnebah country ; the second lay to the north a little inland and is marked as Agoona on recent maps: while the third was a small strip of country situated beyond the Aquamboe Mountains in the district of the same name. It is at present called the Akwamu country, the people speaking the Akra and the Adangme languages. The first point of interest in the old Acron country was the then village (now a town of considerable size) of Appam, where in 1697 the Dutch began to build the present fort, or rather house, which was subsequently fortified with two batteries. The fort stands upon a considerable eminence, and has of late years been repaired, and accommodation provided for any European travelling through the place, though there is no European resident at present at Appam. By the Dutch this fort was called Leydstambeyd or Patience, on account of the manner in which their virtue was tried in this respect by the natives, when they were building the fort. At the present day it is more generally THE DEVIL’S MOUNT. [79 known as Appam Fort. On the two batteries were mounted eight pieces of cannon, and a fine turret com- manded most extensive land and sea views. The whole of the Winnebah district is extremely well wooded, often being called “ The Forest Country,” and comprises a series of undulating rocky hills, rising apparently to about 300 feet, with well-clothed valleys between, watered with in- numerable small streams that flow on all sides. From the elevation midway between Appam and the town of VVinnebah, is the Devil’s Mount or Monte da Diable, about which many a native legend exists, and which is fetish to the inhabitants. It is supposed to have derived its name from the sailors of the old sailing vessels that frequented the coast, from the fact that being very high and close to the shore they could see it at a long distance and yet could not reach it, for the wind is very contrary in this direction. The bill itselfis over 600 feet high. and is now known as Mankwadi Hill, forming the most important landmark between Appam and Accra. The district is supposed to be gold-bearing, and the hill is reported to be rich in gold. It has never been properly prospected, though it is affirmed that after violent storms of rain the natives of the locality always find a considerable amount of gold round its base. Early in the present century a Mr. Baggs was sent out by the directors of the African Company, with all necessary apparatus, to test the ore from this hill, but he un— fortunately died on his way at Cape Coast Castle. Since this date no serious effort has been made, and the fact of a white man dying, when on such an expedition, has only tended to strengthen the opinion of the natives that the mountain itself is a very strong fetish. While 180 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. on the subject of gold in this locality, I may as well give what evidence there is of its existence, and for this pur- pose will quote from a report on gold mines, made in 1889 to the Secretary of State for the Colonies by the late Sir William Brandford Griffith, the governor of the colony at that date. A Mr. Eyre, District Commissioner, was sent to the Winnebah district for this purpose in 1888. He reports as follows :— “ In the afternoon (24th July, 1888) Iexamined the rocks cropping out along the sea—coast immediately in front of Winnebah and extending up the coast for about a quarter of a mile. These rocks are principally ironstone with quartz veins running through them, though here and there the quartz reef itself also crops out. The quartz varies much in colour, from dirty red to pure crystal and opaque white, but does not showany indica- tion of being auriferous, at least not at the surface, though I believe that below the surface there are aurif— erous veins running through the quartz, especially the quartz veins running through the ironstone, but as I had no tools with me sufficiently powerful for breaking through the surface—stone, I was unable to ascertain the fact. The land immediately around Winnebah is of a light, sandy nature, with either clay, dark-coloured earth, or quartz or ironstone below it. The quartz crops out every here and there, and is principally of a dirty red colour; but white opaque and clear crystal quartz also crop up at times, but none of them show any traces of gold, at least not at the surface. The natives state that they obtain gold here near the sea-beach by washing, after the rains, the dirt taken from the tracks of the water—flows. They sink holes till they arrive at a black GOLD NEAR WINNEBAH. 18 I sand (almost pure iron ore) mixed with a rubble and small broken quartz and lying generally on a clay bottom. By reducing this dirt containing the black sand by washing, until only the black sand and the gold dust are left, they obtain by degrees a quantity of this black sand mixed with gold dust. This they dry in the sun, and then get rid of the sand by fanning and so ob- tain the pure gold. The quantity of gold dust obtain— able by this means in a single day is generally very small, though the natives state that at times they obtain nuggets of varying sizes, but more frequently small particles of gold the size of grains of sand. “On 27th july I left Winnebah about 6'30 AM. and proceeded to the town of Pomadi, about eight miles from Winnebah and situated at the foot of a small range of hills lying at the back of Winnebah (evidently the Man k- wadi' range). All this neighbourhood is worked by the natives for gold. At Pomadi I got a guide to take me to the hills at the back, and to show me where the natives were in the habit of washing for gold. About three miles from I’omadi we came to a dry water—course, which the guide pointed out as being one of the chief spots where they obtained gold. The whole of the bed of the stream was composed of fragments of quartz and ironstone with quartz veins through it, the stones varying in size from large boulders of several tons’ weight down to small broken quartz the size of gravel. I examined very many of these stones, but I could not find any trace of gold in them, and at the time was unable to follow the stream 'up to its source from want of time. All the slope of the range was strewn with fragments of quartz and ironstone, and the guide said that the people and 182 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. their forefathers obtained gold almost anywhere along the foot of this range of hills by sinking holes and washing as described, and that sometimes nuggets were found. From the nature of the country, and the evident fact that the natives do obtain gold here, I should say that if the base of this range of hills was properly prospected, in all probability alluvial deposits bearing gold in payable quantities would be found, and the reef from which they come could subsequently be traced. Wherever there is a flow of water on the hill-side during the rainy season the quartz reef has been laid bare in places. “Tuesday the 3Ist I left Appam about seven in the morning with Mr. \Villiams, the native proprietor of the hotel, who wanted to show me the various spots where he himself had obtained gold. After proceeding about three miles along the Akim road, we came to the bed of an almost dry water-course. Here Mr. Williams showed me various holes along the track of the stream, and about fifteen to twenty feet from it, where the natives had been or were still procuring gold by washing. I took away some of the earth from these holes, and on our return had it washed, and obtained specks of fine gold dust mixed with the fine black sand already men- tioned. After examining the holes and procuring some of the dirt, Mr. \Villiams took me to several places where the quartz reef crops out, and where he had tried to sink holes to see whether there was gold or not in the lower strata. From one of these holes he found a small nugget lying in the soil. He then took me to where an outcrop of ironstone veined with quartz occurs, and where he had sunk a hole about ten feet deep through the ironstone. GOLD NEAR WINNEBAH. 183 Here, wherever the quartz veins traverse the ironstone, specks of gold are most distinctly visible to the naked eye, and even through the ironstone itself specks of gold are to be seen, but very few. Another metal is trace- able in this stone, resembling silver in colour, but very brittle, but with which I am not acquainted. August 2nd I left Appam for Mankwadi. I stopped on the way at the small town of Moeyans, where there are very extensive gold diggings, one hole being about twenty yards in diameter and eight or nine feet deep and full of water. All around this central excavation are innumer- able smaller holes, all of which have been sunk for gold. I tried dirt from several of these smaller holes and in each case obtained specks of fine gold dust, and also larger particles the size of fine sand. Here the natives inform me that nuggets are by no means unfrequent and that grains of gold like sand are common. This spot is by far the best I have examined yet for alluvial working, and seems from all accounts of the natives to be fairly rich in places. The native gold holes here are many of them sunk to a considerable depth, till they reach the clay bottom on which the gold rests. Gold washing seems to be very extensively carried on here, the holes dug by the natives lying in every direction. These holes are all sunk at hazard and consequently are no guide to the direction taken by the gold. The formation continues from the town of Moeyans to the town of Mankwadi, and is about a quarter of a mile in width. In conclusion I will add that I believe there is a considerable quantity of gold in the district, and that in places it would probably pay Europeans to work it; but until the direction it takes has been fully determined 184 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. and the richness of the deposits practically ascertained nothing is'likely to come of it.” I must now return to the town of Appam, which in early times was but a mere fishing village, poorly in- habited, lying just under the walls of the fort. It was well situated for trade and soon developed, being for some time a populous and important town. The country was governed by a king and was under the protection of its more pdwerful neighbours, the Fantis, and on this account, was very seldom engaged in war, so that the natives of this part of the coast had a comparatively quiet time of it and were able to devote all their energies to the cultivation of the soil. Deer, hares, partridges, pheasants, wild fowl and quadrupeds were found in great abundance. The following chase of a hare is told by Bosman as being very uncommon, in which I think all my readers will agree. “Behind our fort, which is built on a hill, is a vale which is about a mile square, where there were abundance of haycocks; here about twilight we met a young hare that, being pursued by my dog, took refuge in a haycock, in which, though we made a diligent search, we could not find him, till at last, burning the haycock, to our mighty surprise we found the hare sitting under the ashes of the hay, unhurt, and we carried her alive with us to Elmina.” The small territory of Gomoah 0r Gomoor is situated south of Akim and north of Fanti. The Acron country was divided into Little and Great Acron, the former being the country I have just described. Great Acron lay farther inland, its government being a kind of republic, or rather anarchy, and these two divisions, though they had no firm m M g .3 m_ atoxumutfio‘ J lillizll nil. flint .lflfi] 111‘ lial. .nmfinE .NH _ .uwsoE MSmEBUO . .umsom Mina—:4 . .omzom $.st «Eng. . .owsom mhtEwEoU : .omsom wLBmmm Pmfim . going :aEw “3:. .wmom Emmw< Edam . Hdmvwnxon uto.\umMSM\D\ .ml 286 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. which it was shut out by a high wall, terminating at each end of the marsh, which was considered sufficient pro- tection at these points. This street included the king’s residence and also that ofhis brothers, with several smaller streets and open spaces to serve as recreation grounds for the king, when confined to his palace by the superstitions of his people. The whole town contained some twenty-seven streets as shown in the plan. The small grove marked 0, at the back of the great market-place, was the spirit house, where the trunks of the victims sacrificed were thrown. The tracks leading to it, which were daily renewed, showed the various directions from which they had been dragged, and the number of vultures on the trees indicated the extent of the sacrifice. The stench was terrible, and panthers visited the place nightly. Trees were scattered about the town for the recreation of the people of those particular parts where they existed, and small circular elevations of two steps, the lower about twenty feet in circumference, like the bases of the old market crosses in England, were raised in the middle of several streets, on which the king’s chair was placed when he went to drink palm wine there, his attendants standing round in a circle. In these times the average daily resident popu- lation was about 12,000 to 15,000, though it was asserted that the total number reached a much larger figure. Daily markets were held from about eight in the morning till sunset, the larger market containing some sixty stalls 0r sheds, besides crowds of inferior vendors, sitting about in all directions, and the following articles were freely offered for sale: Beef, mutton, pork, deer and monkey's flesh, fowls, yams, plantains, corn, sugar- THE TOWN OF KUMASI (1817). 287 cane, rice, peppers, oranges, pawpaws, pine—apple, bananas, salt and dried fish from the coast, large snails smoke- dried and stuck in rows on small sticks in the form of herring bone, eggs, palm wine, rum, pipes, beads, looking— glasses, sandals, silk, cotton, cloths, powder, pillows, thread and calabashes. Prices ruled much higher in Kumasi than in the surrounding towns, owing to the greater abundance of gold among the people. The following will show the prices in the capitals of Ashanti and Dagwumba respectively :— A rticlc. Kumasi. Ya hudi. A bullock . . . £6 0 0 £1 0 0 A sheep . . . o 15 o 0 4 o A fowl . . . o I 8 0 o 5 A horse . . . 24 0 o 8 0 o Yams . . . o o 8 (for 2) o o 8 (for 10) Plantations existed all round the town, the extent and order of which were surprising. No other implement was used but the hoe, and two crops of corn were produced every year. Yamsfivere planted at Christmas and dug in the following September. The latter plantations were well looked after, and were well fenced in, planted in lines, with a broad walk round, while a hut was erected at each Wicker gate, where a slave and his family resided to protect the plantation. Down to the beginning of the nineteenth century the constitution of the Ashantis consisted of three estates, the King, the Aristocracy (reduced to four in number) and the great Assembly of the Captains or Caboceers. In the exercise of his judicial authority, the king always retired in private with his four counsellors to hear their opinions, which they were encouraged to state with the 288 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. utmost candour, while the general assembly of the captains was summoned, simply to give publicity to the decisions arrived at by the king and his aristocracy, or simply to announce the will and pleasure of the former. The captains also made all necessary provision for the carrying out of such decisions. The most original feature of the law was that of succession, already described. The sisters of the king could marry or intrigue with whom they pleased, provided that the chosen one was an eminently strong or personable man. The king was heir to the gold of all his subjects, from the highest to the lowest; the fetish gold and the cloths being pre- sented by him to his successor. The successor became liable for all the debts of the previous king, and in order to meet these, a large sum of gold dust was often pre- sented to the one chosen to succeed to the stool. All the gold and ornaments buried with members of the king’s family, and which were deposited with their bones in the fetish house at Bantamah, were sacred, and could only be used to save the capital from destruction at the hands of an enemy, or in a time of extreme national distress, and should the occasion arise for their use in this manner, the reigning king must on no account look upon them, unless he wished to incur the fatal vengeance of the fetish god. A slave seeking refuge from an allied or tributary power was always restored, but if he came from an unconnected power, he was received as a free man. A tributary state which distinguished itself in the sup- pression of revolt in another was rewarded with certain privileges at the expense of the revolting power. If the subjects of any tributary power objected to the decision of their own ruler, according to the laws of their own ASHANTI LA\VS AND CUSTOMS. 289 country, they could carry their case for review to Kumasi, on payment of a certain sum in gold dust. The direct descendants of the noble families who assisted Osai Tootoo in the foundation of the kingdom, were exempt from capital punishment, but could be de- spoiled of their goods and belongings. Persons on the king‘s business were not allowed to seize provisions on the road, but, when requiring food, were first to offer a fair price for the same, which if refused, they were to claim one meal in the king’s name and then proceed on their way. The blood of the son of a king or any of the royal family could not be shed, but if found guilty of a crime of great magnitude, the offender was ordered to be drowned in the river Dah. Conviction for cowardice brought death. No one was allowed to pick up gold that had been dropped in the market—place, on pain of death. The collection of this was reserved for state occasions only. A subject could clear any part of the bush for building a house or making a plantation, without paying rent to the king or chief, but if the path to his plantation ran through that of another, he must pay a small sum to the owner of that plantation. The accuser in a suit was never confronted with the accused, nor the evidence revealed until the accused had replied, through the king‘s linguists, fully to the charge. No man was punished for killing his own slave. Seven slaves were the price to be paid for an aggrey bead broken in a scuffle. A man discovered in intrigue with a woman, either in a house or in the bush, both became the slaves of the I9 290 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. person who thus discovered them, but were redeemable by their families. To praise the beauty of another man’s wife was for- bidden, it being considered intrigue by implication; If a woman became involved in a suit, she compromised her family, not her husband. A woman could leave her husband for ill-treatment or dislike, by return of her marriage fee, but she could not marry again. A husband unheard of for three years allowed the wife to marry again, and should the first husband return the claim of the second still stood, but all the children of the after marriage were considered the property of the first husband, and could be pawned by him. To intrigue with the wife of a king was death, and only the captains could put their wives to death for infi— delity, though they were expected to allow their redemp- tion by their family on payment of a large sum of gold dust. The property of a wife was quite distinct from that of the husband, but the king was heir to it. If a person brought a frivolous charge against another and it was dismissed, the accuser was bound to provide an entertainment for the family and the friends of the accused. A captain generally paid a periguin, £8 25., for a wife, and a poor man two aekies, about Is. 6d. Intrigue with the former incurred a fine of ten periguins, with the latter one and a half ackies and a pot of palm wine. The Government had no power to direct trade into any particular market, but it could prevent the commerce of any objectionable power from passing through its ter- ritories. ROADS FROM KU M ASI. THE PRINCIPAL ROADS FROM KUMASI. 291 9. ‘0 '-~..-4 to (Ila o, co m t [\3 “--_.—-‘—-— A -~ Coast Castle > 3. {f / Chama C ape Three Paints on 2. Coast Roads. I 2 3 . To Apollonia. . To Three Points and Chama. . To Accra. 4. To Accra. 5. To the Volta. Inland Roads. . To Bontuko. . To Kintampo. To Attabubu. . To Salaga. 5. Government R021 4“.an d. 292 CHAPTER X1. Monthly Notes—Wars with England, I807-I8I7—Mission to Ashanti——Second Ashanti War, I824—Third Ashanti War, 1863—Fourth Ashanti War, 1873—The Last Ashanti War— Downfall of Prempeh, 1896. ONE illustration of the value placed upon the monthly notes from the Government to the natives, will be suffi- cient to show the importance that attached to them, and also serve to show the ideas in the mind of the reigning King of Ashanti, at that time Osai Tootoo Quamina. The following is a letter from the King of Ashanti to John Hope Smith, Esq., Governor-in-Chiefof the British possessions on the Gold Coast of Africa. This letter was sent down by Mr. Bowdich, soon after the mission which had been despatched from the coast to interview the Ashanti king in 1817 reached the capital, to the governor of the colony, and shows exactly the state of affairs at that time. Ashanti had conquered all the countries from the river Tando in the west, to the Volta in the east, leaving only the strip of shore, with its forts and factories, which were now seriously threatened. There is no doubt that the Ashantis con- templated the reduction of these, in order to satisfy their desire to become a maritime power. The king sends his compliments to the governor. He thanks the King of England and him very much for the presents sent to MONTHLY NOTES. 293 him; he thinks them very handsome. The king’s sisters and all his friends have seen them, and think them very handsome, and thank him. The king thanks his God and his fetish that he made the governor send the white men’s faces for him to see, like he does now; he likes the English very much, and the governor all the same as his brother. The King of England has made war against all the other white people a long time, and killed all the people all about, and taken all the towns, French, Dutch and Danish, all the towns all about. The King of Ashantee has made war against all the people of the water side, and all the black men all about, and taken all their towns. \.'lien the King of England takes a French town, he says, “Come, all this is mine, bring all your books, and give me all your pay” ; and if they don't do it, does the governor think the King of England likes it P So the king has beat the Fantees now two times, and taken all their towns, and they send and say to him, “ You are a great king, we want to serve you ” ; but he says, “ Hah! you want to serve me, then bring all your books, what you get from the forts”; and then they send him four ackies; this vexes him too much. The first time he made war against the Fantees, two great men in Assini quarrelled; so half the people came to Ashantee, half went to Fantee. The king said, “ What is the reason of this P” so he sent his gold swords and canes to know why they did so, and the Fantees killed his messengers and took all their gold.1 After they fought with the Elminas and Accras, the Fantees sent word to the king they would serve him; the king sent word to the Assinis, “ Ifit is true that the Fantees want to serve me, let me hear”. After that they sent to say, “Yes; they tired of fight— ing, and wanted to serve him ”; he said : “Well, give me some 1 Here the king‘s linguist ceased, and by his desire requested us to repeat all the king had said; he was much pleased with our accuracy, and begged us to take some refreshment (spirits and palm wine were introduced in silver bowls), fearing he had kept us too long without eat- ing, and would continue the letter to-morrow. He locked up what had been written, and heard it read again the next day, before his linguist continued. 294 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. gold, what you get from the books, and then you shall hear what palaver I have got in my head, and we can be friends”; then he sent some messengers, and after they waited more than two years, the Fantees sent word back, “ Nol we don’t want to serve the king, but only to make the path open and get good trade”; this vexed the king too much. Then the Fantees sent to a strong man, Cudjoe Coomah, and said, “Come, let us put our heads together against the king”; after that, when the king heard this, he sent one, not a great man, but his own slave, and said, “Well, you will do, go kill all the people, all the Aquapims, and Akims, and all ” ; and so he killed all, and after he killed all he came and told him. When he sent against Akim, the people in Akim sent word that they told their head men not to vex the king, but they would not mind them, so he killed the head people, and the others begged his pardon. When the king went to fight with the Fantees they sent this saucy word, “We will kill you and your people and stand on you”; then they did not kill one Ashantee captain, but the king killed all the Fantee captains and people. They do not stand on him. That time, after the king fought, all the Fantees sent word, “ \Vell we will serve you, but you must not send more harm to hurt us, we don’t want to fight more, but to make good friends with you ”. Then the king said, “ \Vhat caboceer lives at Cape Coast and Anamaboe, what books they get from the forts, let them send all, and then we can be friends”. And the king sent word too, “If my messengers go to Cape Coast Fort, and if they bring pots of gold, and easks of goods, then I can’t take that, but I must how [/15 books “. After that the king sent word to the Governor ofCape Coast and the Governor of Anamaboe, “\Velll you know I have killed all the Fantees, and I must have Adocoo’s and Amooney’s books, and I can make friends with you, good brother and good heart”; but now they send four aekies, that is what makes the king’s heart break out when he looks on the book and thinks of four ackies, and his captains swear that the Fantees are rogues and want to cheat him. \Vhen the white men see the Fantees do this, and MONTHLY NOTES. 295 the English officers bring him these four ackies, it makes him get up very angry, but he has no palaver with white men. All Fantee is his, all the black man’s country is his; he hears that white men bring all the things that come here; he wonders they do not fight with the Fantees, for he knows they cheat them. Now he sees white men, and he thanks God and his fetish for it. When the English made Apollonia Fort he fought with the Aowins, the masters of that country, and killed them; then he said to the caboceer, “I have killed all your people, your book is mine”; the caboceer said, “True! so long as you take my town, the book belongs to you ”. He went to Dankara and fought, and killed the people; then he said, “Give me the book you get from Elmina,” so they did, and now Elmina belongs to him.1 The English Fort at Accra gave a book to an Akim caboceer, called Aboigin Adjumawcon. The king killed him and took the book. The Dutch Fort gave a book to another Akim caboceer, Curry Curry Apam. The Danish Fort gave a book to another Akim caboceer, Arrawa Akim; the king killed all and took their books. This king, Sai, is young on the stool, but he keeps always in his head what old men say, for it is good, and his great men and linguists tell it him every morning. The King of England makes three great men, and sends one to Cape Coast, one to Anamaboe and one to Accra; Cape Coast is the same as England. The king gets two ounces from Accra every moon, and the English wish to give him only four ackies for the big fort at Cape Coast, and the same for Anamaboe ; do white men think this proper? When the king killed the Dankara caboceer and got two ounces from Elmina, the Dutch governor said, “This is a proper king, we shall not play with him,” and made the book four ounces. The king has killed all the people and all the forts are his; he sent his captains to see white men; now he sees them, and thanks God and his fetish. If the path was good when the captains went, the king would have gone under the forts and seen all the white men. The Ashantees take good gold to Cape Coast, but the Fantees mix it; he sent some of his captains like slaves to see, 1 The king always spoke of the acts of all his ancestors as his 0\vn, 7,4 » ., t Mil. _‘_. 296 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. and they saw it; ten handkerchiefs are cut to eight, water is put to rum, and charcoal to powder, even for the king; they cheat him, but he thinks the white men give all those things proper to the Fantees. The king knows the King of England is his good friend, for he has sent him handsome dashes; he knows his oflicers are his good friends, for they come to see him. The king wishes the governor to send to Elmina to see what is paid him there, and to write the King of England how much, as the English say their nation passes the Dutch; he will see by the books given him by both forts. If the King of England does not like that, he may send, him himself what he pleases, and then Sai can take it. He thanks the king and governor for sending four white men to see him. The old king wished to see some of them, but the Fantees stop it. He is but a young man and sees them, and so’ again he thanks God and his fetish. Dictated in the presence of T. EDWARD BOWDICH. WILLIAM HUTCHISON. HENRY TEDLIE. It was in 1807 that an Ashanti army reached the coast for the first time, though in the previous year, 1806, they had approached the neighbourhood of Cape Coast Castle, the governor of which, under some apprehension for the safety of the British Settlements along the coast, wished to send a flag of truce with a message to the King of Ashanti, who was then, in May, 1806, encamped only some fifteen miles from the town. The Fantis, with whom the Ashantis were at this time at war, were con— sulted upon this measure, and so much opposed it, particularly the natives of Anamaboe, that it was dis— pensed with, the Anamaboes thinking themselves quite a match for the Ashantis, and underrating their power. Shortly after this, a division of the Ashanti army made INVASION OF THE COAST. 297 its appearance at the village of Cormantine, a little to the west of Saltpond, attacked the inhabitants, completely routing them and destroying their houses. The Dutch Fort at Cormantine was occupied by the captain com- manding this division of the Ashanti force, who made it his headquarters and behaved in a most arrogant manner. As it was now time for the English governor to know something of the intentions of the Ashantis, the governor, Mr. \Vhite of Anamaboe, sent a messenger with a flag of truce to the Dutch Fort at Cormantine, where the Ashanti leader was encamped, requesting to be acquainted with the king’s motive for coming to the coast with so large an army, and offering to act as a mediator between the Ashantis and the Fantis, in order to bring their war to a close. It is supposed that this message was duly given to the king, for on the succeeding day three messengers came from Cormantine with a white flag to see the Governor of Anamaboe. From this circumstance Mr. White fully expected that an agreeable answer had been sent to his message, but on this point he was doomed to disappointment, for the commander of the Ashanti army, being in possession of Fort Amsterdam at Cor- mantine, and having secured an opening to the sea, sent a most disagreeable reply to the following effect: “That when the governor would send him twenty barrels of gunpowder and one hundred muskets, he would be told what were the motives of the King of Ashanti”. To have satisfied this demand would have been equal to an admission of weakness on the part of the English, so the governor behaved politely to the messengers, gave them refreshment, and told them to tell their master that he much regretted that he did not appear willing to come 298 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. to an understanding, and that if the Ashanti army at- tempted to approach the fort at Anamaboe in a hostile manner, the guns would be opened upon them. To impress upon the messengers the power of these guns, some few shots were fired from the fort, and as the bearers were about to depart, private intelligence was received by the governor that the men bearing the flag of truce, were to be murdered on their way to Corman~ tine. To present such a disaster, Mr. White and another gentleman accompanied them, and left them at a safe. distance from their fort. A week elapsed and nothing occurred, and this circumstance was looked upon as a favourable omen. But the commander of the Ashanti division, who happened to be the King of Denkira, having ascertained the strength of Anamaboe, took pos- session of and occupied a small village about one mile to the east of the Anamaboe Fort, whence all the opera- tions of his adversaries could be observed. This action was considered to be an annoyance, and a party consist- ing of nearly all the men in the town attacked the Ashantis, and succeeded in dislodging them from their newly-acquired post, after a somewhat stubborn resist— ance. While the Anamaboes were occupied with this attack, the Ashanti captain and the main body of his men were actively employed in securing all the passes that led again back to the town. Early on the next day the Ashanti army was seen to be in motion, the alarm was given, and every man able to carry a musket marched to meet the enemy. Confusion soon spread through the town; all the old people were collected in the fort and the gate closed. The sound of musketry approached nearer and nearer, and in a short time the INVASION OF THE COAST. 299 Ashantis entered the town on all sides, pursued the people to the beach and slaughtered all with whom they came in contact. Many took to their canoes and others saved themselves by swimming; the fort was several times assailed, though the guns were used against them with great effect. The governor was twice wounded, one man killed, and an officer and another man wounded in the assault. After repeated attacks by the Ashantis, the garrison was reduced to eight able men upon whom de- pendence could be placed, and who defended the western gate with much vigour. Chief among these defenders were Messieurs Governor White, Meredith, Swanzy, Smith and Baines. Night came on and hostilities ceased, but the morning showed the results of the fight, dead and wounded on all sides, houses unroofed and others on fire. The fort gave refuge to about 2000 people of every description, and about 200 escaped to a rock surrounded by the sea and about a pistol shot from the shore, where they re- mained unmolested. Upon inquiry it was estimated that about 8000 Fantis had perished during the conflict. The attack on the fort was again renewed, but repulsed each time by the little garrison. The Ashantis now ceased active hostilities, remaining in and near the town for some days, and evidently anxious for peace, for, although they had defeated their enemies the Fantis, they too had suffered severely, losing in actual conflict and by sickness some 3000 men. On the 16th of June, reinforcements arrived from Cape Coast, and were landed safely and lodged in the fort under cover of the guns. A truce was soon afterwards agreed upon, by which the Ashantis undertook not to molest the British 300 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. forts along the coast, provided that they observed a strict neutrality. The forces then withdrew, proceeding along the coast to leeward, inflicting desolation and ruin upon every town in the way. At last, the Ashanti captain returned towards his own country, only leaving a sufficient guard at Accra to look after the prisoners that had been captured, and to convey them to the Ashanti capital. The war, however, continued in different parts of the colony throughout the following years until 181 I, when the Ashantis captured and conveyed into the interior Mr. Flindt, the Danish governor of the fort at Ada, who remained in their custody for a period of five months and three days. On this occasion the states of Akim and Aquapim rebelled unsuccessfully against Ashanti. The next invasion of the Fanti country by the Ashantis took place in 1817, when they advanced as far as Cape Coast Castle and blockaded it, withdrawing only after the payment of a large tribute by the Fantis, to whom the money was advanced by the English. It was from this invasion that the necessity arose for the mission of Mr. Bowdich to Kumasi in 1817, in order to negotiate a peaceful solution of the ever-recurring Ashanti troubles. Reference to this mission has already been made, and the letter from the king to the governor commences the present chapter, in which a demand was made for the pay notes to be continued, and which was duly recognised by Mr. Bowdich. Relations ofa friendly nature were established with the English, and a treaty concluded in September, 1817, one Condition of which was the leaving of a British resident at Kumasi. The treaty thus made was soon broken by these troublesome WARS WITH ASHANTI. ‘ 301 people, for on the attempt of the King of Denkira to throw off the Ashanti yoke, the latter crossed the border, declared war and the British resident returned to Cape Coast. The king requested the governor to punish the people of Commendah for some trifling indignities offered I to his people, and claimed I600 ounces of gold from the people of Cape Coast for showing an unfriendly feeling towards him, and a similar amount from the governor of the colony. Tribute from the English governor was out of the question, but in 1819 Mr. Dupuis arrived from England as an envoy from the British Government, and announcing his mission to the Ashantis, he proceeded to their capital under the protection of the king. This officer succeeded in inducing the king to withdraw his claim to a fine, and to sign a treaty in which he promised fidelity to the British Crown, agreed to forget the past and arranged for a system of commerce with the coast towns. On the other hand Mr. Dupuis promised on behalf of the English that the sovereignty of the Ashanti king over the Fantis should be duly recognised, allowing the latter, however, to enjoy the freedom of British law. The Fantis being, as it were, thus disposed of, without their consent, the local government refused to sanction the treaty which acknowledged the transfer of the Fanti country to the Ashanti power. This brings us down to the year 1821, when an English Bill was passed to abolish the African Company, and to transfer its possessions to the English Crown, with all its forts and possessions on the West Coast of Africa. About the same time Sir Charles Macarthy was made Governor of the Gold Coast. and began his rule by protecting the tribes that lived on the coast from the 302 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. inroads of the Ashantis. This action soon roused the king again to commence active operations against his former adversaries. The first act of the Ashantis was to carry off from Anamaboe a sergeant of the British service and to execute him for speaking disrespectfully of the Ashanti king, and the second was to write to the governor to say that his head should be soon converted into an ornament for the royal drum. Opportunity for the execution of this threat came unfortunately but too soon. The Dutch governor at Elmina endeavoured to settle the negotiations peacefully, but failed ; and in 1823 the Ashantis again invaded the district of VVassaw, and encamped themselves on the right bank of the l’rah. The English governor, Sir Charles Macarthy, determined to leave his camp at Duquah and cross the Prah at once, in order to give battle to his adversaries, and with but a force of some 500 men he carried out his design, crossed the river and took up a position at the village of Assamacow in January, 1824. In the meantime he had sent messengers to Major Chisholm, who, with some 2000 men, was on the left bank of the river, to come to his support. About the middle of the month he ad- vanced still farther to the banks of the small river Adoomansoo, and on his way, with the greatest difficulty prevailed upon the timid and retreating \Vassaws and Denkiras to remain in their country. Here a very decisive engagement took place, which unfortunately ended in the defeat and death of Sir Charles Macarthy. On the ZIst of january, about midday, the Ashantis, reported to be some 10,000 strong, advanced to the attack, and the action was continued until dark. The Wassaws retreated early in the fight, ammunition soon WARS \VITH ASHANTI. 303 ran short, and no more being available massacre com- pleted the sad disaster. The Ashantis, sure of their victory, crossed the river, surrounded the governor’s small and rapidly diminishing force, and cut them to pieces. The bush was too dense for open fighting and no orders could be given. Sir Charles Macarthy, Ensign Wetherall, Mr. Buckle and Mr. Williams, were sur— rounded, shot down, and all except the last named were beheaded, Sir Charles Macarthy’s head being carried off by the victors to adorn the walls of the king‘s palace at Kumasi. Mr. Williams was taken prisoner and kept in the hands of the Ashantis for two months, tortured and released. Of the twelve officers who fought in this engagement, nine were killed and the remaining three badly wounded. Major Chisholm then succeeded to the command, and by careful measures saved the forts upon the coast from being attacked. The name of Sir Charles Macarthy lives to this day among the Fantis, and the great oath of the country is now the one that calls upon his name. Some time had to elapse before the Ashantis could be punished for this defeat of the English force, and the base of operations was moved from Cape Coast Castle to Accra. Here a force of some 10,000 men was collected, aided by a small contingent from the English regiments, and encamped at Dodowah, some twenty—five miles north-east of Accra, in the hopes of giving battle to the Ashantis in the plains instead of in their favourite bush. It was in the latter half of the year 1826 that the Ashanti army, some 10,000 strong, and elated by their previous victory, marched coast- wards towards Accra, and met the encamped forces at the town mentioned and sustained a severe and crushing 304 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. defeat. The allied tribes fought well, the King of Akim and his people carried all before them, the whole army of the Ashantis was completely routed, and their camp and gold captured, and by it the country was set at rest for many years. In September, 1827, the King of Kumasi sent his messengers to the coast to say that he wished to make peace with the white men and to be in future under their control. To ensure this British envoys were sent to Kumasi, and arrangements made by which a treaty was agreed upon in December, 1827, and though not finally adopted, preserved peace till 1831, when a final settlement of all difficulties was declared. The disasters of the last few years, the decline of trade, and the death of Sir Charles Macarthy had at this time caused the Home Government to withdraw all the public establishments from the Gold Coast, and to invest them in the hands of the Company of African Merchants, of whom Captain Maclean was the first governor. The treaty of 1831, just referred to, was concluded by this gentleman, on behalf of the King of England, with the Kings of Ashanti, Cape Coast, Fanti, Anamaboe, Denkira, Tufel, Wassaw and Assin, of which the chief point was as follows: “The King of Ashanti having deposited in Cape Coast Castle, in the presence of the above-mentioned parties, the sum of 600 ounces of gold, and having delivered into the hands of the governor two young men of the royal family of Ashanti as security that he will keep peace with the said parties in all time coming, peace is hereby declared betwixt the said King of Ashanti and all and each of the parties aforesaid, to continue in all time coming ”. Peace was kept for some six or seven years .ZEFO,$ m~./H.h’arr(zmzzt(z arrived from England in charge of Captain Fremantle, who brought with him a force of some 110 mariners and marine artillery and a large supply of arms and ammunition of war. These forces were under the command of Colonel Festing, R.M.A., who as senior officer also took command of the land forces. On the 12th June the officer administering the government placed lfilmina under martial law, and its execution being placed in the hands of Captain Fremantle and Colonel Festing, they issued orders to the people to deliver up their arms, and after a sufficient delay had been allowed, finding that but little attention had been paid to the order, they proceeded to burn the town about noon on the 15th ofjune. The flames of the burning town were no sooner seen by the Ashantis, than an advance was made with 3000 of their men to attack the British forces. Captain Fremantle and Colonel Festing at once joined their forces, to the number of 500 men, and succeeded in inflicting a serious defeat upon the advancing enemy. A portion of the seamen and mariners were then em- barked, and the remaining 200 under Colonel Festing again defeated and pursued the Ashantis for some three 312 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. miles north of Elmina, when they returned to their camp with the loss of their general, a nephew of the king, and several of their more important chiefs. Commander Commerell then arrived on the west coast as Commander- in-Chief, but was dangerously wounded soon after his arrival while visiting the Prah to ascertain what facilities it afforded for navigation by boats, and Captain Luxmore of the A/gus was also severely wounded. A little later in the year Major-General Sir Garnet VVolseley was sent out as Governor-in—Chief to take command of the forces in the colony, and to undertake the punishment of the troublesome Ashantis. He arrived with thirty—six special service officers at Cape Coast Castle on the 5.5. Ambrz'z, but without an army to assist the present small force in the Colony. He soon showed, however, after his arrival-the superiority of a small force of disciplined men over a multitude of barbarous natives, and towards the end of October, succeeded in inflicting three defeats upon the enemy. This, however, was only the commencement of the campaign ; the country near- the coast was cleared of the Ashantis, and all prepara— tions were made for an advance into the interior and for the destruction of Kumasi so soon as the next dry season should come round. This expedition was organised with care and crowned with success. The main body of his forces, consisting of 1400 white troops, advanced direct on the capital by the main road from Cape Coast through Prahsu, whilst native levies were organised to attack and annoy the Ashantis in the eastern and western portions of their country. So soon as the Ashantis heard of these preparations for their destruc- tion they began to rely upon their tactics of the past, THE CAMPAIGN or 1873. 313 sending in message after message of submission, and pro- mising all sorts of good behaviour for the future. These attempts at obtaining peace had, however, no effect upon -.7__ ,, f .p .. ‘ t ‘ 44.4w 'I'III; BRITISH RESIDENT AP KL'.\I.\SI (CAPTAIN I)()NI\III) S'ILI'L\\'.\I\"I‘, CALG.) ANI) OFFICIALS. Sir Garnet \VoIseIey ; he marched with his forces straight upon the capital, defeated the Ashantis in several well— contested irregular bush fights, and ultimately captured 314 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. and burnt their capital. The king was captured, and a peace signed in which the Ashantis acknowledged the British authority, consented to pay an indemnity of 50,000 ounces of gold, to abolish human sacrifice and to keep the trade roads from their country to the coast, particularly the l’rah road, clear of bush. In this expe- dition he was assisted by Captain Glover, R.N., the GOVernor of Lagos, who raised a native force at Accra and in the eastern division 0f the colony to march upon Kumasi from the east. From this time down to 1896 peace was kept and but little trouble given to the British by the Ashantis, though the promise of the payment of the war indemnity and the abolition of human sacrifice was not honoured by these shifty people. In 1893-94, they attacked and pillaged their neighbours the Nkoranzas, and inflicted several severe defeats upon them, and as the latter came into British territory for protection, the Ashantis threatened to follow them and punish them there. In addition the roads had been allowed to become again overgrown, and the captured Nkoranzas were sacrificed to the number of some thousands in Kumasi. An expedition consisting of native troops, under Sir Francis Scott, K.C.M.G., was despatched to the Nkoranza country at the end of 1893, and order was again restored, but the events of this expedition finally led to the campaign of 189596 and the complete destruction of the Ashanti power, and the capture and deportation of the king, Prempeh, to Sierra Leone. To accomplish this end a well-selected and complete force was despatched from England, consisting of some 2000 regular troops, accom- panied by a large staff of special officers of every descrip- THE LAST CAMPAIGN. 315 tion. General Sir Francis Scott, K.C.M.G., assisted by Colonel Kempster, was in command, and the most minute preparations were made for the success of the undertaking. Between Cape Coast Castle and Prahsu, some seventy-nine miles, no less than five depOt camps were formed; the various streams were satisfactorily bridged, telegraphic communication established along the whole route, and thousands of carriers enlisted for the transport of the baggage and supplies. As so many ac— counts have been specially written fully describing all the events of this last Ashanti campaign, it will only be necessary for me to mention the start and the satisfactory results that were achieved. About noon on the 16th of December, 1895, the native levies left Cape Coast Castle for the front to act as a covering force for the expedition that was ready to follow, and by the middle of the following month the Ashanti capital was reached, and the discovery made that King Prempeh was willing to submit to the English completely and unconditionally. The king, his chiefs and captains sat for a whole day watching the arrival of the British force, and by the end of January, 1896, the last and final Ashanti war was brought to a conclusion without bloodshed, and the power of this barbarous tribe crushed for ever. Negotiations followed; the king was deposed and with his mother and counsellors taken to the coast and imprisoned at Elmina, to be finally transported to Sierra Leone for the rest of his natural life. The consummation, so often desired, of having a British resident at Kumasi, is now an accomplished fact, the first permanent resident appointed being Captain Donald Stewart, C.M.G. 316 CHAPTER XII. Progress of the Colony—Education—The Basle Missmn—The Wesleyan Mission—The Roman Catholic Missioanhe Schools of the Colony—The Future of the Colony—Want of Railways and Central Harbour. 11‘ becomes an interesting study to even the most ordin- ary observer who visits or travels in the Gold Coast Colony, to ascertain the results of more than four cen- turies’ intercourse that this part of the African continent has had with so-called civilised Europe, and to mark the advantages and disadvantages received therefrom. As- sociated, as it has been, with the leading countries of Europe at different epochs of its existence, one might have reasonably expected to find a constitution and laws built up upon a principle suitable to the needs of a West African race, and the people themselves taking an active interest in the future welfare of their own people. But this is not the case. The four centuries' connection with Europe has been a purely commercial one, which seems to have instilled in the minds of the natives of the present day one very doubtful business maxim, we, to pay as little as possible for any article you buy, or better still—do not pay for it at all if it can be possibly avoided. So anxious are we in Europe to extend our foreign trade, that it is far easier for a native of \Vest Africa to become a so-called merchant without the need for absolutely PROGRESS OF THE COLONY. 317 any capital, than it is for a respectable European to establish himself in any branch of trade in his own country. For years past, so-called native princes and the sons of princes have been able to establish themselves as petty traders all along the coast, at the expense of European merchants, obtaining supplies of goods of all descriptions upon credit, in some cases without the slightest intention of making payment, and even selling them under the cost price in order to become possessed of ready money. A portion of the money thus obtained is remitted to Europe accompanied by a still larger order, and thus the debts to Europeans increase by leaps and bounds. Many causes have led to this result. It is easy for a commercial house to obtain orders from the Gold Coast, but obtaining payment for the same is a very dif- ferent matter. Some lay the blame for this state of things upon the local government, others upon the merchants who periodically reside in the colony; some attribute it to the missionary societies at work on the coast, whilst others say it is the fault of education. Rather than side with any particular section, I am in— clined to think that all four have assisted in producing the present unsatisfactory state of affairs in this respect. The Government has at times been too lenient, the merchants are too anxious to gain orders, often at the expense of each other, the missionary often places the native upon a pedestal among the races of the world that he is not yet fitted to occupy, and the education given has not been founded upon a proper basis. These remarks may give rise to a different opinion in the minds of my readers; should such be the case, my answer to them is, visit the country and see for yourselves. 318 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. A constant change of masters since the beginning of the fifteenth century; a vacillating policy of treatment of the natives by the various governments; want of con- tinuity and purpose in the work in the officials, and the very uncertain nature of the West African climate have all tended to produce the unsatisfactory West Africa of the present day. The other great drawback to the gene- ral progress of the colony is the system of domestic slavery that exists in every part of the country, and causes most of the laziness and immorality that every- where abound. The ordinary man possesses many domestic slaves, they alternately work and sleep; the master does little or nothing. These slaves are fed by their owners, morning and evening, and thus their only desire is satisfied. They possess no energy, no vigour, no intellect, and care nothing for the rights and responsi- bilities of ordinary everyday life. The bulk of the popu— lation of the colony being included under this head, it is little wonder that progress is slow and disappointing. The country is rich, mines ‘are waiting to be worked, but the people, easily satisfied with a variety of food that costs them little or nothing, are content to live in the most miserable state of domestic slavery amid the most miserable surroundings in the shape of dwellings. Education in the colony at the present day is in the hands of various mission societies, the Government lead- ing the way, and entirely supporting from public funds large schools at Accra and Cape Coast Castle, in addition to a smaller one at the capital of W'estern Akim, some four days’ journey from the coast to the interior. The various mission agencies impart their own deno— minational teaching to their own particular group of EDUCATION. 3 19 schools. In the middle of the eighteenth century, an Anglican Church Mission was attempted, and the Rev. Thomas Thompson visited the Gold Coast and stayed four years, during which time he acted as chaplain at Cape Coast Castle. He was the pioneer for the intro- duction of the Christian religion in the colony, and when he returned to England in 1756, in consequence of ill health, he took with him some of the native youth of the colony, one of whom, Philip Quacoe, graduated at Oxford and was admitted to Holy Orders, in 1765, when he re- turned to Cape Coast to exercise his calling among his own people. He acted as chaplain at Cape Coast Castle for more than fifty years, dying in 1816. Since this time many others have succeeded him in the office as chaplain, both native and European. The mission agencies now at work are :— I. The Basle Mission Society. 2. The \Vesleyan Mission Society. 3. The North German Mission Society. 4. The Roman Catholic Mission Society. These are mentioned in the order in which they became connected with the coast. The advent of the Basle Mission dates from 1828, when the Basle Evangelical Mission Society obtained permission from the King of Denmark to establish Christian missions in the Danish Protectorate of the Gold Coast Colony; the present Christiansborg and the coun— try to the east of that place, and then the capital of the Danish Protectorate. The first four missionaries for this 'work landed upon the 18th December in 1828, and within eight months from their arrival, three of their number had already succumbed to the treacherous climate, leaving 320 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. but one to continue the work and the school of some ninety scholars that had been established. He also fell ! - :a—w “25»."33 A NATIVE BEAUTY. a victim early in March, 1832, some short time before the arrival of three new-comers to take the place of those THE BASLE MISSION. 321 who had first died. The early history of all the missions on the Gold Coast is one of sickness and death, and of the three new-comers but one was left, after the short space of three months, to continue the work so nobly begun. The only survivor up to this time was Mr. Riis, who, finding the low—lying coast land so treacherous for the residence of the European, visited the hill region, called Aquapim, lying due north of Accra, and finding it by comparison healthier than the coast, decided to form a settlement in the mountains, and opened a Basle Mission Station at Akropong, the capital of Aquapim, some 1400 feet’ above the sea, and a journey of only one day and a half from the sea coast. The station at Christiansborg was then abandoned and Akropong be— came the headquarters of the mission. Mr. Riis was well received by the natives of Aquapim, and was joined in his work in 1836 by two new arrivals, both of whom, however, fell victims to the climate before a two years' residence had been completed. About this time, Mr. Riis visited Kumasi, and on his return to the coast left for liurope to recruit and to consult with the home com- mittee about the future of the mission, which, on account of the very heavy loss of life, was about to be given up. The success of the work, too, in the Aquapim district was at this time seriously threatened by the political disturb- ances among the natives themselves, and also by some misunderstanding that had arisen between the natives and the Danish Government. A new plan was now to be tried. Mr. Riis, in company with a Mr. Widmann, proposed to introduce from the West Indies some of the liberated Christian Africans to assist in the establishment of the work upon the Gold 21 322 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. Coast, as the climate had up to this time been found to be very disastrous to the continued residence of Europeans. They visited Jamaica in the West Indies, and selected, with the assistance of the Moravian Mission, some twenty-four likely colonists, with whom they landed at Christiansborg in April, 1843. No stay was made here, but the party proceeded at once to the hill station at Akropong, where for a time, things generally flourished under the new regime. The success, however, was only short-lived, for after a few years, the people, with the exception of a very few, turned out very unsatisfactory, and generally disappointed the expectations of the origi- nators of the scheme. Some were the cause of much trouble to the mission in the colony, others returned to their old homes in the West Indies, while a few remained to carry on the work. Of those that remained, I know of one who is still living at Aburi in Aquapim, though I believe there are others at different stations in the colony in receipt of a small pension from the society. The year 1847 saw the arrival of Mr. Mohr (still actively at work in the colony) and several others to take up the work already begun. Christiansborg was again taken up, another station opened at Aburi and a preparatory school opened at Akropong, in which native assistants could be trained for the mission. Mr. Mohr devoted his energies to the erection of good houses as mission stations, and also utilised the West Indian colonists in the formation of coffee plantations, and other tropical produce which they had brought with them from the west. Thus gradu- ally, though very slowly, coffee planting began to work its way among the members of the Basle Mission, and a part of the first plantation made at Akropong exists to THE BASLE MISSION. 323 the present day and is cultivated by the scholars of the existing school. More missionaries arrived, and the difficulties of the native tongue were somewhat overcome by the successful attempt on the part of Rev. J. Zimmermann and the Rev. J. G. Christaller to reduce the Ga or Akra and the Tshi languages to writing. The Bible was first translated into the two tongues, and a series of grammars, hymn books, Bible histories, catechisms and various small school primers, printed at Basle for the use of the society on the coast, soon followed in its wake. From this date, 1847, the work of this excellent body began to prosper, and a few years saw the establishment and the opening of many new stations. In 1853, the members numbered nearly 200 souls, but the political disturbance of the following year somewhat retarded the progress of the mission for a time. The natives of the then Danish possessions on the Gold Coast had been transferred to the British Crown in 1850, but through some misunderstanding over the intro- duction of new taxes, a rebellion broke out, which was only suppressed after the bombardment of Christiansborg, and the destruction of many native houses and mission property. The people scattered in all directions, and their return being very uncertain, a large proportion of their number settled and formed a small plantation-village at Abokobi, some fifteen miles from the coast, which has since become a very flourishing mission station. In 1860, after a suitable building had been erected for the purpose, the Girls’ Boarding School was transferred from Christians— borg to Abokobi. A most admirable introduction was now made by the Basle Mission. The necessity for pro— viding good and substantial houses at the various stations 324 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. established by the mission, led the committee in Europe to send out to the coast specially qualified men as artisans and mechanics to superintend their erection, and to establish industrial workshops at the same time, where, under proper supervision, the native youth of the colony might in time learn useful trades, and become workmen ‘ in their turn. After many difficulties and comparative failures, workshops at Christiansborg were established for carpenters, joiners, wheelwrights and blacksmiths, which have progressed so far at the present day as to become nearly self-supporting, and in addition have greatly benefited the country. The mission houses, all erected by native labour, are now to be reckoned among the best habitations in the colony, and stand as an example of what can be accomplished by native hands when superin- tended by European minds. One of the greatest diffi- culties in this country has been, and will be for years to come, to find the proper persons as managers of these establishments. Europeans cannot permanently reside in the country, and even to this day, little or no progress is made, where a native is at the head of an industrial department. The next few years, 1853—57, saw an attempt on behalf of the Basle Mission to establish themselves at Gyadam, in Akim, but native wars between rival tribes destroyed their efforts. Gyadam was abandoned and Kukurantumi tried, to give way in its turn to Kyebi, the capital of Eastern Akim, and residence of the king, where, under much difficulty, a station was established in 1861. The King of Kyebi was no friend to the mission, and used his powers to prevent his people from receiving the benefits of civilisation. Open dissensions soon appeared, and TIIE BASLE MISSION. 32 5 persecution followed. The king accused a native mem— ber of the mission of having stolen a quantity of gold dust, and began to ill-treat the accused person and other members of the station. The Government was appealed to, and upon an investigation being made the king’s charge could not be upheld, and the accused person was acquitted. The king, ordered to the coast by the Government to explain his conduct, died in the meantime, and the native members of the mission were accused of being party to his death. The mission station was attacked, much property destroyed, and many of the people ill-treated. Prompt action on the part of the Government, however, avoided further trouble, peace was restored, and the Kyebi people ordered to refund to the mission the value of the property destroyed. The cause of civilisation did not progress rapidly at Kyebi, partly on account of the disturbances mentioned, and partly on account of the climate being unhealthy for the continued residence of the European members. The station was surrounded by dense bush, and after the loss of several of the Europeans by fever, the head— quarters were removed from Kyebi to Begoro in 1876, where a new station was formed some 1500 feet above the sea, and which has proved comparatively healthy. But though the Europeans withdrew to Begoro, the station at Kyebi was not abandoned, but the care of the congregation and the management of the schools were entrusted to a native minister and his assistants, accom— panied with a series of regular visits from and the super— vision by the Europeans, with the result that Kyebi still remains a prosperous centre of the Basle Mission. In 1857 Messrs. Locher and Zimmermann made a 326 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. visit to the Krobo country, near the river Volta in the north-eastern portion of the Gold Coast, and were re- ceived by Chief Odonko of Odumase. He gave one of his sons to their care for education, and in many ways assisted the efforts of the missionaries, with the result that Odumase is now the centre of a large number of out-stations, where English is taught and plantation work encouraged. This centre contains an excellent church and two good schools, in addition to many smaller ones in the surrounding villages. Two years after their estab- lishment at Odumase, via, in 1859, the Mission Trade Society, a joint stock company working for the benefit of the mission, and carrying on general trade to the ex- clusion of guns, powder and spirits, began its operations in the colony. This company renders very valuable assistance to the Basle Mission Society, even to the direct support of the mission work, as at Ada in 1865, and at Anum in 1867. The agents of the Mission Trade Society are all under the same rules and regula- tions as the other missionaries, and even occasionally take part in the ordinary mission work. In these days the town of Ada, at the mouth of the Volta River, was considered as an out-station of Odumase, and was periodically visited by the missionaries from the latter town, by means of the water-way of the Volta. But in 1868 the Mission Trade Society commenced large and substantial premises at Adafo, a village close to the mouth of the Volta, since which time a representative of the mission has either resided there or at Big Ada, the principal town, some two hours” journey up the river. The number of members in this district rapidly increased, and many of them being well-to-do traders, they com— THE BASLE MISSION. 327 menced to build a large and commodious chapel, which was finished in 1898. Troubles arose among the con- gregation, and the church elder and the native pastor refused to obey the committee, and claimed the chapel as their property. This has, however, been smoothed over, and at the present day Adafo and Big Ada are both flourishing stations with suitable churches and schools. In 1865 the Mission Trade Society com- menced a station in the Anum district, at the town of that name, some two hours distant from the left bank of the Volta, at which a missionary and native catechist carried on the operations. By 1869 a flourishing mission station had been established, when the Ashantis invaded the country, attacked and captured the station and carried off Mr. and Mrs. Ramseyer and a Mr. Ktihne as prisoners to Kumasi. The journey from Anum to Kumasi was a very trying one for the missionaries, and lasted several weeks ; they had to walk the whole way on foot, were scarcely allowed any rest, being hurried on and abused by their inhuman captors; exposed to the burning sun by day, and to the dangerous chills at night, and insufficiently fed with unwholesome and sometimes decayed native food, it was a wonder that the whole party did not succumb. When Kumasi was reached they were treated much better than they had been during the journey, but were kept by the king as prisoners for four years, never knowing, during the whole of that time, whether their savage captors might at any time give orders for their destruction or not. At last, in January, 1874, when the English forces under Sir Garnet VVolseley advanced upon Kumasi, they were set free and returned to the coast, and about a fortnight 328 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. later Kumasi was captured and destroyed by the English troops. After a beneficial stay in Europe Mr. and Mrs. Ramseyer returned to Wést Africa, with the avowed in- tention of opening up mission stations in .the Ashanti country, but owing to the unsettled state of the place, they selected Abetifi, the capital of the Okwahu country, forthescene of their new operations. This country was formerly a tributary state to Ashanti, but since 1874 had thrown off the yoke and become independent under British protection. The station at Abetifi was com- menced in 1876, and the selection of such a site has — proved a very fortunate one, for there is no doubt that Abetifi, situated upon the tableland of Okwahu, some 2000 feet above the level of the sea, is one of the healthiest stations in the colony. Its only drawback is its distance from the coast, necessitating a somewhat fatiguing journey through swamps for several days. In 1881, just twelve years after the destruction of the station at Anum, the town was again occupied by the mission, and is now a very flourishing centre, beautifully situated, and extending its civilising influence in the surrounding villages in all directions. Other stations were established in the \Vestern Akim and the Agona Fanti countries, and after some fifty years of mOst arduous labour, the Baslc Mission Society may claim to have been firmly settled in the country. The bill of mortality had, however, been very heavy, for from 1821 down to 1883 no less than seventeen Europeans had given their lives to the work, and to try and lessen this great mortality in the future Dr. R. Fisch was appointed in I885 as the first medical missionary for the Gold Coast, 3 position which he still occupies. THE WESLEYAN MISSION. 329 I have here attempted to give a slight outline of the work of the Basle Mission on the Gold Coast from its commencement, and would add in conclusion, from a five years’ personal acquaintance with their work in all parts of the colony, that much good and lasting work has been accomplished by them, and that Ihope to see in the near future a still further development in their industrial branches and the spread of English in their schools.- A \\']£l)l)Il\'(} GROUP. The work of the \Vesleyan Mission Society on the \Vest Coast of Africa dates back to about the year 1831, when a few young men, who had been educated in the Government School at Cape Coast Castle, formed a society at Cape Coast, called “ A Meeting or Society for Promoting the Christian Knowledge,” with the object of 330 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. meeting at regular times to examine carefully the nature and claims of the Christian religion. In 1833, while William de Graft, one of the members of this society, was at Dixcove, he received a request from his friends at Cape Coast to order out from England, through some suitable person who might be proceeding thither, a number of copies of the New Testament for their use. De Graft applied to Captain Potter, the master of a Bristol merchant vessel, which shortly afterwards arrived in port. Captain Potter was surprised to receive such an application from a native youth, and after some conversation with De Graft, inquired whether he and his friends would not like to receive instruction from a missionary. De Graft replied in the affirmative, and Captain Potter saw the other members of the society when his vessel proceeded to Cape Coast, and having consulted President Maclean, he sailed for England, resolving to bring out with him on his next voyage, not only the copies of the Scriptures, but a missionary. On his arrival in Bristol, Potter communicated with the Wesleyan Missionary Society in London upon the subject, offering to take out with him on his next voyage a missionary to Cape Coast Castle, and to bring him back to England without any expense to the committee, should be, after trying the natives, conclude he could not commence a mission at that place. This noble offer was readily accepted by the committee, who sent out Joseph Dunwell. Mr. Dunwell arrived on the coast on 31st December, 1834, and commenced work upon the following Sabbath, 4th January, 1835. His work lasted only for six months, for he died on the 25th of the next June, and was succeeded in September, 1836, THE WESLEYAN MISSION. 331 by Mr. and Mrs. G. O. Wrigley. The new missionary and his wife were joined early in January, 1837, by Mr. and Mrs. Peter Harrop. Mrs. Harrop died on the 4th of the next month, and on the 8th, Mr. Harrop and Mrs. \Vrigley were buried together. Mr. Wrigley did not long survive the complicated bereavement; he died in the following November. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Freeman landed on 3rd January, 1838. Mr. Freeman consolidated the mission and studded the Gold Coast with churches and schools for the Wesleyan Society. The present headquarters of the mission are at Cape Coast Castle, under the general superintendence Of the Rev. Dennis Kemp, assisted by various European and native missionaries. Their principal stations are at the following places :— Cape Coast, Anamaboe, Elmina. Saltpond, Akim. \Ninnebah, Beyin. Accra, Kumasi, Aburi, with many minor stations on the coast and in the interior. GRAND TOTAL OF SCHOOLs AND SCHOLARS. (1896.) 1 On Number Average ‘ Register. Present. Attendance. l Schools. Total. Total. ,, ,7,i# Total. ‘ l l Boys. Girls. ‘Boys. Girls. BoyslGirls. Basle Mission. . . 40 1774 1079 2853 1583i 891 2474 1644 670 2314 \Nesleyan Mission. 53 4386 599 4985 3986 492 4478 3330 360 3690 R. C. Mission. . . 16 1717 322 2039 1532‘ 246 1778 I413 240 1653 Government. . . . 6 1145 183 1328 798i 135 945 776 125 901 ! _ _ w _ __ “1 i Totals . . . . 115 90225183 11205 7899 1764 9675 7163,1395 8558 i J 332 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. In addition to the 115 inspected schools enumerated above there are also 83 schools belonging to the various missions that are not in receipt of a Government Grant. GRANTs EARNED. The grants earned by the inspected schools have in- creased in about the same proportion to the increase of inspected schools. In 1894-93 the total amount expended by the Government was £3179 6s. upon the passes obtained. This year the amount has risen to £3400 11s., an increase of £221 5s. upon the previous year, and £100 [15. in excess of the vote sanctioned. This grant when divided by the total number of scholars for examination (exclusive of those in the Government Schools, for whom no grants are paid), 21223., 8730, Gives an average grant per scholar of 7s. 9%d., a slight decrease upon the amount per mpz'z‘a for 1894-95, but exactly the same as that for 1893-94. This sum of £3400 11s. is divided in the following amounts:——‘ g 5. cl. Basle Mission . . . . . . 1043 7 6 Wesleyan Mission . . . . . 1613 17 6 R. C. Mission . . . . . . 743 6 0 Making a total of . . . . 3400 11 o The following table shows the comparison of the grants earned by the various educational bodies for the years 1894 to 18962—— THE ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION. 333 ,_ m I894-95- 1895-96- °'8 0'2 Denomination. 21/”) Total. Per Scholar. Total. Per Scholar. s. d.‘ ,g s. d. g s. d. ,5 s. d. 40 Basie Mission . . . 1012 19 o o 8 2% 1043 7 6 o 8 5 53 \Vesleyan Mission . 1396 2 o o 7 8 I613 17 6 o 7 2,1- 16 R. C. Mission. . . 770 o o 9 9% 743 6 o o 8 4% 109 Totals ..... 3179 6 o o 8 5a 3400 II o o 7 9% The decrease in the grant per alpim to the Roman Catholic Schools, I attribute solely to the heavy mortality the mission has sustained during the past twelve months, by the sad loss of many European principals, who have fallen victims while bravely doing their duty, to the treacherous nature of the West African climate. In the year 1881, the Roman Catholic Mission on the Gold Coast was confided by His Holiness Pope Leo XIII. to the fathers of the Society of the African Missions, whose mother house is in Lyons, I50 Cours Gambetta, France. This important society was founded in 1856 by Monsignor Marion de Brissillac, a missionary bishop who had already passed several years in the Chinese missions. Having barely started the work, Mgr. Marion entrusted its future to a young and able priest, the Rev. Father Planque, and taking with him his vicar—general, two priests and one lay brother, he left France for the Guinea Coast on board a sailing vessel, and after a month’s voyage landed at Sierra Leone. Their stay there was of a very short duration, for at the end of six weeks all five were in the grave, having fallen victims to malarial fever. The newly founded Society 334 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. of the African Missions, not having men enough to sacri— fice them in such large numbers to the deadly influence of the climate of Sierra Leone, abandoned that station, and in 1863 the newly ordained priests proceeded to Lagos and Porto Novo, coast of Benin. It was only in the year 1881, on the proposal of Chief Justice Marshall, that the Rev. Father Planque cast his eyes towards the Gold Coast. Two priests, the Rev. Fathers Moreau and Murat, who had been chaplains to Her Majesty’s troops at Saint Helena, were appointed by him for the new mission. They landed at Elmina early in 1881, and at once opened a mission and a school. In a very short time after their arrival Father Murat fell a victim to the treacherous climate, and was the first of that long line of priests and nuns who have laid down their lives for that noble cause, the conversion and civi- lisation of the Gold Coast people, for although the mission only reckons seventeen years’ existence, twenty- five missionaries have followed Father Murat to the grave. In spite of this high death rate, and a great many other difficulties, the missionary work has made marvellous progress on the whole Gold Coast, but more especially at Elmina. Here three distinct schools have been established by the fathers and the nuns. I. The boys’ school, which reckons over 120 pupils from the I. to the VII. standard. 2. The girls’ school, much inferior in number, the natives deeming the education of their female children a matter of slight importance. 3. The infant school, whose pupils amount to 250 boys and girls combined. The fathers’ and sisters’ dwelling houses are situated THE ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION. 335 on the top of a nice hill, and are of a structure peculiar to hot climates, a large verandah encircling them. Between these two houses stands a large church which can easily accommodate 800 people. The number of converts, which increases daily, amounts to over 1000. The work being fairly well established at Elmina, the fathers turned their attention to Cape Coast, and in June, 1889, the Rev. Fathers Grainer and Albert opened a mission in that former capital of the Gold Coast Colony. Here, too, the missionaries had to face many and serious difficulties. The year 1895 proved almost fatal to the mission ; three priests and four nuns having died almost suddenly from bilious or malignant fever. Thanks to the arrival of a few new-comers (priests) and special pecuniary assistance from home, the work was carried on, and to-day it is in a very promising condition. Over 400 boys and girls attend our three schools daily, and the registers show more than 800 converts. A Catholic church has not yet been erected in Cape Coast, therefore the meetings of the members, on Sundays and festivals, take place in the schoolrooms. In December, 1890, the Rev. Father Ulrich, in company with the Rev. Father Gro'ebli, left Elmina to start a mission at Saltpond. Unfortunately the young priest died from fever shortly after his arrival there, and Father Ulrich, whose health had completely broken down, was forced to betake himself to a milder climate. The work was not altogether abandoned, but was entrusted to a native catechist. Last year the mission was reopened by the Rev. Father Wade, and since then a new dwelling-house and new schools have been erected. Number of scholars, 250; of converts, 450. 336 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. A large piece of land situated outside the town has been purchased by the fathers for agricultural purposes. A mission was opened at Accra in 1893 by the Rev. Father Hilberer. The work was in a most promising condition when the missionaries were recalled to Cape Coast, in order to replace those who had fallen victims to the climate there. The Rev. Father Wade founded the Catholic Mission of Kwitta in the year 1891. A large tract of land having been ceded to him by a rich native chief, he at once built a large and comfortable mission house. Some other nice buildings, such as a church, schoolrooms, etc., have been added since. Besides these missions they have several out-stations, of which Anamaboe and Adjuah are the most important. In each of these stations is a native catechist, who at the same time fills the post of schoolmaster. The fathers visit these out-stations periodically, in order to see how the work is progressing, and also to administer the Sacraments to the faithful. Anamaboe actually counts 150 schoolboys, and almost as many con- verts ; Adjuah sixty-five school children and 180 converts. They have in contemplation the extension of their work to the interior, and to Kumasi, as soon as the means at their disposal will allow of them doing so. The mission counts moreover the charge of fifteen slaves, male and female, who have been entrusted to their care by the Government. These children having been bought and sold by the natives, in defiance of the law, the Government, after having them, hand them over in order that they may be educated. A good start has been made in farming near Elmina. FUTURE or THE GOLD COAST. 337 Coffee, cacao, and a great number of rubber trees have been planted. There is little doubt that with the addition of the Ashanti territory, and the recent acquisition of the coun- try in the Hinterland up to the eleventh degree of north latitude, the commercial future of the Gold Coast pro- mises to be one of great activity. The great difficulties to be first overcome are the want of suitable landing places and the absence of internal transport communica- tion. Once these are established, commercial activity will soon follow; valuable products will be brought to the coast, mines will be opened up, and British energy and capital pave the way for a prosperous future for a' somewhat long—neglected colony. Two landing places should be constructed, one near Takoradi Bay and one at Accra. The former place provides all requirements for harbour, safe anchorage, easy landing, and for a coaling station, while at the latter place the rocks upon which James Fort is built, would serve as a suitable foundation for a landing stage for the eastern part of the colony. In a previous chapter I have already given an outline of the railways required in the colony. Here I will add but one more suggestion. The short strip of seaboard between Accra and Ada, including the estuary of the river Volta, is of but little commercial value or importance. Yet the town of Ada at the mouth of the Volta is the port from whence nearly one third of the palm oil and palm kernels produced in the colony are exported. Kpong on the right bank of the Volta is the collecting point for this large export trade, from whence with much trouble and expense, it is with considerable difficulty transported to the Volta mouth and across the bar for 22 338 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. shipment from Ada. The trade of Accra, although the town is the capital and headquarters of the colony, does not improve, the exports being very small in comparison with other ports on the coast. Now the present large export trade of Ada could be transferred with but little difficulty to Accra, by the con- struction of a railway between that port and the town of Kpong on the Volta river, and shipped with ease, provided that a landing stage was constructed at Accra in connection with the proposed railway. This increase of traffic would bring the capital into a state of com- mercial prosperity, at the expense of the present un- healthy town of Ada, a change that no one would seriously deplore; the trade itself would remain in the same hands, but the present commercial houses at Ada would have to close their premises and transfer their staff to Accra, the present headquarters of many of the Ada trading companies. 339 APPENDICES. A. List of Ashanti Kings from 1700 to the present time. Name of King. Accession. Cfiifiito Remarks. 1 Osai Tootoo . 1700 1720 Killed 2 Osai Opookoo . 1720 1741 , Died 3 Osai Aquissa I741 I753 ,, 4 Osai Cudjo . 1753 I785 ,, 5 Osai Quamina . . 1785 1799 Deposed 6 Osai Opookoo II. . . 1799 1799 Died 7 Osai Tootoo Quamina . 1799 1824 ,, 8 Osai Okoto . . . . 1824 1838 ,, 9 Osai Kwaku Dua I. . 1838 1867 ,, 10 Osai Kofi Karikari 1867 1874 Deposed 11 Osai Bousu . . . 1874 1885 ,, 12 Osai Kwa‘ku Dua II. 1885 1888 Died 13 Osai Prempeh . 1888 1896 Deposed English Wars with Ashanti. First war 1807-1808 Second war Often recorded as one war . < 1811-1812 Third war 1817-1820 Fourth war 1824-1826 Fifth war 1863-1864 Sixth war 1873-1874 Seventh war 1895-1896 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. Chief Battles fought in Ashanti W'ars. Place. . Battle of Egyaa . . Battle of Anamaboe Date. 14th June, 1807 15th June, 1807 . Battle of Nsimanke . Battle of Dompim . . Battle of Afutu . . Battle of Cape Coast . . Battle of Dodowah. . Battle of Bobikuma . Battle of Yancoomasie 21st January, 182.]. 25th April, 1824 21st May, 182.; 11th July, 1824 26th August, 1826 9th May, 1863 10th February, 1873 m\] O‘Lfi-FUJNH \D 10. Battle of Tetsi 6th April, 1873 11. Battle of Dwukwa . 30th May, 1873 12. Battle of Elmina 13th June, 1873 13. Battle of Abakrampa . 9th November, 1873 14. Battle of Abogu . 17th January, 187.1 15. Battle of Boborasi . 29th January, 187.1 16. Battle of Owuratser 315t January, 1874 17. Battle of Amoafur . 3lst January, 1874 18. Battle of Bekwai Ist February, 1874 19. Battle of Fomanah . 2nd February, 187.1 20. Kumasi Burnt 3rd February, 1874 21. Kumasi again Burnt . . . . 1896 Chief Civil I/Vars on the Gold Coast. 1. \Var between Akwamus and Akras . . . . 1693 2. \Var between Fanti and Elmina . . . . . 1809 3. \Var between Fanti and Accra . . . . . . 1812 4. Expedition to Apollonia . . . . . . . 1835 5. Second Expedition to Apollonia . . . . . 1849 6. \V ar between Donasi and Abura . . . . . 1851 7. \Var between Dunkwa and Abura . . . . . 1859 8. Akim Civil \V ar . . . . . . 1860 9. Second \V ar between Fanti and Elmina . . 1868 10. W ar between Ashanti and Nkoranza . . . 1894 APPENDICES. B. 341 Distances in Miles and Time between Accra and the prin- cipal towns and villages on the coast. Front “ A ctual Travelling”. I. To WINDWARD. Town. Place. Time. Miles. Accra . . to River Sekoom . 3 hours IO Riv er Sekoom ,, Bereku 4 hours 12 Bereku . . ,, Winnebah 3 hours 10 \Vinnebah . . ,, Mankwadi % hours 7 Mankwadi . . ,, Appam I hour 4 Appam . . ,, Mumford . 1 hour 3 Mumford . ,, Tantum 2 hours 6 Tantum . . ,, Arkra . 11; hours 5 Arkra. . ,, Narkwa 1 hour 3 Narkwa . . ,, Saltpond . 3 hours 9 Saltpond . ,, Cormantine . % hour I Saltpond . ,, Anamaboe 2 hours 5 Anamaboe . . ,, Cape Coast . 3% hours 9 Cape Coast. . ,, Elmina 2% hours 8 Elmina . . ,, Commendah 3% hours IO Commendah hama. 4 hours 12 Chama . ,, Sekondi 3 hours 9 Sekondi . . ,, Adjuah 3 hours 9 Adjuah . ,, Boutri . 2% hours 8 Boutri . ,, Dixcove I hour 3 Dixcoxe . . ,, Acquidah. . 2 hours 6 Acquidah . . ,, Three Points Light 2 hours 5 Three Points Light. ,, Princes 2 hours 5 Princes . . ,, Axim 3 hours 10 Axim . . ,, Esiamah . 2% hours 8 Esiamah . ,, Attuabu 5 hours 18 Attuabu . . ,, Beyin . . . § hour 2 Beyin. . . ,, Half Assini . 6 hours 20 Half Assini . ,, Newtown . 5 hours 18 342 II. To LEEWARD. THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. Town. Place. Time. Miles. Accra . . . . to Christiansborg . I hour 3 Christiansborg ,, Teshi . 2 hours 5 Teshi. . ,, Pram Pram . 5 hours 15 Pram Pram . ,, Great Ningo. 1% hours 5 Great Ningo ,, Ada. . . 9 hours 30 Ada . . . ,, Attititi . 1% hours 5 Attititi . ,, Huti 3 hours 9 Huti . ,, Kwitta. 5 hours 16 Kwitta ,, Danoe . 5 hours 16 Dance ,, Aflao 15- hours 5 C. Fares for Hammockmen and Carriers. From. To. Amount. C s. d. Cape Coast Anamaboe 3 6 ,, Abakrampa 3 6 ,, Adwa 12 6 ., Accra 20 o ,, Appam 13 6 ,, Axim 20 o ,, Chama 6 9 ,, Commendah 4 6 ,, Dixcove I4 0 ,, Elmina 2 6 ,, Dukwah 4 6 ,, Mumford 12 6 ,, Mansu 14 6 ,, Prahsu 20 0 ,, Saltpond 4 6 ,, Selrondi 9 o ,, ’l‘arkwa 20 o ,, \N’innebah 15 o APPENDICES. 343 In addition to these stated fares, a sum of 3d. per diem is allowed for subsistence, and when travelling in the interior the rate of pay is 1s. per diem plus 3d. per diem subsistence for each day away from headquarters. Fares for Canoemen. WINDWARD. From. To. Amount. _ s d. Cape Coast Elmma I 6 ,, Commendah 3 o ,, Chama 5 o ,, Sekondi 6 9 ,, Apoasi 7 0 ,, Adjuah 8 0 ,, Dixcove 9 6 LEEWARD. From. To. Amount. 5. :1. Cape Coast Mouri I o ,, Anamaboe 2 o ,, Saltpond 3 o ,, Narkwa 4 6 ,, Arkra 5 0 ,, Appam 6 9 ,, Mumford 7 o ,, Winnebah 9 0 344 THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. D. Distances in Miles and Time between Accra and the prin- cipal towns and villages in the interior. From. To. Time. Miles. Accra. Abokobi . 4% hours 16 Abokobi . Aburi . 3% hours II Aburi . Asantema . I hour 3 Asantema Tutu . § hour 2 Tutu . Apasare . 3% hours 10 Apasare . Mampong 31} hours 10 Mampong . Amanokrum ; hour 2 Amanokrum Mamfe 2 hours 6 Mamfe Akropong 1 hour 3 Akropong Laté . . 2 hours 5 Laté . Abonse 2% hours 7 Abonse . Assesseso 2% hours 7 Assesseso Adukrom I hour 3 Adukrom Apirade . % hour 2 Apirade . Afiduase. 6 hours 18 Afiduase. Koforidua I hour 3 Koforidua . Kukurantumi . 3% hours 10 Kukurantumi . Asafo. 3 hours 9 Asafo . Akoko 3 hours 9 Akoko Kyebi 2 h0urs 6 Kyebi Apedwa . 2% hours 7 Apedwa . Appapam 4 hours 10 Appapam Kyebi 2 hours 6 Kyebi . Asiakwa. 3% hours 10 Asiakwa. Osino. 15 hours 5 Osino. I’ankeniko . 2% hours 7 Fankeniko . Begoro 3 hours 10 Begoro Enyinam 6 hours 18 Enyinam Kan Kan 3%, hours 10 Kan Kan Giagiactti 3 hours 8 Giagiaetti Mpraeso . 8 hours 20 Mpraeso . Obomen . fi— hour I Mpraeso . Obo I hour 3 Mpraeso. Ativi . 1 hour I Mpraeso . Prahso 7 hours 19 APPENDICES. 345 Distances in Miles and Time between Accra and the prin- ci/ml towns and villages in the interior—(continued). From. To. Time. Miles. Prahso Bompata 7 hours 17 Mpraeso . Abetifi 3 hours 9 Akropong Assesseso 1% hours 4 Assesseso Odumase 4 hours 12 Odumase Pong . 2 hours 7 Pong . Akuse 1% hours 5 Pong . Apeguso . 7 hours 19 Apeguso . Anum 6 hours 17 Anum . Boso . 2 hours 6 VVinnebah . Swedur . 5 hours 14 Swedur . Konyako 4 hours II Konyako Nsaba 5 hours 13 Nsaba Akorase . 4 hours 10 Akorase . Asiesu I hour 3 Asiesu Asantamang 3 hours 9 Asantamang Mansu 2 hours 6 Mansu Oda 4 hours 12 ()da Akinassi. . 2% hours 8 Akinassi . Yancoomasie . 5 hours 16 Yancoomasie . Mansu 7 hours 20 Mansu Dunkwa . 5 hours 16 Dunkwa . Akroful . 3 hours 9 Akroful . Cape Coast . 3% hours IO THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. 346 wovomhomsw ©952qu womQ wowvmuomsm omesm 3 UuEBom mucumuomsm EEO a» cwgmuoasw END wocwmmom wBQ an wwcmmwom wowowhwmsm 2 coma 009 .zaww “mam £5 65;. flow .5me ._Ea< 55 $3 :5: £3 $3 :5: LEN aw? .2362 flow 5? $.32 LEN ow? .532 5mm RS ream flow on? rws< 5: co? rms< 5: 003 erE umH mo? rms< 53 5? $32 58 um? :50 5? cm? team 5? cm? ream Emw Hm? dash. Ema 020595-500 EEBE am 2 $295.58 ECBE cw. 2 3595.30 . . oEoE 82:55 . mmtoz mmEonE . dot; mmEoFfi . usupoz mmEi. . 3:2 Emzog . . 3.595 .m A. . $5203 each .322 Emcog . . . E: E>mQ 2380 ~53. .ombwm tonzw .hBEmQEE Each 5552 9855/ . :mm 3125 Siam sammmz :um wotmso :oaufliP ENESV $va 935:8 .mutdfiom .EvEqumng‘ mo BMQ ism .memZ .m .Awawuv 22% Emmmxfl 2% S AomnHv £22293: \0 583289 2:222wa 23 2% \o :0%::>B\ 2% \o 23» 2% SEN N259 Sow 2% 2E £22§%RW 232.22% 2% .8 $853.30 2% \o 3.2% 347 APPENDICES. wowumhumsm oocuwnm m0 962 so vacuum 3 35:qu Uuwomhomsm a 2 280A «Comm 3 wofisuom mouowuumam «a ocooa 35mm 8 355qu vacuum 8 Begum comm couom E @2sz wowumuomsw good .255 3 @055qu 383m 8 onBoM vo—uomuwasw vacuum 3 3530M 35 wovowuoasm cocmfiox a» ccwowhuasw 85me «o 232 cc “£83m 3 35303 cowomhoasm ome 65;. flow EESE m.“ Ome .fiom 5m: : wuwH dash fiom EwEmuum mag :32 fiwa : mm? 51.2 52 «amwcmEEoo um? :80 59 500-5305 cum: ..>oZ 5? “cmvcmEEoo 3 3? “Eng fin meH :22 wcuu wuwH cram «mm vuwH rcmm “mg «a? r>oZ Emu «SH :32 5? «NE in; 53 S? :51. 53 onH ._ta< fig 50% :89 fiv mo? Ham :5 «own 5me 50m 00? 4Ca< Lama 00? rag. :1. mo? :ouQ Eon Esoééoo quUCMEEOU 2 36-5-30 ucavcmEEoU 2 «0595-500 ECBE cm a R «a $595.55 ECBE fix «a «a? $82 50m _ mofiuéfiioo a? .502 53 ,_ ECBE vm . gag ENE; 53332 .0 5395 . . :ofiomH CLOm . 35405“ p032 coameE Enummo KABEDA $860- .324 .mtuxoi :33me :opaEmU1oZ hm :50 .2 $2.55 .mmnu (:00 5.32 . .coEsm SEE . Efiocmfio SEE \Etmomz .30 :w .50. .mcm . 83550 p032 zstmomg .25 :w .50 .wzm 555 303 HEB. . COmeQ £90QO . . 0:55 .>> .m acute? .0 3:200 2502 £81. . . . :uEmQ .< , c2880 snow 28: €22 :ofiwc .< c2200 :53. THE GOLD COAST PAST AND PRESENT. 348 comm Ome rooQ 5V U29 wvwowuumsm n©-m©wH mowH mowH +owH mc.wowH wowH N©.oowH wme wmwu wax ume mme wme mme vme Us“ mme mm.Hme Hme van Ome Ome ome vcm owwH ©¢-©+w~ mva wwwH cam wwwH ¢¢.wme .mxbmfivm .ooEBw mo BwQ .>oo-u:mfi2 502.303 . . cmhcou whmawm2.fiou- .u5012 . . . . . uwflxucwé .m2 .>2 . . wwcom .>2 .m 22332 8.232 . . . . uuoxomwwficmfi:_>2 . . . . . . oc_m chmcumz .>oO-mch< . . . . . . mmox .< Sum—:22 $00 . . .m3P€coO.cho< . . . . 35 2.583 8.232 500 .ocr2.:onaEmU Qzau .Eum.:w .>ow-mc50< . . SEED 55$ 500 . . :32 5:02. sosafiw 8.232 2 . . . AcmsmAUfishU .mvv_vohm .>oO-u:ofiH . . . . .xurSNQNufiH .U .2 $00 . . .522 E202. 5:1on 5.232 .>oO-u:ofiH . . . cmfiCoccmm RECNH SOC . . . . 335:3 ESEB hm 2 . . . . v—UCuNQNanH .U .H a . ézz 35553 .:_>> .888 a“ . . . . . . xflfim—WH WUEN—W .>oo-u:ofi2 2.24. .Mv_:mm .>2 .wwpovcw:::ou usevmmvum . . cmufiomez c_mummmv .xfldm .mwrflwz .wafiwxouvldfi .2280 30¢ “:22 N3 3:»:meme “232.2% u22 \w wko:kwaomv xv wamN 349 APPENDICES. 3? £3 «a HvoHnH HuoHnH 8? 65 5:85 wowH mowH maHflHo..owwH vo..~o..oo..nwwH nwwH wwwH wwwH waH owwH oan ouwH #uwH +an +uwH wan wan cam mumH man muwH man wax uan Nan anH Han Hn-m©wH wowH wowH 8% H2... 8% oowH an .>omV .>o0.mHHHH.o< HoH£0.cHa>0m0 $295.30 2 2 HonHHchHcHwHw «a HoHnH0-HHH-.>o0 HonHHchHchH\ _ HwHHHu-E-.>oo WHonHHchHEHfiH ..EHH< ”3:04 3:5. 5.. 60 HonHHchHEHH< HuH~H0-cH-.>o0 .035 .SwwHuom .2 ..H 0. 2. 0.. M HHonmH>H .mH .>> HHw acmmHuoHlH .2 .m 5&5 m ENHHHHB :m .823 ..H .m .m .30 £.H$.HH0 HHHoHHucmHmH EmHHHH>> . was; .0 .< d 0303 HosEmw HHw .Hfimt0.m Em::>2 HmameH HoHHMH.HHonHowH wcHHuoHnH HHHoHcmm HHm 92125 .0 $3000 .HnHm0 . conCLom .Hou . 39H .0 moHHmHHU .HHonwHH .Ho0- .HHHonH .HHovaHog 3:50 HHw .H00 . HoHHHHuMH 03000 . ouwovH .MH .>2 . 3H3: .% .VH .Hoo HuawwHH HonmH HHuQHoHH . zwwoccmewaom axes cogsmeuUCuawwotmL0 HozmeH HonmH.HHonHuHH . sewap:w .mH. 2/ . 3.25.: m HZHm HusmmeHonmH.HHonHowH :wHomzH.>>.wHoccHo0 APPENDIX F. OUTFIT FOR THE WEST COAST. I. CLOTHING. THE same clothing is worn on the West Coast as in tem- perate countries in the height of summer. For the dry season flannels, thin dark blue serge, or thin tweeds will be found most useful, while for the rainy season ordinary summer suits will not be found too heavy. In addition to several changes of the above, the dress suit, thin black morning coat and vest, and a thin overcoat should be taken. » Soft white or fancy shirts for general wear; thin woollen underclothing and socks, woollen pyjamas, cholera belts and flannel dressing-gowns will be found the best. Travellers should always wear flannel shirts. Ordinary white shirts are of course wanted. Shoes or boots are a matter of taste—shoes are cooler for the towns, but travellers must have boots. Brown tan or white canvas will recommend themselves according to taste. Evening shoes and slippers are also wanted. Heavier boots and leggings, knickerbockers and putties are required by travelling officers. Much heavier clothing is required upon the homeward voyage. The best travelling cases are the tin air-tight uniform APPENDICES. 351 cases. A light pith helmet, tropical umbrella, and a sewn rain coat are absolutely necessary. 2. HOUSEHOLD ARTICLES. Furnished quarters are supplied by the Government on the Gold Coast, but an officer requires many articles for house- hold use. He cannot do better than take the following :— (a) For Bedroom use.—Sheets, blankets, towels, mosquito curtain, pillow, pillow cases, and lamp or candlestick. (1)) For Kitchen men—Large and small kettle, one set of iron enamelled saucepans, frying-pans large and small, tea- pot, coffee-pot, some enamelled pudding dishes. Nata—These can be obtained at Accra, but not at many of the out—stations. (c) For Tabla use—Breakfast, dinner and tea china (1 have found it best to select a Guinea Parcel as advertised, containing all these requisites). Knives, forks, spoons, table glass, cruet, table lamp, table cloth, napkins and an easy chair. Rough towelling for glass cloths and dusters can be obtained there. N0tc.——All these articles can be obtained from F. Lack & Son, tropical outfitters, 90 Strand, London, W.C. TRAVELLING REQUISITES. Officers travelling require in addition: Small filter, camp bed, mosquito curtain and bars, two waterproof sheets, cooking stove, travelling lamps. Stores.——Intending travellers to the West Coast of Africa cannot do better than visit and consult Maconochie Brothers, 131 Leadenhall Street, London, E.C., with regard to a supply of tinned provisions. Only those of the first quality should be selected. Fairly good provisions can be had at Accra, but at the out-stations they are, as a rule, very poor. ‘ “”4." «in 35" 3‘" ' “‘ S ‘3953’52 Tug: LD~C_QA$_’_I‘ PAS! AND PRESENT 1 g; 4» ~.‘ ,3 Vi.“ The “ Maco‘iiOch1e {Rahontfimll be lbund particularlyfiwell . . gdapied for officers ~g’iulayiro‘m headquarters. . at $.11 will not attfinpt .gtto ~rules here for health, fot sdrggch depends upon the flag gga'l, that what 15 one man’ s .. g. food in this respect is anothegman’ s poison. ’Bli‘eréfis ‘1 l,“- but one golden rule mecst Aym—szderatzon i1L~All ‘fih Things. - ,x. 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