We are thoroughly convinced there CAPE COAST CASTLE, or Cape Corso, is are many respectable master chimney a factory of Africa, on the Gold Coast. sweepers; though we suspect their The Portuguese settled here in 1610, numbers have been increased by the and built the citadel; from which, in alarm which their former tyranny exa few years afterwards, they were discited, and by the severe laws made for lodged by the Dutch. In 1661, it was their coercion : but even with good demolished by the English under Admasters the trade is miserable, with miral Holmes; and by the treaty of bad ones it is not to be endured; and Breda, it was made over to our Governthe evidence already quoted shows us The price of a machine is fifteen shilhow many of that character are to be lings.

ment. The latitude of Cape Coast | captains performed their Pyrrhic dance, in

Castle is 5° 6' north; the longitude 1° the centre of a circle formed by their war51' west. The capital of the kingdom riors; where a confusion of flags, English, of Ashantee is Coomassie, the latitude Dutch, and Danish, were waved and flour. ished in all directions; the bearers plunging of which is about 6° 30' 20" north, and springing from side to side, with a pasand the longitude 2° 6' 30" west. The sion of enthusiasm only equalled by the mission quitted Cape Coast Castle on captains, who followed them, discharging the 22nd of April, and arrived at Coo- their shining blunderbusses so close, that massie about the 16th of May-halting the flags now and then were in a blaze; and two or three days on the route, and emerging from the smoke with all the ges walking the whole distance, or carried ture and distortion of maniacs. Their followers kept up the firing around us in the by hammock-bearers at a footpace. The distance between the fort and the rear. The dress of the captains was a war cap, with gilded rams' horns projecting in capital is not more than 150 miles, or front, the sides extended beyond all pro about as far as from Durham to Edin- portion by immense plumes of eagles' feaburgh; and yet the kingdom of As- thers, and fastened under the chin with hantee was, before the mission of Mr. bands of cowries. Their vest was of red Bowdich, almost as much unknown to cloth, covered with fetishes and saphies in us as if it had been situated in some gold and silver; and embroidered cases of other planet. The country which sur-ther bodies as they moved, intermixed with almost every colour, which flapped against rounds Cape Coast Castle belongs to small brass bells, the horns and tails of the Fantees; and, about the year 1807, animals, shells, and knives; long leopards' an Ashantee army reached the coast tails hung down their backs, over a small for the first time. They invaded Fan- bow covered with fetishes. They wore loose tee again in 1811, and for the third cotton trowsers, with immense boots of a time, in 1816. To put a stop to the dull red leather, coming half way up the horrible cruelties committed by the thigh, and fastened by small chains to their stronger on the weaker nation; to secure their own safety, endangered by the Ashantees; and to enlarge our knowledge of Africa- the Government of Cape Coast Castle persuaded the African Committee to send a deputation to the kingdom of Ashantee; and of this embassy, the publication now before us is the narrative. The embassy walked through a beautiful country, laid waste by the recent wars, and arrived in the time we have mentioned, and without meeting with any remarkable accident, at Coomassie the capital. The account of their first reception there we shall lay before our

readers.

"We entered Coomassie at two o'clock, passing under a fetish, or sacrifice of a dead sheep, wrapped up in red silk, and suspended between two lofty poles. Upwards of 5000 people, the greater part warriors, met us with awful bursts of martial music, discordant only in its mixture; for horns, drums, rattles, and gong-gongs, were all exerted with a zeal bordering on frenzy, to subdue us by the first impression. The smoke which encircled us from the incessant discharges of musketry, confined our glimpses to the foreground; and we were halted whilst the

cartouch or waist belt; these were also ornamented with bells, horses' tails, strings of amulets, and innumerable shreds of lea ther; a small quiver of poisoned arrows hung from their right wrist, and they held a long iron chain between their teeth, with a scrap of Moorish writing affixed to the end of it. A small spear was in their left hands, covered with red cloth and silk tassels; their black countenances heightened the effect of this attire, and completed a figure scarcely human.

"This exhibition continued about half an hour, when we were allowed to proceed, encircled by the warriors, whose numbers, with the crowds of people, made our movement as gradual as if it had taken place in Cheapside; the several streets branching off to the right presented long vistas crammed with people; and those on the left hand being on an acclivity, innumerable rows of heads rose one above another: the large open porches of the houses, like the fronts of stages in small theatres, were filled with the better sort of females and children, all impatient to behold white men for the first time; their exclamations were drowned in the firing and music, but their gestures When were in character with the scene. we reached the palace, about half a mile from the place where we entered, we were again halted, and an open file was made, through which the bearers were passed, to

The

deposit the presents and baggage in the house assigned to us. Here we were gratified by observing several of the caboceers (chiefs) pass by with their trains, the novel splendour of which astonished us. bands, principally composed of horns and flutes, trained to play in concert, seemed to soothe our hearing into its natural tone again by their wild melodies; whilst the immense umbrellas, made to sink and rise from the jerkings of the bearers, and the large fans waving around, refreshed us with small currents of air, under a burning sun, clouds of dust, and a density of atmosphere almost suffocating. We were then squeezed, at the same funeral pace, up a long street, to an open-fronted house, where we were desired by a royal messenger to wait a further invitation from the king."-(pp. 31-33.)

gun-powder was as dear as gold. Mr. Bowdich calculates Houssa to be N. E. from the Niger 20 days' journey of 18 miles each day; and the latitude and longitude to be 18° 59' N. and 3° 59' E. Boornoo was spoken of as the first empire in Africa. The Mahometans of Sennaar reckon it among the four powerful empires of the world; the other three being Turkey, Persia, and Abyssinia.

The Niger is only known to the Moors by the name of the Quolla, pronounced as Quorra by the negroes, who, from whatever countries they come, all spoke of this as the largest river with which they were acquainted; and it was the grand feature in all the routes to Ashantee, whether from Houssa, Boornoo, or the intermediate

The embassy remained about four months, leaving one of their members behind as a permanent resident. Their countries. The Niger, after leaving treatment, though subjected to the fluctuating passions of barbarians, was, upon the whole, not bad; and a foundation appears to have been laid of future intercourse with the Ashantees, and a mean opened, through them, of becoming better acquainted with the interior of Africa.

the lake Dibbri, was invariably de-
scribed as dividing into two large
streams; the Quolla, or the greater
division, pursuing its course south-
eastward, till it joined the Bahr Abiad;
and the other branch running north-
ward of east, near to Timbuctoo, and
dividing again soon afterwards - the
smaller division running northwards
by Yahoodee, a place of great trade,
and the larger running directly_east-
ward, and entering the lake Caudi,
under the name of Gambaroo.
variety of this concurrent evidence
respecting the Gambaroo, made an
impression on my mind," says Mr.
Bowdich, "almost amounting to con-
viction." The same author adds, that
he found the Moors very cautious in
their accounts; declining to speak un-
less they were positive-and frequently
referring doubtful points to others
whom they knew to be better ac-
quainted with them.

"The

The Moors, who seem (barbarians as they are) to be the civilisers of internal Africa, have penetrated to the capital of the Ashantees: they are bigoted and intolerant to Christians, but not sacrificers of human victims in their religious ceremonies ;-nor averse to commerce; and civilised in comparison to most of the idolatrous natives of Africa. From their merchants who resorted from various parts of the interior, Mr. Bowdich employed himself in procuring all the geographical details which their travels enabled them to afford. Timbuctoo they described as inferior to Houssa, and not at all comparable to Boornoo. The Moorish The character of the present king is, influence was stated to be powerful in upon the whole, respectable; but he is it, but not predominant. A small ambitious, has conquered a great deal, river goes nearly round the town, over- and is conquering still. He has a love flowing in the rains, and obliging the of knowledge; and was always dispeople of the suburbs to move to an pleased when the European objects eminence in the centre of the town which attracted his attention were where the king lives. The king, a presented to him as gifts. His motives, Moorish negro called Billabahada, had he said, ought to be better understood, a few double-barrelled guns, which and more respect paid to his dignity were fired on great occasions; and | and friendship. He is acute, capri

cious, and severe, but not devoid of For this reason, a certain number of humanity; and has incurred unpopu- cooks, butlers, and domestics of every larity on some occasions, by limiting description, are sacrificed on their the number of human sacrifices, more than was compatible with strict orthodoxy. His general subjects of discourse with the Mission were war, legislation, and mechanics. He seemed very desirous of standing well in the estimation of his European friends; and put off a conversation, once, because he was a little tipsy, and at another time because he felt himself cross and out of temper.

tombs. They have two sets of priests : the one dwell in the temples, and communicate with the idols; the other species do business as conjurors and cunning men, tell fortunes, and detect small thefts. Half the offerings to the idols are (as the priests say) thrown into the river, the other half they claim as their own. The doors of the temples are, from motives of the highest hu manity, open to run-away slaves; but The king, four aristocratical as shut, upon a fee paid by the master to sessors, and the assembly of captains, the priest. Every person has a small are the three estates of the Ashantee set of household gods, bought of the government. The noble quartumvi- Fetishmen. They please their gods by rate, in all matters of foreign policy, avoiding particular sorts of meat; but have a veto on the king's decisions. the prohibited viand is not always the They watch, rather than share, the same. Some curry favour by eating no domestic administration; generally in-veal; some seek protection by avoiding fluencing it by their opinion, rather than controlling it by their authority. In exercising his judicial function, the king always retires in private with the aristocracy to hear their opinions. The course of succession in Ashantee is the brother, the sister's son, the son, and the chief slave.

pork; others say, that the real monopoly which the celestials wish to establish is that of beef- and so they piously and prudently rush into a course of mutton. They have the customary nonsense of lucky days, trial by ordeal, and libations and relics. The most horrid and detestable of their customs The king's sisters may marry, or is their sacrifice of human victims, and intrigue with any person they please, the tortures preparatory to it. This provided he is very strong and hand- takes place at all their great festivals, some; and these elevated and excellent or Customs, as they are called. — Some women are always ready to set an ex- of these occur every twenty-one days; ample of submission to the laws of and there are not fewer than a hundred their country. The interest of money victims immolated at each. Besides is about 300 per cent. A man may these, there are sacrifices at the death kill his own slave; or an inferior, for of every person of rank, more or less the price of seven slaves. Trifling bloody according to their dignity. On thefts are punished by exposure. The the death of his mother, the king property of the wife is distinct from butchered no less than three thousand that of the husband — though the king victims; and on his own death this is heir to it. Those accused of witch-number would probably be doubled. craft are tortured to death. Slaves. The funeral rites of a great captain if ill-treated, are allowed the liberty of transferring themselves to other

masters.

The Ashantees believe that a higher sort of god takes care of the whites, and that they are left to the care of an inferior species of deities. Still the black kings and black nobility are to go to the upper gods after death, where they are to enjoy eternally the state and luxury which was their portion on earth.

were repeated weekly for three months; and 200 persons, it is said, were slaughtered each time, or 2400 in all. The author gives an account of the manner of these abominations, in one instance of which he was an unwilling spectator. On the funeral of the mother of Quatchie Quofie, which was by no means a great one,

"A dash of sheep and rum was exchanged between the king and Quatchie Quofie, and

the drums announced the sacrifice of the victims. All the chiefs first visited them in turn; I was not near enough to distinguish wherefore. The executioners

wrangled and struggled for the office; and

the indifference with which the first poor creature looked on, in the torture he was from the knife passed through his cheeks, was remarkable. The nearest executioner smatched the sword from the others, the right hand of the victim was then lopped eff, he was thrown down, and his head was ed rather than cut off; it was cruelly prolonged, I will not say wilfully. Twelve more were dragged forward, but we forced our way through the crowd, and retired to our quarters. Other sacrifices, principally ferale, were made in the bush where the body was buried. It is usual to 'wet the grave' with the blood of a freeman of respectability. All the retainers of the family being present, and the heads of all the victims deposited in the bottom of the grave, several are unsuspectingly called on in a hurry to assist in placing the coffin or basket; and just as it rests on the heads or skulls, a slave from behind stuns one of these freemen by a violent blow, followed by a deep gash in the back part of the neck, and he is rolled in on the top of the body, and the grave instantly filled up."-(pp. 287,288.)

whom they kill; and all wear ornaments of his teeth and bones.

In their buildings a mould is made for receiving the clay, by two rows of stakes placed at a distance equal to the intended thickness of the wall; the interval is then filled with gravelly clay mixed with water, which, with the outward surface of the framework, is plastered so as to exhibit the appearance of a thick mud wall. The captains have pillars which assist to support the roof, and form a proscenium, or open front. The steps and raised floors of the rooms are clay and stone, with a thick layer of red earth, washed and painted daily.

"While the walls are still soft, they formed moulds or frame-works of the patterns in delicate slips of cane, connected by grass. The two first slips (one end of each being inserted in the soft wall) projected the relief, commonly mezzo: the interstices were then filled up with the plaster, and assumed the appearance depicted. The poles or pillars were sometimes encircled by twists of cane, intersecting each other, which, being filled up with thin plaster, resembled the lozenge and cable ornaments of the Anglo-Norman *About a hundred persons, mostly cul- order; the quatre-foil was very common, prits reserved, are generally sacrificed, in and by no means rude, from the symmetridifferent quarters of the town, at this cus-cal bend of the cane which formed it. I tan (that is, at the feast for the new year). saw a few pillars (after they had been Several slaves were also sacrificed at Ban-squared with the plaster), with numerous tama, over the large brass pan, their blood miling with the various vegetable and animal matter within (fresh and putrefied), to complete the charm, and produce invincible fetish. All the chiefs kill several slaves, that their blood may flow into the bote from whence the new yam is taken. Those who cannot afford to kill slaves, take the head of one already sacrificed, and place it on the hole." (p. 279.)

A

slips of cane pressed perpendicularly on to the wet surface, which being covered again with a very thin coat of plaster, closely resembled fluting. When they formed a large arch, they inserted one end of a thick piece of cane in the wet clay of the floor or base, and, bending the other over, inserted it in the same manner; the entablature was filled up with wattle-work plastered over. Arcades and piazzas were common. The Ashantees are very superior in whitewash, very frequently renewed, was discipline and courage to the water-side made from a clay in the neighbourhood. Africans: they never pursue when it Of course the plastering is very frail, and in the relief frequently discloses the edges is near sunset: the general is always of the cane, giving, however, a piquant in the rear, and the fugitives are in-effect, auxiliary to the ornament. The doors stantly put to death. The army is prohibited, during the active part of the campaign, from all food but meal, which each man carries in a small bag by his side, and mixes in his hands with the first water he comes to; no fires are allowed, lest their position should be betrayed; they eat little select bits of the first enemy's heart

were an entire piece of cotton wood, cut with great labour out of the stems or buttresses of that tree; battens variously cut and painted were afterwards nailed across. So disproportionate was the price of labour to that of provision, that I gave but two tokoos for a slab of cotton wood, five feet by three. The locks they use are from Houssa, and quite original: one will be sent to the British Museum. Where they raised