It was now the dry season, its stream almost pellucid, and its surface so tranquil, that the graceful palms which adorn its banks were reflected from its surface as from a mirror; and a few canoes, in which people were employed fishing, gave animation to the scene. The town formed the foreground, and a cluster of large ceiba and other trees, the screen to this interesting tropical picture. A boundless expanse of ocean placed within a few hundred yards of it, on which I had toiled many years, and a foaming surf rolling in upon the shore, formed a striking contrast to the tranquillity and beauty of the landscape spread out before me, which gave it charms that, in my eyes, it might not otherwise have had.

Men, women, and children, accompanied me when I went to view the entrance of the river, and I was much surprised to see many of the females approaching the adult age, in a state of nudity, as compared with those of their own sex and age living

on the Gold Coast, and without seeming at all conscious of the indecency of their appearance.

The form of government is patriarchal, although a man named Antonia appeared to exercise the greatest authority; he was at this time labouring under a diseased stomach, in consequence of having taken a dose of the tincture of cantharides, admi nistered to him by the surgeon of a vessel, to whom he had complained of impotence.

After spending a few hours on shore, I embarked in a canoe, was upset in the surf, and swam through it to the boat, lying a few yards outside the breakers; an old man, apparently seventy years of years, swam alongside of me, to secure me from the danger of being drowned; and as soon as he had seen me safe in the boat, immediately returned to the shore. These people, like those of the windward coast, are almost amphibious.

The places of trade lying between Cape

Lahoo and Appolonia, are Jack Lahoo, Great and Little Bassam, and Assinee; at the latter three places much gold and ivory is obtained, the former of a very superior quality. The trade in gold is also considerable at Appolonia, where the most western British fort is situated. Small cattle are sometimes to be purchased very cheap at Jack Lahoo, and also, at Jack-a-Jack, besides yams and palm oil. The latter place is a few miles to the eastward of the former.

The British forts on the Gold Coast are Dixcove, a few miles to leeward of Capethree-Points, and near a small break in the land, which may be called a cove, and from which no doubt the name in part originated. It is capable of sheltering a few boats of fifteen or twenty tons burthen, and is valuable as being the only place on the Gold Coast where craft can be repaired. Much gold, of a fine quality, is also obtained here.

SUCCUNDEE and COMENDA are insignificant places, and of no value for either military or commercial purposes.

CAPE COAST CASTLE is the residence of the commander-in-chief, and is in lat. 5°6′ north, and 1° 3′ west of Greenwich.

ANNAMABOO, TANTUM, WINNEBAH, and ACCRA, constitute the remainder of the British settlements, or forts on the Gold Coast.

ANNAMABOO is ten miles to the eastward of Cape Coast, and is the great mart on the Gold Coast where the trade in slaves has been carried on for a long period. Here is a fortification, the defences of which are good, and which is entrusted to the care of an officer next in rank to the commanderin-chief, and who is also vice-president of the council.

The fort, which is quadrangular, is built on the extreme margin of the shore, the sea washing the foot of the southern boundary wall, and the town of Annamaboo, taking

the form of a crescent, embraces it; the horns of which come close to the sea, one to the east, and the other to the west, of the fort; a ledge of rocks lying immediately in front of it, and a few yards from the shore, forms a good break-water, which enables the natives to launch their canoes, and also to land merchandise from them with tolerable safety, except when the sea runs very high.

The population of the town may amount to three or four thousand persons, many of whom have become opulent in consequence of their extensive commercial dealings; and among them are a number of men denominated gold-takers, who claim a kind of hereditary right to act in such capacities on board all vessels that arrive for the purposes of trade. This right is founded on the long established custom, of the traders who first visit a vessel becoming the gold-takers for that vessel, whether the number be two, three, or six; except in the case of the