f>38 JOURNAL OF THE 



for cultivation, and further inland still, the soil is said to be 

 extremely fertile, consisting probably of vegetable mould. 

 On account of the heavy surf, it is impossible to land, other- 

 wise than in canoes ; and in this and every case where you 

 are obliged to depend on negroes, punctuality is out of the 

 question, and much time was always lost. A trip to the Model 

 Farm, five miles inland, now under the superintendence of 

 Mr. Wilson, promised to make this place very interesting. 

 The major part of this plantation lies on the declivity of a 

 hill, consisting of indifferent soil, (decomposed granite), whilst 

 before and beyond it, the land is excellent. They call this 

 plantation " Napoleon.' 5 The dwelling-house is on the top 

 of the hill, and commands a very interesting prospect. The 

 plantations consist chiefly of Coffee-trees, only a few years 

 old ; some, covered with fruit, were, according to Mr. Wilson, 

 of only seven months growth, which seems truly wonderful, for 

 in the West Indies, Coffee bears no fruit even in the best soils 

 under eighteen months. Besides Coffee, Bananas, Plantains, 

 Arrowroot, Yams, Limes, Lemons, Oranges and Indian corn, 

 were much cultivated. In the grounds of the natives, Indian 

 corn, Bananas, Plantains and Yams, were conspicuous, but 

 no Holcus (!) From the Indian corn they prepare a very 

 sour bread, which with Bananas, constitutes their chief food. 

 Palm-soup, a native dish, when made of boiled Palm-nuts 

 only, is very well flavoured. They pick the nuts off those 

 young stems of the Elais Guineensis which have not yet lost 

 any of the leaves, and consider these as superior to the fruit 

 of older plants, and cut them also down, to collect palm-wine. 

 Besides this Palm, there is the Cocoa, which frequently 

 assumes a singular aspect from the multitude of birds* nests 

 which are appended to the mid-rib of the leaves, and which 

 might be taken at a distance for fruit, and had formerly 

 puzzled me in drawings. The birds hang their nests in this 

 position to protect them against the cats ! The Fan-palm 

 grows too at Cape Coast Castle, but apparently is less fre- 

 quent. To judge by parts of the stems which I met with, 

 Calamus must occur further in the interior. 



