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On the Ethnography of Akkrah and Adampe, Gold Coast, West- 

 ern Africa. By William F. Daniell, M.D., F.R.G.S., 

 Assistant- Surgeon to the Forces, &c. Communicated by 

 the Ethnological Society. 



Among the aboriginal tribes that people the shores of Western 

 Africa are several, which, from their geographical position, customs, 

 diversity of language, and other national peculiarities, merit a more 

 extensive research and consideration into their primitive origin than 

 others. The veil of obscurity which, however, impends over the re- 

 mote migrations and the distribution of the African races in general, 

 rendered more impenetrable by the absence of any historic evi- 

 dence or traditional data, constitutes a barrier that eifectually pre- 

 cludes any minute inquiry into their progressive development and 

 descent. In none, perhaps, of the scattered tribes, of which we pos- 

 sess a greater or less amount of knowledge connected with their 

 more modern history, do these remarks more distinctly refer than 

 to that community of negroes, which, peopling an eastern portion of 

 the Gold Coast, have hitherto been comprehended under the ordinary 

 designation of " The Akkrahs." 



Some discrepancy of opinion formerly prevailed regarding the 

 extent and limits of the territory to which their title could be 

 strictly asserted ; but, deferring all discussion upon this subject, it 

 may be sufficient to state that the maritime belt of land at present 

 occupied by the natives of Akkrah is of very circumscribed magni- 

 tude, since it only extends from the river Sakkoom, eastward to the 

 small town of Tashia, a distance barely equal to fifteen miles. In- 

 land its territorial boundaries are restricted within a much narrower 

 compass. A brief allusion may be made to the various nations to 

 whose close proximity this limitation can be ascribed, due allowance 

 being granted for the provisional status which the events of a com- 

 paratively recent date have conferred upon them. 



From the Sakkoom to the westward its confines are formed by 

 the numerous Fante provinces, united to which, on the north, are 

 the two tributary kingdoms of Akim and Acquapim, with the more 

 distant Ashante towns ; while to the east and north-east, the Adampe, 

 Aquambu, and Krepe races predominate, incorporated with other 

 kindred tribes, which conjoined seaward with the Adampe settle- 

 ments of Prampram, Ningo, and Adda, constitute not only a ter- 

 minal barrier, but the connecting link that allies them to the great 

 Popo populations more to leeward. 



The aboriginal term employed to denote this insignificant tract 

 of coast is Ghdn or Ghd,,a. syllable extremely difficult to pronounce 

 from its semiguttural intonation. By the Fante and other Inta 

 nations, it has been denominated Inkran or Inkara^ a title that has 



VOL. Lll. NO. CIV. — APRIL 1852. T 



