573 Adams' i Account of the 



less expanse of ocean i>Iicrd williin a 

 few humlreil yaidsof it, on uiiicli I had 

 toiled many years, and a foaming surf 

 rolling in upon the slioio, formed a 

 striking conlrast to (he trp.n(|iiiilit}' and 

 beauty of (he Iandsca|)e spread out be- 

 fore me, which gave it ciiarms tliat, in 

 my eyes, it migiit not olhcrHise have 

 had. 



Men, women, and chiidrm, accom- 

 panied nie when I went to view the en- 

 trance of the river, and I was nuich siu'- 

 priscd to see many of (he females ap- 

 proaching the adult age, in a stale of 

 nudity, as compared with those of (heir 

 own sex and age living ou the Goid 

 Coast. 



ANNAMABOO. 



Annamaboo is ten miles to (he east- 

 ward of Cape Coast, and is the great 

 mart on the Gold Coast, where (he 

 trade in slaves has been canicd on for a 

 long period. Here is a fortification, (he 

 defences of which are good, and which 

 is cnlrnsted (o the care of an oDieer next 

 in rank to (he commander-in-chief, and 

 who is also vice-president of (he 

 council. 



'J^he population of (he town may 

 amount to (hrce or four thousand per- 

 sons, many of whom have become opu- 

 lent 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 (hat arrive tor the purposes of 

 trade. This right is founded on the 

 long established custom, of (he traders 

 who first visit a vessel becoming (he 

 gold takers for (hat vessel, whether the 

 number be two, three, or six; except in 

 the case of the captain having before 

 traded at Anr.amaboo, either as cabin- 

 boy or captain, when the gold-takers of 

 the ship in which lie before sailed be- 

 come the privileged persons, and claim 

 the distinction and euiolunientsas gold- 

 takers, on the present, as well as ou all 

 future, voyages he may have occasion to 

 make on the Gold Coast. The duties of 

 tlieir office are to settle all disputes 

 arising in the course of trade between 

 the natives and the captains ; and they 

 are also responsible for ihe quality of 

 the gold received in barter, which is 

 weighed and examined miiuitcly by per- 

 sons deputed by them, and who con- 

 stantly reside on board the vessels for 

 that express purpose. Tlio emoluments 

 arising to (hem lor (bese services, con- 

 sist of a (juautity of merchandize, of (he 

 value of 51,, (loDou)iua(cd their sea- 



Country extending fi'o m 



«;lullis, which is given to them immedi- 

 ately on the vessel's arrival ; and when 

 li<r lading is completed, they are paid 

 one acky of gold for each slave received 

 on board. Their deputies also receive 

 monthly pay and subsistence whilst offi- 

 ciating. Some of these gold-lakers are 

 sagacious fellows, and keen observers, 

 who soon find out the weak side of a 

 man, and treat him accordingly. They 

 have always a bye name for each Euro- 

 pean, arising from what (hey conceive 

 lo be a moral vice, or a physical de- 

 formity. One man (hey call cheegwa, or 

 red head ; another, pocJuim-pockian, or 

 long chin ; a Ihird, ampliiteshn, or, don't 

 spit upon deck ; a ibnrdi, cocroco, or big; 

 and a (all thin man, Isin tsin Ian, or long 

 fellow; a hypocrite, dadti; an avaricious 

 man, acacumma, or, a little more. 



GOVERNMENT. 



The form of the Fanlce government is 

 republican. A number of old men 

 called Pinins, at the head of whom is 

 Amoonicnmmy, are arbiters incomniou 

 dis()iites which occur between the na> 

 lives of Annamaboo, or between (hem 

 and Europeans; but disputes of a more 

 serious na(ure, such as may affect (ho 

 liberies, or properties of men of wealth 

 and consequence, arc generally referred 

 lo the lawyers of the Brafoo country, 

 w ho, like their brethren of the long robe 

 in civilized Europe, generally contrive 

 (o strip bodi plaintiff and defendant of 

 (heir [iroperly ; and he, whose purse holds 

 ou( (he longest, saves perhaps his 

 liberty, while his less wealthy antago- 

 nist and family are often doomed to 

 slavery and exile. To be rich, and os- 

 tentatious in the display of it, is, in 

 Faiilee, as certain ruin to the individual 

 practising it, as in the territory of the 

 Grand Seignor: cunning men, therefore, 

 as (hey become vveaKhy, sffect great 

 mwlera(ion and humility ; strengthen 

 themselves by family alliances, and uso 

 every stratagem (o keepout of palavers, 

 and elude the vigilance of (he Pinins, 

 who are generally on the alert, and 

 walel) for prey, as (he petty-fogging 

 atlornics of commercial towns in Europe 

 do for ballerics and assaults. 



TWO AFRICAN CHAKACTFRS. 



Yellow Joe and Tom Coffee are bo(!i 

 natives of Fantee, resident traders at 

 Annamaboo, and long-established gold- 

 takers. The former, both in coloin-, 

 person, and features, is more like an 

 F-gyptian than a native of (be Gold 

 Coast; except that bis hair is Qrisp and 

 woolly, like (hat of his countrymen. 

 He has a most penetraUng eye, and much 

 4 gravity 



