Cfl/)e Pahnas to the River Congo. 



581 



Ocspair at wHiiossing the destruction of 

 their property, or hiisily emijloje'l in 

 removing it and tiicir canoes fiutiier 

 from tiie deslroj ing elrnicnt, the igni- 

 tion of gunpowder, which occasionally 

 drove the iiglit and burning em'.xrs of 

 the roots of tiie iiouses in which it was 

 deposited high into the air, like sky- 

 rockets, gave to the whole ;in almost in- 

 describable effect. But the materials, 

 which fed the ilevouring flames, wore as 

 transient as volatile ; and, in a few 

 minutes, those objects, which were as 

 visible to the eye as during the s|)Icn- 

 dour of a meridian snn, became as it 

 were extinct in a moment; ami dark- 

 ness almost instantaneously succeeded 

 to the brightest possible fire-light that 

 can well be conceived, and the effect, 

 on those who witnessed this sudden 

 transition, was like magic. 



The poor fellow, in wliose house the 

 fire first commenced, lost all his pro- 

 perty, and with it, nearly his life ; for it 

 is the practice in Fantee, as well as in 

 the Dahomian territory, to execute the 

 person in whose house a fire first com- 

 mences. He was a company's slave, 

 and the principal cooper to the castle ; 

 and, had it not been for Mr. Jackson, 

 the store-keeper, he would have been 

 taken and decapitated, but that gentle- 

 man heard accidentfilly (from one of the 

 sentinels who was on duty when the fire 

 began) that it had its origin in Attaii's 

 liouse, and, knowing the consequence, 

 went immediately into the burning 

 town, and brought him into the fort, 

 from which he dare never afterwards go, 

 until he embarked in the night in a 

 canoe belonging to D'Elmina, and was 

 put on board of a vessel bound to the 

 West Indies, in which his protector also 

 embarked. 



TfIC FANTEES. 



The Fanlees and Assliantees may be 

 classed together as one nation, the 

 former occupying the sea-shoro, and the 

 country exten<iing a few miles from it 

 into the interior, and the latter a great 

 extent of territory north of it. 



The I'antees are black as jet, muscu- 

 lar, and well formed, and those tlia! arc 

 engaged in fishing, and employed as 

 canoe-men, can endure nnich bodily 

 fatigue, although they often make ex- 

 cuses to abridge their labour, h(iw'(.'ver 

 well liny may be paid for it ; ibr they 

 are anxious to have the labour of liiu 

 day eoneUnled by noon, in order that 

 they may wash and dress, and gossip 

 with their neighbours tlic rtmaiiKicj of 

 the tJj>y> 



Their nn1ional maik is three small 

 perpendicular incisions on each temple, 

 and on the nape of the neck. 



Id the construction of their dwellings 

 and canoes, they exhibit much superi- 

 ority and skill over other African tribes; 

 the former being substantially built, and 

 not unfrequently having ajiarlments over 

 those on the basement story, and t!ic 

 latter having a form which renders them 

 less liable to u|)set, or, to speak in a 

 sailor's phrase, not so crank. 



The Fantee women are well formed, 

 and many of them are not wanting in 

 personal beauty, as their features arc 

 small, their limbs finely rounded, their 

 hands and feet small, and their teetli 

 uniformly white and even. I'he toilette 

 ofone of these females consists of a large 

 calabash, containing a small mirror, 

 paint (generally white), teeth brusiies 

 made of a very fiLrous tough wood, a 

 bark which has a powoful musky 

 smell, grease, and soap. Slic has also 

 a large brass pan, in which she gene- 

 rally waslies herself from hcaii to foot 

 every day. She often consumes an 

 hour or two in adorning her person ; and 

 in the application of her paint, the ma- 

 nagement of her hair, and the scenting of 

 her person, discovers no inconsiderable 

 degree of skill. 



The women here, however, as well as 

 in most other parts of Africa, sow and 

 reap, grind corn, carry wood and water, 

 and perform all the drudgery attendant 

 on housekeeping, while their husbands 

 are periiajis gossipping, <lrinking, or 

 sleeping, except during the herring or 

 fishing season, when the villages along 

 the sea-coast present a scene of bustle 

 and activity much beyond what they do 

 in ordinary times, 'i'hen, all is life and 

 animation. A smooth sea, a still at- 

 mosphere, and shoals of herrings, cause 

 every canoe capable of service to be 

 laimeiied. These, with two or three 

 fishermen in each, proceed outside of 

 the surf, where they use the cast net 

 with great address. 



iNIaize is ground between two sfoncs, 

 of which the lower one is large, ixm- 

 derous, and concave at the upper sur- 

 face ; the lesser stone is worked u])on it 

 by the hand, and pulverizes the grain, 

 whieli, during the operation, is oeca- 

 sionr.lly moistened with water: this 

 mode of grinding corn is common in 

 Norlli Africa. After it has been thus 

 ground, it is j)ermi(ted to Ix eomo 

 slightly acid, when it is boiled, or 

 baked, to suit the palate of the con- 

 ^suulcr, and, in cither slate, lorms a 

 picaaant 



