Cape Palmas to 



or four s nitlis in (lie town, wliorc are 

 made hoes, cutlasses, nails, Iiolts, liinges, 

 staples, anil bits for biidles. 



Tiie bellows used by the smiths are 

 ingeniously contrived, consisting' of 

 Iwo rough goat-skins, set in the ground, 

 two feet asTinder, and resembling' in 

 form.whcnitillated, two keltle-drunis re- 

 versed. A stick, about four feet lonj;', is 

 introduced into the upper part of each 

 skin, to which it is tied. The sticks 

 serve as handles, and are moved alter- 

 nately by a man having one in each 

 hand. A jiipe leads from each skin, 

 and terminates in another pipe, before 

 reaching the fire: at the junction, the 

 |>i|)es are not air-tight, so that one skin, 

 by tills means, receives air, while the 

 other discharges it. 



Soap is inanufaeturcd of wood-ashes 

 and palm-oil; sandals, of bull and cow 

 hides; baskets, of various forms, are 

 iiigenionsly wnuiglit and manufactured ; 

 also, earthenware, for culinary and 

 other purposes; besides stools, canoes, 

 and mats. 



A singular custom prevails here, that 

 of anointing, oceasinnally, the interior 

 walls of houses witli fresh cow-dung; 

 a useful practice, for it dries quickly, 

 lias by no means an unpleasant smell, 

 and fills up crevices, which would 

 otherwise be tenanted by noxious and 

 troublesome insects. 



The Ardrahs are, in llieir persons, 

 good-looking, muscular, and very 

 black ; and their tattoo, or national 

 mark, consists of tiirec knobs of skin 

 raised horizontally from each temple. 

 'J'heir dress is siin|)le, and, like that 

 of Afrxans in general, except in the 

 e.Tse of those who have adopted the 

 Moorish costume. 



The government is republican, al- 

 though sonic of the leading men 

 oereisc over the common projile a 

 kind of inlluenee <lerived from here- 

 ditary right, and seem to divide the 

 power of governing them, with others 

 who have accpiired consiihrablc wealth 

 by their commercial dialings. 



These men, when they appear in 

 public, cither on visits of ceremony, 

 or for rcerealinn, arc alwajs attended 

 by one or two hundred domi-slie slaves 

 and rctainris, who arc armed with 

 club.s cutlasses, and other weapons. 



THE MA UK IT. 



The face of the country aho'it Ardrah, 

 no 1 have before remarked, i< extremely 

 beanliful and fertile, prodticiiig all the 

 necessaries of life in ^freat abundance, 

 and many of the valuable plants and 



Mt-nthly iM.ia. No. 364. 



the River Congo. SS5 



fruits found in tropical climates, viz. 

 the sugar cane, the plants which yield 

 indigo and cotton, pine apples, guavas, 

 limes, cocoa nuts, pajiaws, and a tree 

 which yields a fruit (called by the 

 natives soosce) resembling in form a 

 large pippin; when ripe, it bursts at 

 the outer extremity in a quadratic form, 

 and exhibits four seeds very like Wind- 

 sor beans when husked. These beans 

 are the only part of the fruit which are 

 eaten, and are considered very nutri- 

 tious. Strangers dislike them at first, 

 but soon become very fond of them. 

 They are peculiar to this part of Africa, 

 that is, to Ardrah and Grewlie. 



'J'hc market, particularly on the great 

 market day, which is every sixth da}-, 

 presents a scene of activity and bustle 

 not often to be seen in African towns, 

 and bears a strong resemblance to the 

 markets held on Sundays in the West 

 Indies, which are attended by the slaves 

 from the country, who bring to them 

 their little stock of ground provisions, 

 jioultry, and fruit, for sale ; and where 

 may be also seen mixed with them, the 

 hucksters belonging to the town, re- 

 tailing European manufactures, salt 

 beef, pork, and herrings. 



The avenues leading to the market 

 at Ardrah, have commonly in them men 

 selling bundles of fire-wood, earthen- 

 ware of native manufacture, pigs and 

 goats. The market, which is spacious, 

 is occupied by a number of traders, 

 many of whom have stalls covered with 

 mats to [irotect them from the sun and 

 rain, and on which are exhibited for 

 sale the manufactures of Europe and 

 India, of various kinds, such as hand- 

 kerchiefs, both red and blue, from 

 Manchester; linens, silesias from Ger- 

 many, silk handkerchiefs, euttanees and 

 taflities from Madras ; tobacco from 

 the iJrazils, in rolls, and also manu- 

 factured into snuff; iron, cor.il, cowries, 

 beads, &c. There are also exhibited 

 for sale, cloth from Eyeo and Jaboo, 

 spun cotton, dyed and otherwise ; kid 

 skins, dyed and dressed; sandals, hoes, 

 clubs curiously carved and ornamented, 

 straw hats, stools, potash, soap, indigo 

 leaves and slalks; also corn, calavan- 

 sies, peas, jams, plantains, palm oil, 

 ground nuts, |)ine ajiples, dueks, fowls, 

 guinea hens, venison, beef, pork, honey, 

 and palm wine. 



MAIZE. 



The mode of manufacUiring Indian 



corn, boih here and at IJadagry and 



liagos, is neenliar to these parts of 



Africa, and ib as folloWb: tlie maize 



4 E bc'in« 



