1818.] Account of a Mission to Ashantee. 11 



of peculiar authenticity, from which the following particulars 

 are extracted : 1_ , . _ 



Cormarcie is situated in 6° 30' N. latitude. The space which 

 it occupies is vaguely estimated at somewhat less than that of 

 Liverpool. None of the buildings exceed one story in height; 

 they are all constructed of wattled bamboo, having the interstices 

 filled up with clay : the doors and windows are very roughly 

 executed, and are made of the soft spongy wood of the silk 

 cotton-tree (bombax). The size of the houses depends on the 

 consequence and wealth of the owner, and they are each sur- 

 rounded with a court yard. The palace stands in the centre of 

 the town, and is a very extensive building, or rather cluster of 

 buildings. The streets, from 15 to 20 feet wide, are arranged 

 parallefand at right angles to one another; and there are two 

 spacious market-places. The town is surrounded by a ditch, 

 which always contains water, even in the driest seasons, and 

 during the rains is of considerable breadth : it is crossed by 

 bridges in various parts. The surrounding country is composed 

 of low hills, with valleys between ; and abounds in underwood 

 intermixed with abundance of large trees ; which latter, however, 

 are applied to no use, their timber being too hard to be worked 

 by the tools of the natives. Cotton is cultivated in gardens in 

 the suburbs, and also grows plentifully about the country. The 

 same is the case with tobacco ; but the consumption of this 

 article in all its usual forms being very great, there are large 

 quantities of Portuguese roll tobacco annually imported into the 



country- 



Almost the only fruits cultivated here are papaws, oranges, 

 limes, and a few pine-apples : the two former are in great abun- 

 dance. One man has a few cocoa-nut trees in his garden, which 

 are much admired. 



No kinds of corn are cultivated, the inhabitants depending 

 chiefly for subsistence on yams and plantains. Ground nuts are 

 grown in large quantities, and are principally used by the traders 

 on their journeys ; they are first roasted, and then made into a 

 coarse flour, and in this state form the most portable kind ot 

 food. Sweet potatoe, ochre, and tomata, are also cultivated to 

 a considerable extent. Cassava is grown only as food for hogs 

 and cattle. They prepare palm oil, but it always fetches a 

 high price. Palm wine is the common fermented liquor of the 

 country, and is very largely consumed. 



The animal food consists of mutton, beef, buffalo, hogs, deer, 

 and monkeys, which latter are the most esteemed. Neither the 

 King nor any of his family taste beef, it being contrary to his 

 religion, or fetish. 



Elephants and camels abound ; but neither the one nor the 

 other are domesticated. Panthers are both numerous and 

 daring even in the very skirts of the town, from three to four 

 persons nightly being carried off out of their houses. 



