SOCIETY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN. 107 



when unripe, and used as a fruit when ripe. If tough meat is 

 rubbed with a paw paw it becomes tender. When the food is 

 cooked it is put into a large earthenware dish, then each member 

 of the family helps himself with a large wooden spoon, that is to 

 say, he places his portion on a plate and eats it with his fingers. The 

 female portion of the household, as a rule, have their meals by 

 themselves. The principal meal of the day is taken at night, and for 

 this the greatest preparation is made. When the men go to the bush 

 to hunt or cut timber they take yams, plantain or koko and roast 

 them at a fire ; this, along with a drink of palm wine or water, 

 satisfies them during the day. They carry their fire with them in 

 the form of a smouldering stick. 



The Ashantis are polygamous, a man having one, two, three or 

 more wives according to his means. Each wife has her own estab- 

 lishment for herself and family. For the most part they seem to get 

 on without friction, and the husband is kind to his wives and children. 

 I have never seen an Ashanti Hog or ill-treat a child, nor have I seen 

 marks of ill-treatment on the children. 



Boys accompany their fathers, girls their mothers. The former 

 generally go to the bush and learn all about bushcraft, finding paths, 

 making and setting traps for monkeys, rats, leopards, bush cats, etc., 

 fishing, timber-cutting, house-building and such like, while girls learn 

 all about farming, clearing away weeds and undergrowth, cutting 

 down plantain, planting and all work pertaining to the farm. The 

 hard work is done by the women. All carrying is done on the top 

 of the head and by the women and girls. 



There is a very strong likeness to the father in families of chiefs 

 extending to the lateral branches. This may strike one because one 

 does not always see the mothers. Only once have I seen albinos, 

 that was at Dounelerei, 100 miles north-east of Kuniasi. There were 

 two brothers there, and a history of two in a former generation, 

 males also. 



Malaria does not appear to affect the Ashantis to any great 

 extent. I have seen a Kroo boy and Fantees very ill with malaria 



