26 GOCOA 



provided by those at home who are responsible for 

 their welfare. 



To such an extent have the conditions of life in 

 Accra already been improved that the white woman, 

 who not long ago was quite a novelty anywhere in the 

 Gold Coast, is now frequently to be seen in the capital. 



The main road from the beach follows the coastline 

 to Christiansborg Castle, originally a Danish fort and 

 now the residence of His Excellency the Governor and 

 Commander-in-Chief of the Gold Coast Colony and its 

 dependencies. Situated on this main road, in the 

 neighbourhood ot the Ridge, are various Government 

 offices. Some of these offices have been rebuilt in a 

 style and size that is worthy of an important capital; 

 others are reminiscent of camping days in newly- 

 acquired territory, but their out-of-date state in 

 comparison with the Colony's achievements and possi- 

 bilities^ is largely due to the war, which came as a 

 hampering influence to progressive activities at a 

 critical time when the country, which had for centuries 

 been ravaged by slave raids and tribal warfare, had 

 just begun to benefit from the stable government 

 following on British occupation. Working under great 

 disadvantages, the Government of the Gold Coast 

 has rendered much practical assistance in promoting 

 the industrial development of the country, notably by 

 the provision of a widespread network of roads. 

 Take care not to be tempted into saying unkind things 

 about these roads, particularly when you return bruised 

 and sore from a motor-bumping excursion along them 

 by car or lorry. Remember they were carved out of 

 jungle-lands at a time when funds were scanty and 

 there was no great industrial achievement to prove 

 beyond dispute the advisability of thus opening up 



