550 
Guinea. lity, is procured from the low-palm; but, in order to 
—\— procure it, the tree is generally dug up, and the trunk 
Minerals. 
Gold mines. 
Animals, 
eated by fire, that the juice may flow more abundant- 
ly. This wine is drunk in. a state of effervescence, and 
will not keep above a few hours. 
The mountains of Guinea, as far as they have been 
examined, are in general granitic and schistous, and 
are filled with mines of gold and iron. The latter of 
these metals is little known to the natives, and Euro- 
peans have not thought it their interest to instruct 
them in the subject; but the first has been sought 
from time immemorial, and is likely to become a still 
more extensive object of traffic, in proportion as the ex- 
portation of human beings shall cease. Gold is found 
in these mountains in a primitive state, between two 
layers of a granite, finer, more solid, and more highly 
coloured than ite rest of the rock; but the natives, 
unacquainted with the art of mining, and unprovided 
with proper tools for the purpose, have never attempt- 
ed to work it in these places. ‘They confine their ope- 
rations to digging at the base of the mountains, where 
the schistous beds and banks of granite are more fria- 
ble, and washing the sands in the beds of rivers and 
water courses at the bottom of the hills, when the rain 
water has run off. In digging, they work downwards, 
as if forming a well; or sometimes make a ditch about 
20 or 30 feet deep, till they become alarmed for the 
crumbling down of the earth. They generally begin 
to find the gold at the depth of three feet; and, as they 
advance in the work, put the lumps of the metal into 
pouches which are fixed round their waists. Pieces are 
sometimes found of a considerable size, and the king of 
Ashantee is said to possess a lump of native gold, so 
large that four men are required to lift it. The earth, 
which is thrown out in the course of the digging, is 
laid in heaps at the side of the pit, and is carried by 
other labourers, chiefly women and children, to the 
nearest river, where it is washed in bags or wooden 
a and the particles of gold afterwards separated 
rom the heavier parts, which remain in the vessel. 
This ore is sometimes so rich, that a piece’ of it, weigh- 
ing four or five ounces, has been known, when pound- 
ed and washed, to produce about four pennyweights of 
gold dust ; and the general fertility of the mines may 
be estimated from the circumstance of the slaves em- 
ployed by the king of Ashantee in 1790, engaging to 
supply him with half an ounce a-day for each labourer. 
The gold-finders, who wash the sands on the banks of 
rivers, and the sea-shore, are less successful in their re- 
searches, and it is generally the women only who are 
thus employed ; but this _— metal, it is sufficiently 
ascertained, is very abundant in the interior of the coun- 
try, and the mines may be considered as still virgin 
mines. 
The animals of Guinea are numerous, but only such 
as are common to the western coast of Africa. The or- 
dinary domestic animals, dogs, cats, sheep, goats, and 
hogs, are plentiful in most places ; and poultry, parti- 
cularly, is found in great’‘abundance. There are horn- 
ed cattle in some parts of the coast, especially in Apol- 
lonia, but only in the possession of the chiefs. The 
wild animals are buffaloes, tiger cats, leopards, hyenas, 
jackals, antbears, porcupines, monkeys, deer, hares, 
squirrels, musk-cats, alligators, lizards, land-crabs, cha- 
meleons, guanos, scorpions, centipedes, and a variety of 
snakes, The hippopotamus is occasionally seen on the 
banks of the river Volta. The feathered tribe in a 
GUINEA. 
wild state are extremely various; and the smaller 6 
birds, particularly, are remarkable for the beauty of ‘= 
their plumage. The lakes and rivers abound with mul. | 
let and other kinds of fish ; oysters and prawns are 
plentiful in some places ; and turtles are not uncom. 
mon. There is a variety of excellent fish on the coast, 
which is procured in abundance, during the dry season, 
when the surf is least violent. . 
There are several distinct nations along the coast of 
Guinea; but their general customs are so extremely 
similar, that they may be described as one 
The most pte pos are found in the interior of 
the country, and they are, in. man respects, superior 
to those who inhabit the maritime Pracdiets The two 
most extensive of these kingdoms are Dahomy (see Da« 
uomy) and Ashantee, both of which have made their 
ower at times severely felt on the coast. The former 
is described ina preceding article; but very little was - 
known of the latter, till its king appeared on the coast, 
in a war against the Fantees in 1807; when the dis« 
cipline and bravery of the army, and the order and re- 
gularity of the court, evinced a considerable degree of 
civilization. The following account of an interview 
between the governor of the British fort at Annamaboe 
and the king may furnish some idea of this people. 
“« The governor was obliged to visit each man of rank, 
before he could be received by the king; a ceremony 
that could not be prudently denied, and which occupied 
some time; for those men had their several courts, and 
collectively had formed an extensive circle. Every 
one of them was seated under a huge umbrella, sur« 
rounded by attendants and guards, with young persons 
employed in fanning the air, and dispersing the flies.” 
« After the ceremony of visiting those persons was 
over, the governor was conducted towards the king, 
who was surrounded by a number of attendants, whose 
appearance bore evident marks of riches and authority. 
Chairs, stools, axes, swords, flutes, message-canes, &c. 
were either of solid gold, or richly adorned with that 
metal. Those dazzling appearances, added to damask, 
taffety, and other rich dresses, Bere a splendour to the 
scene, highly interesting. When the governor aps 
proached the king, and when an interchange of com~ 
pliments had passed, the air resounded with the noise 
of musical instruments, such as drums, horns, and 
flutes. After some conversation, during which much 
politeness was observed in the behaviour of the king, 
the governor wished this ceremonial visit to be return- 
ed, &c.—The king was of the middle size, well-form- 
ed, and perfectly black, with regular features, and an 
open and pleasing countenance. | His manner indi- 
cated understanding, and was adorned with graceful- 
ness ; and in all respects he exceeded the expectations 
of every person. His dress was plain ; it consisted of 
a piece of silk wrapt loosely about him; a wreath of 
green silk ornamented his head ; his sandals were neatly 
made, and curiously studded with gold. He was not 
distinguished by any gold ornaments as his attendants 
were.” * : : 
The kingdoms along the coast are considerably 
different in respect of government, 
tribes, as in Apollonia and the. Slave Coast, it is 
absolute monarchy ; in others, as in the Ahanta coun- 
try, a kind of aristocracy; and iv «thers, as among 
the Fantees, it consists of a variety of forms, accord~ 
ing to some of which the power is lodged in the 
hands of the community at large, as in a democracy; 
V4 
“ 
* Meredith’s Account ’of the Gold Coast. 
Among some and lay 
