892 REVORT—1890. 
2. Journeys in Ashanti and Neighbouring Regions. 
By R. Austin Freeman, M.R.C.S. 
The paper describes a journey through a tract of country in and to the north 
of Upper Guinea, comprising the territories of FAnr1, Assin, ADANsI, ASHAN'TI, 
JAman, and Grtinst. This tract extends from 5° N. to 10° N., and from 0° to 
4° W. The first four countries are inhabited by various branches of the great 
OrsHwi family, and the remainder by certain pagan aboriginal tribes, and by 
numbers of WoneARA or Mandingo immigrants. Journeying from Cape Coast, 
through Ashanti to Bontuku, the capital of Jaman, the author crossed three zones 
of country: (1) open country covered with low bush about 30 miles broad ; (2) 
dense forest about 180 miles broad ; (3) open park-like country which, alternating 
with grassy plains, seems to occupy the greater part of Central and Eastern Africa. 
On arrival at Kumasst, the capital of Ashanti, the author was received by the 
king and principal chiefs with great ceremony, the court of Kumassi retaining 
much of its former splendour. The town of Kumassi is much dilapidated, but 
presents many relics of great interest. Jaman is a kingdom situated to the N.W. 
of Ashanti, about 9,300 square miles in extent; its capital, BontUxu, is a large 
town closely resembling in appearance the towns of the Tawarek and upper Niger. 
It is inhabited almost exclusively by Mohammedans, and forms an important slave 
depot, as do also the Griinsi towns of WA and Bérr. The commercial resources 
of the tract of country here described are considerable ; over the whole of it gold 
is fairly plentiful, and the forest abounds in rubber plants both in the form of 
trees and vines. Hard woods are very plentiful, and are of great value in Europe, 
notably the OpUm and Pappdo, both of which trees reach a height of nearly 200 
feet. The Kola nut also, which grows abundantly in the forest, has a great and 
increasing commercial value. The country is intersected by several considerable 
rivers which might be easily rendered navigable, and thus form great highways of 
trade. There are, moreover, no special obstacles to the construction of railways, 
and the district may thus be expected to form one of the great commercial centres 
of the future. 
3. Zambezia.! By HE. A. Maun. 
4. The Commercial Geography of Africa. By J. Scorr Kettm. 
The author reviewed the physical characters of Africa, so far as known, and 
pointed ont the probable bearings of them in the commercial development of the 
Continent. He showed that, while all the natural vegetable and animal matter 
and nearly the whole of the rainfall and water supply are concentrated in tropical 
Africa, the value of the commerce of that region is insignificant compared with 
that of the Mediterranean region and South Africa. In Central Africa nature 
has been left to herself; in North and South Africa man has interfered with 
profitable results. 
5. The Political Partition of Africa. By A. Suva Waitt, F.R.S.2. 
6. The Kalahari. By HK. Witx1yson. 
1 See Proc. R.G.S. vol. xiii. p. 1. 
