126 William F. Daniell, Esq., on the Ethnography of 



rated as component portions of his household. Over the sons and 

 daughters, therefore, he is supposed to exercise all the functions and 

 prerogatives of a parent, and in this capacity to administer to their 

 wants, superintend their conduct, and determine their future settle- 

 ment in life ; and they in return are bound to yield him the full ex- 

 tent of their services, and to pay him that amount of submission, 

 deference, and respect which is due to the position he fills. As their 

 support and maintenance are solely derivable from the relative in 

 charge, if it may be so expressed, during the period of their servi- 

 tude, and implicit obedience required in exchange, it necessarily en- 

 sues that their treatment is in a great measure guided by the degree 

 of subserviency rendered ; so that, in fact, until their arrival at the 

 age of maturity, they gradually degenerate into mere dependents 

 upon his bounty, and are compelled, in compliance with his man- 

 dates, to perform such menial and other debasing avocations as he 

 may choose to delegate to them. 



Division of Time, fyc. — In the computation of time they rarely 

 adhere to the systems of more enlightened nations, by the sub- 

 division of the year into a given number of moons or months, but 

 rather prefer the adoption of a more primitive formula, derived from 

 the observance of various climatic changes, the rotation of seasons, 

 and other physical phenomena, and it is chiefly by such simple 

 means that not only these but other tribes in Western Africa, are 

 influenced in the regulation of their year; and it is this distribution 

 alone that constitutes the fundamental principles on which these 

 peculiar arrangements are based. Conformably to the established 

 usages of each country, deviations and distinctions in their primary 

 division are of common occurrence, and such variations are to be 

 attributed more to a relaxed or stricter classification of climatorial 

 agencies than from any artificial distinctions suggested by them- 

 selves, since an analytic examination into their respective merits would 

 unquestionably point out that the majority, if not the whole, come 

 under one prescriptive rule of formation, and proceed from the same 

 definite basis as those in general prevalence throughout other coun- 

 tries on the African continent. In Akkrah, and the circumjacent 

 districts, the year has been partitioned into three grand seasons, re- 

 ferable to the preceding mode ; and these again, in some localities, 

 seem to have been divided into still minor fractions. As consider- 

 able doubt has been expressed in relation to the latter, it is unneces- 

 sary for me to dilate further upon the subject. The designations of 

 the primary seasons are thus annexed : 



Summer. Boo'ornah. Mar. April, May, June, July, Aug. 



Second Summer. G'boh. September, October, and November. 



( Arrab-attah, said to \ -p. , T 



Winter. < be derived from the > " j t» J 



I , tj I and lebruary. 



I word Harmattan. J ' 



