100 
THE WEST COAST OF EQUATORIAL AFRICA. 
IIE exciting’ stories of the gorilla-hunt, the description of 
“ Fan ” cannibals, naked, yet armed to the teeth, for we 
are told that they file their teeth to points to inspire terror in 
their enemies (and, we presume, the more readily to masticate 
them afterwards!), and the record of showers of ebony wives 
poured in upon the adventurous and favoured white traveller,* 
have but ill prepared the public mind for the reception of a sober 
working-day account of the western shores of Equatorial Africa. 
Nevertheless, there are, doubtless, many whose curiosity has 
been awakened by these wonderful narratives, and who, de- 
sirous of becoming better acquainted with this portion of the 
world, will receive as welcome information a few leading facts 
on the subject, gathered from authentic sources, and published 
without embellishment. These it is our intention in the present 
brief essay to contribute. t 
If the reader will refer to the annexed map, and will place 
his finger a little to the west of the Greenwich meridian, and 
about 5° north of the equator, he will find that it covers the 
British colony of Cape-Coast Castle, where civilization lias 
already made sufficiently rapid strides to admit of the estab- 
lishment of a newspaper, — the West African Herald, which 
disseminates valuable information concerning the condition of 
the western coast. 
Moving eastward, he will have to cross the river Yolta, which 
divides the two famous monarchies of Ashantee and Dahomey, 
the seats of a thriving trade in human flesh, and the dominions 
of potentates who do honour to their predecessors on the 
throne by digging pits “to contain human blood enough to 
float a canoe,” and by filling them with the life-blood of thou- 
sands of their unoffending neighbours, whom they attack, 
capture, and slaughter for the “ grand custom.” 
With these august potentates, her Majesty’s government is 
vainly endeavouring to negotiate treaties for the discontinuance 
* “ Explorations and Adventures in Equatorial Africa.” P. B. Du Chaillu. 
Murray. 1861. 
t We are indebted for much of the information contained in this paper to 
J. A. Tobin, Esq., of Liverpool, who unreservedly, and with great kindness, 
placed at our disposal the whole of the correspondence of his firm with their 
agents on the West Coast of Africa. We have also received many valuable 
data from Alfred M. Power, Esq., of Liverpool, who resided many years in 
this part of Africa, and from other gentlemen engaged in the African trade. 
BY THE EDITOR. 
