" Notwithstanding some years acquaintance with the na tives," (says Mr Meredith, referring principally to the Gold Coast,) " I find it no easy matter to lay down their true character ; for they appear to us in a variety of forms, according to the nature of our intercourse with them, and to their employment. Those persons who arc indifferent to exceed a further intimacy with Europeans, than an in terchange of commodities will admit of, are to be viewed in the true light of peddling traders. When there is a pros pect of a good bargain to be obtained, every species of low cunning and mercenary artifice is practised to acquire it. Thu accommodate themselves with much ingenuity and facility to our humours and fancies ; every attitude, every expression, is carefully recommended by flexibility and supplication ; yet they carefully avoid (showing) too great a desire of obtaining what would turn out profitable or ad vantageous to them; and, when they know that their wishes are not to be gratified as easily as was expected, disap pointment is carefully concealed, and a seeming indiffer ence is preserved in their behaviour."—" They may be justly pronounced as possessing all the chicanery insepa rable from their calling, and are not readily outwitted. Those who gain a livelihood by fishing, are a laborious people ; and our knowledge of them extends a little fur ther than of the trader, because they are employed fre quently by us as canoe-men and labourers. When thus em ployed, they perform their duty with cheerfulness ; and, if encouraged, will go through a vast deal of labour ; but they must be treated with exactness and punctuality. When they call for any customary allowance, or for payment, they do not like to be put off, and expect that their labour should meet with its instant reward. If they be not punctually at tended to, they become neglectful, and inattentive to the interest of their employer. They are much addicted to that vice (theft), which prevails in almost every part of the world, and are very expert in the practice of it, particular ly asIo small articles which they can easily conceal. Men who follow an agricultural life, and who chiefly inhabit the inland parts, will be found more uniform in their conduct than the traders or fishermen. To consider them in a ge neral view, and to make allowances for the failings attach ed to the uncivilized part of mankind, they maybe demi a well-meaning set of men. They are divested of that low cunning and deceitful artifice, known and practised by those who gain a livelihood by a more intimate connec tion with Europeans. They possess no small share of ho nesty, sincerity, and benevolence ; and are strangers to the corrupt and licentious conduct plainly to be seen among the inhabitants of the water side."—" The natives of the sea coast, from a more immediate connection with Europeans, we should suppose, are more inclined to industry than those inland ; but it will be found that real industry prevails more uniformly inland, and vice is less encouraged. Every per son on the coast appears my diligent in acquiring the pro fits of his occupation ; but profligacy, drunkenness, and de bauchery, are practised to a pernicious extent." Young persons of both sexes generally go naked till the age of puberty, (which takes place in males at the age of twelve, and in females at ten,) except a girdle about the loins, with a small slip of cloth affixed to it for the sake of decency. The dress of both sexes is nearly alike, and con sists in a piece of cloth, about four yards long and two broad, wrapped loosely around them ; but, when engaged in any occupation, part of it is folded about the loins, and the remainder hanging down, covers the lower part of the body. The more wealthy, especially when they travel, are provided with hats, and sometimes with sandals. The wo men generally have their breasts uncovered ; and their gar ment is fastened round their middle by a girdle or zone called tombah, which is supported behind by folds of cloth, forming a protuberance, in proportion to the age and rank of the wearer. Women of quality have likewise a number of silver keys suspended by a ring to the front of the girdle. The women also wear bracelets and necklaces of gold and beads, and frequently oval brass rings on their ankles. Both sexes are remarkably attentive to the decoration of their heads, and cut the hair with great nicety and taste. Some of the men allow the hair to grow on the chin, and occasion ally wear whiskers and mustaches. The old men shave the whole of the head, leaving only one or two locks behind, to which they commonly keep a piece of gold suspended. The Fantees are distinguished from the other natives by small scarifications on the upper part of the cheek bones, and on the back of the neck. Both the men and women among this tribe are remarkably cleanly, and generally wash their whole bodies twice a day. The Fetish men, es pecially in Acra, are habited in white, a colour which is –held in great veneration in all parts of the country, as em blematic of purity and perfection. The principal article of
food in the Fantce country is bread, which is unleavened, and made of maize or Indian corn. In all their dishes, pep per is a necessary ingredient. Their chief mess consists of fish or poultry made into soup, with fresh palm oil, pep per, salt, and eschallots ; and with this high-seasoned dish they cat bread, or yams and plantains made into a pudding. The men and women generally eat separately ; and seat themselves in small parties round a bowl of soup, into which they alternately dip some bread or pudding. They do not drink during their meals ; but, after finishing the re past, sometimes indulge freely in the use of palm wine or spirits. The houses are commonly made of bamboo, and plastered with a strong loamy clay, with which also the floors are laid. The towns and villages are generally sur rounded by a strong fence.of bamboo cane, as a protection against wild beasts.
is and manufactures are in a very low state among the natives. They make canoes, baskets, mats, bills, hoes, fishing nets, hooks, lines, &c. and some of them work as masons and carpenters. The women, who are literally the slaves of the men, perform most of the laborious offices, such as grinding corn, procuring food and water, every thing in short except fishing and planting. In the Ahan tali country, particularly, the people are much inclined to agriculture, which is in a very rude and defective state ; but in many of the maritime villages, besides acting as fishermen, they used to procure their subsistence, in a great measure, by hiring themselves as canoe men to the slave ships bound to the leeward coast. Their canoes are of various sizes, requiring fron 3 to 21 oars, or rather pad dles; and some of the larger have a platform in the bot tom, with an awning erected over the fore part of the deck, for the shelter of the passengers. These canoes are made of the trunks of the silk cotton tree, shaped and hollowed by a very simple it on instrument like a large chisel, an swering either as axe or adze, according to the form of its handle. The wood of these trees, especially when green, is soft, and easily worked; when dry, almost as light as cork; and sometimes large enough to make a canoe pad dled by twenty men, and carrying four puncheons of liquor. Those who are acquainted with the management of these canoes, conduct them through the high surf on the coast with great 4exterity. On coming ashore, they watch the sea when on the point of breaking, and betake themselves to steering, by keeping the flat part of the paddle parallel to the canoe, and giving it a quick motion, moving it near ly at right angles with the canoe; and, when it is on the summit of the wave which is ready to break, this quick motion is discontinued, the paddle kept firmly in a parallel position, and the canoe, steadily balanced and directed in a straight course, flies on shore with amazing velocity.
In travelling by land, Europeans make use of a large cotton hammock, which is slung from a bamboo pole about nine feet long, and covered by a cloth in such a manner, that the person carried in it may either sit up or lie down. For a distance of 25 or 30 miles, this conveyance requires six or eight bearers, two of whom carry it by turns; and, if well supplied with rum, will travel at the rate of five miles an hour. When a party of Europeans travelling in this way arrive at a town or village, they are met by the men in their war dresses, jumping and firing their muskets heavily loaded with powder almost in the faces of the visit ors ; a ceremony which is not without hazard, from the occasional bursting of the pieces, and which it is necessary nevertheless to requite by a present of liquor and gun powder.
The recreations of the younger part of the people con sist chiefly in dancing and singing ; and they are in most places fond of music. Their instruments consist of drums of various forms and sizes; horns made of the tusks of young elephants, and sounding like a bugle ; and flutes made of a large reed, about four feet in length, open at both cods, and producing a soft and plaintive note.
Polygamy prevails in every part of the coast, and every man may have as many wives as he can maintain ; but the first wife has the sole management of the domestic affairs within the house, besides acting as a watch over the fidelity of the rest. Mothers have the entire disposal of their daughters in marriage, and their consent must be procured by presents. After the payment of a certain sum, which is regulated by custom, the young woman is dressed accor ding to her rank with rich clothes, valuable beads and orna ments of gold; and conducted by the female relatives to the house of her husband, where she is formally received by his relations and friends. On the following day she re ceives visits, and must continue to appear in her wedding dress for a week.