Their Houses are built of Mud, kept clean, many of them with Chairs or Stools, good Matts to lie down upon, earthen Pots and Pans, and several Changes of Tomees (Arse-Clouts.) They give Names to their Children, mostly by the days of the Week born on, Quashee, Yeday, Cuujo, that is, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, &c. and at Manhood, change it to something expressive of their Disposition; Aquerro Occu, Yocatee, [25]Tittwee, like a Parrot, Lion, Wolf, &c. The same they do by white Men, imposing a Name of their own chusing.
Their Town is a little without the Castle-Gate, where the Women keep a Market with their Canky, Papais, Soap and Fish, such as Cavalloes, Bream, Cat-fish, &c. all small, but in tolerable plenty; there being out in the Road fishing, from 40 and 50, to 100 Canoos, when fine Weather.
These Market-Women have Scales, and weigh every Toccu of Gold-dust. A dozen Sticks of Wax, a couple Pounds of Loaf-Sugar, or two or three pieces of salt Beef, will be worth an Accy; our Crown an Accy and a half.
Such as are imployed with the Smith, or the Cooper, make presently good Workmen, and the Negro Goldsmith, with very little Instruction, has arrived to a good Skill in making Spoons, Buckles, Buttons, heading Canes, or tipping the Deers Feet.
Captain Tom, an honest fellow among them (our Gold-taker) who, understanding a little English by being imployed in our Service, was a great Acquaintance of mine, and would, in the best manner he was able, always satisfy my Curiosity about the Fetish: He believes it able to protect from Dangers, or recover from Sickness; so that, in Travail, or any Ailment, they never are without the Fetish about them, whom they constantly Dashee for Health and Safety. Tom wore his about the Leg, and at Sea, as constantly as he had a Dram, a Glass of Wine, or any Victuals, he dipped his Finger and gave the Fetish a Taste. It’s the general Belief that it both speaks and sees; wherefore on any Action that ought not to be done, the Fetish is hid within their Tomee, or wrapped in a Rag to prevent Tales. This Persuasion obtains by the Cunning of the Fetish-Man (or Priest) who is consulted with a Present always (a Bottle of Rum, a Goat, a Fowl, a Papa, according to the Importance of the Business, and Ability of the Person) on any Sickness, Business or Undertaking; and his Answers sway them to the Pursuance or Omission: If he says the thing shall succeed so and so, it commonly does, their natural Sagacity measuring out Consequences; and in Medicines or Charms, Experience pronounces tolerably on the Operation. The last Refuge of the Fetish-Man is, to charge the Person with some Crime that diverted the good Influence of the Fetish; and so fond are they of these Tutelar Deities, and credulous of the Intercourse between them and the Fetish-Man, that they are glad to accuse one another of Faults that made them unlucky; and if no Friend was Witness, do it themselves, to prevent the Displeasure might fall on them by any Contempt.
Every Man has two, three, or more Fetishes to his fancy; one worn about him, or in his Canoo; the rest at home, bequeathing them, as they prove serviceable, from Father to Son. There is also at Cabo Corso, a publick Fetish, the Guardian of them all; and that is the Rock Tabra, a bluff peninsular Prominence that juts out from the Bottom of the Clift the Castle stands on, making a sort of Cover for Landing, but so unsafe, as frequently to expose the Boats and People to Danger, the Sea breaking over with great force. This was most remarkably felt by them about forty or fifty years ago, when all their Fishing Canoos, from some want of Devoir, were by a Southerly Wind split against Rock Tabra, and the Misfortune happening on a Tuesday, has ever since been set apart for Idleness, Dancing, and Diversion.
To this Rock, the Fetish-Man sacrifices annually a Goat and some Rum, eating and drinking a little himself, and throwing the rest into the Sea with odd Gestures and Invocations, he tells the Company, and they believe that he receives a verbal Answer from Tabra, what Seasons and Times will be propitious; and for this Knowledge every Fisherman finds it worth his while to Dashee him with some Acknowledgment.
They not only seem to think there is an Intelligence in those material Things that are of immediate Good or Hurt to them, but also the Fetish-Men to have Conversation, and by it to be acquainted with their most private Affairs at any distance, which preserves Awe and Regard.
Peter Anchicove, another Gold-taker of Cape Corso, assured me that being once at Succonda, a Fetish-Man met him, and demanded three Accys, which was given immediately on threatning: (the Gift on ordinary Occasions is less; a piece of Perpet, a Cap, a Fowl, or from a Market-Woman a Loaf of Canky.) And then he bid Peter leave the Voyage he was upon, and return home, for his Wife had in this Absence kept a scandalous Correspondence with several Men. Accordingly when he came home, he found it as the Fetish-Man had said, and a Palaaver being called, Peter recovered two Ounces of Gold Damage (the Punishment of Adultery) against one of the Offenders; an Ounce and a half of it to himself, the other half Ounce to the Court. The Penalty goes no farther, if the Woman be Daughter to a Freeman; for if the Cuckold is not contented, the Father takes her home on the acknowledgment of a Goat, or the like small Present, because it is his Loss: But if a purchased Slave is false, she is sold. When Proof is wanting, but the Suspicion strong, he brings an edible Fetish, which if she refuse to eat, she is adjudged guilty, and the dread of its poisonous Quality, makes them often confess, to their Accusers Satisfaction; the certain Punishment being preferable to the doubtful Lethality of the Fetish.
The Men likewise, in this or notorious Crimes, go thro’ such a Tryal, or compound rather by a Mulct, which better answers the Aim, and shews he is not stubborn and refractory[26].