At Accra they have Fetish-Women also, so by Descent, who pretend Divination, give Answers to all Questions, and, like our Fortune-tellers, are continually bubbling the weaker.
Fetishes are sold, from an experienced Goodness in them, from two Accys to two Bendees a-piece, or as they are warranted to protect from this or that sort of Evil, or better than another can do it. They use Circumcision, Prayers, and Washings, and seem to have an obscure Notion of Futurity; for when I used to charge my acquaintance with any thing of Dishonesty, they would reply, That after Death the honest goodee Man go to Godee, livee very well, have a goodee Wife, goodee Victuals, &c. but if a Rogue and Cheatee, he must be tossed here and there, never still. To this agrees the vulgar Notion of some, returning after Death to their own Country.
At a Death, the Relations and Neighbours keep a noise and howling till the day of Interrment, always at their own Houses, where the Corpse being put in a Trunk, and carried a small Circuit on Men’s Heads, the Town’s-Folks attend with wild Noise and firing of Guns, till finding the Deceased does not wake, they drink and make merry, and bury with the Corpse a Portion of Liquor, Pipes, &c. This done, a little Victuals is supplied by the Relations every day to the Grave, for a considerable time.
The superiour Genius of these Gold-Coast Negroes, is owing much to the Settlement of European Factories among them: Their greater Honesty toward us, first from Forts that awe them; secondly, from their unwarrantable Practices with their Neighbours, who by Panyarrs and cheating for our good, are become perpetual Enemies, and fixed them by Interest and Necessity ours; where the greater part of them find they can live better by Honesty than by being Thieves, they are under less Fear, and could not conceal any attempts of Fraud long. Honesty in all trading places is bottom’d upon this in the lower, and upon Interest in the higher Ranks of Men; if the former can provide themselves as well, or better, that is, with quieter Sleeps and less Anguish by being honest than Robbers; it is egregious Folly, abating the Crime, to forsake it: and when prosperous Events give Increase to Riches, it is Interest to allure others, a general Security lying in it. And they may, by the Influence of Example, and an open Behaviour, make particular Men so, that were not first in the Design. Few, I surmise, under the same Circumstances with the Wretches that at last go to the Gallows, but would have been there too, if Fortune had reversed their Scituation; those that can rob under no Necessity, we may be sure would.
Thirdly, altho’ Christianity is not concerned in the Question with these Negroes, I am apt to think, European Conversation has given them the Intimation of the Word Godee, (for so they express the tremendous Name) and another State, which, if beyond their Comprehension, and the Instruction hitherto had, may yet have advantaged the Reverence to Fetishes; which, if it answers in the cultivating Virtue, and mending their Morals, is no silly thing.
The Coast from Cabo CORSO to WHYDAH.
From Cabo Corso we made short Stops in our Passage, at Anamaboe, Montford, Barku, Shallo, Accra, R. Volta, the Papau Coast, and arrived at Whydah July 4; where we made a stay of three Weeks.
At Anamaboo our private Ships finish their Slaving, few or none being got downward, till you reach Whydah.