Ivory is a Commodity sold all the Coast over, but, like the Slaves, more in some parts than others, and supplied thence to all the Western World. It is in Teeth or Screvelios. The Teeth are the large, weighing from 30 to an hundred weight, are worth double the other at home; these selling for ten or twelve pounds, when those do not for above 5l. a hundred.
The Screvelios are small, from fifteen down to four Pounds weight; among these last are sold us to Windward, the Teeth of the Hippopotamus, or Sea-Horse, catched in the Rivers Nunes and Gambia, about 16 Inches long, a white Ivory, but so brittle as not to be easily worked.
The Rule upon the Coast is, that when four will weigh an hundred weight, they shall all be accounted Teeth, and paid for as such, tho’ one or two of them be never so small; for the more Teeth encrease in their weight, the better the Ivory, and makes amends for the smallness of the other.
At Gambia, the points of them are often found broken, from the Elephant’s grubbing against rocky Ground; at other times, you see them flawed, or they are light in proportion to their bigness, Circumstances that abate their value.
I have been often ruminating, how the trading Negroes come by these Elephants Teeth, and find they exchange our European Commodities with the inland Natives for them; but whether they again shoot the Elephants, or find their Teeth in travelling through the Woods and Desarts, is uncertain. Their Rivers and Canoos indeed, help to extend their Knowledge a vast way through the Country, and there are some Accounts that tell us, the Negroes scituated upon these Rivers (like the Americans) make Excursion, or Voyages of a month or two, from their Habitations.
Mr. Plunket of Sierraleon, and others of above twenty years experience in those parts, have informed me, that Elephants move and change their Pasture in very large Herds; that they have seen Droves upon the Banks of the Gambia, of a thousand and fifteen hundred together; that they are bold, have a tough Case, forage less than Horses, and look out much better: from the Circumstance of number, and boldness of their March (said to be in a line) they seem secured from any attacks of the timorous Natives, who must come very near, or their Skin is impenetrable by Fire-arms. Besides, Ivory was the Trade of Guinea, before the use of them, to which I may add, the weighty Teeth come to Sale in a less number than the Screvelios; altogether persuading me, they are not shot, but that the larger Size are Teeth of Elephants who have died naturally, and which being grown to their utmost Perfection and Solidity, withstand a very considerable Elapse of time, without decay or mouldering; and that the Screvelios are probably such as are shed when young, the like as we meet in the human Species, or as Bucks do their Horns, which the Natives by practice know where to look for.
GOLD.
The Gold of Guinea is mostly traded for at the Gold Coast (thence denominated) and is either in Fetish, in Lump, or in Dust.
The Fetish-Gold is that which the Negroes cast into various Shapes, and wear as Ornaments at their Ears, Arms, and Legs, but chiefly at their Head, entangled very dextrously in the Wool; it is so called, from some Superstition (we do not well understand) in the Form, or in their Application and Use, commonly mixed with some baser Metal, to be judged of by the Touch-Stone, and skill of the Buyer you employ.