Their way of counting Gold at the Factories, is by Ounces, Bendees, and Marks, lesser are Dumbays, and Doccys, or Toccus; 12 of this, or 24 of that, make an Accy, (about 5s.)
All reserve it in Leather Pouches, and at London, the Gold-Smith runs it down in a [36]Crucible at two pence per Ounce; it’s kept dissolved for the Evaporation of Dross, (perhaps one Ounce in a hundred) and then cast into a solid Bar; a Chip from it he sends to the Assay-master in the Tower, who by his Office is Judge, and on a small Fee, signs back a Note of it’s Value, that is, how much above, or under Sterling; and so amounts to a Shilling or two over or under 4l. a Troy Ounce.
Our Return upon the Gold Coast.
At our coming hither in October 1721, we understood every where that the Pyrates under the Command of Roberts, had been plundering the Ships down the whole Coast, but were then supposed gone off: the latest Account of any who had suffered, being in August last. We therefore, under no Apprehension of their Return, divided the Provisions had been sent hither from England to us, and leaving the Weymouth (the worst disabled Ship of the two) in Cape Corso Road, stretch’d away to Windward again, the Beginning of November, in order to mann, by the Purchase of Slaves, and impressing Sailors from the Merchant Vessels; the latter we had little Occasion of, their ill Treatment, and bad Diet (or a Pretence of it) making them all Volunteers that could be spared.
At Succonda we heel’d and scrubbed Ship, a Ledge of Rock shooting from the western Point nigh a League, making it a smoother Sea than any of the neighbouring Places; and this little Check given to the Water, we observed, made the Bay flow a foot or two higher than any part of the plain Coast.
At Dixcove, the Windermost of our Gold-Coast Factories, we heard by the Carlton, that the Soldiers who had come out under our Convoy for the African Company’s Service at Gambia, had unhappily mutiny’d with Captain Massey one of their Officers; disdaining the bad usage of the Merchants who had the Command and Victualling of them, they spiked up the Guns, and retir’d to the Ship which had brought them over, (the Bumper) and there by a joint Consent of George Lowther the second Mate, and some of the Sailors, proceeded to Sea; the Effect of which, see in the History of the Pyrates.
At Apollonia we found all our old Acquaintance were gone: The Queen that had two or three Months ago sent off a Dashee of four Accys, was lately, with her People, forced to move to Assinee.
There are a numerous People called Santies, or Assanties, extending a long way on the back of them, who derive a considerable Trade to the Coast, particularly at Anamaboo. This Nation, provoked by the frequent Depredations and Panyarrs of the Apollonians, had lately been down and drove them from their Habitations; tho’ themselves, unwilling to own the Roguery, say it has proceeded from the Instigation of Jan Conny their Neighbour and Competitor. At Assinee therefore, we found them preparing to revenge this Injury, buying up all our trading Arms at a good Price, and giving a Fowl for every Flint we could spare, (there being no such thing in the Country.) They are as fearless as any of the Colour, both in Trade and War, and promise themselves an Amendment of their Fortune, which, by accounts since, I hear they have accomplished against Conny.