On the other side of the stream the soil is an excellent black loam, and would doubtless pay well if properly cultivated. This place is called Napoleon, wherefore I am at a loss to account. After crossing the stream at the ford, about ten yards wide, but only one foot deep in the dry season, and proceeding, still in a north-western direction, three miles farther, we came to a very neat little kroom, having about two hundred inhabitants, called Eyau Awkwano. It is distant eight miles from Cape Coast, and is governed by a very handsome black caboceer, who, though very good-natured, is, like all other of these chiefs, very fond of large presents, and very unwilling to make any in return. Here we halted for breakfast, having the necessary provisions, solid and liquid, with us.
After resting two hours, we set out again, passing over a very rugged and narrow path, continually interrupted by stumps of trees, left when the ground was cleared for cultivation, as the brush-wood is then only burnt and not rooted up. Such a road was not very pleasant for our feet, but after marching three miles from the last-named kroom, we reached a much larger one, containing about one thousand inhabitants, nearly the whole of whom turned out to have a peep at our cavalcade. These two krooms are pleasantly situated, and have a soil of the best quality. The natives are maintained chiefly by the produce of their lands, such as corn, yams, manioc, or cassada, bananas, and plantains. Oranges and limes grow spontaneously, as well as pine-apples, which are gathered and sold at Cape Coast in exchange for English cloth, guns, rum, or the fish caught and dried there.
Beyond the last village the road becomes still rougher, but is over-arched by large and beautiful trees, various and singular in appearance, and adorned by many kinds of creepers. All the large planks and beams brought to Cape Coast are carried from this neighbourhood on the heads of slaves, relays of whom are stationed at intervals, each carrying one large beam or two planks on his head ten or twelve miles. This is certainly hard work, particularly for girls.
These slaves are only so employed for one month during the whole year, and perhaps have the remaining eleven months for their own occupations. Domestic slaves are by no means ill treated. They always have plenty of food, and clothing is not necessary, nor is it worn, with the exception of a small piece of cotton cloth tied round the waist. They are always treated as part of the family. Such a thing as actual want is unknown.
The beams and planks are, for the most part, of the adoomah, a very large and handsome tree, and excellent timber. It is all sawed by hand and pit-saws. Saw-mills would be of advantage here. Cotton trees of immense size grow in the neighbourhood, some forty-eight and fifty feet in girth. They are only used for canoes, sometimes three and even four large canoes being hollowed out of one tree. Their wood, however, is too soft for any other purpose. The name of cotton-tree causes many people to suppose that it produces the cotton commonly used in manufactures; such is not the case; the cotton produced by this tree is contained in oblong pods, about ten or twelve inches long, and round at each end, like an egg. This pod contains a substance like silk, and is used only for stuffing pillows or cushions. The pods hang down for some length, as if suspended from the end of a piece of twine, a foot and a half long. The dwarf cotton shrub, which produces the material used in our manufacture, also grows spontaneously in this neighbourhood. This shrub seldom exceeds five or six feet, and has several spreading stems. Its flower is beautiful, either red or yellow, and is succeeded by a round and flattish pod, about one inch diameter, which, when ripe, bursts, and its seeds are surrounded by cotton, which, when gathered, is cleared of them. They are black, and in shape much like the stone of our hips and haws.
After passing over the top of a gently sloping hill, between two beautiful and well-cultivated valleys (the spot where the Ashantees fought and were defeated in one of their most determined battles,) ornamented by beautiful trees, much like the tulip-tree in full blossom, we reached a small kroom called America, probably so named by the European settlers. Here we again halted and took a draught of water. Around this little kroom the land is cultivated, and there are several very lofty trees, very straight and spiral in form, so that it is evident how good the soil must be. This place is eighteen miles from Cape Coast. After resting half an hour, we set out on our last stage, rather fagged from the roughness of the road, and in half an hour reached Djewkwa, a pleasant little town, with houses tolerably well built of mud and very roomy. They are constructed also with a degree of regularity seldom seen in African towns. Not having sent any messenger forwards to announce our approach, as is usual in Africa, the caboceer was unprepared to receive us, and we were, therefore, told to wait a little, a house having been shown to us in which we might stay till he could see us. We waited until we lost all patience, and were obliged to lie down under a large tree in the market-place. Very large ants tormented us cruelly, both by their teeth and stings.
At length the caboceer announced his readiness to receive us, and we had to repair to another part of the town where he dwelt. His house is the best in the town, and in front of it we found him seated in his chair of state, a rudely constructed wooden chair covered with brass nails, under a large spreading tree; chairs and stools were placed for all our party. The great man, however, was so drunk as to be wholly unfit to go through the ceremony of formally receiving us, and we were obliged to content ourselves by receiving an apology, as he candidly confessed his drunkenness and inability to receive us according to the custom of the country. He then retired, and left us under the care of his son, who was very willing to make himself agreeable by quaffing various tumblers of wine and ale, which we had brought, as well as several glasses of brandy and gin. He, consequently, soon showed symptoms of intoxication as well as his father, and continued the palaver till eleven o’clock, when we were allowed to retire to our lodgings for the night, where we were each provided with a mat, the only article of furniture considered by this people as necessary.
In the planting season, it appears, the farmers quit their houses in the town, and go to some distance, to be near the fields; other empty houses belong to people who go into the interior to seek for gold, and who are absent for some months.
Being well tired with my journey, I slept soundly, and rose on the following morning much refreshed. After breakfast we announced to the caboceer our intention of returning immediately to Cape Coast. The old man was quite disappointed on finding that we did not intend to stop for a day or two; but being again drunk, and unable to come and bid us good-bye, he deputed his principal captain to perform that office; at the same time making us a present of gold-dust to the value of nine pounds sterling, with three fat sheep, all of which, except one of the sheep, we declined accepting, as we well knew much more would be expected from us in return.
It may be proper to give some account of this chief before I pass on to another subject. He was one of the King of Ashantee’s head captains, who in some way offended his master, and would have lost his head, had he not, with some others, fled to Cape Coast, and put himself under the protection of the English Government. His companions were either captured by the Ashantees in the town of Cape Coast, or given up by the English, and beheaded; but Kudjo Chibbo having been received into the fort, was saved from the death which awaited him, and afterwards appointed by the Governor caboceer of Djewkwa, and his son was sent to school at Cape Coast for some years. He can, however, now scarcely speak a word of English. His father gets drunk the first thing in the morning, and remains so during the remainder of the day.