Shortly after our arrival in that town, we were, as usual, supplied with provision, ready cooked, to the amount of eighty dishes, composed of goats, pigs, and Guinea fowls. We were visited by the caboceer’s principal wives, who drank each a glass of rum with us. This is customary with all visitors of note or rank, but they always drink water with each other first. My old friend Kpatchie remained with me till he got intoxicated, when I advised him to return home, which recommendation he immediately adopted.
In the evening I went out to observe the neighbourhood of the town, taking my gun with me, when, just after passing through the gates, a crow flew over us, which I shot. This caused great amusement, as the natives of this place are not expert with the gun. The crows are very large here, but of the same colour as the smaller ones on the coast, black, with white breast. In this place I observed several beautiful birds, many of which were on their passage, for nearly all the tropical birds of Africa are migratory.
We visited another small town, about half a mile west of Baffo, very pleasantly situated at the foot of the steep mountain of Logbo, the rocks of which at a short distance appear to hang over the town. The town of Baffo is similarly situated, and is ornamented with a great variety of trees of gigantic size. The highest of these are the silk cotton-trees; sycamore and a species of ash are also abundant here. The acacias are very large, and at this season in full blossom. Many beautiful parasitical plants hang from the large trees and rocks; and the clematis and jessamine fill the air with their luxurious odour. A tree resembling the drooping ash is very abundant, bearing a very delicious fruit, like a yellow plum, which hang in bunches very similar to the grape. The fruit is very delicious, though there is very little flesh on the stone, which is porous, and yields to the bite of the teeth like a piece of cork, but is considerably harder.
This is the first place in which I have yet been, since my journey commenced, which reminds me of my native country. Here, for the first time the large branches of the different trees are in gentle motion, caused by the considerable current of air or light wind passing along the steep mountain-side, forming a very agreeable contrast to what is nearly always experienced in Central Africa, by the suffocating, heated atmosphere, where no motion is perceptible except during a tornado. I cannot express with what satisfaction and delight I sat me down on the end of a ruined wall of a hut, to embrace the luxury to which I had for many months been a stranger. Here solitude and loneliness even were pleasing. In my lonely reverie, my recollections were carried unimpeded over wastes of waters back to my native land, and perhaps to happier days, before Care had ploughed her furrows on my brow.
Here in this beautiful though lonely spot, I could not help thinking how much gratification I should have felt had any of my old friends and associates in England been present, to whom I might have expressed my gratification. My poor servant Maurice was now getting worse, and obliged to lie down immediately he arrived at Baffo.
I found the land well cultivated, and the crops very luxuriant. The Indian corn here produces a crop four times in the year; the Guinea corn, twice only. Fruits of various descriptions are also abundant; tamarinds of two different species, the velvet tamarind and long pod, both grow in abundance: the yellow fig, of excellent flavour, and green grapes are also plentiful. There are two species of cashu with fruit, much larger than I have seen on the coast. The kolla-nut is abundant here, as also several species of the under-ground nut, some about the size of a walnut.
Cattle are of a superior breed here, being very square and clean in the legs, but very small. Sheep and goats are considerably more numerous than nearer the coast, but no horses are bred in this part of the country, consequently the natives were very timid in approaching my animal. The country around is well watered by some considerable streams, which run eastward. The waters are of different qualities, some streams being impregnated with iron, others with magnesia. Pipe-clay is abundant in some of the valleys.
After two hours’ range in the neighbourhood of these two towns, I returned with my party and found the caboceer of the town awaiting us. He was, no doubt, anxious to taste again the contents of my liquor-case, which, unfortunately, was but scantily stored, as far as regards variety, but I had plenty of the common American trade rum, which I brought with me from the coast. This is the only drink used by the natives, excepting peto.
I gave the caboceer a good bumper or two, which he seemed to relish very much. He seemed extremely anxious to excel in politeness; but he assumed a little too much civility to reconcile me to him as an honest man. However, I spent the evening tolerably comfortable till a late hour, when we retired to rest. Maurice was still very ill, although the fever was subdued, but now diarrhœa succeeded, and his spirits were very low; I, therefore, made up my mind to remain a day or two till I should see whether any alteration took place in him.
July 15th.—Early in the morning the caboceer came to pay his morning compliments and to drink a glass of rum previous to sending me breakfast. The old man seemed all in a bustle, this being the principal market-day in Baffo; and he is allowed still to maintain an ancient custom, which existed here previous to the subjection of the Mahee country, of monopolizing the whole trade of the place to himself. In consequence of this, he was busily employed in watching his young wives, who kept stalls, or hawked their goods in the market-place, many of whom I believe possessed very little personal interest in their divided spouse’s profits, but, in order to render theft impracticable, he placed all his youngest wives in the most conspicuous parts of the market-place, and himself occupied a position which commanded a view of the whole scene. The older or more trustworthy wives were permitted to use their own discretion as to their choice of carrying their goods round the different parts of the town. The principal or favourite wives dole out the portions of goods allotted to each individual to sell, but it often occurs that they are sold at even a higher price than designed by the owner, particularly when strangers are the purchasers. Of course the extra charge is appropriated by the individual seller.