Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-02-08
THE GOLD COAST.
ODD THINGS SEEN ON THE WEST
COAST OF AFRICA
Tho Natives and THOR Houscs-Pe'
cuiiar Burial Customs-Jour-
ncying I'm HammoclSs-Tho
Oil-Palm Industry.

Although tho Gold Coast of Africa is
not favorable for the prolonyation of
life of white men, tho natives arc strong
and healthy enough. Tho children arc
particularly sprightly and fat They aro
MARI ageablo at an carly age, commencing
the cares of wooded lite ut ten. The
infants are carried by their mothers in n
peculiar position. A piece of light wood
ABOUT ten inches long by four or five
broud IS covered with cotton and tod
around tho woman, so as to rest upon
tho lower part of her back. l'pon This
the infant is placed, straddlng face TO
the mothers back, and secured by n
fold of her cotton cloth. The woman is
thus free to work.
saw some very old persons here, says
writer in the san francisco Caywniie.
One day on going down tho road toward
the castle, | saw venerable. looking
negro sitting i'll n wicker chair, bare.
headed and fully exposed to tho iiorco
rays OF tho sun. 1t was about noon,
when the sun is very powerful, and the
old fellows skull was devoid of wool,
bare and shiny. stopped tn speak to
INN, placing my hand on top of his
head and finding tho heat excessive.
lie spoke in trcmulous tones, telling
me he was nearly one hundred wears of
age, and that his blood was cold; SO ho
had his chair placed in the sun So TINT
his system could bo warmed thoroughly.
Tho houses are made of sun. baked
brick, or adobe, which material is all
right during tho dry portion of tho
year, but has an inconvonicnt habit of
tnmbling about your devoted person
during continuance of rain. Tho
walls oil the houses aro thick to keen
the great heat out, and tho roofs nrc
matched with driod grass
Tho bnrinis of The Gold Coast nro
very peculiar. Most of the people own
thcir houses, and tho family have pcr-
haps lived in them for generations.
The custom doubtless arose from con-
sidcrMions of security, for fear tho
graves might be riilcd. They always
bury their dead within the walls of tho
dcccascd's residence. The house where
we were lodged was separated from the
nd dining one 10y II narrow alley Tho
window of our upper room looked into
the lower story of the other house, rs II
door was just opposite us. We were
thus enabled to view the whole pro-
cccdings. The wife Of the owner, n
young woman of about twenty years of
age, Ind died of fever and was laid out
on trcstlo covered with black cloth,
nttircd rs in life. In the center of tho
room Il trench was dug, the depth of
which we could not exactly determine.
The body was literally covered with gold
ornaments. Gold beads round her
neck i'll n double row, gold-hcad girdle.
earrings, rings, pins, bracelets Of
massive form and chased, but not very
finely. The workmanship is not of tho
highest order. ~ rich mulatto lady,
widow of II white merchant aud II niece
of tho ruling King of Aslnntcc. wns
among the mOurncrs. She had vial
filled with gold dust in her hand, wheel
she empticd into tho mouth of the de-
ceased woman, scattering the overplus
| on the fncc. Some women then took
the body and wrapped it carefully in II
white sheet; they then lowered il with
cords into tho grave. a brn icr was
burning III the npal tmcnt, which was
large, and usually the parlor. Onto tho
hot Goals they then threw some odori-
ferrous stulf. which gave out nm intense
smoke. This had the effect, doubtless
OF driving away any evil spirits that
might have been lonling around seeking
something to dcvour. Under cover of
this smoke, which was too dense for us
to sec through, the earth must have been
filled in; for when we could discern oh :
jocts agnin tho floor was even and
stamped down, looking ms before saw
no men present during the intcrmcnt.
! was informed thnt during little
difficulty between tho French and II
native King, men wcro landed from u
war ship, who, after driving away tho
inhabitants, had KroO- boys to dig up the
/ int nrin IF Il, ,.g i
cured lair amount OF the precious
metal rs booty.
The kingdom of Ashanteo nd 'oins tho
Fantcc country inland. The people of
this kingdom are not so tall or athletic
n race, but arc 1.-the and clean limbed.
active and intelligent. lprcfcrrcd them
to their ncighbors The Fan,ccs ] went
up us far rs the rah, pleasant enough
! trip OF several days. AS there arc no
horses, nor mules, nor even the humble
Jerusalem pony, we were carried in
hammocks, bad imitation of the Indian
| palkcc. These cOntrivanccs arc made
oi canvass and slung to n pole, which
latter is carried on mems shoulders fore
ana ait. 1t Is very jumpy, jolting
method of locomotiom.
The oil-palm grows in dense forests on
this coast, although the short sighted
natives are doing all in their power to
destroy this lucrative trade. TO get ut
the palm nuts, or kernels. they cut the
trees down, SO ending the career of that
source OF revenue. In the course OF time
all these trees will have been cleared out,
and have not heard that they are plant.
ing anew. Whenever trees are cut
down tho African marigold springs np.
growing lnxuriantly TO ive and six feet
in height. The palm-a.christi also is
indigenous here, the seeds of which, by
expression, furnish castor oil OF late
years trees furnishing an excellent rubber
have been found in large quantities,
about SID, coo worth having been OK,
ported last year.
Monkey Detcctors OF Spurious Coin.
The Siamcsc ape is said to he in great
request among Siamesc merchants ms 4