The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-01-22
On the
Gold Coast.
nY ALBEIT W. roIMAN,

e5GhHhE5EaE5E5E5eAe
In Capt. Cyrus Varnum's parlor
coraer stood a Kroo spear, its long.
slim tip bristiing unpleasantly with
Tusted hook-like twists. and two odd,
gorAed-shaped paddles Ave feet long.
The captain caught my glance wan
dering toward this sheaf Of curios.
Rasitfyely the worst spot ever
anchored off-that's where these
came FROM. said he. There's no
end Of yellow fever and cholera ports.
roadsteads open to wind and sea-,
hayens with reef-bound channels and
shifting bars. But the Gold Coast
hasn't any harbors at all.
Ten years ago made q cruise in
che old bark Cornella to the Gulf OF
GuiRea. shipped cotored crew.
thinkfng they would stand hot wealth
: err better than whites. We were the
first American sailing vessel to carry
case oil to the West Coast, twenty
eight thousand wooden boxes. each
containing two five-gallon cans.
I'VE raised Cape Coast Castle
March 18th, after an uneventful run.
Of ferty-flve days. There we spent
almost two weeks discharging cargo.
The sandshoals compelled US to an
chor several miles out. and lighter
one oil IN the boats of is-the Kroo
boyS.
Tall. strong fellows they are, these
Kro9 boys. black as a tar-kettle, and
muscled like prize-fighters. They
can dive like, ducks and swim like
bonitos, Without them you couldn't
beach a box. bale or barrel on the
Gold Coast. They're a jabbering,
laughing. happy-go-iucky lot generally,
but bulldogs for holding a grudge.
1--WE broke out the oil for Cape
Coast Castle. took our consignee
aboard, and made sail for Saltpond,
q few leagues farther east. That
first night was o. wild one. We were
jogging along at tW1-knet gait UNI
der lower topsails. with no rain and
little wind: but the low. inky clouds
were, alive with lightning. The sea
swarmed with sharks, aglitter as IL
dipped in, phosphorus
We, hooked our anchor into the
sand five miles off Saltpond. Though
north and west winds prevailed, the
heavy roll from the southeast trades.
kicked UP a fearful surf 1t was a
hard place to land cargo.
The ground-swell wouldn't let the
Kroo boys load alongside; so they
lay ten feet CT. holding to a rope
fy.f,s,. "a cnaw fonwaNl rru,o ,r.;rcI<
whips from the topnasthead and the
yardagn hoisted the oil from tho
hold. I'VE boxes at time, and swung
1t out over the rail- Lot of cases
were smashed As only twenty-five
could be safely slowed in each boat,
and as a single round trip took con-
siderable time, 1t was slow work.
Yet we landed several hundred boxes
day.
81 went ashore with the consignee
In the first boat, leaving my mate,
Henry Billings. the only white man
abroad to send In the cargo.
'sNow the Gold Coast abounds In
gray parrots. the highest-priced
birds on the market. worth ten dol
lars and upward in New York. They're
much quicker to learn than the green
ones, and aren't so ugly-tempered.
I'D planned to buy several dozen, as
q little speculation on my own nc
count. So I'd brought out eight bags
OF corn to feed them with. and built
big cage over the bobby hatch I
was ashore at Saltpond Ave days:
and. with my consignee's help |
picked up hundred grays at four
shtilings apiece.
s'At last was ready to go back
to the Cornelia. made final pnr-
chase OF three rope hammocks at ny