The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-12-29

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington, ID. c.
Commodities have left their names
In the geography Of western Africa in
ascending scale. First came the Ivory
Coast, followed by the Gold Coast and
Slave Coast. Now that the age of
coal is being threatened by the grow
ing Importance of liquid fuels, the
Gold Coast, where important petrol
cum discoveries were recently report
ed, may take on a name that denotes
a value surprising all the rest-the
Oil Coast.
Columbus is believed TO have done
some Of his apprentice exploring along
the Gold Coast shores before he set
sail for America and many an eman-
cipated slave Of our southland could
find his family tree among the ma
tives OF this British colony. The col
ony lies under the caves Of Africa,
with the Gulf Of Guinea due south of
il. The golden age OF the Gold Coast,
commercially considered, was in the
days of fiourishing slave trade, and
the oil fields promise again to outbuy
the entire product of the gold grains
winnOwed from the sands Of the many
rivers OF this region.
When you read that three-fourths
Of the colony is covered with thick
forests you get a very inadequate idea
Of what you would see could you look
upon the amazing businesses of Bonn
bax trees, piercing the skyline at a
hundred feet, with cOlumnar trunks.
free from branches below the top
quarter le. 9Th. The trees you know
best at home are like icebergs in that
their bases, or roo systems, are under
the surface. These foreign giants re-
mind you Of your children's Christmas
tree. buttressed by what look to be
huge triangular supports. Should you
dig beneath one of these buttresses
you would find tiny tendrils, such as
those which might nOurish q sapling.
In the spaces between these b~uttresses
natives sometimes pitch primitive
tents.
The impression Of n forest of tele-
phone poles Is further conveyed by
great cables Sagging from tree to tree.
These "crecpers' are popularity known
as monkey-rope, appropriately enough,
since many varieties OF monkeys are
to be found in these forests.
The Gold Coast colony stretches
along some go miles Of harborless
coast. and extends back for about half
that distance to the border of Ashanti.
It's government seat. Accra, which es-
capeS by only n few degrees Of having
both q latitude and longitude Of zero.
is reputed To be especially unhealth-
full. The entire region is hot and
swept by that peculiarly dust-laden
Sahara wind. the harmattan.
Along this cost lies Kormantinp. "a
nous rs TIE place where slaves first
were exported. which gave the N
CormantyneS. TO the West indies
slaves from the rccion,
Or the estimated population Of u
million. fewer than 1000 are Euro
pcans. The most noted of the native
peoples are the Fanti. whose wontcn
OF light brown skin are pretty. Their
favorite perfume is distilled from the
eycrement of snakes. Shark flesh.
sun dried. is n favorite edible. Among
them. as among many primitive fight
ing peoples. mothers are held i'm high
esteem. Property Is inherited by the
Oldest son Of the oldest sister. Land
Is held i'm a communal fashion, the
possession OF a gold stool being the
badge of n chiefs authority TO the
lands over which he holds sway.
Areas are assigned to families but
they revert to the community upon
the holders death.
Trees, plants, animals. snakes and
insects are found In amazing variety.
Here. as In many other verdant trop-