commenced; but it proceeded slowly until the following event showed its importance, and roused the Inhabitants of Cape Coast to a full sense of the danger to which they remained exposed until the Martello was completed :

A murderous Chief, in the neighbourhood of Cape Coast, sacrificed with the most extraordinary and protracted torture, an unfortunate Fantee Slave. In the hope of checking these horrible acts within British influence, Governor Smith sent a Party of the Cape Coast Garrison to surprize the offending Chief and his Followers; in this attempt resistance was offered, and the Party from the Garrison firing, the Chief and several of those partaking in his barbarous practices were killed.

The Ashantee King had, since his Treaty with Mr. Dupuis, considered the Fantees, under the protection of the British at Cape Coast, as his Subjects, and in consequence demanded of Governor Smith compensation for the death of those who fell on the occasion I have related; and with his demand he intimated, that resistance to it would be followed on his part by measures of hostility.

This threat, which excited great alarm, every one knew was to be parried only by showing it could not be attempted without danger; and Governor Smith decided with great promptitude upon completing the Martello Tower immediately. To accomplish this, not only the personal labour of the Black Population generally was required, but it was indispensably necessary to subdue amongst the Natives also many of their most favourite prejudices, and entirely to destroy their reverence for many objects deemed by their Ancestors for ages past to be Fetish, and held in the highest veneration. A rock was to be blasted, an object of their constant worship; houses were to be destroyed, in which their families for generations past had been buried; and these were held so sacred that the Fetish Men predicted destruction to all who submitted to their removal. The difficulties of Governor Smith were considerable, and a Man of less firmness might perhaps have given way. Governor Smith persevered, and he is the first Man I believe who has yet so decidedly interfered between the Native African and his objects of worship.

Every obstacle that stood in the way of completing the Martello Tower, and rendering its powers of defence perfect was removed; the Natives in the Town of Cape Coast, notwithstanding their Priests threatened them with all evils, for the first time disregarded their threats and predictions, and assisted so earnestly in the construction of the Martello Tower, that before I left Cape Coast I had the satisfaction of seing it completed, and furnished Governor Smith with 4 of the Tartar's guns. I left Cape Coast in security it had never known before, bidding defiance to the Ashantee Chief, and the thousands he had so often threatened to bring against it.

I cannot in fairness and justice to Governor Smith, conclude this part of my Report without adding, that by making this effort to subdue the false notions of the People in the vicinity of Cape Coast, he has so far reduced their confidence in their Fetish Men, that, in my belief, a great stride has been made towards their future improvement and civilization.

Anamaboe follows in the line of Coast, and it is justice only to state, that in the Fort cleanliness and good order are every where found; but if it is intended to preserve its means of defence, the present guns and carriages, generally speaking, require to be replaced by new. The Native Town, so large and populous, before the attack of the Ashantee, is now reduced to insignificance, and, I may add, almost to ruin; and the Natives remaining are principally those connected with, or dependent upon, the few Europeans stationed within the Fort, by whom all that now exists of commerce is conducted. The path leading to the interior, is that by which the communication is carried on with the Ashantee Capital.

The surf on the beach is so violent, and I may add, frightful, that Anamaboe should be the last Place on the Coast for a naval or victualling Depôt. Curiosity once led me to cross this surf, and the necessity of returning to my Ship alone compelled me to repeat it. The channel for the Canoes is very limited and between two small rocks, and the least inattention or want of management, when the surfis what is termed "bad," would subject Europeans attempting to land to inevitable destruction. The Natives who manage the Canoes are never in any danger of this sort, as the moment the Canoe is upset, quite indifferent to their European Passengers, they swim through the surf, however great it may be, with the most perfect confidence, and, from constant practice, in the most perfect security.

The last and most Eastern British Establishment upon this part of Africa is Accra ; its Longitude has been fixed by the result of several observations, at only 5 miles West of Greenwich.

The Native District of Accra is small, and is confined by the River Succombe on the West, and the small Creek close to Prampram may be considered its Eastern Boundary; the extent of British Accra in land may be about 18 miles.

The British Fort of Accra is small, its walls are decaying, and its defences are most imperfect, yet, I am of opinion, Accra deserves support and improvement; it is well placed for trade, but in other hands it would be the resort of the Slave-dealer.

The Dutch still hoist, occasionally, in the ruins of their Fort at Accra, the Colours of their Nation.

Danish Accra, about 3 miles farther to the East, is protected by one of the most respectable Castles on the Coast, named Christianburgh. The streets of the Towns of Accra are confined and dirty, but there

are some respectable houses of Europeans, and there are buildings in the skirts of the Towns formed with taste and views to comfort, ornamented with gardens and shrubberies.

The land in the boundaries of Accra is generally more rich and fertile than most other parts of this Coast; beef is here fattened and furnished in any quantity required by the Navy; sheep, pigs, poultry, fruit and tropical vegetables, are very reasonable in price; and the abundance of Indian corn or maize, at all times to be obtained, make Accra, to Shipping, preferable to any spot on the whole Coast.

The distress of the Natives for water is sometimes very great; and in the dry season they have been compelled to bring this necessary article from the River Succombe, a distance of 9 or 10 miles. The difficulty of obtaining it at certain seasons I am perfectly aware of, but great as it may be, it would not in my humble judgment authorise the expence of the plan proposed of conveying water by pipes into the Town of Accra; most of the European houses are already furnished with tanks, and no one built in future will I apprehend be without.

The removal of the establishment of Accra to the River Succombe, as suggested by Robertson, would destroy the value the Settlement at Accra has, for the prodigious surf at the mouth of the River Succombe would make an establishment there unavailable to Shipping; and the moment the British fort of Accra was abandoned, the Native Towns of British and Dutch Accra would again become Slave-marts. That I might satisfy myself whether the suggestions of Robertson really promised the advantages he states, I visited the River Succombe expressly for the purpose.

Tribute is paid to the Ashantee King; and of late he has demanded this of British Subjects residing even in the Town.

Having concluded my remarks on the British Settlements on the Gold Coast, I am induced to offer some observations, the result of personal investigation, upon the River Volta, not much known to, and very rarely I believe visited by, Europeans.

The River Volta unquestionably has its source in the Kingdom or Country of Ashantee, and empties itself on the Coast to the westward of Cape St. Paul: some Officers have asserted the Volta to be the mouth of the Niger; but this theory is too extravagant to be entertained; it is assuredly founded only in complete error and misconception.

In proceeding along the Coast from the westward, the breakers upon the bar of the Volta afford timely notice of its entrance, which, by a series of observations, I ascertained to be in 5 deg. 48 min. north latitude, 0 deg. 50 min. east of Greenwich. The Line of the bar gives a false appearance of width to the Volta, as it extends along the Coast in a southerly direction, between which and the beach the channel to the entrance of this River lays. Thus the bar becomes some miles in length, though the River at its mouth is not one mile across.

There are 2 passages over the bar of the Volta entirely distinct from each other, one at the eastern extremity, the other nearly on the middle of the bar, but at low water neither of them safe for a Boat; and, in my opinion, at any time of tide much too dangerous for any craft to navigate, exceeding the size of large Boats or Sloops.

After crossing the Bar, the Channel to the mouth of the River, for upwards of 2 miles, is along the Eastern shore, and this Channel affords security to small Vessels until within a lagoon laying above the Bar, when the River branches off in 4 directions, and here it is that navigation, excepting by Boats or very small Vessels, ceases.

The Eastern branch of the River runs in that direction till it reaches the Danish Settlement of Quitta, and, connecting with the Rivers emptying themselves in that part of the Ocean, affords the means of communication with Popo, Whydah, and even Lagos, the great emporiums for the barter of Slaves in the Bight of Benin.

The most Western branch leads by an extremely small Channel to the River, on which, at the distance of about 10 miles from the Bar, and on the right bank, I found the Fort of Adda, where the River again widens, but contracts again in about a mile; and here, what at a distance seemed a beautiful landscape, proves no other than a defensive swamp.

The Fort of Adda, bearing the Flag of Denmark, in the dry season is surrounded by marsh and bog; in the rains it must be almost inaccessible. The Person in charge of this Fort, and those about him, though all Natives, were so strongly marked with sickness and disease, as to induce no surprise on being told by them, that Europeans had not been before seen at their Fort for many Years.

Destructive to health as the situation of Adda at all times must be, yet the Population appeared more numerous than, with so little to invite residence, I should have expected; neither art nor industry however appeared amongst the Inhabitants: poultry and pigs seemed their principal objects of barter, and these were reasonable and in plenty.

The other branches of the Volta are formed by several small Islands, amongst which the Boats of the Pheasant searched in vain for the Danish Settlements of Adda; and it was perhaps accident that directed me to it, or I might (as Captain Kelly was) have been satisfied that the Fort of Adda no longer remained.

At Adda my search ceased; I had neither object nor time to ad-vance; but I was there told Boats might proceed 30 or 40 miles further up, when Canoes only could navigate therein in about 8 days paddling, taking the advantage of tides. Comassie, the Capital of Ashantee, was but of short distance. Whether this information be correct I had no means of determining, though I know not why I should doubt it.

My object for entering the Volta, and exploring it as I did, was to satisfy myself how far the report, given by that enthusiast, Robertson,

was founded; and the result of my observation is, that no situation can be more undesirable for a British Establishment (so strongly recommended by him) than the banks of the Volta; but it will be with their Lordships to decide whether hereafter it may not be a desirable object, so far as the Geography of Africa is concerned, that this River should be traced with accuracy to its source.

Leaving the Volta, and rounding Cape St. Paul, the Bight of Benin is immediately entered; the configuration of the Coast is laid down with considerable accuracy by De Mayne, and the Honourable Captain Irby, till reaching Lagos.

During the rainy season, more particularly in the Bight of Benin, considerable Traffick is carried on in Slaves; but as they are usually removed to Whydah, I shall pass over the intermediate Towns of Popo, Porto Novo, and Badagry, and proceed to Whydah at once.

Whydah, in 2 deg. 14 min. east longitude, and 6 deg. 20 min. north latitude, is the Sea-port of the celebrated African Chief, the King of Dahomy, whose Capital, Abomey, is about 70 miles distant, in a north line.

The landing at Whydah is on the beach, through a dangerous surf; at the back of the beach is a River communicating from Popo, and I believe on to Lagos.

When the Slave-trade was sanctioned by all the Powers of Europe, the English and French bad Forts and Establishments at Whydah, as well as the Portuguese: the two former have abandoned their Forts; but the latter remains, and the Slave-trade at Whydah is conducted to a very great extent by a Portuguese Renegado, named De Souza, who, banished from the Brazils, has fixed himself at Whydab, where he is the Agent or Slave-factor to the Brazilian Nation, and lives in prodigious splendour; assumes the rights and privileges of a person in authority, granting Papers and Licenses to the Slave-traders, in all the form and confidence of one empowered to do so by the Portuguese Government. The extent of the Slave-trade at Whydah may be judged of by the number of Portuguese Vessels anchoring off this Port and Lagos annually, being generally calculated at 100, and for no other purpose than to obtain Slaves. These Vessels, if met at Sea and boarded by a British Cruizer, report themselves bound to Cabinda and Molembo, and, if they have left the Coast of Benin a day only, they declare themselves to have sailed from the above-mentioned Ports, or even from the more southern parts of the Coast of Angola. Thus, though a Vessel receiving a Cargo of Slaves at Whydah is subject to capture, provided she be met with before she passes the limits of seizure, she avoids this by her short run, until she is in security by passing south of the Line; and then, if met with and boarded, the Master has a ready answer. The Ship's log, if fairly kept, will be at variance with his declaration; but the hazard to an Officer is so great by a capture,