To the Gold Coast for Gold
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T O T H E G O L D C O A S T F O R G O L D V O L . I . L ONDON : PR I NTE D B Y S POTT I SW OODE AND C O N E W -STR E E T SQ UARE AND PAR L I AM ENT STR EET L ONDON : PR I NT E D B Y S POTT I SW OODE AND C O N E W -STREET SQ UARE AND PARL I AM ENT STR EET T O T H E GO L D C O A S T F O R G O L D A P E R S O N A L N A R R A TI V E B Y R H A R D F B R T I C . U O N AND V E R N E Y L O V E TT CA M E R O N — W V L . IN T O VOLUME S O . I 3301117011 W D P C H A TTO 81. I US I C CA DI L LY N , 1 883 [A 1! r ig h t s r e s e r v e d ] O UR E! CELLENT FRI END J A M E S I R V I N E O F LI V ER P L F . S .A 6 m . ( OO , . ) W E I NSCRI B E THESE PAGES A S A TO K EN OF OUR APPRECIATION AND ADMIRATI ON FOR H I S COURA GE AND ENERGY I N OPENING A N D W ORK I NG T H E G OL DEN LANDS O F W ES TERN A FR I CA ‘ ’ M u ch ha ve I t r a velled in the r ea lm s of go ld S HA K ES PEA RE PR E F A CE THE fo llo wing extract from Wanderings in West ’ which 1 8 62 Africa, a book I wrote in and published m 1 8 63 (anony ously) in , will best explain the reasons which lately sent me to Western Africa I n ve a c o un r e fo r n t anc Dinkir a Tueful a a se r l t i s , i s e, , , W s a saw and c a A k m t h e -r o n n no t (W s ), espe i lly i , hill egi lyi g r h o f A cc a o ar e t a ct v in d n o d . Th e r , the pe ple s ill i e iggi g g l t s va in f o m t wo t o t fe in d am t r and f o m pi , ry g r hree et i e e , r t w v t o fift de e t f t is xt m a r e o ft n el e y ep ( igh y ee the e re e), e so near t h e r oads t hat loss o f life h as been the result . Sh n u b n t t kno wn t he m n ar e no t un ori g p ei g li le , i ers f u nt l bu d a Th t uff i d in req e y rie live . e s s rawn up by r opes c a o o r ca abash s and h u a wo r km an at t h e b o m l y p ts, l e , t s ott w d n th e it t o a r fo r m sh a t unn n h w v is i e s p py i pe elli g, o e er, unknown The xcavat ed ar th a . e e is c rried do wn to be was ed . B es d s nk n h es ho es t h an in t h e b ds h i es i i g t e l , ey p e o f r v and in ac c c uar t z w ch is u i ers, pl es olle t q , hi ro ghly n pou ded. They (the natives) often r efuse t o dig deeper t han the ch n for f ar o f t he a h cav n in and ua -c u h n i , e e rt i g ; , q rtz r s i g F viii PR E A CE. h u e o f u ck ve be n unkno wn t h e w not and t e s q i sil r i g , y ill h e nak d e e wash unless t h e gold sh o w c olo ur t o t e y . A s we advance no r thwards fro m t h e Go ld C oast t h e e m es r ch r yield b co i e . I t is beco m ing evident t h at A fr ica will o ne day equal - - f half a doz en Cali o rnias . Will o ur grandsons believe in t h ese t im es t hat t his O h r — t h a t h Ca fo r n a wh r ver v is a Tm olus p i t is li i , e e e y ri er — and a Pact o us ev r hil o ck a o d-fi eld do es not co nt a n l , e y l is g l i a c ad a udd n -m ach n a uar t z -c ush a und o f r le, p li g i e, q r er, po m erc ury ? Th at h alf t he washings ar e wasted because quicksilver is unknown ? Th at whilst convict labo ur is at t a nab not a co m an has b n fo m d no t a u v r i le, p y ee r e , s r eyo h as been sent o ut ? I exclaim with Dom inie Sam pson Pr o -di-gio ns West ern A fr ica wa s the first field th at supplied t h e c o u m t a t o m d aeva E u o Th e F nch cla m o pre i s e l e i l r pe. re i t h av m o t d it f o m E m na as ar as A .D 1 382 I n e i p r e r l i e ly . 1 442 Go ncales B aldez a ret ur ned fro m his seco nd voyage t o u B o ado b n n w h him t he fi t he on abo t s d . regi s t j r, ri gi g i r t gol Presently a co m pany was fo r m ed fo r th e purpo se of carrying n t o d-t ad b t w n o t u a and A f ca I t d o he g l r e e ee P r g l ri . s lea ing m en w r t h e na v a o s L anz a o t and Gilianez and e e ig t r r e , Pr ince H enry t h e N avigato r did not di sdain t o beco m e a m m b I n 1 4 1 J 0 50 de S ant ar m and P d E o bar e er. 7 e e ro sc ac d a ac o n t h e Go d C a t o wh c f m t h e re he pl e l o st i h, ro abundanc o f o d fo und h r t h a t h e nam o f S ao e g l t e e, ey g ve e ’ J or da M na t h e r n E m na . A ft r t his a flo o d o f je i , p ese t l i e o d our d n o t h e la o f E ur o and at ast cu d t g l p e i t p pe ; l , pi i y h a n m ast r d e r r of t h e Pa a B u wh ch ass ned t o vi g e e t r o p l ll, i ig Po u a an xc u i t o t he E a e n H m s h e rt g l e l sive r ght st r e i p er , PR E F A CE . ix E n sh Fr ench and Dut ch adv nt u e a n d t o h a gli , , e r rs h ste e s re h s t e spo il . n For long years my words fell upo flat ears . Pre — sently the Ashanti war of 1 8 73 74 brought the subject r before the public . The Protectorate was ove run by f and British o ficers , and their reports itineraries never failed to contain, with a marvellous unanimity of — G .