To The Gold Coast for Gold: A Personal Narrative. Vol. IIBurton, Richard Francis, Sir
History
To The Gold Coast for Gold: A Personal Narrative. Vol. II
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
Ghana -- Description and travel; Gold mines and mining -- Ghana
Amongst the few new faces seen at Tumento were two 'Krambos,' Moslems and
writers of charms and talismans. A 'Patent Improved Metallic Book,' which
looked in strange company, contained their 'fetish' and apparently
composed their travelling kit. Both hailed from about Tinbukhtu, but their
Arabic was so imperfect that I could make nothing of their route. These
men acquire considerable authority amongst the pagan negroes, who expect
great things from their 'grigris.' They managed to find us some eggs when
no one else could. This Hibernian race of Gold Coast blacks had eaten or
sold all its hens, and had kept only the loud-crowing cocks. The presence
of these two youths convinced me that there will be a Mohammedan movement
towards the Gold Coast. A few years may see thousands of them, with
mosques by the dozen established upon the sea-board. The 'revival of
El-Islam' shows itself nowhere so remarkably as in Africa.
At Tumento Cameron found himself growing rapidly worse. He suffered from
pains in the legs, and owned that even when crossing Africa during his
three years of wild life he remembered nothing more severe. In my own case
there was a severe tussle between Dr. Warburg and Fever-fiend. The attacks
had changed from a tertian to a quotidian, and every new paroxysm left me,
like the 'possessed' of Holy Writ after the expulsion of 'devils,' utterly
prostrate. During the three days' struggle I drained two bottles of
'Warburg.' The admirable drug won the victory, but it could not restore
sleep or appetite.
Seeing how matters stood, and how easily bad might pass to worse, I
proposed the proceeding whereby a man lived to fight another day. We were
also falling short of ready money, and the tornadoes were becoming matters
of daily occurrence. After a long and anxious pow-wow Cameron accepted,
and it was determined to run down to the coast, and there collect health
and strength for a new departure. No sooner said than done. On March 8 we
left Tumento in our big canoe, passed the night at Riverside House, and
next evening were inhaling, not a whit too soon, the inspiriting
sea-whiffs of Axim.
The rest of my tale is soon told.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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