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
That such a chain must exist is proved by the conduct of the Gold Coast
streams. The Ancobra, for instance, which often rises and falls from
twenty to forty feet in twenty-four hours, suggests that its sources
spring from an elevated plane at no great distance from the sea. The lands
south of the Kong Mountains are grassy and hilly with extensive plains.
This is known through the 'Donko slaves,' common on the coast. Many of
them come from about Salagha, the newly-opened mart upon the Upper Volta;
they declare that the land breeds ostriches and elephants, cattle and
camels, horses and asses. Moreover, it is visited by the northern peoples
who cross the Sahara. I have already noticed the grass-lands of Gyaman.
Captain Clapperton, on his second journey, setting out from Badagry to
Busa (Boussa), crossed a hill-range which would correspond with the Kong.
It is described as about eighty miles broad, and is said to extend from
behind Ashanti to Benin. The traveller, who estimated the culminating
point not to exceed 2,600 feet, found the rugged passes hemmed in by
denticulated walls and tons of granite, 600 to 700 feet high, and
sometimes overhanging the path. The valleys varied in breadth from a
hundred yards to half a mile. A comparatively large population occupied
the mountain-recesses, where they planted fine crops of yams, millet, and
cotton. The strangers were made welcome at every settlement. Ascending
hill after hill, they came to Chaki, a large town on the very summit of
the ridge. The _caboceer_ had a house and a stock of provisions ready for
his guests, put many questions, and earnestly pressed them to rest for two
or three days. When the whole chain was crossed they fell into the plains
of 'Yaruba' (Yoruba).
The next eye-witness is Mr. John Duncan, who visited Dahome in 1845. King
Gezo allowed him a guard of a hundred men, in order to explore with safety
the 'Mahi, or Kong Mountains.' His son and successor was not so generous;
he systematically and churlishly refused all travellers, myself included,
permission to pass northwards of his capital. The Lifeguardsman found the
chain, which is distant more than a hundred miles from Agbome, differing
from his expectations in character, appearance, and even position. The
grand, imposing line looked from afar like colossal piles of ruins; a
nearer view showed immense blocks, some of them 200 feet long, egg-shaped
and lying upon their sides. Nearly all the settlements had chosen the
summits, doubtless for defence. Mr. Duncan crossed the whole breadth of
these 'Kong Mountains,' and pushed 180 miles beyond them over a level land
which must shed to the Niger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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