I experienced great kindness during my stay at Annamaboe from the merchants of that place, both English and native; and was indebted, during the whole of my visit there, to the hospitality of Mr. Brewe, a very respectable and enterprising merchant. Among the native merchants I may justly point out Mr. Parker, who, though educated in Africa, would appear with advantage even in Europe. His memory is astonishing; he has read a great deal, and has a very good library of the best English writers. With regard to reading, indeed, he is an exception to the rest of his countrymen, owing, I believe, principally to their erroneous system of education. November 30th.--I took my departure from Annamaboe, to visit the krooms[4] along the coast. Three quarters of a mile from Annamaboe, we reached a small village of about four hundred inhabitants, named Agah, and bearing E. 2° N. from Annamaboe. My companion, Mr. Brewe, being well acquainted with the King, or chief, I was introduced to him, and he expressed his gratification at seeing me in his kroom, and desired us to enter his house, and partake of some palm wine, or peto.[5] But having a long and difficult journey to perform in the scorching sun, we excused ourselves, and proceeded on our journey to the next kroom, which is three miles and a quarter from Annamaboe. Our road was along the beach, on dry sand, ankle deep, and in the sun, with a heat of 118° Fahrenheit, which rendered it very fatiguing for people on foot. However, in an hour and a quarter we reached the kroom called Little Cromantine, formerly a Dutch settlement of considerable trade, bearing E. 2° N. from Annamaboe. It has a strong fort, although now abandoned and going to decay; consequently its trade has also gone to Annamaboe. The fort is in one of the best positions on the whole of the African coast. It is built on a perpendicular rock one hundred feet high, washed at its base by the sea. It is so steep as to be accessible by land only by means of a zigzag path, and yet its garrison surrendered without resistance to the Ashantees, when they might have defended themselves against any number of assailants. Its courtyard is entirely overgrown with small shrubs; but there still remain on the batteries twenty-four good twenty-four pounders. This fort might be easily put into complete repair. The village contains not more than five or six hundred inhabitants, who live chiefly by catching fish, which they carry to Annamaboe. It is a wretched kroom. The houses are very indifferently built, without any regularity; and in passing from house to house, you must climb over one rugged rock after another, as is sometimes the case on the sea-beach in England.