Strange Articles of Food--Native Cookery--The River Amissa--Reception by the Caboceer of Amissa--Soil, Fruits, &c.--An Adventure--Visit from a Hyena--The River Anaqua--Arsafah--Soil, Fruits, &c.--Beautiful Birds--Moors and Arabs here--Cattle--Return to Cape Coast--Hospitable Reception there--Invitation from the King of Ashantee--My Reply--Visit the Neighbourhood of Cape Coast--Coffee Plantations--Indolence of the Natives--The Town of Napoleon--Eyau Awkwano--Fruits Growing Spontaneously--Bad Roads--Singular Mode of Carrying Timber--Cotton Trees--The Dwarf Cotton Shrub--Scene of a Sanguinary Battle--Djewkwa--Native Houses--An Intoxicated Caboceer--The Caboceer’s Presents--Account of him--Return to Cape Coast--Sail for Whydah--Winnebah Method of Curing Fish--Natives--Stock--Neighbouring Country--The Devil’s Hill--Soil--Yanwin (samphire)--The River Jensu--Beautiful Birds--The King-fisher. At 4 A.M. we resumed our journey to the River Amissa, distant three miles. Our road passed over loose sand, and was very fatiguing to the traveller. After walking about two miles, we came to a small lake, where we found two fishermen busily engaged in cutting up a very large shark, which they said they were dividing into so many cowries’ worth, or, as we should say, two pennyworths. Here “all is fish that comes to net.” They eat anything; alligators, alligators’ eggs, dogs, monkeys, cats,--in fact, there are few things they will not devour as a meal. Their method of cooking is certainly very good. Their soups and stews are wholesome; and their palm-soup is delicious, either made with fish or fowl; it is seasoned with palm-oil and pepper. Kankie, a sort of bread made from the Indian corn, coarsely ground, is the most common food, as wheaten bread is in Europe. Of vegetables they have great varieties: yams, cassada, or manioc root, sweet potatoes, and plantains, as well as many other herbs used for soups. We saw at this place the remains of a very large whale, which had been driven on shore some time before. After passing along the beach, still on the loose sand, about one mile, we reached the river Amissa, which might more correctly be called a lake. The whole of the party except myself were carried across by the same men who had carried them the previous part of the journey; but I, having no carriers, was ferried across by one of the chief’s or caboceer’s canoes, which happened to be on the lake. After crossing it, we immediately proceeded to the kroom, or village, named, from the lake or river, Amissa. Here the old caboceer received us very kindly, and soon cleared out a house for our accommodation. We then walked round the village, which is pleasantly situated on a good soil, differing from any I had seen on the coast farther westward. It is black, loamy, and very rich and fertile, bearing many large trees of different kinds, such as cocoas, bananas, and plantains, in great abundance. Pine-apples come up spontaneously.