On the same evening we anchored off Ahguay, another of the greatest slave-marts on the coast of Africa; and on the following morning went on shore in one of Mr. Hutton’s canoes, which we brought from Cape Coast, as well as a crew of canoemen, as there is great difficulty at times when shipping slaves in obtaining them, for they are generally themselves slaves, and their masters invariably slave-dealers, Spaniards and Portuguese. In fact, all the natives here who can afford it are all concerned in this traffic. After landing, we proceeded to Mr. Hutton’s factory, on the south side of the town, facing the sea, distant half a mile, over a bed of loose dry sand, and always very hot. The sea-breeze, however, renders it less distressing. Upon nearing the factory, we were met by the caboceer, a tall fat man, with bloodshot eyes. He appeared to be a complete specimen of the drunken sot, which I found to be truly the case. He wore a country cloth round his loins, and a light blue hat, too small for him. On his wrists he had heavy iron bracelets, rudely manufactured. On this occasion he was attended by his principal captains, or headmen, but what in any civilized country would be called a disgusting rabble. About twenty or thirty had old Danish muskets, with which they kept up an irregular fire when the guns were inclined to go off, which was seldom the case more than once out of four times. A great many, however, never broke silence, running round their chief like so many loose hounds, and performing the most ludicrous and disgusting gestures, to show, as they imagined, their great superiority to strangers. This remarkable cavalcade was accompanied by the principal of the fetish-women. Her dress or surplice was of the most grotesque description. On her head was a fore-and-aft hat, in the form of a naval cocked hat, made of grass or rushes, manufactured like our rush baskets in England; a number of greegrees, or charms, were suspended round her neck. Her lower garment, or official costume, was a thick coat of thatch of the long grass, one end plaited into a band about four feet long. This band is tied round the body, the loose ends of the grass hanging downwards in the form of the Highlander’s kilt, but not quite so good looking. The fetish-woman also wears on these state occasions a sheep or goat’s skull on her forehead, outside her rush cap. She also carries two rude wooden batons, one in each hand. She dances to the music of her two batons, beating on each other, her motion being about as graceful as a haycock shaken on the top of a haymaker’s pitchfork. Her body is white-washed with a very fine lime, manufactured from the oyster-shell, which is here in great abundance.