captain having before traded at Annamaboo, either as cabin-boy or captain, when the gold-takers of the ship in which he be fore sailed become the privileged persons, and claim the distinction and emoluments as gold-takers, on the present, as well as on all future, voyages he may have occasion to make on the Gold Coast. The duties of their office are to settle all disputes arising in the course of trade between the natives and the captains; and they are also responsible for the quality of the gold received in barter, which is weighed and examined minutely by persons deputed by them, and who constantly reside on board the vessels for that express purpose. The emoluments arising to them for these services, consist of à quantity of merchandise, of the value of 51., denominated their sea-cloth's, which is given to them immediately on the vessel's arrival; and when her lading is completed, they are paid one acky of gold for each slave received on board. Their deputies

also receive monthly pay and subsistence whilst officiating. Some of these goldtakers are sagacious fellows, and keen observers, who soon find out the weak side of a man, and treat him accordingly. They have always a bye name for each European, arising from what they conceive to be a moral vice, or a physical deformity. One man they call cheegwa, or red head; another, pockum-pockum, or long chin; a third, amphiteshu, or, don't spit upon deck; a fourth, cocroco, or big; and a tall thin man, tsin tsin lan, or long fellow; a hypocrite, dada; an avaricious man, acacumma, or, a little more.

One day, a vain, consequential captain was giving himself airs, and abusing one of his gold-takers, a sly old fellow, who happened to know by report something of his family connexions in England, one of whom was a plumber. The old man, after looking at him with the most ineffable contempt, said to him, with great emphasis—“ Who

you? You father no make lead bar.* You be big man? You no big! You family nobody!" Then, snapping his fingers in his face, coolly marched over the ship's side into his canoe. Some of the officers and ship's company were present, and very much enjoyed the mortification which their ostentatious commander suffered on this occasion, and who was rendered mute by the unexpected and energetic retort of the old man. But the Africans often say in a few words that which is very expressive. A female slave, who attended a family coming from Jamaica to England in a ship where I was, was asked, one morning, why her master (a very big man) was so much alarmed the preceding night; for he had run upon deck in his shirt, screaming violently, "we shall all be lost! we shall all be lost!" merely because there was more bustle upon deck than usual, deck than usual, in consequence

* Lead bars, as articles of trade, are held in the lowest estimation by the traders of Annamaboo.

of taking in sail in a squall which had come suddenly on. Her reply was, "Massa big for noten;" meaning to say, her master was big for nothing, or, in other words, that Nature had made him large beyond the ordinary stature of man, without endowing him with courage, or self-command.

Mr. Brian Edwards relates, in his History of the West Indies, an anecdote of a boy, who had made a fatiguing journey in order to convey a letter to him, that required an immediate answer. The boy arrived in the middle of the night; and whilst Mr. Edwards was engaged writing a reply, he gathered himself into one corner of the room, and fell into a sound sleep. When Mr. Edwards had completed his letter, he called to the boy two or three times, who not answering, his own servant, who was near, came into the room, and shaking violently the fatigued and sleeping Quamina, asked him sharply, "You no hear Massa call you?" when the yawning boy answered,

peevishly, "Sleep no hab massa,” or, sleep has no master. What could possibly be more expressive than the spontaneous answer of this tired and sleepy child of nature! and how few sailors are there, but who have felt the full force of the expres

sion, and which is ably described by our immortal bard, Shakspeare:

Canst thou upon the high and giddy mast,
Seal up the ship-boy's eyes, and rock his brains
In cradle of the rude, imperious surge?

And, in the visitation of the winds,

Who take the ruffian billows by the top,

Curling their monstrous heads, and hanging them
With deafening clamours in the slippery shrouds,
That with the hurly, death itself awakes ;
Canst thou, O partial sleep! give thy repose

To the wet sea-boy in an hour so rude?
And, in the calmest and the stillest night,
With all appliances, and means to boat,
Deny it to a king?—

The form of the FANTEE government is republican. A number of old men called Pinins, at the head of whom is Amooni