[1] Goldberg is also the name of a small town in the grand-duchy of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
GOLD COAST, that portion of the Guinea Coast (West Africa) which extends
from Assini upon the west to the river Volta on the east. It derives its
name from the quantities of grains of gold mixed with the sand of the
rivers traversing the district. The term Gold Coast is now generally
identified with the British Gold Coast colony. This extends from 3 deg.
7' W. to 1 deg. 14' E., the length of the coast-line being about 370 m.
It is bounded W. by the Ivory Coast colony (French), E. by Togoland
(German). On the north the British possessions, including Ashanti (q.v.)
and the Northern Territories, extend to the 11th degree of north
latitude. The frontier separating the colony from Ashanti (fixed by
order in council, 22nd of October 1906) is in general 130 m. from the
coast, but in the central portion of the colony the southern limits of
Ashanti project wedge-like to the confluence of the rivers Ofin and
Prah, which point is but 60 m. from the sea at Cape Coast. The combined
area of the Gold Coast, Ashanti and the Northern Territories, is about
80,000 sq. m., with a total population officially estimated in 1908 at
2,700,000; the Gold Coast colony alone has an area of 24,200 sq. m.,
with a population of over a million, of whom about 2000 are Europeans.
[Map: Gold Coast and Hinterland.]
_Physical features._--Though the lagoons common to the West African
coast are found both at the western and eastern extremities of the
colony (Assini in the west and Kwitta in the east) the greater part of
the coast-line is of a different character. Cape Three Points (4 deg.
44' 40" N. 2 deg. 5' 45" W.) juts boldly into the sea, forming the
most southerly point of the colony. Thence the coast trends E. by N.,
and is but slightly indented. The usually low sandy beach is, however,
diversified by bold, rocky headlands. The flat belt of country does
not extend inland any considerable distance, the spurs of the great
plateau which forms the major part of West Africa advancing in the
east, in the Akwapim district, near to the coast. Here the hills reach
an altitude of over 2000 ft. Out of the level plain rise many isolated
peaks, generally of conical formation. Numerous rivers descend from
the hills, but bars of sand block their mouths, and the Gold Coast
possesses no harbours. Great Atlantic rollers break unceasingly upon
the shore. The chief rivers are the Volta (q.v.), the Ankobra and the
Prah. The Ankobra or Snake river traverses auriferous country, and
reaches the sea some 20 m. west of Cape Three Points. It has a course
of about 150 m., and is navigable in steam launches for about 80 m.
The Prah ("Busum Prah," sacred river) is regarded as a fetish stream
by the Fanti and Ashanti. One of its sub-tributaries has its rise near
Kumasi. The Prah rises in the N.E. of the colony and flows S.W. Some
60 m. from its mouth it is joined by the Ofin, which comes from the
north-west. The united stream flows S. and reaches the sea in 1 deg.
35' W. As a waterway the river, which has a course of 400 m., is
almost useless, owing to the many cataracts in its course. Another
river is the Tano, which for some distance in its lower course forms
the boundary between the colony and the Ivory Coast.
_Geology._--Cretaceous rocks occur at intervals along the coast belt,
but are mostly hidden under an extensive development of superficial
deposits. Basalt occurs at Axim. Inland is a broad belt of sandstone
and marl with an occasional band of auriferous conglomerate, best
known and most extensively worked for gold in the Wasaw district.
Though the conglomerates bear some resemblance to the "Banket" of
South Africa they are most probably of more recent date. The alluvial
silts and gravels also carry gold.
_Climate._--The climate on the coast is hot, moist and unhealthy,
especially for Europeans. The mean temperature in the shade in the
coast towns is 78 deg. to 80 deg. F. Fevers and dysentery are the
diseases most to be dreaded by the European. The native inhabitants,
although they enjoy tolerable health and live to an average age, are
subject in the rainy season to numerous chest complaints. There are
two wet seasons. From April to August are the greater rains, whilst in
October and November occur the "smalls" or second rains. From the end
of December to March the dry harmattan wind blows from the Sahara. In
consequence of the prevalence of the sea-breeze from the south-west
the western portion of the colony, up to the mouth of the Sekum river
(a small stream to the west of Accra), is called the windward
district, the eastward portion being known as the leeward. The
rainfall at Accra, in the leeward district, averages 27 in. in the
year, but at places in the windward district is much greater,
averaging 79 in. at Axim.
_Flora._--The greater part (probably three-fourths) of the colony is
covered with primeval forest. Here the vegetation is so luxuriant that
for great distances the sky is shut out from view. As a result of the
struggle to reach the sunlight the forest growths are almost entirely
vertical. The chief trees are silk cottons, especially the bombax, and
gigantic hard-wood trees, such as the African mahogany, ebony, odum
and camwood. The bombax rises for over 100 ft., a straight column-like
shaft, 25 to 30 ft. in circumference, and then throws out horizontally
a large number of branches. The lowest growth in the forest consists
of ferns and herbaceous plants. Of the ferns some are climbers
reaching 30 to 40 ft. up the stems of the trees they entwine.
Flowering plants are comparatively rare; they include orchids and a
beautiful white lily. The "bush" or intermediate growth is made up of
smaller trees, the rubber vine and other creepers, some as thick as
hawsers, bamboos and sensitive mimosa, and has a height of from 30 to
60 ft. The creepers are found not only in the bush, but on the ground
and hanging from the branches of the highest trees. West of the Prah
the forest comes down to the edge of the Atlantic. East of that river
the coast land is covered with bushes 5 to 12 ft. high, occasional
large trees and groves of oil palms. Still farther east, by Accra, are
numerous arborescent Euphorbias, and immediately west of the lower
Volta forests of oil palms and grassy plains with fan palms. Behind
all these eastern regions is a belt of thin forest country before the
denser forest is reached. In the north-east are stretches of
orchard-like country with wild plum, shea-butter and kola trees,
baobabs, dwarf date and fan palms. The cotton and tobacco plants grow
wild. At the mouths of the rivers and along the lagoons the mangrove
is the characteristic tree. There are numerous coco-nut palms along
the coast. The fruit trees and plants also include the orange,
pine-apple, mango, papaw, banana and avocado or alligator pear.
_Fauna._--The fauna includes leopards, panthers, hyenas, Potto lemurs,
jackals, antelopes, buffaloes, wild-hogs and many kinds of monkey,
including the chimpanzee and the _Colobus vellerosus_, whose skin,
with long black silky hair, is much prized in Europe. The elephant has
been almost exterminated by ivory hunters. The snakes include pythons,
cobras, horned and puff adders and the venomous water snake. Among the
lesser denizens of the forest are the squirrel and porcupine.
Crocodiles and in fewer numbers manatees and otters frequent the
rivers and lagoons and hippopotami are found in the Volta. Lizards of
brilliant hue, tortoises and great snails are common. Birds, which are
not very numerous, include parrots and hornbills, kingfishers,
ospreys, herons, crossbills, curlews, woodpeckers, doves, pigeons,
storks, pelicans, swallows, vultures and the spur plover (the
last-named rare). Shoals of herrings frequent the coast, and the other
fish include mackerel, sole, skate, mullet, bonito, flying fish,
fighting fish and shynose. Sharks abound at the mouths of all the
rivers, edible turtle are fairly common, as are the sword fish,
dolphin and sting ray (with poisonous caudal spine). Oysters are
numerous on rocks running into the sea and on the exposed roots of
mangrove trees. Insect life is multitudinous; beetles, spiders, ants,
fireflies, butterflies and jiggers abound. The earthworm is rare. The
mosquitos include the _Culex_ or ordinary kind, the _Anopheles_, which
carry malarial fever, and the _Stegomyia_, a striped white and black
mosquito which carries yellow-fever.
_Inhabitants._--The natives are all of the Negro race. The most
important tribe is the Fanti (q.v.), and the Fanti language is
generally understood throughout the colony. The Fanti and Ashanti are
believed to have a common origin. It is certain that the Fanti came
originally from the north and conquered many of the coast tribes, who
anciently had owned the rule of the king of Benin. The districts in
general are named after the tribes inhabiting them. Those in the
western part of the colony are mainly of Fanti stock; the Accra and
allied tribes inhabit the eastern portion and are believed to be the
aboriginal inhabitants. The Akim (Akem), who occupy the north-east
portion of the colony, have engaged in gold-digging from time
immemorial. The capital of their country is Kibbi. The Akwapim
(Aquapem), southern neighbours of the Akim, are extensively engaged in
agriculture and in trade. The Accra, a clever race, are to be found in
all the towns of the West African coast as artisans and sailors. They
are employed by the interior tribes as middlemen and interpreters. On
the right bank of the Volta occupying the low marshy land near the sea
are the Adangme. The Krobos live in little villages in the midst of
the palm tree woods which grow round about the Kroboberg, an eminence
about 1000 ft. high. Their country lies between that of the Akim and
the Adangme. In the west of the colony is the Ahanta country, formerly
an independent kingdom. The inhabitants were noted for their skill in
war. They are one of the finest and most intelligent of the tribes of
Accra stock. The Apollonia, a kindred race, occupy the coast region
nearest the Ivory Coast.
Native Languages.
The Tshi, Tchwi or Chi language,[1] which is that spoken on the Gold
Coast, belongs to the great prefix-pronominal group. It comprises many
dialects, which may, however, be reduced to two classes or types. Akan
dialects are spoken in Assini, Amanahia (Apollonia), Awini, Ahanta,
Wasaw, Tshuforo (Juffer or Tufel), and Denkyera in the west, and in
Asen, Akim, and Akwapim in the east, as well as in the different parts
of Ashanti. Fanti dialects are spoken, not only in Fanti proper, but
in Afutu or the country round Cape Coast, in Abora, Agymako, Akomfi,
Gomoa and Agona. The difference between the two types is not very
great; a Fanti, for example, can converse without much difficulty with
a native of Akwapim or Ashanti, his language being in fact a
deteriorated form of the same original. Akim is considered the finest
and purest of all the Akan dialects. The Akwapim, which is based on
the Akim but has imbibed Fanti influences, has been made the
book-language by the Basel missionaries. They had reduced it to
writing before 1850. About a million people in all, it is estimated,
speak dialects of the Tshi.
The south-eastern corner of the Gold Coast is occupied by another
language known as the Ga or Accra, which comprises the Ga proper and
the Adangme and Krobo dialects. Ga proper is spoken by about 40,000
people, including the inhabitants of Ga and Kinka (i.e. Accra, in
Tshi, Nkran and Kankan), Osu (i.e. Christiansborg), La, Tessi, Ningua
and numerous inland villages. It has been reduced to writing by the
missionaries. The Adangme and Krobo dialects are spoken by about
80,000 people. They differ very considerably from Ga proper, but books
printed in Ga can be used by both the Krobo and Adangme natives.
Another language known as Guan is used in parts of Akwapim and in Anum
beyond the Volta; but not much is known either about it or the Obutu
tongue spoken in a few towns in Agona, Gomoa and Akomfi.
Religion and education.
Fetishism (q.v.) is the prevailing religion of all the tribes. Belief
in a God is universal, as also is a belief in a future state.
Christianity and Mahommedanism are both making progress. The natives
professing Christianity number about 40,000. A Moravian mission was
started at Christiansborg about 1736; the Basel mission (Evangelical)
was begun in 1828, the missionaries combining manual training and farm
labour with purely religious work; the Wesleyans started a mission
among the Fanti in 1835, and the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches
are also represented, as well as the Bremen Missionary Society.
Elementary education is chiefly in the hands of the Wesleyan, Basel,
Bremen and Roman Catholic missions, who have schools at many towns
along the coast and in the interior. There are also government and
Mahommedan schools. The natives generally are extremely intelligent.
They obtain easily the means of subsistence, and are disinclined to
unaccustomed labour, such as working in mines. They are keen traders.
The native custom of burying the dead under the floors of the houses
prevailed until 1874, when it was prohibited by the British
authorities.
_Towns._--Unlike the other British possessions on the west coast of
Africa, the colony has many towns along the shore, this being due to
the multiplicity of traders of rival nations who went thither in quest
of gold. Beginning at the west, Newtown, on the Assini or Eyi lagoon,
is just within the British frontier. The first place of importance
reached is Axim (pop., 1901, 2189), the site of an old Dutch fort
built near the mouth of the Axim river, and in the pre-railway days
the port of the gold region. Rounding Cape Three Points, whose
vicinity is marked by a line of breakers nearly 2-1/2 m. long, Dixcove
is reached. Twenty miles farther east is Sekondi (q.v.), (pop. about
5000), the starting-point of the railway to the goldfields and Kumasi.
Elmina (q.v.), formerly one of the most important posts of European
settlement, is reached some distance after passing the mouth of the
Prah. Eight miles east of Elmina is Cape Coast (q.v.), pop. (1901)
28,948. Anamabo is 9 m. farther east. Here, in 1807, a handful of
English soldiers made a heroic and successful defence of its fort
against the whole Ashanti host. Saltpond, towards the end of the 19th
century, diverted to itself the trade formerly done by Anamabo, from
which it is distant 9 m. Saltpond is a well-built, flourishing town,
and is singular in possessing no ancient fort. Between Anamabo and
Saltpond is Kormantine (Cormantyne), noted as the place whence the
English first exported slaves from this coast. Hence the general name
Coromantynes given in the West Indies to slaves from the Gold Coast.
Eighty miles from Cape Coast is Accra (q.v.) (pop. 17,892), capital of
the colony. (Winnebah is passed 30 m. before Accra is reached. It is
an old town noted for the manufacture of canoes.) There is no station
of much importance in the 60 m. between Accra and the Volta, on the
right bank of which river, near its mouth, is the town of Addah (pop.
13,240). Kwitta (pop. 3018) lies beyond the Volta not far from the
German frontier. Of the inland towns Akropong, the residence of the
king of Akwapim, is one of the best known. It is 39 m. N.E. of Accra,
stands on a ridge 1400 ft. above sea-level, and is a healthy place for
European residents. At Akropong are the headquarters of the Basel
Missionary Society. Akuse is a large town on the banks of the Volta.
Tarkwa is the centre of the gold mining industry in the Wasaw
district. Its importance dates from the beginning of the 20th century.
Accra, Cape Coast and Sekondi possess municipal government.
_Agriculture and Trade._--The soil is everywhere very fertile and the
needs of the people being few there is little incentive to work. The
forests alone supply an inexhaustible source of wealth, notably in the
oil palm. Among vegetable products cultivated are cocoa, cotton,
Indian corn, yams, cassava, peas, peppers, onions, tomatoes,
groundnuts (_Arachis hypogaea_), Guinea corn (_Sorghum vulgare_) and
Guinea grains (_Amomum grana-paradisi_). The most common article of
cultivation is, however, the kola nut (_Sterculia acuminata_), the
favourite substitute in West Africa for the betel nut. In 1890 efforts
were made by the establishment of a government botanical station at
Aburi in the Accra district to induce the natives to improve their
methods of cultivation and to enlarge the number of their crops. This
resulted in the formation of hundreds of cocoa plantations, chiefly in
the district immediately north of Accra. Subsequently the cultivation
of the plant extended to every district of the colony. The industry
had been founded in 1879 by a native of Accra, but it was not until
1901, as the result of the government's fostering care, that the
export became of importance. In that year the quantity exported
slightly exceeded 2,000,000 lb. and fetched L42,000. In 1907 the
quantity exported was nearly 21,000,000 lb. and in value exceeded
L515,000. In 1904 efforts were begun by the government and the British
Cotton Growing Association in co-operation to foster the growing of
cotton for export and by 1907 the cotton industry had become firmly
established. Tobacco and coffee are grown at some of the Basel
missionary stations.
The chief exports are gold, palm oil and palm kernels, cocoa, rubber,
timber (including mahogany) and kola nuts. Of these articles the gold
and rubber are shipped chiefly to England, whilst Germany, France and
America, take the palm products and groundnuts. The rubber comes
chiefly from Ashanti. The imports consist of cotton goods, rum, gin
and other spirits, rice, sugar, tobacco, beads, machinery, building
materials and European goods generally.
The value of the trade increased from L1,628,309 in 1896 to L4,055,351
in 1906. In the last named year the imports were valued at L2,058,839
and the exports at L1,996,412. While the value of imports had remained
nearly stationary since 1902 the value of exports had nearly trebled
in that period. In the five years 1903-1907 the total trade increased
from L3,063,486 to L5,007,869. Great Britain and British colonies take
66% of the exports and supply over 60% of the imports. In both import
and export trade Germany is second, followed by France and the United
States. Specie is included in these totals, over a quarter of a
million being imported in 1904.
Fishing is carried on extensively along the coast, and salted and
sun-dried fish from Addah and Kwitta districts find a ready sale
inland. Cloths are woven by the natives from home-grown and imported
yarn; the making of canoes, from the silk-cotton trees, is a
flourishing industry, and salt from the lagoons near Addah is roughly
prepared. There are also native artificers in gold and other metals,
the workmanship in some cases being of conspicuous merit. Odum wood is
largely used in building and for cabinet work.
_Gold Mining._--Gold is found in almost every part of the colony, but
only in a few districts in paying quantities. Although since the
discovery of the coast gold had been continuously exported to Europe
from its ports, it was not until the last twenty years of the 19th
century that efforts were made to extract gold according to modern
methods. The richness of the Tarkwa main reef was first discovered by
a French trader, M. J. Bennat, about 1880. During the period 1880 to
1900 the value of the gold exported varied from a minimum of L32,000
to a maximum (1889) of L103,000. The increased interest shown in the
industry led to the construction of a railway (see below) to the chief
goldfields, whereby the difficulties of transport were largely
overcome. Consequent upon the taking up of a number of concessions, a
concessions ordinance was issued in August 1900. This was followed in
1901 by the grant of 2825 concessions, and a "boom" in the West
African market on the London stock exchange. Many concessions were
speedily abandoned, and in 1901 the export of gold dropped to its
lowest point, 6162 oz., worth L22,186, but in 1902 a large company
began crushing ore and the output of gold rose to 26,911 oz., valued
at L96,880. In 1907 the export was 292,125 oz., worth L1,164,676. It
should be noted that one of the principal gold mines is not in the
colony proper, but at Obuassi in Ashanti. Underground labour is
performed mainly by Basas and Krumen from Liberia. Of native tribes
the Apollonia have proved the best for underground work, as they have
mining traditions dating from Portuguese times. A good deal of
alluvial gold is obtained by dredging apparatus. The use of dredging
apparatus is modern, but the natives have worked the alluvial soil and
the sand of the seashore for generations to get the gold they contain.
_Communications._--The colony possesses a railway, built and owned by
the government, which serves the gold mines, and has its sea terminus
at Sekondi. Work was begun in August 1898, but owing to the
disturbance caused by the Ashanti rising of 1900 the rails only
reached Tarkwa (39 m.) in May 1901. Thence the line is carried to
Kumasi, the distance to Obuassi (124 m.) being completed by December
1902, whilst the first train entered the Ashanti capital on the 1st of
October 1903. The total length of the line is 168 m. The cost of
construction was L1,820,000. The line has a gauge 3 ft. 6 in. There is
a branch line, 20 m. long, from Tarkwa N.W. to Prestea on the Ankobra
river. Another railway, built 1907-10, 35 m. in length, runs from
Accra to Mangoase, in the centre of the chief cocoa plantations. An
extension to Kumasi has been surveyed.
Tortuous bush tracks are the usual means of internal communication.
These are kept in fair order in the neighbourhood of government
stations. There is a well-constructed road 141 m. long from Cape Coast
to Kumasi, and roads connecting neighbouring towns are maintained by
the government. Systematic attempts to make use of the upper Volta as
a means of conveying goods to the interior were first tried in 1900.
The rapids about 60 m. from the mouth of the river effectually prevent
boats of large size passing up the stream. Where railways or canoes
are not available goods are generally carried on the heads of porters,
60 lb. being a full load. Telegraphs, introduced in 1882, connect all
the important towns in the colony, and a line starting at Cape Coast
stretches far inland, via Kumasi to Wa in the Northern Territories.
Accra and Sekondi are in telegraphic communication with Europe, the
Ivory Coast, Lagos and the Cape of Good Hope. There is regular and
frequent steamship communication with Europe by British, Belgian and
German lines.
_Administration, Revenue, &c._--The country is governed as a crown
colony, the governor being assisted by a legislative council composed
of officials and nominated unofficial members. Laws, called
ordinances, are enacted by the governor with the advice and consent of
this council. The law of the colony is the common law and statutes of
general application in force in England in 1874, modified by local
ordinances passed since that date. The governor is also governor of
Ashanti and the Northern Territories, but in those dependencies the
legislative council has no authority.
Native laws and customs--which are extremely elaborate and
complicated--are not interfered with "except when repugnant to natural
justice." Those relating to land tenure and succession may be thus
summarized. Individual tenure is not unknown, but most land is held by
the tribe or by the family in common, each member having the right to
select a part of the common land for his own use. Permanent alienation
can only take place with the unanimous consent of the family and is
uncommon, but long leases are granted. Succession is through the
female, i.e. when a man dies his property goes to his sister's
children. The government of the tribes is by their own kings and
chiefs under the supervision of district commissioners. Slavery has
been abolished in the colony. In the Northern Territories the dealing
in slaves is unlawful, neither can any person be put in pawn for debt;
nor will any court give effect to the relations between master and
slave except in so far as those relations may be in accordance with
the English laws relating to master and servant.
For administrative purposes the colony is divided into three provinces
under provincial commissioners, and each province is subdivided into
districts presided over by commissioners, who exercise judicial as
well as executive functions. The supreme court consists of a chief
justice and three puisne judges. The defence of the colony is
entrusted to the Gold Coast regiment of the West African Frontier
Force, a force of natives controlled by the Colonial Office but
officered from the British army. There is also a corps of volunteers
(formed 1892).
The chief source of revenue is the customs and (since 1902) railway
receipts, whilst the heaviest items of expenditure are transport
(including railways) and mine surveys, medical and sanitary services,
and maintenance of the military force. The revenue, which in the
period 1894-1898 averaged L244,559 yearly, rose in 1898-1903 to an
average of L556,316 a year. For the five years 1903-1907 the average
annual revenue was L647,557 and the average annual expenditure
L615,696. Save for municipal purposes there is no direct taxation in
the colony and no poor-houses exist. There is a public debt of
(December 1907) L2,206,964. It should be noted that the expenditure on
Ashanti and the Northern Territories is included in the Gold Coast
budget.
_History._--It is a debated question whether the Gold Coast was
discovered by French or by Portuguese sailors. The evidence available is
insufficient to prove the assertion, of which there is no contemporary
record, that a company of Norman merchants established themselves about
1364 at a place they named La Mina (Elmina), and that they traded with
the natives for nearly fifty years, when the enterprise was abandoned.
It is well established that a Portuguese expedition under Diogo
d'Azambuja, accompanied probably by Christopher Columbus, took
possession of (or founded) Elmina in 1481-1482. By the Portuguese it was
called variously Sao Jorge da Mina or Ora del Mina--the mouth of the
(gold) mines. That besides alluvial washings they also worked the gold
mines was proved by discoveries in the latter part of the 19th century.
The Portuguese remained undisturbed in their trade until the
Reformation, when the papal bull which had given the country, with many
others, to Portugal ceased to have a binding power. English ships in
1553 brought back from Guinea gold to the weight of 150 lb. The fame of
the Gold Coast thereafter attracted to it adventurers from almost every
European nation. The English were followed by French, Danes,
Brandenburgers, Dutch and Swedes. The most aggressive were the Dutch,
who from the end of the 16th century sought to oust the Portuguese from
the Gold Coast, and in whose favour the Portuguese did finally withdraw
in 1642, in return for the withdrawal on the part of the Dutch of their
claims to Brazil. The Dutch henceforth made Elmina their headquarters on
the coast. Traces of the Portuguese occupation, which lasted 160 years,
are still to be found, notably in the language of the natives. Such
familiar words as palaver, fetish, caboceer and dash (i.e. a gift) have
all a Portuguese origin.
Appearance of the English.
An English company built a fort at Kormantine previously to 1651, and
some ten years later Cape Coast Castle was built. The settlements made
by the English provoked the hostility of the Dutch and led to war
between England and Holland, during which Admiral de Ruyter destroyed
(1664-1665) all the English forts save Cape Coast castle. The treaty of
Breda in 1667 confirmed the Dutch in the possession of their conquests,
but the English speedily opened other trading stations. Charles II. in
1672 granted a charter to the Royal African Company, which built forts
at Dixcove, Sekondi, Accra, Whydah and other places, besides repairing
Cape Coast Castle. At this time the trade both in slaves and gold was
very great, and at the beginning of the 18th century the value of the
gold exported annually was estimated by Willem Bosman, the chief Dutch
factor at Elmina, to be over L200,000. The various European traders were
constantly quarrelling among themselves and exercised scarcely any
control over the natives. Piracy was rife along the coast, and was not
indeed finally stamped out until the middle of the 19th century. The
Royal African Company, which lost its monopoly of trade with England in
1700, was succeeded by another, the African Company of Merchants, which
was constituted in 1750 by act of parliament and received an annual
subsidy from government. The slave trade was then at its height and some
10,000 negroes were exported yearly. Many of the slaves were prisoners
of war sold to the merchants by the Ashanti, who had become the chief
native power. The abolition of the slave trade (1807) crippled the
company, which was dissolved in 1821, when the crown took possession of
the forts.
Danish and Dutch forts purchased.
Since the beginning of the 19th century the British had begun to
exercise territorial rights in the towns where they held forts, and in
1817 the right of the British to control the natives living in the coast
towns was recognized by Ashanti. In 1824 the first step towards the
extension of British authority beyond the coast region was taken by
Governor Sir Charles M'Carthy, who incited the Fanti to rise against
their oppressors, the Ashanti. (The Fanti's country had been conquered
by the Ashanti in 1807.) Sir Charles and the Fanti army were defeated,
the governor losing his life, but in 1826 the English gained a victory
over the Ashanti at Dodowah. At this period, however, the home
government, disgusted with the Gold Coast by reason of the perpetual
disturbances in the protectorate and the trouble it occasioned,
determined to abandon the settlements, and sent instructions for the
forts to be destroyed and the Europeans brought home. The merchants,
backed by Major Rickets, 2nd West India regiments, the administrator,
protested, and as a compromise the forts were handed over to a committee
of merchants (Sept. 1828), who were given a subsidy of L4000 a year. The
merchants secured (1830) as their administrator Mr George Maclean--a
gentleman with military experience on the Gold Coast and not engaged in
trade. To Maclean is due the consolidation of British interests in the
interior. He concluded, 1831, a treaty with the Ashanti advantageous to
the Fanti, whilst with very inadequate means he contrived to extend
British influence over the whole region of the present colony. In the
words of a Fanti trader Maclean understood the people, "he settled
things quietly with them and the people also loved him."[2] Complaints
that Maclean encouraged slavery reached England, but these were
completely disproved, the governor being highly commended on his
administration by the House of Commons Committee. It was decided,
nevertheless, that the Colonial Office should resume direct control of
the forts, which was done in 1843, Maclean continuing to direct native
affairs until his death in 1847. The jurisdiction of England on the Gold
Coast was defined by the bond of the 6th of March 1844, an agreement
with the native chiefs by which the crown received the right of trying
criminals, repressing human sacrifice, &c. The limits of the
protectorate inland were not defined. The purchase of the Danish forts
in 1850, and of the Dutch forts and territory in 1871, led to the
consolidation of the British power along the coast; and the Ashanti war
of 1873-74 resulted in the extension of the area of British influence.
Since that time the colony has been chiefly engaged in the development
of its material resources, a development accompanied by a slow but
substantial advance in civilization among the native population. (For
further historical information see ASHANTI.)
For a time the Gold Coast formed officially a limb of the "West African
Settlements" and was virtually a dependency of Sierra Leone. In 1874 the
settlements on the Gold Coast and Lagos were created a separate crown
colony, this arrangement lasting until 1886 when Lagos was cut off from
the Gold Coast administration.
_Northern Territories._
The Northern Territories of the Gold Coast form a British protectorate
to the north of Ashanti. They are bounded W. and N.--where 11 deg. N. is
the frontier line except at the eastern extremity--by the French
colonies of the Ivory Coast and Upper Senegal and Niger, E. by the
German colony of Togoland. The southern frontier, separating the
protectorate from Ashanti, is the Black Volta to a point a little above
its junction with the White Volta. Thence the frontier turns south and
afterwards east so as to include the Brumasi district in the
protectorate, the frontier gaining the main Volta below Yeji. The
Territories include nearly all the country from the meridian of
Greenwich to 3 deg. W. and between 8 deg. and 11 deg. N., and cover an
area of about 33,000 sq. m.
Lying north of the great belt of primeval forest which extends parallel
to the Guinea coast, the greater part of the protectorate consists of
open country, well timbered, and much of it presenting a park-like
appearance. There are also large stretches of grassy plains, and in the
south-east an area of treeless steppe. The flora and fauna resemble
those of Ashanti. The country is well watered, the Black Volta forming
the west and southern frontier for some distance, while the White Volta
traverses its central regions. Both rivers, and also the united stream,
contain rapids which impede but do not prevent navigation (see VOLTA).
The climate is much healthier than that of the coast districts, and the
fever experienced is of a milder type. The rainfall is less than on the
coast; the dry season lasts from November (when the harmattan begins to
blow) to March. The mean temperature at Gambaga is 80 deg. F., the mean
annual rainfall 43 in. The inhabitants were officially estimated in 1907
to number "at least 1,000,000." The Dagomba, Dagarti, Grunshi, Kangarga,
Moshi and Zebarima, Negro or Negroid tribes, constitute the bulk of the
people, and Fula, Hausa and Yoruba have settled as traders or cattle
raisers. A large number of the natives are Moslems, the rest are fetish
worshippers. The tribal organization is maintained by the British
authorities, who found comparatively little difficulty in putting an end
to slave-raiding and gaining the confidence of the chiefs. Trained by
British officers, the natives make excellent soldiers.
_Agriculture and Trade._--The chief crops are maize, guinea-corn,
millet, yams, rice, beans, groundnuts, tobacco and cotton. Cotton is
grown in most parts of the protectorate, the soil and climate in many
districts being very suitable for its cultivation. Rubber is found in
the north-western regions. When the protectorate was assumed by Great
Britain the Territories were singularly destitute of fruit trees. The
British have introduced the orange, citron, lime, guava, mango and
soursop, and among plants the banana, pine-apple and papaw. A large
number of vegetables and flowers have also been introduced by the
administration.
Stock-raising is carried on extensively, and besides oxen and sheep
there are large numbers of horses and donkeys in the Territories. The
chief exports are cattle, _dawa-dawa_ (a favourite flavouring matter
for soup among the Ashanti and other tribes) and shea-butter--the
latter used in cooking and as an illuminant. The principal imports are
kola-nuts, salt and cotton goods. A large proportion of the European
goods imported is German and comes through Togoland. The
administration levies a tax on traders' caravans, and in return
ensures the safety of the roads. This tax is the chief local source of
revenue. The revenue and expenditure of the Territories, as well as
statistics of trade, are included in those of the Gold Coast.
Gold exists in quartz formation, chiefly in the valley of the Black
Volta, and is found equally on the British and French sides of the
frontier.
_Towns._--The headquarters of the administration are at Tamale (or
Tamari), a town in the centre of the Dagomba country east of the White
Volta and 200 m. N.E. of Kumasi. Its inhabitants are keen traders, and
it forms a distributing centre for the whole protectorate. Gambaga, an
important commercial centre and from 1897 to 1907 the seat of
government, is in Mamprusi, the north-east corner of the protectorate
and is 85 m. N.N.E. of Tamale. A hundred and forty miles due south of
Gambaga is Salaga. This town is situated on the caravan route from the
Hausa states to Ashanti, and has a considerable trade in kola-nuts,
shea-butter and salt. On the White Volta, midway between Gambaga and
Salaga, is the thriving town of Daboya. On the western frontier are
Bole (Baule) and Wa. They carry on an extensive trade with Bontuku,
the capital of Jaman, and other places in the Ivory Coast colony. In
all the towns the population largely consists of aliens--Hausa,
Ashanti, Mandingos, &c.
_Communications._--Lack of easy communication with the sea hinders the
development of the country. The ancient caravan routes have been,
however, supplemented by roads built by the British, who have further
organized a service of boats on the Volta. Large cargo boats, chiefly
laden with salt, ascend that river from Addah to Yeji and Daboya. From
Yeji, the port of Salaga, a good road, 150 m. long, has been made to
Gambaga. There is also a river service from Yeji to Longoro on the
Black Volta, the port of Kintampo, in northern Ashanti. There is a
complete telegraphic system connecting the towns of the protectorate
with Kumasi and the Gold Coast ports.
_History._--It was not until the last quarter of the 19th century that
the country immediately north of Ashanti became known to Europeans. The
first step forward was made by Monsieur M. J. Bonnat (one of the Kumasi
captives, see ASHANTI) who, ascending the Volta, reached Salaga
(1875-1876). In 1882 Captain R. La Trobe Lonsdale, an officer in British
colonial service, went farther, visiting Yendi in the north and Bontuku
in the west. Two years later Captain Brandon Kirby made his way to
Kintampo. In 1887-1889 Captain L. G. Binger, a French officer, traversed
the country from north to south. Thereafter the whole region was visited
by British, French and German political missions. Prominent among the
British agents was Mr George E. Ferguson, a native of West Africa, who
had previously explored northern Ashanti. Between 1892 and 1897 Ferguson
concluded several treaties guarding British interests. In 1897
Lieutenant Henderson and Ferguson occupied Wa, where they were attacked
by the _sofas_ of Samory (see SENEGAL, S 3). Henderson, who had gone to
the _sofa_ camp to parley, was held prisoner for some time, while
Ferguson was killed. Meantime negotiations were opened in Europe to
settle the spheres of influence of the respective countries. (The
Anglo-French agreement of 1889 had fixed the boundaries of the
hinterlands of the French colony of the Ivory Coast and the British
colony of the Gold Coast as far as 9 deg. N. only.) A period of
considerable tension, arising from the proximity of British and French
troops in the disputed territory, was ended by the signature of a
convention in Paris (14th of June 1898), in which the western and
northern boundaries were defined. The British abandoned their claim to
the important town and district of Wagadugu in the north. In the
following year (14th of November 1899) an agreement defining the eastern
frontier was concluded with Germany. Previously a square block of
territory to the north of 8 deg. N. had been regarded as neutral, both
by Britain and Germany. This was in virtue of an arrangement made in
1888. By the 1899 convention the neutral zone was parcelled out between
the two powers. The delimitation of the frontiers agreed upon took place
during 1900-1904.
In 1897 the Northern Territories were constituted a separate district of
the Gold Coast hinterland, and were placed in charge of a chief
commissioner. Colonel H. P. Northcott (killed in the Boer War,
1899-1902) was the first commissioner and commandant of the troops. He
was succeeded by Col. A. H. Morris. In 1901 the Territories were made a
distinct administration, under the jurisdiction of the governor of the
Gold Coast colony. The government was at first of a semi-military
character, but in 1907 a civilian staff was appointed to carry on the
administration, and a force of armed constabulary replaced the troops
which had been stationed in the protectorate and which were then
disbanded. The prosperity of the country under British administration
has been marked.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.--A good summary of the condition and history of the
colony to the close of the 19th century will be found in vol. 3, "West
Africa," of the _Historical Geography of the British Empire_ by C. P.
Lucas (2nd ed., Oxford, 1900). For current information see the _Gold
Coast Civil Service List_ (London, yearly), the annual Blue Books
published in the colony, and the annual _Report_ issued by the
Colonial Office, London. For fuller information consult the _Report
from the Select Committee on Africa_ (_Western Coast_) (London, 1865),
a mine of valuable information; _The Gold Coast, Past and Present_, by
G. Macdonald (London, 1898); _History of the Gold Coast and Ashanti_,
by C. C. Reindorf, a native pastor (Basel, 1895); _A History of the
Gold Coast_, by Col. A. B. Ellis (London, 1893); _Wanderings in West
Africa_ (London, 1863) and _To the Gold Coast for Gold_ (London,
1883), both by Sir Richard Burton. Of the earlier books the most
notable are _The Golden Coast or a Description of Guinney together
with a relation of such persons as got wonderful estates by their
trade thither_ (London, 1665), and _A New and Accurate Description of
the Coast of Guinea_ written (in Dutch) by Willem Bosman, chief factor
for the Dutch at Elmina (Eng. trans., 2nd ed., 1721). For a complete
survey of the Gold Coast under Dutch control see "Die Niederlandisch
West-Indische Compagnie an der Gold-Kuste" by J. G. Doorman in _Tijds
Indische Taal-, Land- en Volkenk_, vol. 40 (1898). For ethnography,
religion, law, &c., consult _The Land of Fetish_ (London, 1883) and
_The Tshi-speaking Peoples of the West Coast of Africa_ (London,
1887), both by Col. A. B. Ellis; _Fanti Customary Law_ (2nd ed.,
London, 1904) and _Fanti Law Report_ (London, 1904), both by J. M.
Sarbah. The _Sketch of the Forestry of West Africa_ by Sir Alfred
Moloney (London, 1887) contains a comprehensive list of economic
plants. See also _Report on Economic Agriculture on the Gold Coast_
(Colonial Office Reports, No. 110, 1890), and _Papers relating to the
Construction of Railways in ... the Gold Coast_ (London, 1904). The
best map is that of Major F. G. Guggisberg, over 70 sheets, scale 1 :
125,000 (London, 1907-1909). There is a War Office map on the scale 1
: 1,000,000 in one sheet. See also the works quoted under ASHANTI.
For the Northern Territories see L. G. Binger, _Du Niger au Golfe de
Guinee_ (Paris, 1892), a standard authority; H. P. Northcott, _Report
on the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast_ (War Office, London,
1899), a valuable compilation summarizing the then available
information. Annual _Reports_ on the protectorate are issued by the
British Colonial Office. A map on the scale of 1 : 1,000,000 is issued
by the War Office. (F. R. C.)