Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1874 edition. Excerpt: ... each promenade, drums and horns announce the approach of the queens; either all males must bury their faces in the sand, or get out of sight, or ere long off will roll their heads, knives being first thrust through their cheeks and tongue to prevent them from "cursing the king"--a fearful offence, much dreaded by his Majesty! Hence no doubt his extreme care to rule his subjects with justice and much mercy. THE HOUSSAS. If I here refer to the Houssas it is not because they are connected with the tribes on the Gold Coast. They have indeed no such connection, their country being far inland, situated to the north-east of the Kong Mountains, and being traversed by the great river Quorrah or Niger. In order to be particular, I note that their territory extends from latitude li to 149 1ST., and from longitude 4 to 11 E.; and I may observe that only the circumstance of this tribe having at the present time a measure of prominence in connection with operations taking place on the Gold Coast induced me to notice them. The historians date as far back as Leo Africanus the people so-called having, according to him, formed a part of the kingdom of Guber, one of the fifteen states into which he divided the whole of interior Africa. They have been described by recent writers as "active, intelligent, and industrious," having a peculiarly open and noble countenance, prominent noses, and expressive black eyes. And it has been further said of them that "if the complexion were white instead of black, they would have been nothing unlike the European." They disiigure their faces by creating deep scars in their cheeks, and hence used to be known among the men of West India regiments as "cut faces." In the old days of slavery many of these " cut faces" were...