blankets advisable. These 'small countries' (little villages) are
remarkably clean, and so are the villagers, who, unlike certain
white-skins, bathe at least once a day. At this season we had nothing to
complain of mosquitoes or sand-flies, nor was 'Insektenpulver' wanted
inside the house. The only physiological curiosity in the settlement was a
spotted boy, a regular piebald, like a circus-pony; even his head grew a
triangular patch of white hair. We wanted him for the London Aquarium, but
there were difficulties in the way. Amongst the Apollonians albinoes are
not uncommon; nor are the children put to death, as by the Ashantis. Both
races cut the boss from hunchbacks after decease, and 'make fetish' over
it to free the future family from similar distortion. Our villagers told
us strange tales of a magician near Assini who can decapitate a man and
restore him to life, and who lately had placed a dog's head on a boy's
body. Who can 'doubt the fact'? the boy was there!

I will now borrow freely from the diary kept during our five days'
inspection of the Izrah diggings. Cameron worked hard at a rough survey of
the ground which Mr. Walker had attempted with considerable success,
seeing that he carried only a pedometer and a small pocket-compass. My
proceedings were necessarily limited, as I had no authority to disburse
money.

_February 3_.--The night had been somewhat noisy with the hyena-like
screams which startled our soldiers _en route_ to Kumasi. They are said to
proceed from a kind of hyrax (?) about the size of a rabbit; the Krumen
call it a 'bush-dog', and, as will appear, Cameron holds it to be a lemur.
The morning was cool, but not clear, and the country so far like the
'Garden of Eden' that there went up a mist from the earth and watered the
whole face of the ground. But the mist was a Scotch mist, which, in less
humid lands, might easily pass for fine rain; and the drip, drip, drip of