of an African Cruiser_, by an officer of the U.S. navy. Edited by
Nathaniel Hawthorn. Aberdeen: Clark and Son, 1848.] speaks of the royal
palace being sumptuously furnished in European style; of gold cups,
pitchers, and plates, and of vast treasures in bullion. When the King died
sixty victims were slain and buried with their liege lord; besides a
knife, plate, and cup; swords, guns, cloths, and goods of various kinds.
The corpse, smeared with oil and powdered _cap-à-pié_ with gold-dust,
looked like a statue of the noble ore.

As the _Senegal_ advanced under easy steam, we had no rolling off this
roller-coast, and we greatly and regretfully enjoyed the glorious Harmatan
weather, so soon about to cease. The mornings and evenings were cool and
dewy, and the pale, round-faced sun seemed to look down upon us through an
honest northern fog. There was no heat even during the afternoons, usually
so close and oppressive in this section of the tropics. I only wished that
those who marvelled at my preferring to the blustering, boisterous weather
of the Northern Adriatic the genial and congenial climate of West Africa
could have passed a day with me.



CHAPTER XV.

AXIM, THE GOLD PORT OF THE PAST AND THE FUTURE.

All the traveller's anxiety about the Known and apprehensions of the
Unknown fell from him like a garment as, after passing the hummocks of
Apollonia, his destination, Axim, [Footnote: The port lies in N. lat. 4º
52' 20" (say 5º round numbers) and in W. long. (Gr.) 2º 14' 45": it must
not be confounded, as often occurs in England, with 'Akim,' the region