the air.

The country claimed by the Dutch, extends about thirty miles along the
coast, and twenty miles into the interior, with a population estimated at
about ten thousand. They seem--particularly those who reside in the
villages beneath the fortress--to be entirely under the control of their
European masters, and to live comfortably, and be happy in their
condition. The natives possess slaves; and there are also many "pawns," of
a description seldom offered to the pawnbrokers in other parts of the
world; namely, persons who have pledged the services of themselves and
family to some creditor, until the debt be paid. It is a good and forcible
illustration of the degradation which debt always implies, though it may
not always be outwardly visible, as here at Axim. The Governor himself,
who is a native of Amsterdam, and apparently a mulatto, is one of those
pawn-brokers who deal in human pledges. He is a merchant-soldier, bearing
the military title of lieutenant, and doing business as a trader. The
Governor of El Mina is his superior officer, and the fort at Axim is
garrisoned by twelve black soldiers from the former place. War has existed
for several years between these Dutch settlements and their powerful
neighbor, the king of Appollonia, who is daily expected to attack the
fortress. In that event, the people in the neighboring villages would take
refuge within the walls, and there await the result.

The native houses are constructed in the usual manner, of small poles and
bamboo, plastered over with clay, and thatched. They might be kept
comfortable if kept in repair, but are mostly in a wretched state,
although thronged with occupants. The proportion of women, as well as
children, appears larger than in other places; and they wear a greater
amplitude of apparel than those of their sex on the windward coast,
covering their persons from the waist to the knee, and even lower. The