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 INTRODUCTION, /^_^. 
 
 Most Writers covet public favor, and some seek tlie patronage 
 of distinguished Individuals as a recommendation to their works. Both 
 of these in their proper season may be desirable, but in a publication 
 of so trifling- a nature as the present, the Author does not think it 
 essential to court the one or aspire to the other, leaving it to take its 
 own course, and by way of novelty, dedicating it to those on whom he 
 is most dependant for happiness, his Wife and Children. 
 
 Having- Ihus far premised, he proceeds to observe, that the 
 following work contains nothing more or less than what tlie title 
 expresses , " Ccstunies on the Western Coast of Africa,'' to which are 
 added short ex|ilanatory notes, extracted from a Journal kept dnrin"- 
 his leisure moments for the amusement of his own family and imme- 
 diate friends; and certainly, at the period of transmission to England, 
 in 1829, without the most distant idea of tlieir cvrr appearing in anv 
 other than their manuscript form. 
 
 The Sketches have in themselves no other merit than that they 
 relate to a Colony comparatively little known, and as it was thouoht. 
 that a few of the characters residing in Sierra Leone, the whole drawn 
 from life, would not be unacceptable to those, who really feel a lively 
 interest in the cause of Africa, tlie present plan has been adopted, at 
 the pressing instance of some friends, and not from any ostentatious 
 desire on the part of the Author to force himself upon the public; and 
 under this feeling it is intended to strike off only a limited number 
 of copies from each of the six plates composing the present sot, leavin"- 
 the continuation of the publication to time and circumstances. 
 
 However insignificant this liltle production may appear, those w!i.-> 
 happen to see it ought at least to bear in mind the motives whicli led 
 to its being thus brought forward, and consequently it is to be hoped 
 the critical eye will be generous enough to make everv allowance, and 
 receive it with all its imaginary or real imperfections. 
 
 '2177V'1
 
 LIBERATED AFRICANS, 
 
 Among' the several classes of inhabitants forming the population 
 of Sierra Leone, none perhaps has a greater claim upon public sympathy 
 than that denominated ^* Liberated Africans ,'' in other words, those 
 who, under the auspices of the British Government, have been delivered 
 from slavery through the exertions of our watchful and zealous cruisers 
 The accompanying plate is intended to convey an idea of the appearance 
 of such individuals on their being first landed from a slaver , and of 
 their subsequent appearance when they have resided some time in llie 
 colony. The two figures on the left, marked N." 1, exhibit the former, 
 and N.' 2 the latter. 
 
 The siiiVcrings of slaves on board ship have been so often and 
 ably depicted, that the writer conceives any further attempt to descrilx; 
 them quite nimecessary ; merely observing, that only those who bavo 
 ever witnessed the horrors of a Slave Ship can form any adequate idoa 
 of them. It is at the same time a plcasin;:- task to state , that evorv 
 possible attention, so far as their means will admit, is paid to the captured 
 negroes by tiio naval officers in charge of them; indeed, too nnich 
 praise cannot l)e bestowed on the Prize Masters, for their humane and 
 benevolent exertions to alleviate the sufferings of the wretched beings 
 placed under their special protection during their voyage to Sierra 
 Leone; and it is also satisfactory to know, that generally, these unfor- 
 tunate and degraded people are sensibly alive to the kindness shewn 
 them. 
 
 In 1825 the writer had an opportunity of witnessing , in the 
 village of Wellington, the joy manifested by between twenty and thirty 
 of the recently imported Negroes on meeting with a friend of his 
 
 (Lieutenant C ) who a few months before had, in the above capacity, 
 
 brought them up to the colony; and whose surprise at this unexpected 
 rencontre was only equalled by the unsophisticated pleasure and gratitude 
 evinced by these poor creatures on recognising their late kind hearted 
 
 shipmate. What Lieutenant C s' feelings were on the occasion, are 
 
 better conceived than described.
 
 A KROO-MAN. 
 
 WEST-AFRICA. 
 
 The people inhabiting' the Kroo country ( Grain Coast ) are a 
 fine race of men, distinguished for their uiuscuUir and robust make and 
 great agility. 
 
 They are very industrious, and like the Galegos in Portugal, 
 migrate to Sierra Leone for a certain number of years with a view 
 to obtain work. At the expiration of iheir periodical emigration, they 
 return to their country, when each individual is expected to bring a 
 present to his King; in default of which he is severely pimished, and 
 not unfrequently loses the whole of his property. 
 
 From their tractability and willingness to work, the merchants 
 generally employ them in the timber trade, and a number of them are 
 usually attached to our ships of war on the coast; they also engage 
 themselves as cooks, grooms, or body servants; in al! these employments 
 they excel, particularly in the first; but from their great penchant to 
 sleight of baud, very few are hired in the last capacity, and like the 
 Lacedaemonians, they consider it no crime to steal, but disgraceful to 
 be detected in a theft.- 
 
 The Kroos are Pagans, and it is very remarkable, that notwith- 
 standing their long intercourse with Europeans, not one single conversion 
 to Christianity has been effected; it is equally strange that no Kroo-man 
 has been known to be sold as a slave. 
 
 The annexed figure is a faithful representation of my cook Dippy, 
 who is supposed to l)e returning from the fish market. Wishing to 
 appear on this occasion " a gentleman," as he informed me, he dressed 
 himself in a dandytied waistcloth , and took the liberty to use my 
 umbrella, an ailicle they are particularly proud of exhibiting. 
 
 Tiie language of the Kroo people is highly guttural , and is 
 pronounced in a disagreeable singing tone. Their forehead , temples , 
 and breast are commonly tattooed, and the colour of their skin varies 
 from a jet black to a light brown.
 
 FOO [.AHS. 
 
 The country inhabited by the Foolahs is called Foolah. It is of 
 considerable extent and divided into several districts, and lies in a north 
 east direction from Sierra Leone, from whence Teembo, its capital, is 
 considered to be between two and three hundred miles distant. 
 
 The Foolahs are a warlike people, and not unfrequently engaged 
 in predatory warfare with each other for the purpose of procuring 
 slaves. — They are strict observers of the Mahomedan law, and employ 
 themselves chiefly in agriculture, and the rearing of cattle; which latter 
 they bring down, together with gold in rings and ivory, to Sierra Leone, 
 taking in return European goods. 
 
 The Figures in Plate N.° 1, represent Mamadoo Toxkara and 
 KlEBEE, brother and sister to Ticki-a iMooDU, a Mandingo Chief or 
 Head-man lately residing at Mabeily, but driven out of it by a powerful 
 tribe, the Cossuus, who declared war against him for some acts of cruelty 
 and oppression on his part. 
 
 The Figures iu Plate N." 2, represent Mamadoo Yaroo on the 
 left hand, and Soofeeanah Taooree on the right; the former an 
 embroiderer by trade, and the latter a bookman or writer of the Koran, 
 but both of tlicin nevertheless general traders. 
 
 The ornaments seen upon the necks of the two figures on the 
 left hand iu Plates N." 1 and 2, are called in the language of the 
 country Greegrees. They contain extracts from the Koran, and are looked 
 upon as effectual charms against all accidents. 
 
 The spear in the hand of Soofeeanah Taooree is carried 
 solelv as a weapon of defence against the attacks of wild animals, the 
 character of bookmen and itinerant musicians being universally respected 
 thronahout Africa.
 
 AFRICAN MINSTRELS. 
 
 In all parts of Africa are to be found musicians; those introduced 
 in the annexed Plate are from Simgara, distant a few days journey from 
 Teembo already mentioned, and are denominated Yelly or Jelly-Men, 
 a sort of privileged itinerant beggars. 
 
 Their vocation, like tliat of the Bards of old, is to travel about 
 from town to town, singing the praises of those who reward them libe- 
 rally; but they freely vent their sarcasms on such persons as have the 
 ill luck to fall under their displeasure. 
 
 It is durinsr the errand feast of Rhamadan that thev are in the 
 greatest request, when tliey are usually enq^aged before hand by some of 
 the Chiefs; who wishing to have tiieir warlike or other deeds celebrated, 
 hire them from ostentatious motives and at some expense, during these 
 public festivals: the accompanying figures were sketched by me at one 
 of these feasts on the Bullom shore, opposite Sierra Leone, at the resi- 
 dence of Dalla 3Iahomadoo, a native Chief. 
 
 The instruments herein represented are the drum, the flute, and 
 the notched stick: the former is beaten with open hands; the flute is 
 made from a species of reed, having only two or three holes, and is 
 principally played with the fore finger, producing a wild, discordant, 
 and monotonous sound: the right hand is occasionally used to flourish 
 in the air the horse hair brush which is seen hanging on the right wrist 
 of the performer. 
 
 The latter instrument, or notched stick, as may be anticipated, 
 destroys all harmony , if there be any to be found in African music ; 
 and is onlv played , or rather literally speaking scraped, when the 
 scraper is not engaged in singing. 
 
 The head dress of the two figures on the right is nothing more 
 than a red cloth cap, covered with small shells called cowries, and 
 ornamented with tufts of horse hair on each side: these grotesque caps 
 are only worn during the time of performance.
 
 J O L O F F S. 
 
 The Joloffs or YoUoffs, ( as the word is often pronounced ) are 
 a numerous and powerful tribe, inhabiting a country to the northward 
 of Sierra Leone, situated between the rivers Senegal and Gambia, and 
 extending to the Coast. 
 
 Formerly nianv of them were rescued from bondage by the activity 
 of our cruisers, and brought into the Colony: of late years, however, 
 there have been but few importations from that quarter, and it is therefore 
 to be hoped, that the nefarious traffic in human flesh has ceased in that 
 nei<^hbourhood altogetiier; but the means of verifying this are withheld, 
 owin"- to the Britisli ships of war being chiefly employed in an opposite 
 direction ( Bight of Benin ) where the slave trade has of late been oii 
 the increase. 
 
 The religion of the Joloffs is the IMahometlan, although Pagans 
 are still to be found among them, and judging by those in the colony 
 under the head of" Liberated Africans," they appear to be of industrious 
 habits. 
 
 Many of the Jolofi" women residing in Sierra Leone are " free 
 born," and come from the French settlements of Senegal and the Island 
 of Goree. Persons of this description frequently visit the British pos- 
 sessions on the Coast in search of employment; they are good nurses, 
 and o-enerallv understand well the culinary art, and the getting up of 
 lineu; by this last occupation many of them earn a livelihood, whilst 
 others ao-ain seek it in a less creditable manner. 
 
 The annexed figures are introduced to shew the style of dress 
 peculiar to the females of Goree and Senegal, which is a mixture of 
 the Eastern and European, though perhaps partaking more of the former 
 than of the latter. Like the generality of the sable nymphs, they shew an 
 extravao-ant fondness for tawdry ornaments of every kind.
 
 TLalBJEIRATJEID) AFRICANS . 2.
 
 / 
 
 A KROO^MAN. 
 West Ciajst of Afaca..
 
 pr.ATi: N." 1 
 
 •r •' 
 
 ■1^' 
 
 FOOlJiUS 
 iBtcnor of Africa,
 
 PLATE N.o 2. 
 
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