hree or four miles distant, and in
fact his influence was so great, and the positive utility of the works
he designed so obvious, that the natives of Cape Coast almost adored
him. The castle, which is a fine building, was kept in the best order
under the superintendence of this active and useful officer.

It is astonishing that the Portuguese, who have been so enterprising,
and expended so much money on their early discoveries in the erection
of fortresses, many of which may still be considered good modern
fortifications, should now allow most of their foreign possessions to
go to decay, and even to fall into ruins. Look at the once celebrated
city of Goa on the Malabar coast, dwindled into insignificance, and
proverbially called a city of priests and beggars. What is the cause of
this decadence? Is it a just visitation for the unjust means they
practised to acquire those possessions? All for the thirst of gold! Or
is it that the active spirit of the Portuguese ceases with the
acquisition of novelties, and that they are destitute of those
persevering qualities which improve and foster the possessions that are
originally obtained by enthusiasm and energy?

We had frequent heavy showers during our stay at Cape Coast, although
this was not the regular rainy season, for these showers were what are
called the after-rains, which last about a fortnight.

When the weather clears up after very heavy rains, many of the poor
people, principally old women and children, take up the mud from the
gutters, and wash it well in calabashes, when they generally find a few
grains of gold for their pains. This is also the case after a very
heavy surf has subsided which, during the violence of the storm,
generally throws up a great quantity of black mud on the shore.

There is a strange exhibition to be witnessed every morning on the
sea-shore, which, however, I shall forbear to describe.

There is a singular old man, upwards of 60 years of age, at Cape Coast
Castle, who is well known by the name of Dr. Saguah, and who acts in
the capacity of a native doctor. This person excites a great deal of
attention, not only by the peculiarity of his manners, but by the
circumstances through which he has reached a station of some
consideration. He was originally a slave to the African Company at Cape
Coast, and having been accidentally placed in the house of the medical
establishment, he learned to compound medicines. In the duties which he
perform