Africa being an accurate description of the regions of Ægypt, Barbary, Lybia, and Billedulgerid, the land of Negroes, Guinee, Æthiopia and the Abyssines : with all the adjacent islands, either in the Mediterranean, Atlantick, Southern or Oriental Sea, belonging thereunto : with the several denominations fo their coasts, harbors, creeks, rivers, lakes, cities, towns, castles, and villages, their customs, modes and manners, languages, religions and inexhaustible treasure : with their governments and policy, variety of trade and barter : and also of their wonderful plants, beasts, birds and serpents : collected and translated from most authentick authors and augmented with later observations : illustrated with notes and adorn'd with peculiar maps and proper sculptures / by John Ogilby, Esq. ...

THE KINGDOM OF AKARA.

THis Kingdom contains in Circuit, * 1.1 ten or twelve miles, having on the West, Aguana, and the Countrey of Abonce; on the North, the Domi∣nion of Aboura and Bonoe; on the East, that of Labbeda and Ningo; and on the South, the Sea.

Near whose Shore are three Villages, viz. Soko, Little Akara, fifteen miles East∣ward of Kormantyn, and Orsaky; Having gone four miles into the Countrey, you come to Great Akara, where the King keeps his Residence.

Provision here is very scarce, especially Fruits and Bread-Corn; so that whatever Whites put into this Place to Trade, must upon necessity provide themselves well with all necessary Provision.

The King hath (and not without cause) the repute of a Potent Prince, * 1.2 being able in time of War to bring fifteen or sixteen thousand Men into the Field. He hath a more absolute Soveraignty over his Subjects than any of his Neigh∣bors, so that he is an unlimited Monarch: and for the more sure confirming

his Jurisdiction, keeps good Correspondency with all Whites, without shewing more favour to one than another.

The Little Akara has been many years the chiefest place of Trade upon the Gold-Coast, next Moure and Kormantyn; * 1.3 where Foreign Merchants carry Iron and Linnen, which they exchange in Barter for Gold, with much greater gain than on the other places of the Gold-Coast: but the Linnen must be finer than ordi∣nary, otherwise the Blacks will not meddle with it.

While Trading here was free to all, that is, till the Hollanders West. India Com∣pany had ingross'd it to themselves, the Haven of Akara produced a third part of the Gold that was to be had on all the Gold-Coast; which was brought thither to sell from the Countreys of Abonce and Akamen.

All the Wares which the Inhabitants buy, they sell again at the Market of Abonce, two hours Journey beyond Great Akara, which they hold three times a Week, with great resort of People out of all the neighboring Territories.

The King of Akara suffers none out of Aquemhoe and Aquimera to come through his Countrey and Trade with the Whites, but reserves that freedom to his own Subjects onely; who carry the Wares brought from the Europeans to Abonce, and exchange them there with great profit. Neither would this King suffer the Whites to set up a Store-house on Shore for Trade, but forc'd to ride with their Ships, Ketches, and Sloops before the Haven: yet some few years since he sold to the Dutch a piece of Ground, whereon he hath permitted them to build a Store-house.

Adjoining to this they have so far incroached, * 1.4 as to raise a little Fort of Stones sixty two Foot long, four and twenty broad, and flat above, overlay'd with thick Planks, strongly mortis'd together, and strengthned round about with high Breast-works, Port-holes, and defensive Points for keeping off an Enemy.

At Great Akara the King hath appointed a Captain over the Merchants, * 1.5 with full power to set a Tax or Price for Selling, to prevent all Quarrels, Differen∣ces, and Controversies, which might otherwise arise, of whom the Mer∣chants stand in greater awe, than of the King himself; for he not onely punishes Offenders according to his pleasure, but in case that any Dissentions happen, he stops up all the Ways, if they do not pay him according to his Amercement.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Borders of the King∣dom of Akara.
• * 1.2

  The Kings Power.
• * 1.3

  Trade.
• * 1.4

  The Store-house of A∣kara.
• * 1.5

  Overseer of the Trade.