The latter considered that their only duty was to stroll about with a gun or a spear; and the whole work of cultivating the ground, and of carrying burdens, fell to the lot of the women.

Many of these had splendid figures, which might have been the envy of an English belle.

Their great defect is that their heels, instead of going straight to the leg, project an inch or more behind it.

From their custom of always carrying their burdens on their heads, their carriage is as upright as a dart.

Whether the load was a heavy barrel, or two or three bananas, Lisle noticed that they placed it on the head; and even tiny girls carried any small article of which they might become possessed in this manner.
Curiously enough, the men had no excuse for posing as warriors; for the Fantis were the only cowardly race on the coast, and had several times shown themselves worthless as fighters, when the Ashantis made their expeditions against them.
A narrow valley ran up from the sea, in one part of the town, and terminated in a swamp behind it.