Sketches of the colony of Sierra Leone and its inhabitants / by Robert Clarke.

  • Clarke, Robert
Date:
1863
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sketches of the colony of Sierra Leone and its inhabitants / by Robert Clarke. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    the districts of the Yarriba country to which they belong; as Ifeh, Jebuh, Jessuh, Eyeo, Ebgwa, Joliba, Yagwa. They are pre- eminently enterprising, and possess personal and freehold pro- perty of great value ; many of them being wealthy merchants, having much influence in the colony. Their influence is not always exerted on the side of justice, which is perhaps to some extent owing to their having lived in early life in lands where might, not right, is the prevailing law. This, I regret to say, is more especially observable with reference ,to trial by jury, and forcibly illustrates the strong clan feelings which actuate them. For instance, when a civil or criminal action is brought by or against an Akoo, meetings are held at the houses of the influ- ential men amongst them, when the matter is discussed, and the verdict to be given is agreed upon; and, as more than half the jury is generally Akoos, they are pretty sure of a majority—the verdict of three-fourths of the jury prevailing. In fact, the in- fluence of their headman or king, as they call him, is so great, that no Akoo dare disobey him. If he did so, he would be shunned by his countrymen, and be denied the Akoo ceremonies which take place at their burial; the bare thought of which is associated in their minds with degradation and the worst disgrace. Fortunately, this perversion of justice can effectually be checked by selecting the jury from different tribes. The Africans are very litigious, and constantly summoning each other on the most trivial occasions. Jealousy is a frequent cause of the contention, leading to the elopement of their wives ; husbands being more frequently abandoned by their wives, than wives by their husbands. The negroes are very polite and courteous. Even when their only garment consists of a shirt or loin-cloth, they salute each other with a bow, touch of the hat (or in lieu of one pull the fore- lock of their hair), shake hands, and scrape the foot; the women curtsying kindly to their friends. To persons who have lost re- latives by death, the manner of the women is peculiarly tender and touching. In passing by, I have often heard them tell the survivor to “hush, hush''; these simple words being uttered in tones of entreaty and sorrow, with the view of soothing the suf- ferer's grief. In accosting one another, or the European, they use the terms “ mammy and “ daddee; and “ broder and “ sissa are also much used by them in conversation. In going to and returning from ■ market, these industrious women walk daily great distances, bearing heavy baskets of farm produce on their heads. Their infants are secured to their backs frequently with their head exposed to the glare and noon- day heat without suffering in the slightest. This immunity is owing, in a great measure, to the nature of their hair, and also
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