Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 3.djvu/258

 210 WEST AFEICA. Topography. The roadstead of Freetown, sheltered off Cape Sierra-Leone by the imposing Carpenter's Rock, presents a delightful prospect whenever the encircling hills are free from the clouds that enshroud them for most of the year. The primeval forest, largely cleared by fire, is disposed in clusters of majestic trees with inter- vening grassy or bushy spaces. On a neighbouring headland rises a clump of gigantic baobabs, forming a conspicuous landmark for vessels bound for the road- stead ; charming dells open between the softly rounded hills, above whose crests are seen the summit of the " Lion Mountain." Houses in the European style are scattered along the beach, Freetown appearing in the background between the Furah and Krooboy inlets. Granville, the first capital of the Negro colony, had been founded in a neigh- bouring plain, but after its destruction by a French squadron in 1794 it was never rebuilt. Unfortunately, choice was afterwards made of the unhealthy bay of Freetown, instead of some site more removed from the marshes and more exposed to the sea breezes. However, the higher parts, even of Freetown, are relatively salubrious, and the yellow fever has often visited the lower quarters without attacking the barracks, erected on a hill 400 feet high. Freetown, which covers a space of four square miles, contains some fine buildings, schools, churches, and Government offices. But some of the streets are in ruins, and many dilapidated structures are overgrown with grass or shrubs. Freetown is the chief West African market for wild animals, and here the agents of the European menageries come to purchase snakes, carnivora, gorillas, and chimpanzees. Besides this city of some thirty thousand inhabitants, there are no towns properly so called in the British possessions, although the peninsula is dotted over with villages bearing English names, such as Aberdeen, Wilhcrforce, Wellington, Regent, York, Hastings, and Waterloo. In the interior Port Lokko has acquired some importance from its position on the Lokko River, which flows to the Rokelle estuary. Kamhia, lying farther north, is the chief agricultural centre in the Great Scarcie basin. Siiniata, near the source of the same river, and bej^ond the British frontier, is a rallying-point for caravans proceeding to Futa-Jallon. On the Kabba, a northern affluent of the Little Scarcie, lies the busy market of Samaija, capital of the Tambakka, or Tambuchi (Su-Su) tribe. In the Limba territory the chief places are Biimha and Bamhadi (Big and Little Bumba). Kahalla is the residence of the most powerful Kuranko potentate, and Faleha, also in the Little Scarcie basin, is the capital of the Solima nation. It is a prosperous place near the depression leading to the Upper Niger, and, according to Blyden, marks the most convenient site for the construction of a railway from Sierra-Leone to the Joliba. Towards the Liberian frontier well-known places for holding " palavers " are Baharma and Bandasuma, capital of the queen of the Barri tribe in the Sulima basin.