Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 09.djvu/25

* GOLD-BEATING. squares thus produced are now placed between goldbeater's skin instead of vellum, made into piles, and inclosed in a parchment case, and beaten as before, but with a light hammer. An- other (piartcring and beating produces 2400 leaves, having an area of about 190 times that of the ribbon, or a thickness of about yju'jffu of an inch. An ounce of gold is thus extended to a surface of about 100 square feet. A still greater degree of thinness may be obtained, but not profitably. A thinness has been attained of 367,500 leaves to the square inch, and a grain of gold is thus made to cover 52 square inches. After the last beating, the leaves are taken up with wooden pincers, placed on a cushion, blown out Hat, and their ragged edges cut away, by which they are reduced to squares of three and one-quarter inches. Twenty-five of these are placed between the leaves of a paper-book, previously rubbed with red chalk to prevent adhesion of the gold, and are sold in this form. Attempts have been made to apply machinery to gold-beat- ing, but its application is very limited; and most of the gold leaf is still beaten by hand. GOLD BUG, The. One of the most noted of Poe's tales (1843). The scene is the vicinity of Charleston, where a recluse, Legrand, locates an enormous treasure in gold and jewels by means of an intricate cipher found on an old parchment. The gold bug (a real insect) is a mere incident, used to mystify a companion. GOLD CARP. See Goldfish. GOLD COAST. A British Crown colony in est Africa, extending along the Gulf of Guinea about 350 miles, and bounded by the French Jlilitary Territories on the north ( about the paral- lel of 14° north latitude), the German Togoland on the east, and the French Ivory Coast on the west (Map: Africa, D 4). The area of the colony excluding Adansi and Ashanti (q.v. ) is esti- mated at 40,000 square miles; the total area, about 72,500 square miles. The coast region is rather low, with rocky cliflTs lining the shores, and reaching a height of 2000 feet. The interior is mountainous. In the southeast is the Akuapem range. The northern part of the Ashanti dis- trict is low. South of it runs the Adanse range, covered with dense forests, and constituting a great natural barrier along the coast district. The western part of the interior is generally hilly; the eastern part is formed mainly of exten- sive terraces. The chief rivers flowing south are the Volta, which is a part of the Germ.an bound- ary line, the navigable Ankobra, emptying into the sea near Axim, the navigable Pra, and the Toji. The climate of the colonj'. although not as deadly as that of the west coast, is very un- healthful for Europeans. April is the hottest month. There are two rainy seasons — from April to August, and from October to the end of De- cember. The rainfall is light on the coast. Im- passable forests of palms, gum-trees, and the giant karkimi seriously interfere with the de- velopment of the interior. The level regions in the south, and the savannas north of the Akuapem Mountains, are overrun with herds of elephants, buffaloes, and other wild animals. The soil is of great fertility, producing coffee, cacao, tobacco, cotton, and other tropical prod- ucts. Agriculture has received little attention. The chief products are derived from the forests 9 GOLD COAST. and mines. The trade of the colony is prosper- ous and increasing. The principal exports are rubber, valuable woods, palm oil and kernels, gold-dust, and kola-nuts. In l'.)00 the total trade amounted to $10,590,000, of which $4,309,000 represented exports. The gold deposits are be- lieved to be very extensive and are found mostly in the Province of Wasaw. The export of gold- dust from the colony amounted to .$244,800 in 1899 and $185,000 in 1900. In the latter year ships with 1,414,704 tons visited the ports. The Government railway extends from Sekondi on the coast to Kumassi. The colony is administered by a Governor, and by an executive and legisla- tive council, the members of which are chosen from officials and colonial merchants. The revenue of the colony is insufficient to meet the ex]>enditures, and there is an annual subsidy from the mother country. In 1900 the revenue amounted to $1,623,000, the expenditures to $2,511,200, and the subsidy to $1,228,700, the large amount of the subsidy being due to the operations in the territories north of Ashanti. The constabulary numbered 1500 men in 1900. There are sixteen provinces, the most important of which are: Akim; Akkra; Elmina ; Ahanta; Dixcove, embracing Axim with its fine harbor; Wasaw, the mineral region; Fanti, including Cape Coast Castle; the mountain region of Akuapem; Brong, on the Volta, with its trade in wood ; Awuna, with the fortress Quitta. The population is estimated at nearly 1,500,000, and is composed mainly of two negro tribes, the Akkra and the Tshi. The former live in the Volta region, and are serviceable as sailors and interpreters. The Tshi, a superior people, com- prise different tribes — the Ashanti, Wasaw, Den- kira, Fanti, etc. There are about four hundred Europeans in the colony. The Government schools number seven, and there are nearly a hundred and fifty religious schools and missions. The chief towns are the capital, Akkra (q.v.), Elmina, and Cape Coast Castle. The Gold Coast was discovered by the Portu- guese in 1470. In 1481 a Portiiguese colony of about 700 men under Diogo d'Asambuja landed at the present seaport of Elmina, and erected the fort of Saint George. The Dutch by 1637 had suc- ceeded in driving away the Portuguese. Mean- while the English began to arrive, but their first attempts at establishing themselves were frus- trated by the Dutch. After the establishment of the Royal African Company in 1672, the English succeeded in erecting a number of forts on the coast, and soon concluded an alliance with the Fanti, whose old enemies, the Ashanti, had al- lied themselves with the Dutch. In 1821 the English possessions on the Gold Coast were taken out of the hands of the Royal Afri- can Company, and made a dependency of Sierra Leone. The Fanti, with the aid of the British, decisively defeated the Ashanti in 1826. and in 18.31 the rule of England was recognized over the territory lying south of the Upper Pra, In 1872 the Dutch ceded their holdings to the British for trailing privileges, and since then the rule of the English has been supreme in the Gold Coast. In 1874 the territory was made a CroTi colony. For a further ac- count, see A.SHANTI. Consult: Macdonald. The (Uihl Const, Past and Prespnt (London. 1808) ; Reindorf. History of the Gold Coast and Anhanti (Basel, 1895).