Читать книгу Art in Theory - Группа авторов - Страница 56

John Lok was an English‐born trader and ship’s captain who was active in the Levant as well as being in charge of the voyage to West Africa he reports on here. The destination was present‐day Ghana, formerly known as the Gold Coast. The main items of trade mentioned by Lok are gold and ivory. He also discusses the tattooing and scarification of the people, and their jewellery, likewise made of ivory and gold. The extracts are taken from Richard Hakluyt, Voyages and Discoveries: The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation, edited, abridged and introduced by Jack Beeching, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1972, pp. 67–8.

On the fourth day of September, under nine degrees, we lost sight of the north star. We came to anchor three or four leagues west and by south of the Cape de Tres Puntas. Then our pinnace came aboard with all our men, the pinnace also took in more wares. They told me they would go to a place where the Primrose had received much gold at the first voyage, but I fearing a brigantine that was then upon the coast, did weigh and follow them. The town is called Shama; where we did traffic for gold, to the northeast of Cape de Tres Puntas.

They brought from thence at the last voyage four hundred pound weight and odd of gold, of two and twenty carats and one grain in fineness: also six and thirty butts of grains, and about two hundred and fifty elephants’ teeth of all quantities. Some of them were as big as a man’s thigh above the knee, and weighed about four score and ten pound weight apiece. These great teeth or tusks grow in the upper jaw downwards, and not in the nether jaw upwards, wherein the painters and arras workers are deceived. […]

Touching the manners and nature of the people, their princes and noblemen use to pounce and raze their skins with pretty knots in divers forms, as it were branched damask, thinking that to be a decent ornament. And albeit they go in manner all naked, yet are many of them and especially their women, laden with collars, bracelets, hoops and chains, either of gold, copper or ivory. I myself have one of their bracelets of ivory, weighing two pound and six ounces of troy weight, made of one whole piece of the biggest part of the tooth, turned and somewhat carved, with a hole in the midst. Some of their women wear on their bare arms certain foresleeves made of the plates of beaten gold. On their fingers also they wear rings; made of golden wires, with a knot or wreath, like unto that which children make in a ring of a rush.

They are very wary people in their bargaining, and will not lose one spark of gold of any value. They use weights and measures, and are very circumspect in occupying the same. They that shall have to do with them, must use them gently: for they will not traffic or bring in any wares if they be evil used.