A few paces further and a third drop led us again to the swampy valley of
the Nanwa, here flowing south. It is bounded by two rises, tree-grown from
foot to head. That on the left bank is the Tuako, the husband, along whose
skirt we have been walking; the other, on the opposite side, is Jama, the
wife. From their conjugal visits the gold is born. Some attempts had been
made to blast a rock in the skirt of Jama's garment; but all had notably
failed. The reeking, unwholesome bottom showed extensive traces of digging
and washing.
Following the water, we came to the second little mining-village, also
deserted. The name 'Ingotro' means a broad-leaved liliaceous plant, the
_wura-haban_ (water-leaf) of the Fantis, used for thatching when
palm-fronds are not found. From this place an old bush-path once led
directly to the lands we call 'Izrah,' but it has long been closed by
native squabbles. A few yards further placed us in an exceedingly rich
bottom, honeycombed by native workers. Hard by it appeared the central
shaft, lying between two hills, the Ingotro-buka and the Nanwa-buka, which
define the course of the rivulet. The distance from Nanwa village may have
been three miles, but we had spent more than three hours in making
collections.
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