Another
unwise plan adopted by the French Company is to stipulate upon twenty
working-days, each of ten hours per mensem, in default of which salaries
undergo proportional deduction. This makes the miner work even when he is
unfit for exertion. White labour, however, is confined to superintendence
and to laying out and building tunnels. A Swiss, M. Schneuvelly, acts as
general superintendent, and he is assisted by two French _ouvriers_. The
hands are chiefly Krumen. The style of working is decidedly 'loafy,' and
the pipe is touched at all hours and in all places.
North of Abosu lies the Dahse concession, a square of 1,000 fathoms, to be
worked by an Anglo-German company. I know it only by hearsay and by seeing
it upon the owner's map.
M. Haillot invited me to be his guest, and I spent my day in the mine.
Next morning (April 8) we retraced our steps towards Takwa, halting by the
way at the northernmost establishment on the ridge, the 'Gold Coast Mining
Company (Limited).' This concession, an area of 1000 x 500 fathoms, on the
west of the hill-height, does not as yet show much progress; and the works
seem to have increased but little since last year.
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