The head of a family has the right also to pawn any of his relatives. When a person is pawned on account of a debt, he has to work for his new master; but although his services may cover a period of years, they count for nothing towards the liquidation of his owner's debt, and the pawnholder may keep him until the amount of the original debt, with fifty per cent interest, is paid. Nor is the account settled should the pawn die, the debtor must either pay up, or substitute another pawn in place of the deceased. Still more singular is the law that a cred itor, when he finds it impossible to collect from his debtor, may seize the property of a third party, who, however, must be of the debtor's tribe and town. The value of the property thus seized may be out of all pro portion to the amount due, but the seizor is not bound to make restitution of the balance, and the unfortunate third party is left to re cover from the delinquent debtor the value of the property taken. This practice is gradually dying out, but is still resorted to in small debts. Some such lajv as this was found by Mungo Park to exist between the natives and foreign traders near the Gambia River. "When a native takes up goods on credit and does not make payment at the time appointed, the European is authorized by the laws of the country to seize upon the debtor himself, if he can find him, or if he cannot be found, on any person of his family; or, in the last resort, on any native of the same kingdom. The person thus seized is detained, while his friends are sent in quest of the debtor. When he is found, a meeting is called by the chief people of the place, and the debtor is compelled to ransom his friend by fulfilling his engagements. If the debtor cannot be found, the person seized on is obliged to pay double the amount of the debt, or is himself sold into slavery." Imprisonment for debt is not unknown on the Gold Coast, and when it occurs the
prisoner has to supply his own food, or fail ing to do this, he is compelled to earn his board by hard labor. • More often, however, primitive methods, such as " sitting dharna" are resorted to. One way is for the creditor to swear that if by a certain time the debt be not paid, he and the debtor must both forfeit their lives. If the time passes with out the bill being settled, nothing can save either debtor or creditor, they must kill themselves, and the guilt of murder and suicide is on the debtor's soul. "Killing oneself upon the head of an other " is the term employed when a person commits suicide declaring he was driven to it by the conduct of another. Native law requires that other person to go and do likewise immediately, though the matter is sometimes compounded by the payment of twenty ounces of gold dust to the suicide's family. In this connection we may read with in terest the true 'case of Adua Amissa.a noted beauty of the Cape Coast, who fell a victim to the rigor of this law. Of her and her tragic end, Cruikshank says: "The fame of Adua Amissa is still kept fresh in the mem ory of the natives by the songs which they sing in honor of her death. People are still alive who remember the great beauty which hurried her to an early grave. She became the object of a devouring passion on the part of a young man of the Cape Coast. Her relatives, considering that her charms authorized them to expect a brilliant alli ance, refused to admit his addresses. This rejection so preyed upon the mind of the disappointed, that his life became insupport able, and he determined to sacrifice himself to his passion. He resolved, however, that Adua Amissa's family should dearly rue hav ing spurned his suit, and in the spirit of an inextinguishable vengeance, he shot himself, attributing his death to his unrequited love, and invoking his family to retaliate it upon his murderess. The family of the unhappy girl endeavored to avert this fate by offering
