A Reliable Account of the Coast Of Guinea

This is the first complete English translation of Ludewig Ferdinand Rømer’s sensitive account of Africa’s Gold Coast (present-day Ghana) in the mid-eighteenth century. A vital resource on the history of West Africa, Rømer’s work offers rich descriptions of African societies, trading practices with Europe, and religion. Ludewig Ferdinand Rømer was employed in West Africa from 1739 to 1749 by the Danish West India and Guinea Company. Rømer deals with the operation of the various European trading companies, and discusses the African-European relations that he had witnessed. But the real value of his work lies in his descriptions of the local context-the African traders and customers, their societies, practices and religion. And he was much interested in African history, particularly from oral traditions. This edition makes available an uncommon source for the history of West Africa. This edition of Rømer’s volume was runner-up for the African Studies Association’s Texts Prize, 2001.