Bandama River Mouth

The Bandama meets the sea among lagoons at Lahou. Its course through the forest gave local merchants access to inland markets, and canoes carried goods between the river and the coast. Ivory and captive people passed through Lahou, while by the early nineteenth century gold also contributed to a flourishing trade. European visitors sought a foothold on shore, but local merchants guarded their position as intermediaries between ships and the interior.