Marie-Joseph Bonnat, the first modern Gold Coast prospector

Marie-Joseph Bonnat’s life was as extraordinary as it was brief. He was trading cloth when he was captured in Ho by the Ashanti. It was in 1869, on the Gold Coast. His captivity was the turning point in his short life. He left behind him a description of Ashanti customs and traditions of great scientific interest, and he founded the first modern gold mining company in Africa.