Northwestern
University Library
Evanston,
Illinois 60201
H.R.H. PRINCE HENRY OF BATTENBERG, K.G.
TO KUMA88I WITH SCOTT.
A DESCRIPTION OF A JOURNEY FROM LIVERPOOL TO
KUMASSI WITH THE ASHANTI EXPEDITION, 1895-6.
BY
GEORGE C. MUSGRAVE.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM SKETCHES BY
MR. H. C. SEPPINGS WRIGHT, ARTIST CORRESPONDENT TO THE
"ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS," AND OTHERS.
^onbon :
WIGHTMAN & Co.,
"The Westminstf.r Press," Regency Street, S.W.
1896.
By special permission of
H.R.H. Princess Henry of Battenberg.
To the Memory
of
COLONEL PRINCE HENRY MAURICE OF BATTENBERG,
MAJOR V. J. FERGUSON,
and
The other Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Men,
who lost their lives
in the cause of humanity and civilization in
Ashanti, 1895-6,
this work is respectfully inscribed.
PREFACE.
The 1895-6 Expedition to Ashanti took place at a time when
the British Empire was in a ferment ; wars and rumours of wars
abounded on all sides. Excitement ran high, and in the midst
of the turmoil, the operations in West Africa were forgotten or
put aside for matters of more pressing import. Newspapers were
full ; the international troubles caused much pressure on their
space, and little beyond brief telegrams on the movements of the
force, was published ; therefore, a more comprehensive account of
the expedition will be of interest to many.
The campaign was a bloodless one, but none the less heroic ;
for that march to Kumassi, through dense forest and deadly
swamp, was fraught with perils more to be dreaded than the arms
of the savage Ashantis.
The British force marched 140 miles through the jungle,
leaving numbers on the road, sick of fever and dysentery. They
invested the capital ; the King and his chiefs were captured, the
bloody fetish power destroyed, and the force, sadly reduced by
sickness, returned to the coast, having freed a large district from
the tyranny of a bloodthirsty despot and opened up a vast
territory to trade and civilization.
îv.
This record of the expedition is chieÔy comprised of a series
of articles and letters written at different times and places on the
journey from England to the Gold Coast and on the march
up country, which I have endeavoured to make of general
interest by touching on the habits and customs of the people,
digressing somewhat from a formal account of the campaign
alone. The march did not lack interesting incidents, especially
as we drew near to and entered Kumassi, and I have attempted
to faithfully portray these various scenes on the road.
GEORGE C. MUSGRAVE.
Folkestone, June, i8g6.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
AGE
Leaving England—Our Passengers—The Canary Islands—Las Palmas
—Teneriffe—Orotava—The Peak
CHAPTER II.
The Gambia—Sierra Leone—Freetown—The West India Regiment—
Sherbro Island—Secret Societies—Liberia—The Kroo Tribes—
Cape Palmas—The Gold Coast Surf—Major Piggott—View of
Cajje Coast Castle 11
CHAPTER III.
Ashanti—Kumassi Dynasty—Previous Quarrels—Sir Garnet Wolseley's
Expedition—Osai Mensah—Adansi—The Last Trouble with the
Ashantis—Sir Francis Scott's Force 28
CHAPTER IV.
The Gold Coast—Cape Coast Castle—Filth and Neglect in the Town—
The Special Service Officers—Captain Larrymore—The White Race
—King Tackie— Foreign Competition — Missionaries — A Fanti
Wedding—A PVtish Funeral—A Native Ball—Christmas in Fanli-
land—Maternity 43
CHAPTER V.
Ashanti Envoys—The Palaver—West African Squadron—The White
Troops—To the Front !—Bicycling in Africa—Akraful—Night in
the Bush — Cowardly Niggers—African Villages—Mansu — Attempted
Murder ........... 67
CHAPTER VI.
Sunday in the Wilds—Prince Henry's Donkeys—Lost Kit—The Artillery
— Assin Van Comasse—African Royalty and European Ideas—A
King—Fetish Ceremonies—Prahsu—Crocodiles—New Year's Day
—The Ansah Princes—The Ashanti in War—-Staff Officers
described—Arrival of the Troops—The Houssas—The Moham¬
medan Negro :
h
VI.
CHAPTER VIL
Over the Prah—Loathsome Diseases—The Native Levy—Flying
Column to Bekwai—Akusirem—Fumsu — Braffu Eadru—Native
Dishes—Long Pig Chop or Iguana—A Riot—The Adansis—Death
of Major Ferguson—Snakes ........ io8
CHAPTER VIII.
Prince Henry 111—Fomonah—An Alarm — Annexing of Bekwai and
Abadoom—The Kings described—The Drink Question in Africa—
News of Prince Henry—Through the Swamps—A Dash from
Bekwai—Native Beauty—Darwinism—Advance in Close Column—
Camped in the Forest—An Ashanti Embassy—An Unfortunate
Occurrence—Near the Goal—Tornado in the Forest . . . 129
CHAPTER IX.
Kumassi—King Prempeh—The Queen Mother—Courtiers—A State
Reception in Kumassi—A Procession by Torchlight—The Golgotha
—The Royal Palace—Sacrifices—Sunday in Ashanti—The Last
Scene—Prempeh's Downfall—The Loot . . . . • ^SI
CHAPTER X.
Buntama described—Human Sacrifices—The Fall of Fetishism—Africa
for the Africans—Samory—Fetish Trees Destroyed—English Im¬
pressions—The Future of Ashanti—A Midnight Reconnaissance —
Prempeh's Country House ...... . . 184
CHAPTER XI.
Coastward March —Peace Society Precepts—Death of Prince Henry —
Eating Dead Bodies—A Civilised Negro —The Coast—Arrival of
Prempeh—Conclusion ■ . . 202
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TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
CHAPTER I.
LEAVING ENGLAND—OUR PASSENGERS—THE CANARY ISLANDS—LAS PALMAS
—TENERIFFE—OROTAVA—THE PEAK.
Liverpool landing-stage in a thin slanting rain, with grimy dock
labourers shifting hawsers off the bollards on a dirty wet quay,
releasing the tender, and by so doing they part husband and wife,
lover and sweetheart, mother and son. The outward bound ones
crowd to the port side, the others cling to the chains on the edge
of the wharf. Young wives, struggling to keep back the tears that
will come, wave wet handkerchiefs to dear ones on board, while
mother and sister say the parting words to son and brother. The
tender reaches the ship, luggage is transferred and the vessel
slowly steams down the river as cheer after cheer goes up from
those on board and is answered by the crowd on shore. Then
England, the dear old mother country, grows less distinct, till only
a faint grey line is visible, and the feeble echo of a last cheer is
borne across, almost drowned by the swish of the waves as the
tide runs up the Mersey.
Such was the scene on November 30th, 1895, when the good
ship " Loanda " started for West Africa.
We had on board officers and men to the number of 100,
chiefly of the Army Service Corps and Engineers, also a detach¬
ment of Artillery for Sierra Leone. The holds were full of
baggage, ammunition, filters, tanks and other stores for use in the
forthcoming expedition to Ashanti for which the majority of
passengers were bound.
b
2
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
There was a mixed company on board, among others being
His Excellency Colonel Cardew, Governor of Sierra Leone,
returning with his wife to resume his duties there ; also his
aide decamps Captain Morant; Surgeon Colonel Taylor, Principal
Medical Officer to the expedition ; Captain Benson, commanding
the Ashanti Artillery contingent ; Surgeon-Captains Maher and
Josling ; Captain Norwood, R.A.; Captain Hall ; Lieutenant
Faber, R.E., and Mr. Haddon Smith, Assistant Colonial Secretary
at Lagos ; Mr. Bennett Burleigh of Daily Telegraph fame, and
Mr. Seppings Wright, special Artist to the Illustrated London
News, represented the Press, the remainder of the passengers
being health-seekers for the Canaries to winter.
After passing Holyhead, we lost sight of land and everyone
prepared to settle down for the voyage. The first day past, we
were getting over what one may call the unsociability of the
average Britisher, and officers and civilians alike were soon
rubbing shoulders in the comfortable smoking room, driven in by
a sweeping wind off the Channel. The ladies soon disappeared,
and there were the usual melancholy faces of passengers vainly
trying to ward off the remorseless mal de mer and appearing
cheerfully at dinner, but their heroic efforts would only last
through the soup, when a hasty retreat was beaten to watch the
seascape from the ship's side. Many of us, more fortunate in not
dreading the horrors of sea sickness, found plenty to occupy the
time as we ploughed our way through the choppy outskirts of the
Bay ; but once passed Finisterre, the ladies emerged from their
cabins, the sick ones re-appeared, and things brightened con¬
siderably on board. In the evenings we were enlivened by
impromptu concerts on the troop deck, and it is marvellous what
a large amount of talent can be found among British " Tommies "
when opportunity arises for them to show it.
After Finisterre the temperature sensibly changes, the sun gives
notice that it has come to stay, and we realised we were at last
reaching the delights of a more southern latitude. Life on board
became a pleasure as we steamed through a calm blue sea, and
the time was passed by many diversions. Our genial skipper,
Captain Jones, never let conversation flag when he was near, for
he had an inexhaustible stock of anecdote ever ready. A sweep
on the day's run of the vessel was instituted, and shuffle board or
deck quoits freely indulged in.
A week after leaving Liverpool we reached Grand Canary,
dropping anchor in the port of La Luz at 5 a.m. A glorious day
was just dawning, the sun rising in almost eastern splendour.
THE PUERTA DE LA LUZ.
3
After the usual formalities were gone through, we got a clean bill
of health from the authorities, and as the yellow flag was hauled
from the fore-peak, dozens of waiting bumboats closed in, our
decks being swarmed by eager vendors of the various commodities
that delight the eye of the traveller. The majority of these
swarthy merchants dealt in tobacco, cigars, and Florida water, but
there were many others with baskets of fruit, canaries in wicker
cages, and native-worked fans and shawls. The collection was
completed by two light-skinned Farsees with their suave salaams
and stock of silks, shawls, and Benares work. One or more of
these itinerant Hindoo merchants are to be found at every port
of any size east or west. How they come and how they return to
their own country again is a mystery, but they apparently thrive
and are born traders with all their outward cringing and
hypocritical cast of countenance.
From the ship, the Puerta de La Luz, and Las Palmas, which
is some three miles distant, have a most picturesque appearance,
the low flat-roofed white" buildings looking truly oriental as they
stretch away up the sides of the hills, which form a pleasing back¬
ground in dark outline against a cloudless sky.
We were soon pulled ashore in one of the native boats
manned by picturesque-looking ruffians who crowded round the
foot of the gangway. Though the distance to the breakwater is
barely loo yards, the fare is on a sliding scale, which never goes
below one shilling for each person, however you may try to beat
them down. There were eleven passengers in the boat I journeyed
in, and we were asked two shillings a head, reduced under
pressure to one shilling—not a bad four minutes' work for three
men to earn eleven shillings. It is as well not to remain late on
shore when your vessel is leaving, especially at night, as the tales
are many, of unwary travellers who have lingered till the warning
whistle has sounded, and then found, to their dismay, the boat¬
men in league together, requiring a large sum before any of them
will row to the ship. Remonstrance is in vain, and you must
either accede to their exorbitant demands or lose the vessel. I
heard of one case in which a belated traveller was rowed a few
yards from the landing stage when the boatmen drew in their oars
and demanded before they would proceed. Unfortunately
his ship had signalled twice and was on the point of sailing, so he
had to pay up and look pleasant, hoping to obtain redress on
arrival at the ship's side. The men rapidly drew off the moment
he put his foot on the ladder, and disappeared in the gloom with
a derisive " A good evening, Johnny."
B 2
4
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
By the way, every Englishman in Canary is addressed by the
street boys and other pests in the familiar style of "Johnny,"
greatly incensing a pompous fellow traveller of ours visiting Las
Palmas. As he stepped on the quay he was greeted by a volley of
cries from the waiting cabriolet drivers, " Hi, you Johnny, take
my car," to his evident annoyance and our amusement.
The Port of La Luz has almost a natural harbour formed by a
small peninsula joining Grand Canary by a narrow isthmus, and a
stone breakwater, built at right angles to this, forms the three sides
of a square within which the largest vessels can float in safety. The
harbour is easy of access afall tides, and this fact -has no doubt
done much in recent years to brirtg Grand Canary to the front as
a coaling station.
Las Palmas can be reached from the landing stage by train, or
rather steam tram, or a light tartana drawn by two or three horses
may be hired to go by road, the charge being one peseta = 8d.
for each person.
The horsés of Canary are a distinct breed, being small, well
formed, and' very swift, but no proper care is taken of them, .md
few can be found that are not more or less covered, with festering
sores, while the drivers use the lash mercilessly. The hotels have
private carriages and horses of their own for hire, and these are
necessarily kept in a better condition.
' Las Palmas itself does not offer many attractions to the visitor,
and a day is sufficient to make one thoroughly acquainted with all
places of interest in the city itself. The Cathedral is a large
edifice in the centre of the town, and its two towers make it
conspicuous at a long distance. It is a fine building from an
architectural point of view, and contains some large and well
exècuted frescoes, while the wood carving inside well repays a
visit. The interior is Gothic, with three large naves, four tran¬
septs and chapels at the side. An intending visitor would do well
to try and be present at the regular afternoon service which is fully
choral. The organ is a splendid instrument, while the excellence
of the choir quite keeps up the reputation that the Spanish Church
has always held for its fine music.
The Bishop of Las Palmas had returned a few days before our
visit apd the island was en fête to receive him. He had been to
Madrid to try and stop the conscription, which was denuding the
Canaries of men to serve in the Spanish army in Cuba. Several
had evaded the order by fleeing to the interior and hiding in the
mountains, but two thus captured were shot as an example, and
the offer of a free pardon to all who gave themselves up at once.
SCENE NEAR LAS PALMAS.
LAS PALMAS.
5
had the desired effect. The Bishop's mission was only partially
successful, and the streets were thronged with miserable weedy
looking conscripts lounging about in ordinary clothes, but arrayed
in white helmets many sizes too large. The few Spanish regular
troops stationed in the island appeared to be a smart body of
men, with none of the slovenliness of dress usually a characteristic
of continental armies, but the poor conscripts just about to start
for Cuba were very inferior, appearing ridiculous against the smart
English " non-coms." who were allowed on shore from the
" I.oanda." Spain at that time had more men in her last re¬
maining American possession than the whole of the standing army
of Great Britain, exclusive of the troops serving abroad, and yet
she has been unable to quell the insurgents. She has depended
a great deal on these young untrained men with the obvious
result, and from reports I heard in Las Palmas, if the figures are
ever published, we shall find the story of France and Madagascar
retold with more action and bloody detail. Yellow Jack has made
fearful ravages among these unacclimatized youths ; for Cuba has
a worse reputation perhaps for unhealthiness than any other part
of the West Indies. The little news that does leak out is care¬
fully watched and cut down by lynx-eyed officials before it can
leave the country, and no reliance can be placed on any report
published. The Canaryites have been specially favoured with
conscription, as they are supposed to stand the climate better than
their brothers in Spain.
Las Palmas boasts of a theatre, visited by various opera com¬
panies of more or less ability. Putting the merits of the perform¬
ance on one side, the building itself and the interior fittings
would put many more pretentious English playhouses in the
shade. Near the Cathedral is a handsome building, the lower
part of which is used for the municipal offices, the upper chambers
for the museum. The interior of the building is elaborately fitted,
the corridors and passages being decorated in a specially fine
style, and the upper galleries are filled with a miscellaneous collec¬
tion containing many unique specimens. Some of the corridors
resemble our Royal College of Surgeons' Museum, but less
ghastly and more interesting are the Guanche remains to be
viewed. The Guanches were the original inhabitants of the
islands, but any exact information as to who, and what they were,
is difficult to obtain. As a race they were a harmless people,
almost civilized in their habits, and having a good system of
government. Spain attempted to obtain possession of the
Canaries in 1385, but they did not succeed in bringing the whole
6
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
group into subjection till a hundred years later. Under the cruel
persecution of their relentless conquerors the last of the gallant
Guanche race disappeared in the sixteenth century, since which
time Spain has retained almost undisputed authority over the
islands, which have become a Spanish province rather than a
colony.
The guide of the museum was as great a curiosity as any of
the specimens under his charge, for he not only refrained from
asking for a gratuity, but firmly and politely refused one when
oifered.
I tried to obtain an order to visit the bone-yard attached to
the cemetery, but found it was too difficult ánd tedious a matter
to get the requisite permit, for the wheels of Spanish Officialism
are clogged with red tape and move but slowly. The rich in
Canary rent graves in the cemetery for their deceased friends, but
with the poorer classes the remains are buried for a few months,
the bones then being dug up and deposited in the adjoining
bone-yard. This is certainly not a practice that commends itself
from a hygienic standpoint, and shows little consideration for
the feelings of the relatives, who know with what scant ceremony
the remains of departed friends will be treated.
Las Palmas is well supplied with hotels, the three leading ones
being under English management. Of these Quiney's, the oldest
established, is right in the town, but the others, the Métropole
and the Santa Catalina, are built in the outskirts on the road to
the port. The Métropole is the leading hotel in Las Palmas, and
asa sufficient guarantee for the e.xcellence of all the arrangements,
I may mention that it is one of the many enterprises of Mr.
Alfred Jones, through whose indefatigable exertions the Canaries
have entered a prosperous period after a chequered career under
the prescriptive policy of Spain. Living is cheap in the islands,
and at this palatial hotel it is possible to live in first-class style
for 8s. per day inclusive.
The streets of the town are narrow but fairly clean, and the
main thoroughfare is lined with pretentious looking shops.
What strikes one forcibly is the air of listless indolence that
pervades everywhere. The proprietors of the shops sit lazily
enjoying a cigarette at the door, drivers lounge on their carts with
reins hanging loosely and horses going as they please ; sentinels
stand negligently at their posts leaning on their rifles and moodily
smoking, while the people saunter in the streets in a languid but
contented fashion of their own. The Canaryite is a lover of
SPANISH LOVELINESS.
7
idleness, and shut off as he is from the outside world, he cares
nothing for the rush and turmoil of the nations around him, but
lives in perfect contentment, knowing he has enough for to-day
and not caring what to-morrow may bring forth.
The chief food of the lower classes is gofio, a mixture of
Indian corn and water. It is neither a difficult nor expensive
meal to prepare, and the peasantry apparently thrive well on it
with the addition of a little goat's flesh as an occasional treat.
The market presents a busy scene with rows of stalls heaped
with fruit, and it is thronged by country people, who bring their
produce to town on ponies or donkies which stagger under the
combined weight of well-filled panniers and the lazy owner
mounted on top.
The mantilla is the favourite head-dress of the women of all
classes. The high-bred dames drape their heads in fine black lace,
but their humbler sisters are content with black and white cash¬
mere, the latter being the favourite, and serving to heighten the
olive complexions of the dark-eyed señoritas.
Life is never dull in the islands, and if other things flag there
are plenty of gay fiestas or semi-religious holidays, when the
towns are brilliantly illuminated and the peasants flock in from
the country, decked in glorious finery that has been purchased by
many previous days of hunger. Then there are the plazas, where
bands play every day, and golf, lawn tennis or cricket can be
indulged in on well-kept grounds.
The houses are irregular but well built, enclosing many
glorious little piazzas and gardens, shut out completely from the
outside world. Here the children can play and the elders rest in
shady bowers amid dazzling visions of flowering magnificence,
with gushing fountains and gay music of the bright yellow little
songsters which we hear only in captivity, but which flit from tree
to tree in Canary as free as air. Passing down the streets dark
eyes gleam and flash dangerously through the green postigos or
shuttered jalousies, but a peep behind often shows the splendid
eyes belie the owner. Young ladies from fifteen to twenty-one
are exceedingly beautiful, but Spanish loveliness is transitory, and
when they reach maturity the beauty so rapidly fades that in a
few years they are positively—well plain.
Unquestionably, the one charm of the Canaries, or as they
may well be called, the " Fortunate Islands," is the splendid and
equable climate. They form the ideal spot for invalids as they
have every advantage the health-seeker needs. The climate is
8
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
warm, but dry and bracing, and the heat is not too great as it is
tempered by the stimulating breezes from the sea. The islands
are too far south to feel any effect from the north winds which
have expended all their force before they reach such latitudes.
The east winds have a thorough sweep of the desert, being thus
warmed and dried before thèy touch the islands, and the gentle
westerly and southerly winds agreeably temper the heal and some¬
times produce a gentle shower of rain that keeps the ground fruit¬
ful and moist. The average temperature in the coldest period,
i.e., from November to March, is 63°, which is much higher than
the average of the South of France during the same months.
There is no excess of heat, no cold, little rain and no heavy night
dews. Bathing is carried on all the year round, and while we in
England are raving over burst pipes, plumbers' bills and perpetual
fogs, the Canaries are enjoying glorious sunshine, invalids are
able to sleep with windows thrown up, and the country round is
gorgeously arrayed with flowers and fruit.
Thus as a winter resort for invalids they far surpass the
Riviera, and though the journey has to be considered, a week on
board one of the first-class Mail Steamers, under the management
of Messrs Elder, Dempster and Co., is almost an added delight
to the trip. This firm issues a ticket for Saloon passengers to the
Canaries or Madeira for the low sum of return fare, available
to or from any of the islands for twelve months.
A few years ago the natural attractions of Grand Canary and
the other islands were almost unknown, but their fame has now
spread far and wide. Much has been done to improve sanitary
conditions, and accommodation for travellers is provided in plenty.
It will be well if the Spanish Government, realizing what a prize
they have in these possessions, do all they can to assist the English
enterprize now developing them, and seeking to attract the
thousands who annually flock to a warm climate for the winter.
Many are the enjoyable excursions that can be made into the
interior from Las Palmas. The scenery is varied, the vegetation
so rich and tropical that a trip into the country is a series of
delights. The roads are mountainous, but the sides of the hills
and fertile valleys are industriously cultivated, lemons, oranges,
figs, tomatoes, bananas, melons, cereals and sugar cane being
grown in abundance. Cochineal once formed a staple industry
in the islands, and though the trade has much dwindled, a large
number of the insects are still collected from the prickly pear
which is cultivated for the purpose.
CAVE DWELLINGS OF ATALAVA.
A DELIGHTFUL EXCURSION.
9
Up among the peaks behind Las Palmas are many ideal
spots for a picnic within walking distance, hut the favourite drive
is to Monte, which makes a delicious excursion a few miles inland.
Driving up the steep winding roads, through patches of bananas,
acres of delightful flowers, young vines, groves of eucalyptus and
figs, with graceful trees on each side of the track, red flowered
oleanders and the brilliant pepper tree, the eye revels in
hundreds of acres of richly cultivated land, but broken with
imposing barrancos, volcanic peaks of solid lava and stupendous
cliffs around. A day spent among the mountains is one to be
remembered. The curious hamlet of cave dwellings at Atalaya
should also be visited, and the most interesting trip of all is to
the Caldera, about eight miles inland. The first part of the
journey may be undertaken by carriage, but the latter part must
be performed on foot as the road is uneven and very steep. After
a long and fatiguing ascent of the Bandana hill the crater is
reached, and it gives one a good impression of the volcanic dis¬
turbances that have taken place on the islands. The Caldera is
the most perfect crater in existence, and it is a mile across with a
depth of over a thousand feet. As if in strong contrast to what is
past, a small farm nestles securely in the centre of this yawning
basin ;—a charming Ceres resting in the arms of her thunderous
brother Jupiter.
Visitors to Grand Canary would do well to extend their visit
to the neighbouring islands, the chief of which may be easily
reached by the coasting steamers which ply from port to port.
The Canary group is composed of thirteen islands, but six of
these are very small. The origin of their name is attributed to
the fact of Juba visiting them, and sending two large dogs to
Rome from the islands, which he reported as clothed with
eternal fire. Pliny mentions the existence of the Fortunate
Islands, but in 1330 a French vessel was driven upon them by
stress of weather and they were thus rediscovered, afterwards
falling into the hands of Spain. Tenerifle is the largest of the
group and is almost as popular as Grand Canary. It is chiefly
remarkable for its lofty volcanic peak, which rises almost in the
centre of the island, of which Santa Cruz is the capital, possessing
a well sheltered harbour. It is a great commercial centre and the
chief inhabitants of the town are engaged in trade with Great
Britain; but it is, nevertheless, a delightful little place, built at the
foot of high mountains, though not greatly patronised by visitors,
who flock on to the more fashionable resort, Orotava, about thirty
lO
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
miles distant. The cathedral is specially interesting to English¬
men, for it contains two flags captured in 1797 from the English,
and they may still be viewed, a solitary record of Nelson's one
failure, which cost him his arm. The anniversary of this event is
still marked by a grand fiesta to celebrate what they call, a
glorious victory. The whole of the inhabitants turn out in the
morning to attend solemn mass, which is followed by a bull-fight,
and at night the city is illuminated with myriads of fairy lamps,
the inhabitants gaily dancing and singing ; and the sky ablaze with
rockets and fire balloons.
The scenery round Santa Cruz is almost awe-inspiring, and
within reasonable distance are glorious pine forests at Las
Mercedes and Mina, with majestic mountains and imposing
barrancos where the surrounding country rivals Switzerland.
Laguna and Orotava are the fashionable resorts ; the latter
especially should be visited, as it is situated in the midst of lovely
scenery, wild and mountainous, but with richly cultivated hills
and valleys between. The ascent of the lofty Peak or Teyde of
Teneriffe can also be made. For days it is never visible, but
occasionally a partial view can be obtained through a break in the
clouds. The transparent atmosphere then enables one to dis¬
tinguish even small houses and trees at a great distance, and
a magnificent view can be obtained from the top of the crater,
which attains an elevation of 11,950 feet above sea level. A vast
expanse of ocean, studded with the whole archipelago, stretches
away on every side, and it is perhaps the most extensive view in
the world.
The western group of islands also includes Palma, Gomera and
Hierro, but they are seldom visited by travellers, the two latter
being practically unknown. The chief town of the first island,
Santa Cruz de la Palma, is important from a commercial point of
view and is lighted by electricity. There are some splendid
medical springs in Palma which will prove a great attraction when
the natural beauties of the island are better known to the health-
seeker. The island is a mass of picturesque rocks and precipices,
and the Caldera is the largest crater in the world, being nearly
seven miles across and 7,000 feet deep.
Il
CHAPTER II.
THE GAMBIA—SIERRA LEONE—FREETOWN—THE WEST INDIA REGIMENT
SHERBRO ISLAND SECRET SOCIETIES—LIBERIA THE KROO TRIBES
CAPE PALMAS THE GOLD COAST SURF—MAJOR PIGGOTT—VIEW OF
CAPE COAST CASTLE.
We had dropped a number of passengers at the Canaries, and
when we again steamed out of the harbour, all on board were more
or less connected with the Expedition, except some officials and a
trader or two returning to their unsalubrious posts on the coast.
On the way, the Pasteur Filters which we were taking out for
use in Ashanti, were tested. The filter itself is a splendid one,
the water, after going through an ordinary course of filtration, is
drawn by suction through removable porcelain candles, thus being
cleansed from all impurities. From some unexplained reason
those on board refused to act. Many hours were fruitlessly
spent by all the officers vainly trying to overcome the obstruction,
and after much trouble and manoeuvring, three emitted a meagre
stream, others gave out a perceptible dribble, while two or three
flatly refused to act. Utensils of this description being so
essential for the health of Europeans, who have to depend on
water of questionable purity, should have been carefully selected
and severally tested before being shipped by Government. The
filter was seen at work by Surgeon-Colonel Taylor, before the
order was given, and he found it satisfactory in every respect,
so in the present instance it seemed to rest rather with some
technical error in the manufacture than any fault in the system of
filtration. A cable was sent off as soon as we touched port, an
expert being dispatched from England by next boat, and on his
arrival some were put into tolerable working order, but a little
care in the first place would have saved trouble and anxiety to all
concerned.
We left Las Palmas on Saturday night, and on Wednesday
morning we sighted Cape Verd. The land leading up to the
Cape is low and flat, extending as far as the eye can reach in dull
monotony, broken only by solitary palms dotted here and there.
Passing a small group of islands, we had a distant view of the
strongly fortified island of Coree, belonging to the French, and
one and a half miles from the coast of Africa.
As we steamed through the glorious sunlit waters, with the
awnings to keep off the glare of the sun, and a pleasant sea breeze
12
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
tempering the heat, it was difficult indeed to realize we were near
the deadly West Coast of Africa. Skirting the low shores of
Gambia, we passed Bathurst, the chief town in the colony, built
at the mouth of the river. The Gambia was annexed to Sierra
Leone until 1888, when it was made an independent district, but
the colony has had a chequered existence, and now ground nuts
form the staple export, being shipped in large quantities.
On the troop-deck the men were busily engaged cleaning and
sharpening their arms, while the officers spent much time in
improving their shooting, revolver practice being the order of the
day. When will revolver shooting be really looked upon by the
authorities as a necessary qualification for an officer ? It is
essential for every officer to be a dead shot, and yet few facilities
are offered for them to obtain the requisite proficiency, and few
indeed of our English officers can even emulate the cowboy's feat
of hitting a button at ten paces.
We had some very fair marksmen on board, and the bottles
suffered accordingly, but it remained for Bennett Burleigh to take
the palm by the only shot he ever tried on the voyage, in
which he shot away a small portion of cork left hanging after the
bottle had been shattered.
On the morning of December the 13th we sighted Sierra Leone,
and turning into the wide mouth of the Roquelle, had our first
view of " the white man's grave," a sobriquet which all the
coast unfortunately seems to deserve. Passing the light-house,
and steaming along the narrow strip of coast to Freetown, the
country appears to be a perfect paradise, with its luxuriant
tropical vegetation. Spreading palms and patches of bananas,
intersected by enormous trees of great variety, extend right down
to the water's edge.
Nestling at the foot of the famous range of the Lion
Mountains is Freetown, but the whole appearance of the place is
deceptive. The apparently substantial-looking white houses and
wide streets, thrown in strong relief by the thick profusion of
tropical bush, extending up the sides of the heights behind, and
forming a many-tinted green back-ground, make one almost
exclaim "Utopia," and, at least, you think such a lovely spot
cannot be as black as it is painted.
Once on -shore, the illusion is instantly dispelled. Many of
these houses that appear so substantial and clean in the distance
are found, on a closer view, to be but roughly built and coated
with white-wash, rendered a dirty yellow with the damp. True,
the streets are wide ; there is now a good supply of water and the
SIERRA LEONE.
13
sanitary arrangements are the best on the coast, but there stiU
remains that keen sense of disappointment which increases as you
go further into the town.
When we also remember that this colony was ceded to the
British in 1787, we fully realise how slowly the stages of
civilisation have advanced. • The slow rate of progress made in
all our West African possessions is mainly attributable to the
trying climate which soon shows its baneful effects on a
European, robbing him of all his vigour, and sapping the vitality
from his constitution. His energies are impaired, his life is a
mere existence, and before he has had really time to thoroughly
grasp the situation, and see his ideas of improvement carried out,
he is invalided, or on long leave, and another man takes his place.
This applies to Government officials and traders alike, for though
the latter stay for longer periods, the mortality is much greater
among them, and thus, by the ever changing of the white
population, their sphere of influence is greatly narrowed.
The cause of the general unhealthiness of Freetown is apparent
from its position. Freetown Bay forms a perfect natural harbour,
which is the only one worthy of the name on the coast, and the
town has naturally grown up around the port. Close behind the
city the high crescent-shaped range of mountains completely shuts
in Freetown, and prevents a breath of fresh air from that direction,
while a series of ridges and spurs on the east keeps off effectually
any breeze that may blow from the sea. Thus a north wind is the
only one that can cause a leaf to stir near the town, and that
blows across the river when it has lost all its force, and does not
retain a trace of freshness after traversing the desert and the
muggy tracts of country extending to the northern bank of the
Roquelle. Freetown is thus left in a reeking atmosphere caused
by the great heat, lack of fresh air, and the dampness of the
low-lying valley in which it stands, and which also forms a
cesspool for the drainage of the hills around. The strongest
sanitary measures have been adopted, and have done a little
towards making it habitable, but nothing can surmount the natural
obstacles which render it so unhealthy.
Sierra Leone was ceded to Great Britain by native chiefs to
form a colony for the many destitute negroes in England and
America. Since then it has been used extensively as a settlement
for those liberated Africans, set free in the West Indies and
America, or found on board captured slavers. More than
one half of the population consists of freed slaves, and is made up
of a great variety of tribes, who have now so intermingled that
14
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
they form almost a distinct race. There are sixty different dialects
spoken in the colony, though for general intercourse, they have
resource to pigeon-English, which all understand.
By an old system the younger fry were apprenticed to older
residents, receiving an outfit ot farm utensils when they had served
their time. They were then located in the different villages,
receiving for subsistence a daily sum of two pence for six months.
Unfortunately, the people were too indolent to make use of these
opjiortunities, idling their time instead of cultivating the land,
and, being thus as badly off when their allowance ended as before,
the scheme had to be abandoned. The ground is very fertile and
a little judicious cultivation abundantly repays the labour bestowed
on it. Some of the people adopt European dress, but a shirt and
tall hat are considered by many to be an ample outfit.
A large proportion of the natives find employment in the
transfer of the produce from the interior to the coast for ship¬
ment, sending up European goods in exchange. The exports
consist chiefly of palm oil and kernels, but ground nuts, rubber,
gum and benni seeds are also shipped in considerable quantities.
Palm oil is extracted by simply treading out the pulp of the nut,
but a better oil is produced by boiling the nut itself.
Education is now in a very advanced state in the Colony, and
good schools are established in every village of importance. These
liberated Africans have a strong desire to become members of a
civilized religion, but though the haughty aristocrats of Sierra
Leone attend the cathedral and will not mix with mandigoes,
there are still a large number of converts to Mohammedanism,
which allows a plurality of wives, and panders a little more to
their taste for the marvellous by the mystic power of its charms and
amulets. Without disparaging the excellent work done by the
missionaries of all denominations, many of the so-called converts
to Christianity are converts only in name. They assume a great out¬
ward show of devotion, but will have nothing to do with a religion
which is not attractive and noisy. On Sunday they sing all day
at the top of their voices, or pray with fervent emotion in a
familiar manner, but it is only a thin veneer of Christianity laid
over hereditary paganism, and behind which they are lazy, and
think nothing of lying or stealing at every opportunity. There
are many exceptions to this rule, but it seems the greatest
difficulty for missionaries to instil into the native mind that
religion should be more than a mere cloak to be adopted on
occasions, and lightly laid aside again. Education is now, how¬
ever, making very rapid strides, and if progression is slow, it is
sure, and things are greatly improving.
FREETOWN.
IS
When I landed at Freetown, I found every available approach
to the quay crowded by thousands of brightly arrayed negroes,
eagerly awaiting to see the Governor land from the " Loanda "
and the effluvia of "nigger," aptly described as the "bouquet
d'Afrique " was much in evidence as they perspired freely under
the glare of the midday sun. A Guard of honour was drawn up to
receive Colonel Cardew, and when he stepped on shore, the
natives went mad with excitement. They rushed, en masse, to
get a closer view of the gallant Colonel and his lady, who were
entering their hammocks, and judging from the display of
popular feeling. His Excellency must be highly esteemed by all
classes. The enthusiasm of these niggers did not appear in any
way damped by the hard knocks ihey received from the batons of
the police, who were vainly trying to keep the«surging and yelling
crowd from closing round the small procession.
On the heights behind the town are the barracks of the West
India Regiment, and these, with other houses and quarters dotted
on the cliffs, make a scene anything but African, and one could
well imagine it was Switzerland, with the chalets perched
picturesquely on the ridges.
The Cathedral is a small building in the centre of the town,
and there are also several chapels and schools of various deno¬
minations. The Bishop of Sierra Leone, the Rev. Ernest Graham,
resides in Freetown, though his tenure of office is almost expired.
The Governor is assisted by Executive and Legislative
Councils, and among many well-known names in official circles
may be mentioned, the Hon. E. Brice Kindley, the Chief Justice ;
Captain A. F. Tarbet, Inspector-General of Police ; Mr. E.
Faulkner, Assistant Colonial Secretary; Mr. P. Crampton Smyly,
and many others.
The colony is one hundred and eighty-five miles long, and
has an area of four thousand square miles The imports in 1894
amounted to ;£^47o,o2 5, and the exports to ^(^426,499. The
population of Sierra Leone is stated at 136,000, of which 30,000
live in Freetown.
Some of the houses are substantially built of a red iron stone
that abounds, but these are chiefly the stores connected with
English firms, and under the management of a white agent and
staff of natives. Many pretentious looking places, however, are
under the sole ownership of negroes whose parents were probably
rescued from the horrors of slavery and set free by the English.
A commodious Market Place stands in the centre of the town,
where fruit can be purchased in almost any quantities at a cheap
i6
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
rate, and plenty of rubbish cast from the English market is also
sold at exorbitant prices to the credulous niggers, who all delight
in flimsy trinkets of every description.
The fish market is held in the open, on the sides of a steep
and narrow gorge leading up from the river. The canoes unload
at the foot ot the cliff ; the women sitting in various positions
and selling their shimmering wares on the rugged steps leading to
the road above. The presence of the market reveals itself to the
olfactory nerves at a long distance.
On Saturday morning, the market being in full swing, I inno¬
cently allowed myself to be rowed to the foot of the cliff and landed,
intending to pass up through the market into the town. It was a
blazing morning ; much of the fish was stale, and, to put it mildly,
very high; but in,addition to enduring that stench, I had to
clamber up the rugged ascent, pushing through hundreds of vile
smelling, perspiring niggers, who crowded round till the effluvia
became unbearable. I reached the top with tongue cleaving to
my mouth, throat parched, and lungs gasping for a breath of air.
The patches of grease on my clean suit of khaki showed where
I had come in contact with some oily fishwife, and the com¬
bined smells clung to me for hours.
Missionaries, when conducting a service, are obliged to let the
blacks take their seats with all the doors and windows open before
they can go into the hall. They also do not encourage the
natives to stand up to sing, as in that case a European would
have to leave the building, the smell being unbearable.
The news of the Expedition had already arrived, and many of
the people were as well informed as we on all subjects—" à
I'Ashantie."
While on a short shooting excursion into the interior, after a
hot tramp in the bush with little sport, I came across a small
clearing and farm near a lagoon. The only occupant was a tall
negress, whom I surprised in a rather alarming state of dishabille,
because of the heat of the day she afterwards explained, but she
retired for a few moments and re-appeared attired in a long plain
garment of gaudy print, and redolent of patchouli. I was agreeably
surprised to find she spoke English fluently, with little of the usual
negro twang. She had come over from the West Indies with her
husband sorne years before, and had settled in Sierra Leone, but
being left a widow, she carried on the farm with the aid of three
bushmen. She was very voluble, indulging in a long tirade
against the French and the trouble they have caused in West
Africa. The collision the previous year between the English and
A CIVILIZED NEGRO.
17
French forces in the interior was a very sore point, and many
were the maledictions hurled at the head of the French com¬
mander. It will be remembered, the West India regiment, then
on a punitive expedition inland, under their late commanding
officer, Colonel Ellis, were mistaken for Sofas by the French, who
opened fire on them.. Both sides blazed away for some minutes
before the mistake was discovered, and by that time our Lieut.
Lindsay and a French officer were shot, and several of the troops
killed and wounded on both sides.
The farm was a picture of neatness and fertility, showing what
could be done if the lazy natives would only do a little work in
clearing the bush and planting, for the ground is so rich that
anything once started requires little care. The farm in question
was chiefiy planted with the cassada or cavassa, a poisonous
tropical shrub, a species of manioc. From the fleshy tubers of
the plant tapioca is prepared, and a superior starch can be made
in the same manner, it is grown largely in the West Indies, but
is also cultivated in some parts of Sierra Leone, where it obtains
a ready market and is much used as an article of food by the
better class natives. The outskirts of the farm were fringed by
huge palm-trees while there was an abundance of oranges, pine¬
apples, and also paw-paws, a small cucurbitaceous fruit, peculiar
in taste but very refreshing.
On the main road near the landing stage stands the Wilber-
force Memorial Hall, built in commemoration of the abolition of
slavery, and named after the man whose untiring efforts were
chiefly instrumental in bringing about the desired result. The
lower hall, used as a reading room, is stocked with numerous
English papers, sent in the first place to some of the European
residents in the town. As this hall was thrown open directly tó
the street and was unoccupied, I went in to glance through the
papers, when a crabbed-looking negro appeared, and in peremptory
but unmistakable tones, ordered me out, adding that if I wanted
to use "dat dere 'all " I had better lay down a subscription. I
smiled and went on reading, only to be regaled with much
startling information. " You tink me niggah ? I no niggah I My
fader, he be West India man bred an' barn. I'sea Christian, an'a
citizen, knowed by ebbery golly bounder in Freetown," and so on,
ad infinitum, till, finding I was unmoved by the recital of such
estimable qualities, he left me with the parting admonition that I
was a d n brute. He was only a reliable type of the
civilized and educated negroes of Sierra Leone, whom England
has rescued from slavery and found a home for.
c
i8
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
On the eastern side of Freetown the Kroomen have formed a
settlement. This Kroo-town is under the rule of a headman, the
inhabitants being constantly employed to work on the various
vessels as they discharge cargo down the coast. A certain
number have been induced to settle here as they are then ready
for those boats that do not intend calling on the Kroo coast
lower down. Close to the village is a large inlet, Kroo Bay,
which forms a harbour for many of the small fishing boats and
canoes. Fish are very plentiful in the mouth of the Roquelle,
but it is also infested with sharks, and if a frail craft upsets, a
common occurrence, the occupants are rarely, if ever, seen again.
The " Loanda " stayed two days in Sierra Leone, and on
Saturday afternoon the Ashanti contingent of the West India
regiment was embarked for Cape Coast Castle. This embarkation
was a picturesque sight viewed from the ship. The slopes and
steps leading down to the water's edge, and the quay were crowded
with thousands of natives, who, dressed in every variety of colour
under the sun, turned out to see the troops off. The band of
the regiment, their dusky faces thrown up in striking contrast by
their white zouaves and puggarees, played suitable airs as each
barge load of men was towed off to the ship by the little tug of
the Coaling Company. The music was the source of much
gratification to the assembled masses who danced, clapped their
hands and halloed to the different airs, but " Auld Lang Syne "
seemed to cause special delight, probably because many of their
well-known hymns have been adapted to it.
We weighed anchor just after dinner, and steamed out of the
river through inky darkness, increased by the miasma rising off
the land, and obscuring all the lights in the town. The scene on
board was a striking one, with four hundred dusky warriors
swarming over the decks, singing, chattering in pigeon English,
and laughing as only a plantation nigger knows how. There is
something particularly simple and child-like about the sons of our
West Indian possessions, but when offended in the slightest
degree they show their deeper character of cunning, cowardly
brutality. Thus, while they retain their negro simplicity, they are
strongly tainted with the curse of slavery that brutalised and
crushed out every spark of manliness in their forefathers. There
is splendid material in the two regiments raised and recruited
mainly in the West Indies, but the white officers in command
require a large amount of tact in dealing with their men, who are
over-sensitive, and will resent any supposed affront, regardless of
consequences, and will stoop to most despicable means to obtain
SHERBRO SECRET SOCIETIES.
19
their revenge. Major Bailey, who was in command, appeared to
understand them perfectly, while the men in turn seemed to
regard him as a father and would follow him anywhere. The
strict laws of military discipline could never be rigidly enforced,
and it was a common thing on board, when orders were being
read on parade by the officer, to hear a perfect chorus of " We
no heah you heah. Sah ! " " Kindly speak more loud. Sah !" from
those who were in rear, though they were all drawn up at
" attention," when a white soldier hardly dreams of winking, much
less speaking.
It was impossible to find quarters for these four hundred men
on an already crowded boat, so they had to make themselves as
comfortable as possible with a single blanket on the decks, and
down the forehold, which had been cleared for them. They
lay in every conceivable position, singing far into the night a
corruption of " Daisy Bell," and some of their own plantation
ditties, their voices rising in perfect unison, despite the themes.
A powerful spray of electric light, rigged to the mast, shone down
on their upturned ebony faces, surmounted by their red caps,
making a most weird scene as contrasted with the surrounding
stillness of night on the ocean. Many interesting sketches of
those last days on hoard were made by Mr. Seppings Wright,
niost of which were reproduced in ensuing numbers of the
Illustrated London News.
Steaming down the coast we passed Sherbro, which forms the
southern part of the Sierra Leone colony. This district is noted
for the various secret societies formed among the inhabitants, and
about which a great deal of mystery exists. The most interesting
of these is an order of native freemasons called " Poro" which is
a Sherbro institution peculiar to the Imperri country. The particu¬
lars given here were culled from a narrative of Her Majesty's
Commissioner at Sherbro, Mr. T. J. Alldridge, who was present
in his official capacity at the recent crowning of the Sokong or
head chief in the Imperri Land, when a curious and rare native
custom was observed which had not been previously witnessed by
a European. This consisted in the appearance of the Tasso men
who are the head of the Poro order. Such is the power invested
in these Tassos, that they take precedence of the Sokong himself
in some matters, and it enables them to raise objections to the
laws made by the chief if they think fit. They assume a most
barbarous costume, including a head-piece of enormous weight.
This head-gear is over three feet in height, consisting of a founda¬
tion of plaited cane, covered with skulls and leg bones of defunct
c 2
20
Tö KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
Tassos, and surmounted by a gigantic bouquet of feathers, three
feet in diameter. On their body they suspend skins of various
animals, and jingling charms which make a considerable noise as
they walk. Beside these Tasso men, there is a subordinate rank
called the Lagas, who attend the Tassos. They are bedaubed with
large white spots on the body and have no head-dress. If a Tasso
man dies in a town, he must not be buried there, but in the bush.
No woman must look on a dead Tasso, and on the decease of one
of the order, a law or "poro" is immediately declared, com¬
pelling all women to withdraw till the burying is over, the law being
so imperative that the females have to drop their work and
retire instantly to the bush. If curiosity prompts a woman to
secrete herself, and she becomes acquainted with the mysteries of
Poro, her superstition brings on an imaginary sickness, during
which she confesses, and is at once taken to the Poro bush, where,
like the famous English lady of yore who was caught eves-dropping
at a Freemasons' gathering, she is initiated into the inner rites of
the order, henceforth being regarded as a Poro proper.
There are, however, far more horrible societies than this
existing in the low-lying country called British Sherbro, which
comprises a large district, including Sherbro Island. A race exists
there composed of professional poisoners pure and simple, and
though their actions are somewhat retarded by their now being under
British rule, many victims still fall yearly. These poisoners form
a profession of their own, doing their deadly work with the
greatest secrecy, and they are well versed in compounding and
preparing most mysterious and deadly poisons from vegetables
unknown to the European world, and therefore difficult to trace.
In out-of-the-way districts, if any vindictive native has a grudge
against another person, he has only to make a present to one of
these diabolical fiends, and the selected victim is carefully
removed, either suddenly or by a lingering illness that is difficult
to locate. The hereditary methods of preparing the poisons are
secretly handed down from generation to generation.
A most curious custom that is now dying out is the "Egugu,"
but this is a fraud practised by a few imposters who implicitly
follow out the methods of the Mumbo Jumbo rites employed by
Mandigoes and pagan tribes further south. The Egugu man is
supposed to have unlimited powers by which the name and
appearance of every woman who has been guilty of infidelity is
revealed to him. This strange minister is sometimes consulted
by a jealous owner of a house full of wives, and in that case his
work of finding the offender is comparatively easy, but he also
"HUMAN leopard" CANxNIBALS.
21
pays periodical visits to the different villas;es for the purpose of
exposing the frail ones, announcing his arrival by loud and dismal
screams on the outskirts of the surrounding woods. The women
do not relish his visits, and consternation falls on a large portion
of the feminine community, as they have nearly all been equally
guilty, and there is little chance of his picking an innocent subject.
When Egugu enters the town, presents are liberally showered on
him, and he can easily mark down a victim by seeing the
woman who seems most anxious to propitiate him by her gifts.
No one dare absent herself from the parade that follows, and each
lord and master takes particular notice that his wives, alias slaves,
are present. When all are assembled at the "bentang" or
meeting place, the ceremony is commenced by songs and dances,
which continue till midnight, when Egugu suddenly pounces on
his selected victim. The poor wretch is immediately seized,
stripped naked, and tied to a tree, where this superficial quack
inflicts a severe switching with his rod of authority, amid the
derisive shouts of the assembly, the women being loudest in their
exclamations against the unhappy sister.
The members of a secret society of which very little is known,
but which still exists, use some imaginary charm or ju-ju, in the
preparation of which, the heart of a virgin, plucked from the
body of a living victim, is indispensable. Happily, now, this
horrible rite is seldom, if ever, celebrated, though it is affirmed
that girls are still sacrificed occasionally in the depths of the
forest, the breast being cut off a living virgin, and the heart
plucked out while still pulsating and throbbing in its last throes.
A few months before I reached Freetown much stir was caused
there by the capture in the Imperri country of nine men belonging
tfi the Human Leopard society. Covered with leopard skins, mem¬
bers of this faction are in the habit of secreting themselves in the
bush, near various villages, and anyone who ventures out is set
upon and killed, a cannibal feast afterwards being held. So
serious had the depredations of this gang become, that the Sierra
Leone authorities sent men to scour the country for these murderers.
Only nine natives were arrested, and, on investigation, no proofs
could be found against six of them, and they had to be liberated.
The other three were brought to Freetown, tried before a jury,
found guilty, and hanged on August the 5th, 1895. One of these
malignant wretches named Jowe was formerly a coloured Sunday
School teacher in Sierra Leone, but he subsequently adopted the
more lucrative profession of trading in the Imperri country.
Jowe, in his defence, said he had been compelled to join the society
22
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
by threats. As, however, he had been a member for a long period,
and was at perfect liberty to leave the country if he had chosen, his
plea was not admitted. The defence of the others was, that the
murders were committed to obtain special parts of the body, such
as the heart, hand and leg, to make a certain fetish medicine.
It was decided that their execution should take place at
the scene of their crimes, and a force of police was dispatched
with the prisoners and the scaffold to the Imperri country. The
scaffold was erected and the execution took place in the public
street, the bodies being allowed to hang forty-eight hours as a
warning to the natives. The murders committed by these
" leopards " are numerous ; one girl who had recently been tied
to a tree and was about to be killed and eaten, screamed till she
attracted the attention of her friends in a village close by, and on
their approach the miscreants fled. Eight more members of the
" leopards " were afterwards arrested, and on arraignment, evi¬
dence was proved against two of them on the charge of murdering
a Krooman named Jack Purser at Mabondo, about fifty miles
from Freetown, in the Sherbro district.
Another atrocious outrage was recently brought to light at
Bouthe, where a native of the Imperri country had been brought
down the river to the St. Joseph's Catholic Mission there, for
treatment of wounds, caused by these cannibals. He was work¬
ing on his land when he was attacked from behind, and stabbed
in the neck with a three-pronged dagger peculiar to this gang,
gashes then being scored down his back in a manner which,
to an unskilled eye, might suggest they had been caused by a
leopard's claws. His cries attracted the attention of some other
natives working in the vicinity, and on their arrival, his assailants
made off. He was only just alive when taken in at the mission
house, and succumbed to his terrible injuries shortly after.
On Sunday we could descry the dark outline of the Liberian
coast extending monotonously in one long level line of vegetation
and with no hills to vary the aspect. Liberia is an independent
negro Republic of great pretensions and small exchequer. The
Republic was established in 1823, the country being purchased
in portions from time to time by the American Colonization
Society, and it has an area of 20,000 square miles. A large pro¬
portion of its inhabitants are composed of freed blacks from the
United States, and captives released from slave ships. Its
population is said to number over 200,000. Monrovia, which is
situated on Cape Mesurado, is the capital of the State and the
seat of Government, where President Cheeseman reigns supreme.
ARISTOCRATIC LIBERIA.
23
I-arge trade might be soon established with the rich products of
the interior, and the country itself produces coffee, indigo, ginger,
arrowroot and hides in abundance. The people, however, have
little enterprise, and are content with producing the bare
necessities of life. They evince the greatest interest in politics,
and will stand for hours discussing the most trivial point with the
extravagant flourish of language in which the civilized negro de¬
lights. They are very proud of their independence of which they
make a great outward show, even to the extent of possessing a
gun-boat, "The Rocktown," which they use to frighten the Kroo
tribes on the outlying districts, who resent the rule of the little
Republic. There is one obstacle in the way of making an
effective display of the " Rocktown "—she requires coal for her
engines, and unfortunately coal costs money of which Liberia has
little, but on one or two occasions, enough fuel has been provided for
her to steam down the coast and drop a few shells among the
miserable mud-houses of the turbulent Kroos, who seek safety in
the bush long before the gunners have their pieces loaded. As
a rule the supply of black diamonds has been exhausted in the
outward trip, so there she quietly rests till funds are forthcoming
to again fill her bunkers and enable her to return to her proper
anchorage.
The Colonisation Society paid an extraordinary price to the
Dahie tribe when they purchased this land, though it was not such
an extensive district as at present. The price paid in commodities
was :—
I hd. of tobacco.
I puncheon of rum.
50 pieces of cloth.
25 kegs of gunpowder.
I case of muskets.
To this they added other presents of slight value in after years to
purchase peace from the previous owners.
As the Liberian colony increased, duties were levied on
imports and exports, but these the British traders refused to pay,
as, by treaty, the American Government cannot colonise in Africa.
These negroes were now fairly settled, however, and many had
been educated in America, so on July 29th, 1847, by a unanimous
resolution, they threw off all yoke and declared the freedom of
the country. They then assumed the American flag, but with only
one star in the blue.
Their leading newspaper—for they have newspapers—would
require a great deal of beating. Some of the other sheets
24
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
published by educated negroes on the West Coast are good samples
of egotistic verbosity, but the Liberia Herald is far ahead of them
all. The sublime " Pott" and his " Eatanswill " production would
have sunk into oblivion, if compared to these efforts of Africa's
own journalist. The editorial " WE " has played an important
part in the World's History, according to the Herald's modest
articles ; the irresponsible writer of which would make an ideal
Senator for Buncombe.—American papers please copy.
The Liberians are a proud but simple-hearted people, and
from the President downwards all enjoy some high-sounding title,
many of them painfully incongruous. " Lord Chief Justice " and
"Right Honourable" are adopted by the most unpretentious,
while others aspire to even greater heights. A prominent Liberian
lady is Mrs. Ricks, who, it will be remembered, recently visited
England to see the Queen. She takes a keen interest in mission
work and workers, and is a well-known figure in the religious
world of West Africa.
The steamers generally call at Sass Town for Kroomen to
work the ship to the southern ports, and to take on others as
deck passengers to different places on the coast, where they are
employed in many capacities by traders ; but we were too full to
take up more passengers this side of Cape Coast.
These Kroos are fine athletic fellows, with muscles that would
put any of our so-called strong men in the shade. They will work
day and night in discharging cargo when necessary, but without
showing the least signs of fatigue. Yet, with the strength of lions,
they have the pluck of chickens. Physically they are everything that
could be desired as material wherewith to form a native force for
service in our African possessions, but they are useless for fighting,
and the very mention of war sends a thrill of terror through their
puny hearts. They have, however, many tribal disputes, but
these are always settled without bloodshed, though occasionally
their temper gets up, and they indulge in a rough and tumble,
tribe against tribe, when sticks and fists are brought freely into
play.
Numbers of these men are constantly coming in contact with
Europeans on the coast or visiting Liverpool when working on
the steamers, but they still remain in a very backward state of
civilisation, though they have few of the barbarous practices which
still abound among otiier tribes who have long since professedly
become christianised.
The Kroos have absolutely no kind of religion whatever.
Marriage is unknown among them, and there are no rites or cere-
THE KROO TRIBES.
25
monies of birth or death. The children are all marked by a strip
of indigo, half an inch wide, tattoed from the forehead over the
nose, so their nationality can be instantly traced, in common
with many other African tribes who adopt distinctive marks.
Curiously enough, salt is looked on in a holy light by these people,
and on one occasion an interior tribe, who had journeyed to the
coast to attend a palaver, imbibed such quantities of sea-water
that they were rendered helpless for several days.
Among the Kroos we had on board, were individuals answering
to the sobriquets of " Jim Block," " Cabin-boy," " Pea-soup,"
"Tar-bucket," "Paint-pot," and "Tom Stern." All of them
adopt similar appellations, the character of which clearly points to
their origin, and as soon as they scramble on board, they make a
point of introducing themselves to the passengers, though some
names are of very doubtful taste.
Leaving the Liberian coast, we passed Cape Palmas and came
abreast of French territory. Cape Palmas is the healthiest station
on the West Coast of Africa, its highest point being one hundred
feet above sea level. On the little peninsula, nestling picturesquely
among a clump of palms, are the European houses and lighthouse.
The coast here is very dangerous in rough weather, owing to the
numerous reefs, and, lying high and dry on the sand, the steam¬
ship " Monrovia " may still be seen, where she was run up after
striking on a sunken reef, just off the point, many years ago.
After Cape Palmas, the French Ivory Coast is reached, ex¬
tending to the Assinee river which marks the boundary between
that and the English Gold Coast. On the Ivory Coast is the
French settlement of Tabu, which consists of a native village of
conical thatched huts and two European houses. The French have
imposed a very foolish tax of oii every Krooman taken from
their coast to work southwards. As these Kroomen spend all their
earnings on every description of finery from the factories before
returning home, only reserving just enough to pay their return
passage, the French probably object to their subjects spending
their money and bringing back goods from another market, but
as the tax acts as a deterrent to the steamers calling on the coast,
the diminution of exports and imports must make a greater corre¬
sponding loss to the revenue. Further down the coast is the
desolate French settlement of Berebi, where the European com¬
munity is made up of five French officials and one trader.
As we steamed along in sight of the coast, the heavy surf was
plainly visible as it broke on the beach in long stretches of foam,
like banks of snow, extending as far as the eye could reach, the
26
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
whiteness being intensified by the dark background of vegetation
behind. The surf right along this coast is ever a source of wonder
and danger, as the rollers surge in and break with sullen and
monotonous roar.
The whole length of coast-line extending from the mouth of
the Roquelle in Sierra Leone to Lagos, a distance of 1,300 miles,
is without a single inlet or harbourage where a ship can rest in
safety or discharge her cargo. Vessels calling at the Coast are
forced to anchor some distance from the shore, and all communi¬
cation with the towns or trading centres is carried on by means of
surf boats. These boats are specially constructed with a curved
keel, which lifts the craft as it meets each advancing crest instead
of cutting through the waves as an ordinary straight stemmed boat
would do. If a boat is launched for any reason from a man-of-
war or one of the mail steamers, they never venture near the range
of the surf as it would be courting certain death. Fortunately,
the tornadoes which rage in these latitudes are of short duration,
and hurricanes seldom blow, or the list of casualties must have
been much greater on this inhospitable shore. In sandy places
where the beach is smooth and level, the rollers regularly break
in straight'unvarying line, but on rocky shores the heavy swell of
water is broken and thrown up in immense columns of foam and
spray as each wave surges up in mad confusion. The mouths of
the various rivers that empty themselves on the Coast of Cuinea
offer just as serious impediments to landing as the uninviting
shores. A bar is formed across each mouth, over which the
water ever boils and fumes, and only an experienced native in his
specially shaped canoe dare cross.
On Wednesday afternoon, December 18th, we had the wel¬
come news that Elmina was in sight.' After passing the white
walls of the castle and town perched on high ground, the ramparts
of Cape Coast Castle were plainly visible, and at six o'clock we
dropped anchor about three-quarters of a mile from the shore. It
was too late to land that evening, but we were immediately sur¬
rounded by boats and canoes whose occupants were soon
floundering in the water, scrambling for ship's biscuits thrown
from the troop-deck.
Lieutenant Blosse, of the West India Regiment, had contracted
a sharp touch of fever on board, so he was lowered over the side
and landed that evening, being invalided to England by the
next homeward bound boat. He was the second officer invalided
at the very outset of the Expedition, which gave ample proof of
the trying climatic conditions to be yet undergone. The other officer
CAPE COAST CASTLE.
27
sent back was Captain King, Army Service Corps, who was pro¬
ceeding with Captain Matthews on board the " Angola," with the
first consignment of supplies. Captain King went on shore at
Sierra Leone and received a severe sunstroke, necessitating his
being left behind at Freetown and sent to England by next mail.
The town of Cape Coast, as we viewed it that night, lit up hy the
last rays of the setting sun, made a scene of striking grandeur.
Built on a solid rock is the castle, consisting of battlements and
turrets, and with the main building and tower in the centre, while
a blue sea rolls in great waves, which rise in crested walls of water
as they break on the rock at the base. Low hills surround the
town, while the white walls of the fort gleam from the heights
beyond. The little whitewashed church and mission houses on
the sea front, and the substantial houses of the traders, form a
strong contrast to the native quarter, where the mass of square
flat-roofed houses of red clay stand perched in every conceivable
position below. Small clumps of palm trees on the east border a
mass of half-ruined houses of the same description which stand
tottering on the top of a green bank whose sandy base is ever
washed by the waves as they break with a continuous roar.
Behind the town, and extending right to the water's edge on
either side of it, rise green masses of luxuriant vegetation, forming
the ridge of dense African forest that stretches away to the
interior. As the sun set in all its tropical splendour, throwing
a crimson tint over the whole, the most prosaic could not fail ta
be struck with the rare and romantic beauty of the scene that
would enrapture an artist and make a spring poet rave.
Anchored off the castle were the gunboats "Racoon" and
" Magpie," rolling incessantly in the heavy swell, which must
make things very unpleasant on board in those narrow quarters.
The life of Naval officers and men, shut up in the confines of
their floating home off the African coast, must be terribly
monotonous, as they lie day after day continuously rolling with no
outlook, save perhaps a few mud huts and impenetrable bush, and
their resources for any kind of amusement are necessarily limited.
We were a merry party at dinner that night, the last we should
spend on board. There were the usual speeches and leave-takings
of officials going to posts lower down the coast ; a couple of
naval officers came over from the ".Magpie " to dine, and we thus
ended what had been a most pleasant voyage, thanks chiefly to
Captain Jones and the other officers of the ship who had taken every
care of our creature comforts throughout the voyage.
During the evening a boat came from the shore, and as it reached
28
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
the ship there was a cry of recognition. "Here's Piggott!" An officer
came on board in quiet serge patrols, but those cleanly-cut features,
clear fearless eyes lit by a gleam of humour, the firm mouth and
determined chin, revealed a striking personality—it was Major
Piggott,—hero of a dozen fights, and with more active service
records than any two officers on the expedition, though there were
old campaigners there, and no feather-bed soldiers. Singularly
his regiment is the 21st Hussars, who have the unenviable notoriety
of never having been in action, but their motto " Thou shalt not
kill " has been easily earned in tbe peaceful years since the regi¬
ment's formation, and their time is yet to come.
We were up betimes next morning, and aftera hurried breakfast,
clambered over the side into the waiting surf boats with our traps.
We were paddled vigorously ashore by twelve muscular Fantees,
who sat six aside on the gunwale, paddle in hand,giving a combined
stroke as each wave lifted us on the crest, and watching their
opportunity, the boat was rushed ashore on the curling top of a
large breaker, the next wave dashing over the boat and drenching
us. A dozen naked blacks were at hand, and seated on the
shoulders of two gigantic specimens, I found myself at last
deposited high and dry on the shore of Cape Coast Castle. The
scene on the sand was a particularly animated one, as boat after
boat arrived in quick succession, loaded with stores from the
Loanda," and as soon as one boat's load was landed, a gang of
carriers, many of them young girls and boys, had each put a box
on their head and carried it into the Castle courtyard, while super¬
intending the work were Supply Officers, standing in the blazing
fiun with parched faces and dried lips. Once on shore the heat
begins to tell, the sun beating down with merciless ferocity, and
woe betide that foolhardy person who exposes himself without
suitable head-gear, as sun-stroke is then inevitable toa European.
CHAPTER III.
.ASHAN'TI--KUMASSI DYNASTY—PREVIOUS QUARRELS—SIR GARNET WOLSELEV'S
EXPEDITION—OSAI MENSAH—ADANSI—THE LAST TROUBLE WITH THE
ASHANTIS—SIR FRANCIS SCOTT'S FORCE.
It will be well now to say a little on the cause of this Expedition
to Kumassi, and for this purpose a short resume of Ashanti
history and our previous quarrels with them will not be out of
place.
CAPE COAST CASTLE,
KUMASSI DYNASTY.
29
Africans have no written records, so to trace the past history
of a savage nation and get reliable accounts of the various states
of society, manners and customs of the people is impossible.
Hereditary families hold the throne for centuries, and although in
Ashanti primogeniture is by no means strictly adhered to, and
usurpers have at different times seized and held the stool, the
dependent chiefs have never given their real support to an out¬
sider, beyond that exacted by fear, and sooner or later he has been
put away by some secret method as poison, or by open deposition,
and a descendant of the old stock reinstated. There are a few
traditions handed down from generation to generation, but they
are of the vaguest description and mere fables that cannot be
classed with the records of the Arab tribes in the North, whose
ancestry, and every detail of past history, is handed down
regularly by word of mouth from father to son. The actual power
of these kings is much exaggerated, though perhaps, with the ex¬
ception of,the absolute monarchy of a Dahomeyan Sovereign, the
Kings of Ashanti have enjoyed greater despotic power than any
other known African Potentate. By law the King could do no
wrong, and had to marry into every family of note in his kingdom
to keep the time-honoured standard of Ashanti ethics, and that
fact gave rise to the rumour of King Prempeh having exactly
3,333 wives by law. This marrying into as many families as
possible is not peculiar to Ashanti, and is a common thing among
most African races. Khama, Chief of the Bamangwato, who
visited England last autumn on a mission to the Colonial Office,
caused the utmost consternation in Bechuanaland by breaking
this long and invariable precedent, only marrying one wife and
steadfastly refusing to further profit by his matrimonial privileges.
So scandalised were the Bechuanas that they gave vent to their
outraged feelings of decency, by making war on Khama, and for
a time he was driven out of his country with the few faithful ones
that chose to remain with him.
Little is known about the Ashantis till the beginning of the
seventeenth century, when a great king and warrior, Sy Tutu,
after conquering many of the sub-tribes and villages in the district,
formed an extensive kingdom over which he ruled. Sy Tutu was
afterwards'slain when invading the territory of the King of Akim,
situated on the south side of the Prah river. The memory of this
great battle of Coromantee is still cherished by the Ashantis, who
offer slaves yearly as sacrifices to the departed chief. After Sy
Tutu's death his son Apukoo ascended the stool and conquered the
Akims, adding their country to that of Ashanti. His son
30
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
succeeded him and he,tried to annex the neighbouring country of
Dahomey, but obtained no success in fighting against so powerful'
a race. Kumassi flourished through the reign of several kings,
and in 1823 we started a most disastrous campaign under Sir
Charles M'Carthy, the then English Governor of the Gold Coast.
The decisive battle was fought at Assamacow and raged fiercely
for several hours, but through faulty arrangements, the reserve
ammunition had not been brought to the front and this mistake
proved fatal to the British forces. Our allies were cut up, and
Sir Charles M'Carthy and most of his staff were captured,
beheaded, and eaten by the Ashantis; the white men's skulls
heing cleaned, set in gold and used as royal drinking cups in
Kumassi. Assamacow was immediately followed by an Ashanti
invasion of Cape Coast Castle. The small garrison in the castle
was powerless to aid the miserable Fantees, and terrific slaughter
ensued during which over 25,000 natives were slain in our so-
called Protectorate, and Ashanti power now extended right down
to the narrow strip of coast line defended by our forts on the
immediate seaboard. In 1826 a British force was collected at
Accra to operate against the Ashantis, and a sanguinary conflict
ensued which completely turned the tables. The Ashanti army
was routed and fled, while many war-chiefs, rather than meet the
disgrace and terrible death by returning defeated to their king,
committed suicide on the field. In 1840 another king, called
Kwaweda, caused trouble and again invaded the Protectorate,
waging war on our allies, the Fantees, but beyond supplying them
with arms and ammunition to fight with, the English did not have
to interfere. In 1841 much interest was aroused in England by
the departure of a Wesleyan missionary, the Rev. T. B. Freeman,
for Kumassi, as a pioneer of missionary enterprise in Ashanti,
Her Majesty and the late Prince Consort taking much interest in
this dangerous mission. Mr. Freeman took with him a carriage
and a plough as a present to the reigning monarch. The diffi¬
culties in taking vehicles through the dense forest and swamp
would now seem insurmountable, but no doubt there was then a
wide path of some description cut through the bush for the easy
advance of the invading army to the coast. In any case the task
must have heen a stupendous one to undertake, but he reached
his destination with his presents, and completely won over the
king, who even gave a plot of ground for the erection of a mission
house. In 1849 the English missionaries were forced to with¬
draw owing to the frequent outbreak of hostilities, leaving some
converted natives in charge, but the mission had to be finally
KING KOFFEE.
31
abandoned in 1854. On June 12th, 1869, some German mis¬
sionaries of the Basle mission, while pursuing their religious duties,
were captured by an Ashanti general, Adu Bofu, who took them
as prisoners to Kumassi. The captives were Messrs. Kuehne and
Ramsayer, the latter, unfortunately, taken with his wife, who was
visiting him at the time. A French trader, M. Bonat, was also a
captive, and these white people would have been sacrificed had
they not assured the king that a large ransom would be given for
them if their lives were spared. Governor Hennessey made a
demand for their release, and though they were not British sub¬
jects, offered to ransom the captives. The Ashanti general
demanded 1,800 ounces of gold ; that is nearly /^'¡¡oco. In 1872
the king sent a message to say that ^^1,000 would effect the
release of the white men, the amount to be paid half in gold dust,
and half in goods. In June a son of Adu Bofu was made
prisoner, but was released by Governor Hennessey hoping in that
way to obtain a reciprocal release by the Ashanti general, but
without success. In October, 1872, the Ashanti King Koffee
Kalkali despatched a message to Governor Hennessey saying he
was shortly sending down envoys to arrange with the English, but
the message was only made to temporize, and the following
February the whole district was alarmed by hearing the Ashantis
were preparing to invade British Protectorate. Colonel Hardy
was at that time Administrator at Cape Coast Castle. The cause
of the invasion was chiefiv through the Dutch cession of Elmina
Castle to the English. Koffee declared that he ought to have the
place as a port to trade with and he meant to take it. Another
cause that probably brought matters to a head so quickly was
that an Ashanti chief called Atjeimpon, and uncle to Koffee, was
held a prisoner in Cape Coast Castle. He was released in
December, but by the time he reached Ashanti all arrangements
were made for the invasion and three large divisions of King
Koffee's army invaded the Protectorate together, each simul¬
taneously attacking at different points.
The Ashanti warriors numbered about 40,000, and when
Sir Garnet Wolseley arrived at Cape Coast Castle, he heard that
this immense force were in the neighbourhood of Abracrampa and
were evidently preparing to advance on Elmina, to seize the castle.
Sir Garnet immediately advanced and suddenly came on the
enemy, hiding in the dense bush, impenetrable to the European,
but through which the Ashantis crept oh all fours. So effectually
did the dense jungle conceal them that no one in the English
force suspected the presence of the dusky foe till volleys of slugs
32
TO KU MASS I WITH SCOTT.
showered from the leafy tangle on each side of the path. There
was no confusion, however, though many officers and men were
seriously wounded, and the Ashanti fire was effectually silenced
after two hours' hard fighting, and they retired. The Ashantis
were at this juncture almost starving, and after the thrashing they
got in this brilliant little affair, known as the Expedition from
Elmina, they withdrew, many falling by the way and dying of
starvation. Our coloured levies had come in slowly, but as fast
as the companies were formed, they were dispatched under their
own chiefs to Fort Napoleon, and soon a sprinkling of Mumfords,
Kossoes, Winnebahs, and Houssas were extended along the road
between Mansu, Dunkwa and Abracrampa, and also from Elmina
to Fort Napoleon, while Captain Gordon took command of a
gang of labourers to cut a road through the bush toward the Prah.
Meantime the Ashanti General, Ammonquanta, swore a terrible
vow of vengeance against Sir Garnet, though our forces still
worked on the roads unmolested. On October 27th, news came
that the warriors were again on the move, having evacuated their
camp, but the main body were retiring, as the General had been
recalled by the King, while a smaller force of about 10,000 men
were moving westward. An expedition was speedily arranged,
and a party of natives started with casks of water and" the tents in
hand-carts. Major Baker Russell went in front with 250 native
levies, chiefly Winnebahs and Sierra Leone men, and about 200
bluejackets and marines with Captain Allnut completed the little
force under Sir Garnet Wolseley. A halt was made near Assaibo
for a rest, and before daylight the troops filled their water bottles
and started on ahead through the bush. The heat was intense,
and many of the bluejackets dropped by the wayside thoroughly
overcome, but after a toilsome march, their destination was
reached only to find the Ashantis had fled. Sir Garnet rested at
Abracrampa, and leaving Major Russell's native corps, fifty
marines and eighty Houssas to protect the King of Abra, he
returned to Cape Coast. While he had been on this expedition,
a most brilliant affair had taken place at Dunkwa by Colonel
Testing, the commandant there. Hearing the Ashantis were in
the neighbourhood, Testing made a reconnaissance toward their
lines. After an hour's march, he captured an Ashanti cutting wood
in the bush, and they forced him to act as guide to the enemy's
camp. They came upon the Ashantis quietly sitting at breakfast,
and rushing in on them, forced them to retreat en masse, capturing
a large quantity of stores and ammunition which were destroyed.
The Ashantis afterwards rallied, and suddenly a fierce fire was
THE FIGHT AT DUNKAVA.
33
opened from a hidden foe concealed in the bush round the
abandoned camp. The West India regiment behaved with great
gallantry, but the native levies began to lose ground, though
Captain Rait got a gun and rocket tube into play. Had the
enemy charged, it is probable that the levies would have broken
at once and a terrible loss been inflicted on the English.
Lieutenant Eardley Wilmot, of the Royal Artillery, was badly
wounded in the arm, but afraid of disconcerting his force of
Annamaboes, he stood his ground, and was then shot through the
heart. Many other officers had been severely wounded, and when
poor Wilmot fell, the cowardly natives under his command drew
back, forcing the English officers to retire. Next day the enemy
attacked Abracrampa, but the small force under Major Baker
Russell held the place successfully, and before Sir Garnet arrived
with reinforcements the little garrison had driven the enemy away.
The Ashanti camp was afterwards attacked by Sir Garnet, the
enemy suffering a signal defeat, when General Ammonquanta
narrowly escaped capture. The whole Ashanti force then began
to retire by the road leading from Elmina to the Prah. A large
force of levies were formed, and having been reinforced by three
regiments from England—the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Rifle
Brigade, and Black Watch—Sir Garnet started his famous march
to Kumassi. Among many officers that took part in this
expedition beside Sir Garnet were Lieut.-Colonel Evelyn Wood,
Surgeon-Major Mackinnon, P.M.O., Major Baker Russell,
Captain Buller, Lieutenant Maurice, and others whose names are
now almost household words.
The forces marched through the bush unopposed and crossed
the Prah, but the King of Ashanti, hearing of the approach of the
English, set free first the missionary Kuhne, and afterwards the
trader Bonat, Mr. and Mrs. Ramseyer, and their two children
who were born in captivity in Kumassi, and they met the troops
on the way up. Sir Garnet had sent an ultimatum to Kumassi,
demanding hostages to be sent to him with an indemnity, but
though envoys came from the King asking for peace, no other
steps were taken, and nothing remained but to march on to
Kumassi and enforce the terms there. The army crossed the
Adansi Hills, meeting with no opposition till they reached
Borborassi, which was strongly occupied by the enemy. Here
Colonel McLeod, commanding the advance forces, met a spirited
resistance, in which Captain Nicol was killed while leading the
Annamaboes, who, this time, behaved splendidly throughout the
engagement, and deeply avenged his death. The enemy were
D
34
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
forced to withdraw with heavy loss, but on January 31st they again
assembled in great force near Ejinassie and occupied strong
positions at Amoaful. The fighting was commenced by several
brisk skirmishes between the advanced posts at eight a.m., and a
heavy fire was kept up continuously on both sides for more than
four hours, during which the Black Watch suffered severely.
Amoaful was captured, but long after the town was taken the
Ashantis kept up a heavy fire from the bush till they were
dislodged by the Naval Brigade. The enemy even now were not
done, and hardly had the fire been silenced in front when
reinforcements arrived and commenced an attack in the rear.
The baggage column was fired at, and though it was accompanied
by a large escort, the cowardly carriers dropped their loads and
scampered in all directions. A part of the Naval Brigade was
sent back, and brisk fighting ensued far into the night, when the
Ashantis were repulsed and forced to retire to Bekwai. On
February ist, at mid-day, the English made an advance on this
town, but the enemy rushed from the place into the bush on the
first approach of the troops, where they recovered from their
surprise and resisted vigorously. The advance column consisted
of the Naval Brigade, Russell's Native Regiment, Lord Gifford's
Scouts, and a small detachment of Engineers. A gun and rocket
tube of Rait's Artillery were also pushed forward, and as volley
after volley was poured into the Ashantis they again retreated ;
the town being captured and burned to the ground.
As the troops advanced through the different villages they
found human sacrifices of both sexes in each place, the mutilated
bodies lying with head severed in the centre of the path, but it is
difficult to say what significance the Ashantis put on these
ghastly exhibitions. Each village of any size was found to be
occupied by the enemy, but in every case, after a hot fight with the
advance-guard, the Ashantis were forced to retire. On February
4th the last gallant advance was made by our troops, fighting
every step of the way through the deadly swamp surrounding
Kumassi, and at six o'clock Sir Garnet and his staff were in the
dreaded capital. King Koffee and a large portion of his army
had escaped, taking their treasure and arms with them, and though
constant messages were sent by the General, Koffee remained
obdurate and would not agree to the terms of peace. The rains
had started, rivers were rising, and nothing remained for Sir
Garnet but to prepare at once for the return march to the coast,
if he wanted to save his army. On February 6th Kumassi was
burned to the ground ; the troops at once setting out on their
SIR GARNET ON ASHANTI.
35
homeward march and encamping the same night at Egimum,
fourteen miles from the capital. They returned by quick stages
to the coast, the roads becoming more impassable every day by
reason of the rains, but happily a serious disaster was narrowly
averted. A few extracts from Sir Garnet's letters to the Colonial
Secretary will explain his reasons for destroying the capital and his
subsequent action, Speaking of the occupation of Kumassi, he
says :—
" I immediately issued stringent orders for the protection of the inhabi¬
tants and the safety of the town, but in the darkness it was impossible to
prevent some of the numerous camp followers from pillaging, and the result
was the outbreak of many fires. Captain Baker, Inspector of Police, and
several officers were engaged nearly all night in the suppression of pillaging
and putting out fires. One policeman taken in the act was hung. I en¬
deavoured immediately on my arrival to communicate with the King through
Mr. Dawson, and through every channel that appeared to offer an opportunity.
A chief having come into Kumassi, who was said to be sent by the King, I
saw him myself and impressed on him my wish to spare the town, and my
desire to impose on the King no severer conditions than those he had already
accepted. Moreover, I told this man, now I had shown the power of England,
if the King would make peace at once, I was ready to accept a small part of
the indemnity, and not to exact half I had previously required to be paid down.
All was, however, of no avail. The men whom I endeavoured to employ as
messengers, and who came avowedly as envoys of the King, were found
treacherously removing powder and gold dust from the houses. The whole
scheme of Ashanti politics is so based upon treachery that the King does not
either understand any other form of negotiation or believe it possible that
others can have honest intentions. Under these circumstances it became clear
that a treaty would be as valueless as difficult to obtain. Nothing remained
but to leave such a mark of our power to punish, as should deter from future
aggression a nation whom treaties do not bind. I had done all I could to
avoid the necessity, but it was forced upon me. I gave orders for the destruc¬
tion of the palace and the burning of the city. I had at one time contemplated
the destruction of the Bantama where the sacred ashes of former kings are
entombed, but this would have involved a delay of some hours. \'ery heavy
rains had fallen, and I feared that the streams might have risen in my rear
sufficiently to seriously delay my march. I considered it better, therefore, not
to risk further the health of the troops, the wet inclement weather having
already threatened seriously to affect it. The demolition of the palace was
complete. From all that I can gather I believe that the re.sult will be such a
diminution to the prestige and military power of the Ashanti monarch as may
result in the break-up of the kingdom altogether. This I had been anxious to
avoid, because it seems impossible to foresee what power can take fhis nation's
place among the feeble races of this coast. I certainly believe that your Lord¬
ship may be well convinced that no more utterly atrocious Government than
that which has thus, perhaps, fallen, ever existed on the face of the earth.
Their capital was a charnel house ; their religion, a combination of cruelty
and treachery ; their policy, the natural outcome of their religion. I cannot
think that, whatever may be the final fate of the people of this country, the
absolute annihilation of such a rule, should it occur, would be a subject for
unmixed regret. In any case, my Lord, I believe that the main object of my
D 2
36
TO KUMASSr WITH SCOTT.
expedition has been perfectly, secured. The territories of the Gold Coast
will not again be troubled by the warlike ambition of this restless power. I
may add that the flag of England from this moment will be received throughout
Western Africa with respectful awe—a treatment which has been of late years
by no means its invariable fate among the savage tribes of this region. The
troops are now on the march homeward, and will embark for England im¬
mediately on reaching Cape Coast."
After the war, the Adansi King wished to be taken under the
protection of Great Britain by joining our allies the Wassaws, and
after a little hesitation, Sir Garnet allowed his request in a modi¬
fied form. At Detchiasu, on February the 9th, fresh envoys
reached Sir Garnet, assuring him that Koffee was most anxious to
accede to the General's terms and make peace. They declared
that the King could only send 1,000 ozs. of gold, instead of the
50,000 ozs. demanded, but that he would pay the rest in quarterly
instalments. Refusing to accept those terms would not have
improved matters, so Sir Garnet drew up a treaty which was signed
by the envoys and himself. The treaty is too long to give in
full, but the chief clauses were as follows :—
"The King of Ashanti to pay 50,000 ounces of gold dust as indemnity
for the expenses of the late war, and undertakes to pay 1,000 ounces forthwith
and the remainder by instalments.
The King on the part of himself and heirs to renounce for ever all pre¬
tensions of supremacy over Elmina or any tribes formerly connected with the
Dutch.
The Kings of Ashanti will for ever renounce all right or title tc any
tribute or homage from the Kings of Denkera, Assin, Akim and Adansi, and
other allies of Her Majesty, formerly subject to the Kingdom of Ashanti.
There shall be freedom of trade betwèen Ashanti and Her Majesty's forts
on the coast ; all persons being at liberty to carry merchandise from the coast
to Kumassi, or from that place to the coast.
The King guarantees that the roads from Kumassi to the Prah be kept
open and free from bush to a width of fifteen feet.
As Her Majesty's subjects and the Ashanti people are henceforth to be
friends for ever, the King, in order to prove his sincerity and his friendship
to Queen Victoria, promises to put an end to human sacrifices, as the practice
is repugnant to the feelings of all Christian nations."
By the end of February, the troops had all arrived at Cape
Coast and were being embarked for England.
Thus ended the famous war of 1873-4, but the Ashantis, though
taught a severe and bitter lessson, were not yet crushed. A town
built of clay and wood, with the materials close at hand, is soon
rebuilt. The Kumassi of 1895 wa!s soon standing on the old
foundations of the Kumassi (or Coomassie) of 1874. Shortly
after the sack of the capital, a bloodless revolution took place.
Koffee Kalkalli was removed, and his brother Osai Mensah reigned
in his stead.
A FRESH CAUSE FOR TROUBLE.
37
An officer was sent from the Gold Coast to collect the first
instalment of the war indemnity when it fell due, and it was paid
without demur. The Ashantis, however, have short memories, and
when the second instalment was demanded, the King said it was
not ready, and the officer had to leave without it. He paraded
his Houssa escort, and marched out amid derisive hoots and cries
of the Ashantis ; but, afterwards, wiser counsels prevailed, and the
King becoming frightened at the probable consequences of his
act, sent runners with the gold. After that date it was not con¬
sidered safe to send for any further instalments without a large
force, and as that would be too expensive a mode of collection, a
message was sent to Kumassi to say the remainder must be paid
at Cape Coast Castle.
The Ashanti power having been tamed, one of their most
powerful feudatory chiefs seceded shortly after and formed the
independent Kingdom of Juabin. The Ashantis, enraged at the
establishment on their border of a rival power recently subject to
them, immediately threatened war on the Juabins, though it was
only a few months after their own defeat by the English. An
officer was sent from the Gold Coast to Kumassi to preserve
order, and he met with a good reception, exacting a promise from
Mensah and the Juabin king, Hsafu, to keep the peace.
For the next few months the Ashantis kept steadily at work
repairing their shattered fortunes, reforming their army, and
collecting ammunition, which had been nearly all expended. In
1875 fresh friction took place between the two rivals, and in
October the Ashantis invaded Hsafu's territory and attacked
Juabin. The conflict raged for a few days when the Juabins
were worsted and put to flight. Seeing that the invasion was a
breach of good faith, and also gave back to Ashanti much of her
old power, the Colonial Authorities ought to have sent a force at
once to occupy Juabin and take the country out of Ashanti yoke.
Not only was this neglected, but no steps were taken in assisting
the Juabins to retake their own possessions. Arms and ammunition
were obtained by the Ashantis from the French traders at Assinee,
while the importation was forbidden on the Gold Coast, which
was the only market for the Juabins to get the much needed
munitions of war. The Ashanti kingdom thus again flourished in
less than two years after Kumassi was burnt, and Mensah at once
repudiated the war indemnity, reinstating the old power that Sir
Garnet Wolseley thought he had broken for ever. When it was
too late to repair the injustice to the Juabins the Gold Coast
authorities removed the embargo on the importation of arms,
38
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
finding it simply reduced the revenue and gave the trade into
French hands. The Ashantis were thus encouraged to purchase
breech-loaders at Cape Coast itself, so they thoroughly re-armed
their fighting men with modern weapons right under the eyes of
the British Government, and if internal dissensions had not con¬
vulsed Ashanti, owing to the deposed King Koffee intriguing
against Mensah, war would have been made on some of the
border tribes. Mensah had an efficient body-guard and
was able to hold his own against the revolutionists, and as a
further proof of his power, he indulged in human sacrifices to a
much greater extent than his predecessor. The Ashanti war
party was very anxious to remove the stain caused by the '74 defeat,
and, at any rate, force the king of Adansi again under their rule.
Adansi had thrown off the Ashanti yoke after the war, and become
an independent state and ally to England. When things had
quieted down a palaver was held in Kumassie where the Bekwai
chief publicly swore to the King that he would force Adansi to
again become subject to Ashanti. This would be an open breach
of the article of the treaty dealing with the Adansis and other
allies who were not to be interfered with by the Ashantis, but
unfortunately England herself seemed only too ready to repudiate
the claim the Adansi people certainly had on us. If we were not
actually bound to protect these people, we had a signed treaty for¬
bidding the Ashantis to attack them, and any breach of that was
surely an open defiance to England, and one she ought to have
taken the strongest measures to nip in the bud. The Colonial
Office, however, seemed determined to a strict policy of non¬
intervention, and Adansi was certainly at that time proverbially
between two stools. At this juncture, however, having
allowed the Ashantis to re-arm themselves, the Gold Coast
authorities became seriously alarmed by fresh friction with
Mensah early in i88i. An Ashanti prince named Awoosoo
having incurred the displeasure of the King, sought safety in
flight, and, on arrival at Cape Coast, claimed protection which was
accorded him. On January 19th envoys arrived from Kumassi
bearing the golden axe, supposed to signify it was a matter of
peace or war, and demanded an interview with the Governor.
After the usual compliments had passed, the chief envoy Aman-
quah demanded in the name of King Mensah that Awoosoo
should be given up. The Governor replied that Awoosoo, being
in British Protectorate and not having committed any crime, was
free to go or stay where he pleased, and would never be given up
to them, whereupon the envoys said that if Awoosoo were not
A GROUNDLESS WAR SCARE.
39
forthcoming, the King would invade Assin. This message pro¬
bably did not really come from Mensah, but was a surmise on
the envoy's part, and beyond that threat, and also the fact of the
embassy bearing the golden axe, no actual cause for alarm was
given. A panic, however, took place on the Gold Coast, and an
Ashanti invasion was considered imminent. All the available
forces were massed on the coast to defend the forts there, leaving
the whole country open to the ravages of the dreaded foe had he
been seriously considering such a step. Alarming reports arrived
constantly at the coast as to the rapid Ashanti advance, but all
these rumours constantly turned out to be false, though definite
news was received that the King had an efficient army fully
organized, among which were t,ooo men armed with Sniders.
Reinforcements were ordered from Sierra Leone, and 200 of
the West India Regiment were dispatched to Cape Coast. Fresh
envoys arrived at the castle, saying the King did not want to fight,
and they appeared greatly surprised at the Governor's warlike
preparations. Prince Ansah was at this time employed on the
coast, and he also was astounded to find the steps that were being
taken to defend the place, and though it had been previously
proved that no reliance could be placed on the word of an Ashanti
monarch, there seems this time to have been little need for such ex¬
citement and dismay when the King was quietly resting in4iis capital.
A large majority of Ashanti chiefs were ready, burning for revenge
when the envoys returned to Kumassi without the prisoner, and some
advised war at once, but Mensah strongly advocated a delay till he
had received an answer from the second ambassadors. These
arrived in due course with a decisive refusal from the Governor
to deliver up Awoosoo, and that, coupled with the report that the
English Government were arming their old and despised enemy,
the Fantee, and was going to invade Ashanti, threw Kumassi
into an uproar. The war drums were beaten and slaves
sacrificed amid signs of excitement, but next day a messenger
arrived from Prince Ansah saying that reinforcements had arrive^
•from Sierra Leone, and that thousands of white soldiers were on
their way from England. This report, though false, considerably
damped the recently kindled war-feelings, and King Mensah
decided to take no further action, but to keep his troops ready for
emergency in Kumassi if war were forced on him. The second
West India Regiment had also by this time arrived at Cape Coast
from the West Indies, and when this fact was duly notified and
exaggerated in Kumassi, Mensah thought war was inevitable, and
he called out his full army to oppose the English if they crossed
the Ashanti border.
40
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
An expedition was now determined on by the authorities at
Cape Coast, and a force about i.ooo strong marched up country
to Prahsu with the Governor. On April i6th, Ashanti messengers
arrived at the Prah, a palaver was held, and the troops returned to
the coast having had a useless and needless journey. Here the
envoys paid over to Government an indemnity of i,ooo bendas of
gold-dust and the matter was ended, clearly showing that Mensah
desired peace. Further trouble from this matter was prevented
on July 16th, when Awoosoo committed suicide by leaping from
the wall of Elmina Castle, and thus dramatically ending any
anxiety the Ashantis felt about him and his supposed intrigues.
Following the e.xarnple of the Juabins in 1878, the movement
of disintegration continued, and many of the provincial kings and
chiefs of the principal southern states migrated, taking their people
into the British Protectorate, and Kumassi found itself surrounded
with deserted or disaffected provinces. In 1888 an attempt was
made to restore the .Ashanti kingdom by the selection of King
Prempeh, or Kwaku Dua, as the rightful heir to the stool. Some of
the states rallied for a time, but the ambition of the young king
and his mother to re-establish Kumassi supremacy over the whole
of the revolted kingdoms led to a series of inter-tribal wars which
lasted for several years, and threw Ashanti into the utmost
confusion. In 1891 it was proposed to take the whole territory
under the British flag, but no friendly arrangement could be arrived
at witti Kumassi. Negotiations were again entered into in
February, (894, but Prempeh became enraged and alarmed
at the surrounding states becoming friendly with the British.
Many complaints were received from various sources, and in 1893-4
Houssas had to be dispatched to protect our borders on the
north of Ashanti and to prevent the raids from Kumassi.
Sir Brandford Griftith dispatched two ultimatums to Prempeh,
but he continued his policy of prevarication and double dealing,
and the mission returned to the coast with nothing done ; the
Houssas being fired at and one killed on the return journey.
Prempeh was told to send his reply to the Governor of the Gold-
Coast, but he sent envoys direct to England, though, no doubt,
these princes and chiefs were only too eager for a little jaunt at
the expense of their country, and used every means in their power
to induce the King to dispatch them direct to the Queen.
Governor Griffiths was succeeded by Governor Maxwell, who was
on his way out from England when the envoys started. They
were warned at the coast that they would not be received in
London, and told if they waited a few days they could see the
SIR FRANCIS SCOTT, K.C.M.G.
From a photograph by Elliott àf* Fry.
THE LAST ULTIMATUM.
41
Governor who was deputed to receive the.n, hut that meant no
England, and no fun. They must go at all risks, and go they did
in face of warnings. A last ultimatum was afterwards taken to
Prempeh by Captain Donald Stewart, the Special Commissioner,
who left on September 26th, 1895, escorted by a force of Houssas
under Captains Cramer and Irvine. Kumassi was reached on
October 7th, and Captain Stewart read the letter which was
translated by the interpreter, Mr. AToom. The letter described
the various offences of the King, his violation of the Fomona
treaty, his vicious practices, and the constant molesting of tribes
friendly to the English. It demanded that the King should
receive a British resident, who would see the reforms carried out,
but not interfere with the details of Prempeh's government. He
was told that the ambassadors he had sent to England would not
be received there, and that his answer must be sent to the
Governor at Accra. Prempeh, who was surrounded by his chiefs
and 5,000 of his people, took the letter and said he thanked his
" good friend the Governor " for sending it to him. He would
see his chiefs to talk over the matter, and then reply to it.
Presents were exchanged, and the little force returned to the
coast. The Ashantis took no further notice, and as the day of
grace expired without a sign from the King, nothing remained
but to enforce our demands. A military expedition was decided
on, consisting of a special corps of picked troops from different
regiments at home, also the Second West Yorkshire Regiment,
700 Houssa troops, 400 of the West India Regiment, and a levy
of friendly natives to act as scouts. The officers of the
Expeditionary Force were ;—
In Command.
Sir Francis Cunninghame Scott, K.C. M.G., C.B.
Staff.
Lieutenant-Colonel F. J. Kempster. D.S.O., Munster Fusiliers, Second
in 'Command.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ward, Army Service Corps, Assistant Adjutant-
General.
Major Belfîeld, Munster Fusiliers, Chief Staff Officer.
Major Ferguson, Royal Horse Guards, Camp Commandant.
Colonel His Royal Highness Prince Henry Maurice of Battenberg, K.G.,
Military Secretary.
Major C. B. Piggott, D.S.O., 21st Hussars, Aide-de-Camp.
His Highness Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, G.C.B.,
King's Royal Rifles, Aide-de-Camp.
Captain H. D. Larrymore, Gold Coast Constabulary, Aide-de-Camp.
Mr. Haddon Smith, Private Secretary.
Mr. Reginald P. Knollys, Interpreter to the Force.
42
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
Other Officers on Special Service.
Surgeon-Colonel Taylor, M. D., Principal Medical Officer.
Lieutenant-Colonel I^eggett, Senior Ordnance Store Officer.
Major Wolfe Murray, R.A. Commanding Lines of Communication.
Major Baden Powell, 13th Hussars, Commanding Native Levy.
Major Sinclair, Royal Engineers.
Major Gordon, 15th Hussars.
Captain Graham, 5th Lancers.
Captain E. W. Blunt, Royal Horse Artillery.
Captain Montanaro (Local Major), Royal Artillery. Base Commandant.
Captain Williams, South Staffordshire Regiment.
Captain Benson, Royal Horse Artillery,
Captain Phillips, Royal Engineers,
Lieutenant Pritchard, Royal Engineers.
Special Service Corps.
Lieutenant-Colonel Stopford, Commanding.
Major Hamilton, East Yorkshire Regiment.
Lieutenant Hon, G, A, Hood, Grenadier Guards,
Captain Drummond, Scots Guards.
Captain W. H. Sitwell, Northumberland Fusiliers.
Lieutenant E, Fitzgerald Wood, Devonshire Regiment.
Major Barter, Yorkshire Light Infantry.
Captain Reade, Shropshire Light Infantry,
Captain Kays, 3rd King's Royal Rifles,
Major J, W, A, Marshall, Royal Irish Fusiliers,
Major Northcott, Leinster Regiment.
Captain Fuller-Acland Hood, Rifle Brigade.
The 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment.
Lieut,-Col. A, J, Price, Commanding ; Major A. W. St. George ; Captains
H. Walker, G. W. Swaine, W, de S, Cayley ; Captain and Adjutant F. W.
Towsey ; Captains F, B, Pearce, J, O'B. Minogue, T. P. Barrington. T. H.
Berney ; Lieutenants G, F. Gardiner, E, P, Purchas, C. Mansel-Jones,
W, M, Hall,IL, H. Spry, J. B. Paget, P. E H. Lowe ; 2nd Lieutenants B. A.
Thompson, C. J, Deverell, H. L, Mourilyan.
Royal Engineers—Field Telegraph Detachment.
Captain R, S. Curtis ; Lieutenant Maclnnes ; Lieutenant Faber.
Artny Service Corps.
Colonel Ward ; Major F. Clayton ; Captains C. H, Donovan, E. Bernard,
E, E, D. Thornton, E. C, Thring, D, K, E. Hall ; Lieutenants Wilson,
Armstrong, Atkins, Atcherley ; Quartermasters Edwards and Challoner.
Artny Medical Staff.
Surgeon-Colonel W, Taylor, M,D., Principal Medical Officer; Surgeon-
Lieut.-Colonels Townsend, Blennerhassett ; Surgeon-Majors Hughes, Wol-
seley, Dodd, Porter, Wilson, Beatty, Bartlett, Hickman ; Surgeon-Captains
Wilson, Beevor, Maher, Josling, Burke, Eckersley, O'Callaghan, Cummins,
Corcoran, Hilliard ; Surgeon - Lieutenant Spencer ; Hon. Lieutenants
Arbeiter, Lines.
THE GOLD COAST.
43
Ordnance Store Department.
Lieutenant-Colonel Leggett ; Captains Sherwood and Mathew ; Hon.
Lieutenant Cox.
Army Pay Department.
Lieutenant-Colonel Compigné ; Major Dolby ; Captain Westmorland.
2nd JFest India Regiment.
Regiment—Sierra Leone. Right Wing—Gold Coast and Ashanti.
Colonel Caulfeild : Major Bailey, Commanding Right Wing ; Majors
Egerton and Lowry ; Captains Jackson, Stansfeld, Henstock, Wilson, Baines,
Climo, Liston, Davies ; Lieutenants Barchard, Falcon, Alone, Hardyman,
Woodman, Litchford, Drury, Fulton, Thorne, Blosse, Bliss, Davies, Poole,
Davis, Martin, Peacock, Beamish, Magan, Chill, Murison, Prideaux, Hewett,
Swabey, and Robertson.
Officers holding appointments in the Gold Coast Constabulary
(^Houssas).
Captains Aplin, Cramer, Buchanan-Boyd, Irvine, Matthews, Annesley,
Houston, Grant, Hawtrey, Pamplin-Green ; Lieutenants O'Donnell, Midde-
mist, and Parmeter.
A Company Lagos Houssas under Captain Reeve-Tucker
CHAPTER IV.
THE GOLD COAST —CAPE COAST CASTLE—FILTH AND NEGLECT IN THE
TOWN —THE SPECIAL SERVICE OFFICERS—CAPTAIN LARRYMORE—THE
WHITE RACE—KING TACKIE—FOREIGN COMPETITION—MISSIONARIES—
A FANTI WEDDING—A FETISH FUNERAL A NATIVE BALL—CHRISTMAS
IN FANTI LAND—MATERNITY.
Having in the previous chapters roughly followed up the affairs
in Ashanti to the causes of the 1895-6 Expedition, a few words on
our Gold Coast Protectorate will not be out of place. The Gold
Coast proper comprises the coast of the Gulf of Guinea from 3"
West to 1° 10' East of Greenwich, with a Protectorate calculated to
include an area of 30,060 square miles, and a population of
1,500,000; a large proportion of which are pagans. The first
trading centre was established in the i6th century by the
Portuguese, who built a castle at Elmina, but it was soon taken from
44
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
them by the Dutch. In 1618 English merchants built a fort at
Cormantyne, and subsequently many forts and factories were built
along the coast by English, Dutch, French, and Germans. In
1662 the first English company was properly chartered, and ten
years later, they were succeeded by the KToyal African Company
who enlarged and strengthened Cape Coast Castle, making it the
finest on the coast, and also established stations at Dixcove,
Secondee, Commendah, Annamaboe, Winnebah and Accra. In
1750 the African Company of Merchants was constituted by
Act of Parliament to trade right down the AVest Coast, and in
1821 the Cold Coast settlements were transferred to the Crown
and placed under the jurisdiction of Sierra Leone, but in 1874 the
Coast became an independent district under the title of the Cold
Coast Colony. In 1872 the Dutch had transferred all their forts
to Great Britain, and it was this exchange that led to the Ashanti
invasion of Elmina, and the subsequent war.
The merchants of the seventeenth century named each section
of the coast of Guinea after its special product. Thus we had
the Grain Coast, now the Republic of Liberia ; the Ivory Coast,
merged in the French possessions of Grand Bassam and Assine ;
the Slave Coast on the east, which has also lost its distinctive
name, as slaves are no longer exported, but the Cold Coast still
retains its name and trade, and a considerable quantity of the
precious metal is shipped yearly.
On the edge of this harbourless coast stand various settlements
and forts. The first place of any importance on the west is Beyin,
and the next settlement, nearly thirty miles away, Axim, stands
at the mouth of the Ancobra river, down which a large quantity of
mahogany and other valuable timber is floated. Owing to the
difficulties of loading, the timber trade is not developed to the
extent that the resources would justify were a better harbour
possible. Near Axim are the gold mines of Wassaw, which are
now being further developed at a considerable sacrifice of the lives
of the Europeans engaged in prospecting. Thirty miles from Axim
is Dixcove ; then Chama at the mouth of the Prah, and forty miles
east of Axim, Elmina, the oldest station and once the most im¬
portant on the coast. Eight miles from Elmina is Cape Coast
Castle, once the seat of Government, but superseded in 1875 by
Accra, though it is still a most important trading place. About
eighty miles further east, passing Annamaboe, Cormantine, Salt
Pond and Winnebah, we reach Accra, the chief town and settlement
on the coast, with a population of about 18,000. The township
includes the villages of Christiansborg and Victoriaborg, and is
TRADE IN THE COLONY.
45
the seat of Government. Sixty-seven miles from Accra is Addah,
at the mouth of the Volta, and thirty-five miles from there our
eastern-most settlement, Quittah, is reached, built close to a lagoon,
which makes it a most deadly station for Europeans, though it
has an important trade.
The Gold Coast Protectorate has many rivers, but they are of
little use for communicating with the interior owing to the bars
formed at the mouth, and the numbers of rapids to be encoun¬
tered. The most important is the Volta, which in some seasons
is navigable for small steam launches, while the smaller river,
Ancobra, is the best from a commercial point of view, being much
used to float down timber from the interior. The historical Prah,
the most famous river, and which forms the border of the Protec¬
torate, is the most useless, being a succession of rapids and
projecting rocks.
There are two wet seasons, from March to July, and October
and November. The Harmattan wind blows from December to
March, and the dry season prevails.
Owing to the terrible climatic conditions, and the number of
lives sacrificed every year in keeping up the Government and
trade on the coast, some naturally are inclined to ask if it is worth
the trouble expended on it. From a purely commercial point of
view there is undoubtedly a splendid future in store for
the Gold Coast, but much remains to be done before its great
natural resources can be fully developed. Trade is now largely
carried on, and the country, besides producing considerable
quantities of gold, also exports ivory, gum copal, monkey skins,
cotton, camwood, guinea-grains and palm seeds. A great increase
on the rubber industry is reported, and though in 1882 only
7,168 lbs. were exported, in 1894 the figures had risen to
3,027,527 lbs., valued at ^232,550. In 1894, 4,213,935 gallons
of palm oil, to the value of £2^t,62^, were produced and shipped
from the coast. The timber trade also promises well, but the
difficulties of transport still greatly hinder its development. The
imports consist chiefly of hardware, spirits and Manchester goods.
The total imports in 1894 amounted to ^812,830, and total exports
^^850,343.
The Governor is assisted by a Legislative Council, consisting
of six official and two non-official members.
Cape Coast Castle was in an uproar with the preparations for
the advance on Kumassi. I had heard before I arrived that the
place was the most filthy and neglected town known under a
civilized government, and therefore did not expect to find things
46
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
particularly flourishing. Such an assertion as the above is perhaps
too sweeping to describe the present state of the town, but even
now it would rank among the worst types of places with all the
improvements which have taken place since 1874. The town has
been in English hands now for two hundred and thirty years, and
yet, beyond a few minor improvements, it remains as it was, with the
addition of a few larger and more substantial houses, built by
traders who have settled there. The town lies in the hollows at
the base of three hills, the centre immediately behind the Castle
being occupied by the Government House, chief trading houses,
post office, church, mission-house and schools, and on each side
over various little undulations and hollows are massed the squalid
mud hovels of the Fantee population proper.
To the east of the town rises Connor's Hill, which was used
as a hospital and sanatorium for the troops, and from the top, by
the white wooden houses and marquees forming the hospital
wards, a fine view is obtainable. In front is the mighty expanse
of the ever-rolling Atlantic, to the right stands the Victoria tower,
and nearer at hand on the top of the centre hill. Fort William, a
round whitewashed little place, resembling a Martello tower, and
now used chiefly as a lighthouse. Behind the fort is Prospect
House, while all around, closing right into the very outskirts
of the town, is the bush, so thick and tangled as to be almost
impenetrable.
The little water obtainable is stored in wells outside the town,
and there is no system of drainage in Cape Coast Castle. There
are 12,000 inhabitants, none over clean, and many living in a
horrible state of filth ; so imagine what condition a place in
ordinary latitudes would be in under such circumstances. Added
to that there is the intense heat, and not a breath of air stirring
in the lower parts of the native quarter, where the stench is
unbearable. There is one large surface drain cut right through
the centre of the town ; but, whatever use it may be in the wet
season, in the dry it is simply a convenient repository for all
the filth and offal that the natives wish to get rid of. The
authorities do what they can to prevent the depositing of offensive
matter in the streets, and a strict ordinance is in force by which
all delinquents caught in the act may be heavily fined. This may
have a little effect in bettering matters, but the natives easily
evade the law by keeping the refuse in their hovels all day and
throwing it outside at night when darkness has set in. With
sanitation in such a state in an otherwise deadly climate,
small wonder that Europeans sicken and die if they stay in the
THE SPECIAL SERVICE OFFICERS.
47
place any length of time. Undoubtedly a very great deal could
be done to improve matters, but the authorities are not alone to
blame, as the lack of water is a great defect, and the filthy habits
of the natives, if restricted, cannot be altered by law, however
rigidly enforced.
On landing at Cape Coast, on December 19th, I found the
whole place in a glorious state of bustle and confusion. Long
lines of carriers were taking stores from the shore to the castle.
Fresh gangs were being loaded and sent off up country to Mansu,
where the intermediate depot on the road to the Prah was formed.
Everything was in a very forward state, though the first contingent
had arrived less than a fortnight before, and Sir Francis Scott and
his staff had only landed a few days previously. Colonel Scott
had certainly an efficient staff of officers under his command for
Special Service. He himself served in the last Ashanti war, and
was also in the Crimea and through the Indian Mutiny. In 1892
he was in command of the expedition against the Jebus on the
West Coast, and is at present Inspector-General of the Gold
Coast Constabulary or Houssas. Colonel Kempster, D.S.O.,
Second in Command, has served in the Egyptian Army, and was
also in the Bechuanaland Expedition. Major Belfield, Chief Staff
Officer, had seen no previous war service, but he is a Staff College
man, and has a very high reputation. Surgeon-Colonel Taylor,
Principal Medical Officer to the force, when he was selected for
Ashanti, had only recently returned from special service with the
Japanese Army, during their late war with China. He was
present at the capture of Port Arthur and Wei-hai-wei, and he was
for some years on the staff of Lord Roberts, in India. Lieutenant
Colonel Ward, A.S.C., Assistant Adjutant-General, served in the
Soudan. Major Piggott was in Zululand and served in the
Transvaal, but it was in Egypt and the Soudan that he made his
name and gained a list of honours in the many engagements he
passed through, and in 1886 he was second in command in the
expedition against the Yonnes. Major Piggott and Prince
Christian Victor were aides-de-camp to Sir Francis Scott. The
latter volunteered his services, and his appointment was sanctioned
by the Queen. He has seen service in India, where much of his
military career was spent. Captain Larrymore, Adjutant of the
Gold Coast Constabulary, has a medal for the Jebu expedition,
and was eminently fitted for aide-de-camp, as his duties on the
coast have brought him into close contact with Sir Francis, and
he is thoroughly acquainted with the tribes in West Africa, both
on the coast and in the interior.
48
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
Apropos of Captain Larrymore's connection with Sir Francis
Scott, a story of that young officer's pluck may not be out of place.
In February, 1892, while on a tour of inspection, Sir Francis Scott
and Captain Larrymore, with a small party of Houssas, called at
Asuom, where there was much excitement among the natives over
the death of their King. After a long march in the heat of the
day, the officers settled down in a native shanty to rest, having
put their men into quarters.
Sir Francis was suddenly disturbed by a great clamour, and
going to the door of the hut he saw his troops surrounded by an
armed, howling mob, mad with drink. The Houssas had formed
into line and were loading their rifles, while the natives, who num¬
bered a thousand or more, had loaded also, and in another minute
shots would have been exchanged, when the little force must have
been annihilated. Captain Larrymore, however, dressed only in
a suit of pyjamas, rushed in between the-two bodies of men with
his umbrella open. He gave orders to his men to unload and go
into the hut, while he quietly stood, umbrella in hand, confronting
the horde of savages. Such prompt presence of mind had its
effect. Quiet was restored, and the natives, after yelling consider¬
ably, retired. Had the Captain seized his arms and rushed out
showing signs of alarm, the niggers would have instantly opened
fire, and no one would have been left to tell the tale ; but such
quiet pluck is not without an effect even on the dark minds of
African savages.
Another digression may be of interest in connection with
Captain Larrymore, who had recently returned from the Koranza
country in the interior. While there he gleaned further informa¬
tion about the existence of a white tribe in the interior of Africa.
He found it was an accepted tradition among the Houssa tribes,
that on a strip of the desert to the N.E., there lived a tribe of
white men. As this desert was dangerous, attempts had been
made by the Koranza people to avoid it, by passing through these
white men's country, but they were found to be so flerce that the
dangers of the desert were preferred to the hostility of this tribe.
He afterwards met a Mohammedan priest and Hadji ; a man of
great integrity, who had been to Mecca and had seen one of this
white tribe on his return journey. Captain Larrymore suggested
that the man was simply a light-coloured Arab, but the Hadji said
" Oh, no ! I saw him close at hand. He had light hair and blue
eyes, exactly as you have, and was armed with a bow and arrows."
This region is practically unknown to European travellers, but
for some years, reports have constantly been brought down by the
SPECIAL SERVICE OFFICERS.
49
natives as to the existence of this white race, and there seems
now to be substantial grounds for believing there is a foundation
for their story.
Beside the officers I have mentioned, there were many others
working up towards the Prah, or superintending the dispatch of
stores up country. Major Montenaro, R.A., Commandant of the
base at Cape Coast ; Major Wolfe Murray, an experienced Staff
Officer, in charge of the Lines of Communication ; Major Baden-
Powell, of the 18th Hussars, in charge of the native levies, and
who had served in Afghanistan and South Africa. He was In¬
telligence Officer in the Zulu operations of 1887, and also
commanded the flying column which captured Dinizulu. Major
Gordon, 15th Hussars; Major Clayton, Army Service Corps;
Captain Benson, R.H.A., a Staff College man ; Captain Blunt,
another-well-known Horse Artillery Officer; Captain Williams,
South Staffordshire Regiment, who served in the Zulu war ; Cap¬
tain Mathews and Captain Bernard, Army Service Corps ; and
Captain Graham, 5th Lancers.
Major Sinclair, R.E., was hard at work preparing a-pontoon
bridge over the Prah, barrels for which had been taken up country
with considerable difficulty ; Captain Curtis, R.E., was pushing
on with the telegraph cable, which was at this time laid almost to
Prahsu.
Lieutenant Edwards and Sergeant-Major Johnson, A.S.C.,
were the first to advance up country. This first advance was
published in many of the newspapers, headed " Gallant Exploit
of a British Officer," and referring to Quartermaster Edwards
plunging alone into the interior and penetrating as far as Mansu,
&c., &c., when, as a matter of fact, he was accompanied by
Sergeant-Major Johnson. The Houssas also were ahead at
Prahsu, and the journey to Mansu is frequently done by traders
and officials, who think nothing of it, the road being good and
quite as safe as many a country road in England, with less
chance of being molested than in Cape Coast itself.
Things were kept very lively in the Castle by the constant
arrival of various kings who came in from the surrounding
districts with their followers to act as carriers. Each arrival was
announced by a fearful uproar ; shouting, singing, horn-blowing,
and beating of tom-toms ; the rank of each chief and the
number of his followers being easily decided by the amount
of din made. As an officer pertinently remarked, "You could
first hear them, then smell them, and afterwards see them," as
they marched down the main street to the Castle. The present
E
50
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
power of many of these kings and chiefs is purely nominal, so a
special ordinance was brought into force, conferring upon them
the power to enrol their able-bodied subjects for service with the
expedition, and under this enactment, all kings and chiefs were
liable to heavy fine for neglect in collecting their men, and their
subjects also liable to punishment for refusing to obey orders.
This ordinance quite did away with the stern necessities of
martial law, and was a sort of compromise between that, and making
service optional, in which case the required number of carriers
would never have been collected. The arrangement proved
satisfactory in every respect, causing great excitement among the
natives as soon as it was published, and they willingly rallied
round their chiefs. The Governor certainly acted wisely in
reaching the people through their own head-men, who were thus
backed by the authority of the Government. Their loyalty to the
British is only prompted by fear, but they still keep up a semblance
of their former devotion to their kings, whose legal power, in most
cases, is absolutely nil. The case of the Accra King Tackie may
be cited as an example of this. In 1881, he was a prisoner at
Elmina Castle, and his people steadfastly refused to join the
expedition then being formed, unless Tackie were released. When
he was ultimately set free, he had no legal control left over his
tribe, and latterly he seemed to have so allowed his moral infiu-
ence to wane, that his power had practically ceased to exist. But
when the enactment came into force, and temporary power was
vested in him, the Aceras rushed en masse to their chief, and he
suddenly found himself in a position of perfect authority over his
p)eople, whose latent instincts of loyalty were stirred to the utmost.
They arrived at Cape Coast Castle on the 21st in full force,
amid scenes of great excitement. It was so long since the Accra
people had been regaled by a Royal Procession, that they deter¬
mined to make the most of it, working themselves into a state
of enthusiasm bordering on frenzy. The poor old king, finding
the excitement infectious, was so beside himself with his newly-
found power, that he indulged in a penny bottle of palm-wine from
a roadside merchant, and after drinking a carefully measured half,
he distributed the remainder among the head-men while his people
danced round, wildly shouting most extravagant and adulatory
encomiums to the dusky monarch, amid a deafening accompani¬
ment of drums, tom-toms and horns.
In the streets of Cape Coast, the one topic was the war j and
the niggers were all squatting on their hams, gravely discussing
the ins-and-outs, and probable consequences thereof. Many of
CAPE COAST WATER SUPPLY.
51
them remember the last war, and a few, who had served in some
capacity in '74 and obtained a medal, were proudly exhibiting the
precious bit of silver, pinned on an old European coat or shirt
donned for the occasion. Meanwhile, up country, things were
being pushed forward. Major Baden-Powell was at Prahsu with
his levies, and rest camps were being formed at intervals along
the road to the Prah. Stores were being rapidly sent on ahead,
and it was evident that, when the white troops arrived, everything
would be in readiness for a rapid advance to the frontier, beyond
which, progress must be slow and difficult.
An ever-absorbing difficulty on the West Coast is to keep the
water in tolerable order. Just outside Cape Coast are large wells,
or closed underground reservoirs of puddled clay, with a small
opening to the surface, and there is a more substantially made tank
in the town. These wells are filled in the rainy season, the water
being stored for subsequent use, but after standing for some time
in such a climate, it is totally unfit for European consumption,
and is doubtless a great cause of sickness among white men on
the coast, though the natives apparently suffer no ill effects from
it. Many of the officials and traders have private tanks to store
their water, in which it is kept free from contamination, but nothing
can prevent it becoming stagnant and tainted by the surrounding
unwholesome influences.
There are a great many pretentious looking stores in the town,
but most of the commodities consist of old stuff, shipped from
England or Germany, calculated to catch the negro eye, and little
can be purchased that is of service to a European. English money
is now more freely circulated, though many places of business still
retain their scales for weighing the gold-dust which, until recently,
formed the staple currency. Coppers are looked at with disdain,
the smallest article being threepence, and thus the modest silver
bit is in great demand.
The Market stands on the front, but it is only a corrugated iron
shelter with open sides and no fittings. The bush people flock
down with their supplies, and barter is much carried on with their
stock and coast commodities. There is an air of bustle and
activity there all day long as the dusky vendors, dressed in gaudy
wraps of Manchester print, ply their trade, while perspiring women
stagger round with a heavy load balanced on their heads and a
nodding brown babe or two tied behind. Thus loaded, they
thread their way through the crowd, vigorously pushing the sale
of their stock of bananas and plantains.
The horse is a greater curiosity in Cape Coast than an elephant
E 2
52
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
at home, for in the narrow environs of the town there is little use
for them, though the total absence of suitable forage alone forms
an insuperable barrier to their introduction. There are a few
light hand-carts or buggies occasionally to be seen flying through
the streets, drawn by half-a-dozen stalwart Fantis ; the occupants
being some white official or trader going to make a call, or a
haughty gentleman of colour, who looks disdainfully on the
pedestrian canaille around him. The approved method of
travelling is by hammock, for this means of locomotion is avail¬
able, and fairly comfortable, under the most difficult conditions of
road, through forest or swamp, where all other mode of transport is
impossible. The hammock is slung on a stout bamboo with cross
pieces fixed at each end, and an awning over the whole. The
four bearers stand, one at each corner, and placing the ends of
the cross pieces on their heads, walk with a swinging stride, the
weight being evenly distributed and the hammock hanging sus¬
pended between them. The jolting is trying at first, and until
confidence is gained, the nervous inmate feels at every step one
end will slip from the bearers head, in which case a nasty fall is
inevitable, but so practised do these hammock boys become that
they rarely make a false step, and if one trips, his hand is up
instantly to keep the load firm till he recovers his equilibrium.
One half of the West India contingent was encamped on
Connor's Hill, the remainder being sent forward to Mansu. Many
of the former daily reported sick, and no doubt they suffered as
much from fever as any of the white, troops, though the attacks
were shorter and had less effect. Many of the cases were trivial,
and I am afraid the close proximity of the hospital gave vent to a
great deal of malingering among these lazy negroes, in the hope
of getting admitted as a patient, with a few additional luxuries and
no duty to perform.
On December 21st, the smart detachment of Artillery non¬
commissioned officers, under Captain Benson, left to take charge
of the Houssa battery at Mansu. The butchers and bakers of the
Army Service Corps also started, under Sergeant-Major Sparks, to
get field ovens built, and a batch of fresh bread ready for the
troops when they marched up country.
The accommodation in the Castle was severely taxed, many
officers having to find quarters in the Wesleyan Mission House.
The school-rooms afforded shelter for the men of the Engineers,
who made themselves as comfortable as possible on the stone
floor, and if the bed were hard, at least it was dry and cool.
The one sight in the Castle was the massing and numbering
COLONIAL FREE TRADE.
53
of carriers as they were formed into gangs. Large cases of police
armlets, with numbers attached, were sent out, and the possession
of one of these gaudy bandages was the cause of much inward
joy and gratification to the dusky burden-bearers. Each native
lost no time in strapping on his number, there being little fear of
his discarding the valued insignia of office as enrolled carrier to
the Queen, and the work was much facilitated thereby, for each
man's number was always visible, denoting his position and
gang without difficulty or palaver. The Army Service Corps
certainly earned" fresh laurels for the efficient arrangements of
transport, and before the troops had landed, there were ii,ooo
loads of supplies safely deposited at Prahsu ; a feat of no small
magnitude, over an indifferent track of seventy-three miles.
The more that is seen of Cape Coast and its surroundings,
the greater wonder is created as to what the Government has
done for the town and its inhabitants. True, there is a fairly
efficient force of native police, who walk about, baton in hand,
ready to crack the skull of any offending nigger. There are a
few oil lamps sprinkled down one or two of the principal streets,
but any other road or track is left in total darkness, and from one
end of the town to the other there are numerous holes and pitfalls
into which any traveller, who has the temerity to walk abroad
after dark, is sure to come to grief. Then the stench and pollu¬
tion in many of these slums are a disgrace to any town whose
inhabitants profess to be under the British Flag.
On a previous page I have referred to the total imports and
exports of the Gold Coast Colony for 1894. From these figures
I find that from the total imports valued at ;¿'8i2,83o, the value
of English imports only reaches ;¿^582,273, thus leaving a
surplus of ;i{?23o,557, or over one-quarter of the whole amount,
for goods from foreign markets. The total exports, value
;¿^85o,343, show the sum of 78,956, or nearly one-third of the
total, was sent to foreign markets, and the remainder to England.
Recently the German Colonial Authorities on the West Coast
decided to grant no further concessions to English traders, and
the French place many obstacles in the way of alien merchants, but
on our Gold Coast the foreign trader has every facility offered him,
after paying the regular ten per cent, ad valorem duty imposed on
all imports. Free Trade in England and Free Trade in a colonial
possession is a different thing, and, with a few restrictions, all the
interests might easily be kept in British hands, to the benefit of
our traders, and without injuring the Revenue. The smaller
stores are filled with flimsy rubbish of a decided German cut, and
54
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
these foreign traders have a great advantage over those who supply
bona fide English goods, though the staple trade in Manchester
stuff and prints is kept well in British markets. Jam, so-called,
tinned provisions of very questionable quality, and mineral waters
which taste like dish-water, all have foreign labels attached, and
when purchasing such articles as these it is very difficult to obtain
British brands.
On my first Sunday evening in Cape Coast, I was present at
the service in the Wesleyan Mission Church, and was much im¬
pressed by the scene in that little place of worship. The preacher
that evening was the Rev. Mr. Somerville, a very earnest young
missionary, who afterwards acted as the Chaplain to the troops on
the way to Kumassi. Th® building was crammed, including the
galleries, but the congregation was not composed of the over¬
dressed and arrogant Fantis, always ready to show off their
superiority and advanced state of civilization. Here, indeed, was
a congregation to feel interested in. Many of the people were of
the poorest class, in scanty native dress, and there was a strong
sprinkling of well, but quietly dressed negroes, sitting with their
wives and children by their side, all paying fixed attention ; while
the singing, though hearty, was marked with little of the usual
negro shouting and gusto. The first part of the service was in
English, and the latter half in the vernacular, being conducted by
the native minister. The Wesleyan Mission on the Gold Coast
is certainly a pattern worthy of imitation, which, unfortunately, is
more than one can say of many other foreign missions run on
much more pretentious lines, and boomed far and wide. Person¬
ally, I have little sympathy with foreign missions as a whole, and
the large amounts annually subscribed and expended in keeping
them up, might be far more judiciously spent in elevating some of
our semi-heathen at home. A large percentage of the missionaries
are prompted to volunteer their services by the romantic prospects
thus opened to them, and the same men would look askance if
asked to labour in the slums of our large cities, among their un¬
fortunate countrymen. Others, especially native preachers, spoil
all the good influence they might have, by embarking in trade
with the natives, but the Wesleyan Mission is a notable exception,
which, perhaps, goes to prove the rule. I am not a Wesleyan,
and hold no briefs for them, but simply state facts as I found
them. In the first place there is not a single redeeming feature
to attract Englishmen to labour on the insalubrious surroundings
of a town on the West Coast of .\frica, and to the few white men
who are daily risking their health and life, it is essentially a labour
WESLEYAN MISSION.
55
of love. Trading on the part of any Methodist minister, white or
black, is strictly forbidden. Among their followers also a strict
discipline is exercised, forming a great contrast to many other
missions, where the sole object is to swell the list of new converts.
If any member is inconsistent in his private life, the discipline is
put into force, and the result is, that a negro who simply adopts
a civilized religion in the same matter-of-fact way that he gets into
European dress, and only to obtain social advantage, soon finds
there is something more required than mere outward show and
Sunday profession, and he does not remain a member long.
Thus there is no large increase in the annual numbers published,
for though many fresh members are yearly enrolled, large numbers
of inconsistent ones are removed from membership. This fact
spoils elaborate reports as to progress, but gives a far more con¬
vincing proof of reality in the work than any of the startling
papers often published on foreign missions, which show the annual
return of members double or treble the numbers of the preceding
year. Their churches, too, all endeavour to be self-supporting
with the native ministers, so they do not have to depend so much
on outside help from England.
Wesleyans began their work in 1837, and now own the most
palatial residence in Cape Coast for a Mission house and training
college for native ministers. A book room is also established in
the right wing of the building for the sale of books and stationery
at a moderate price, and over ;£i,ooo worth of books and papers
are disposed of annually, which alone speaks volumes for the
advance of education among members of the community on the
Gold Coast. The Rev. Dennis Kemp is the Chairman and
General Superintendent for the Colony, and he and his colleague,
Mr. Somerville, have their hands full in directing the work of
such an extensive sphere. In the Cape Coast Sunday Schools,
over 1,000 children are on the rolls ; the day schools have an
attendance of nearly 400, and there is now a fiourishing industrial
school in which lads can, at any rate, pick up the rudiments of a
trade.
While the Wesleyans are doing so much in the Western part
of the Colony, the labours of the Basle Mission in the Eastern
districts are worthy of note, especially their work in the Acropong
district. The first Basle missionaries came to the coast in 1828.
Their headquarters are at Accra, and besides their purely
religious work, they have done much to promote technical
education, industry and agriculture. Doubtlessly these German
Swiss have gone in largely for trade, but it has been trade for a
56
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
good purpose, and their efforts are perhaps more successful in
advancing commerce and civilization than in moral and religious
training, though the latter is part of their curriculum. They have
a large establishment at Christiansborg, where the pupils are
trained as blacksmiths, carpenters, coopers, tailors, etc., and thus
in after-life the students have the means of earning an honest
livelihood. Most of the skilled labourers employed under
Government have been taught their trade in this Accra Mission.
Despite all the labours of the missionaries, or God-palaver
men as they are called, and the constant intercourse of Europeans,
the majority of the people in Cape Coast are still in a dark
uncivilized condition, and as barbarous and superstitious as if
they had never seen a white man's face.
The Fantis are the inhabitants of the town of Cape Coast
and its immediate neighbourhood. They are a fine-looking tribe,
but about as cowardly a race of blackguards as could well be
found, and with all their bombast, the mention of an Ashanti
makes them tremble. As allies, they are perfectly useless for
fighting, and are greatly despised in consequence by the tyrants
on the northern boundary. Their outward fetish worship is not
very powerful now, but still flourishes, one curious fetish being
the mass of rock called "Taharä," on which the Castle stands.
At regular periods this is washed and swept by the women,
and offerings are piled up on it.
Many were the queer customs and bizarre ceremonies that I
daily witnessed in the streets, in which the ugliness and boniness
of the semi-nude hags that jumped and yelled, did not tend to
remove the sense of disgust felt amid such scenes of downright
savagery. Numbers of the women had fetish to perform as their
husbands had gone to the war, and one most singular custom was
to make clay with their saliva, and anoint their shoulders and
face with long stripes of white mud each day.
Before the authorities interfered, a wedding marked one of
the most disgusting orgies that it is possible to imagine. In one
part of the ceremony, the young virgin was stripped quite naked,
and carried round the streets loaded with jewels, till the multitude
had gloated its eyes on the maiden, who was then conducted to
the house of her husband, accompanied by the howling scum of the
place. The one wedding that took place in the town while I was
there, was a very different affair, for the hymeneal pair belonged
to the select upper ten of Cape Coast Society, and were therefore
married in orthodox European fashion, or in a near approach to
it. The service was conducted in the little English Church by a
A WEDDING AND FUNERAL.
57
native clergyman, the bride being attired in a flowing white veil
and crimson satin gown, the bridegroom in faultless European
dress. The church was crowded by the wealth and beauty of
Cape Coast upper classes, the youths chiefly in European clothes,
and many comely maidens decked in full dress, or rather undress,
of the latest native fashion, which allows no costume above the
waist, unless a few rows of beads around the neck could be thus
described. When the ceremony was over, the happy pair bowed
themselves down the aisle to the door, and entering a hand gig,
were soon whirled, amid clouds of dust, by a dozen willing pairs
of arms, to the bride's residence. Owing to the difficulties of
travelling, honeymoons are necessarily dispensed with.
The next afternoon was marked by an even more lively ceremony,
to wit—a funeral. For two days previously a monotonous chant
and tom-tom beating had been kept up in the native quarter, and
the reason was explained when a horde of men and women
appeared, dancing and shouting to the accompaniment of the
everlasting drums and horns, and bearing in their midst the body
of a minor fetish priest, rolled in a shroud. With much din and
hubbub was the gruesome burden taken to the beach, where a
disgraceful scene was enacted. The body appeared to be used for
a tug of war between two parties, each scrambling for the posses¬
sion of the corpse, and racing it through the surf, and many were
the capers cut with the remains before they were laid to rest in
the native burying place. This ceremony constituted some
of the obsequies of the water fetish, the ocean being wor¬
shipped right down the coast. In some out-of-the-way
places human sacrifices to the water still take place. A young
girl is tied to a stake at low water, for the rising tide to
sweep her away, unless a shark ventures in to seize the
prey before the sea comes up. The King of Dahomey used
to be even more liberal in this respect, handing over some
prime minister or high official to the tender mercies of the
Dahomeyan Amazons, for ocean sacrifice, The King's wives, as
these dusky daughters of Mars were called, promptly marched the
victim to the coast in his full regalia, and when he had been
rowed some distance from shore in a canoe, he was thrown over¬
board to drown, or to make a meal for the waiting sharks.
The sunrise of December 24th was heralded by a fearful din
in the town, and on enquiring the reason of the hubbub from a
dignified gentleman of colour, who condescended to act as a clerk
to the Government, I was told that it was "Christmas Eve," in
a tone that plainly showed how I was to be pitied for my
58
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
ignorance, though it was only just 7 a.m. The natives keep up
the day before Christmas, or '* Christmas Eve," as they call it, in
grand style, but it is only a forerunner of the day that is to come.
In the terrible heat of West Africa there is nothing suggestive of
the festive season, and the bare idea of Christmas seems a glaring
incongruity in the un-English surroundings. The natives
have copied Europeans in making a general holiday of this
season, but their notions of " Peace on Earth and Good Will to
Man " take the form of a disgraceful debauch, and settlement of
private feuds. Should any resident in Cape Coast, be he black or
white, have given offence to any person, he is always on the alert
at Christmas-time. The individual wronged quietly nurses his
injuries till this holiday when, inflamed with spirits, he remembers
his insult, and accompanied by a crowd of friends, lies in wait for
his victim, who gets a severe mauling with sticks and fists should
he fall into the clutches of the mob. Probably the intended
recipient is warned, and as a precaution takes a bodyguard of
partisans with him, and many a sanguinary faction fight takes
place on the coast during the season we look on as Divine.
Bands of young men and maidens in the scantiest costumes,
paraded the town all day, but sunset was the signal for the orgies
to commence in good earnest. The streets were packed ; the din
unbearable ; drums and tom-toms of every description were
beaten, the night air being rendered hideous by the screeching of
native horns, penny trumpets and tin whistles, without regard to
time or tune, and all the niggers were more or less maddened
with excitement and drink as they danced, screamed and howled
in mad frenzy. Skinny old hags were grinning hideously, reveal¬
ing their toothless gums ; nude children hopping inextricably
between the legs of their elders, and the men dashing about madly
with coloured fires and torches in their hands. Squibs and
crackers were also flying in all directions, for the surplus fireworks
of our English November festival are shipped to the coast for
December, and the Saturnalian celebration was indeed pande¬
monium let loose.
A Government clerk, a gentleman of colour, had sent me a
written invitation to a ball to be held in the town that evening. I
have, unfortunately, lost the important missive, but the contents
ran as follows :—" A grand ball under the height of the patronage
pertaining to the aristocracy and official circles of the district, was
postponed on the same date to the date of a later period, and will
take place this evening, at the hour of eight, in the residence of
H. Esq. The patron of the auspicious event will feel
A FAN TI BALL.
59
indebted to great honour of your presence in great condescension,
and if the bearer of enclosed ticket brings it himself to the door,
you will be admitted. A charge of two shillings for each person
is made at the door to pay voluntarily for the band." Enclosed
was a ticket with my name written across, and as a friend of mine,
an English trader, had promised to drop in, I decided to go.
The wording of the letter was decidedly ambiguous, but I grasped
the gist of it, and in due course set out. Being a white man, the
doorkeeper did not attempt to collect the subscription, and I was
ushered into the ball room, a spacious whitewashed chamber
above a large trading store. A giddy waltz was in progress, but
just as I entered, the band ceased, and the afore-mentioned clerk
introduced me with much ceremony to mine host, a fat, greasy
nigger, in a tolerable dress suit and pumps, shipped expressly for
the occasion from England. As I gazed down the ball-room the
gaudy vision and coloured magnificence of that brilliant assemb¬
lage dazzled me, for the colours of the rainbow were not in it.
The dusky beaux were arrayed in coats and waistcoats of satin of
every shade and pattern, with a wide expanse of shirt-front ; their
nether extremities cased in black and coloured stockings and
the orthodox pumps. The ladies were redolent with patchouli,
and magnificently attired in silk and satin wrappers of most
brilliant hues, and more modest proportions than usual. Hair
oiled and dressed in spikes or knobs, and bedecked with gaudy
artificial flowers or glaring pins, stuck fantastically into every
corner, and their ebony complexions—well, not painted and
powdered, as soot would be the only preparation suitable, but
heightened and polished by fish oil, which gives a beautiful
finish, but vile effluvia. The ladies were all young and comely,
most of them between fourteen and seventeen, after which age
they are usually mothers of families and decidedly passé. The
guests were leading residents of the town, coloured officials,
native traders and clerks, all absurdly dignified and scrupulously
polite. The grandiloquence t)f the males was the cause of much
envy on the part of the ladies, and they vainly tried to emulate
the fluency of their lords and masters, but invariably had to relapse
into pigeon-English. " Miss Martha C , may I have the
ineffahle felicity of the next dance ? "
"Oh, Mr. I'se mortal sorry, but hah jes' given it to that
ther Mr. A N ," naming a prominent post office official.
The music was supplied by the drums and fifes of the Cape
Coast Volunteers, and though it was possible to dance to the
measured beat of the drums, the so-called harmony was simply a
6o
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
discordant fanfaronade. I was introduced to the principals, by mine
host, with much flourish and flowery speech, while the compliments
showered on my poor head by him, would have made the most
brazen reprobate blush ; but at last it was over, and the dancing re¬
started. Like an English ball-room, there were a number of " wall¬
flowers," but not so much from the lack of eligible partners, as
the fact of many prominent men bringing their wives and sisters,
the former not being supposed to dance with any, save her lawful
spouse, though he was free to lavish his attentions on any lady he
pleased. I was earnestly pressed to pick a partner from one of
these forlorn maidens, but my feelings of gallantry were not
sufficiently strong to go through the ordeal, though the waiting
belles felt I was showing a total lack of good taste in failing to
appreciate their respective merits. The dance had hardly started
when there was a sudden disturbance. A certain gentleman was
assiduously paying his attentions to a showy little damsel in the
far side of the room, when horrendum dictu !" he suddenly
noticed his wife, a modest-eyed maiden of fifteen, was dancing
with another man, who, as subsequently proved, was her cousin.
He quitted his partner instantly, and dashing across the room,
roughly dragged his poor little slave aside, and with murder
blazing in his eyes, faced the now enraged chevalier. Bursting
with righteous indignation they could find no words to express
themselves, but if looks would kill, both would have instantly
departed this life. They found tongues at last simultaneously,
and then ensued such a flow of rhetoric, in Fanti and English,
that had I a speed certificate for Pitman's, I could never have
kept pace with their tongues, neither would the report be fit for
publication. Terrible were the maledictory threats and solemn
imprecations hurled from side to side with much bombast of
" blood alone wiping out the stain on their honour," till they were
both exhausted, and turned away, about to resume the festivities.
It is now my pleasant duty to record the gallant action of the one
hundred and fifty guests who had crowded round the two princi¬
pals while the uproar was on. The fierce arguments had hardly
ended, when the crowd of friends heroically flung themselves in
the breach, frantically holding apart the late combatants in the
wordy war, begging them to desist, and not injure each other.
The two heroes, finding it was now impossible to come to blows,
immediately made a brave show of resistance, and piteously begged
to be allowed to take summary vengeance, and fly at each other's
throats. They vainly struggled to get from the grasp of the
peacemakers, but when some of them seemed inclined to let the
AN AFRICAN CHRISTMAS.
6l
irate husband have his way, and loosed their hold, he was sud¬
denly seized with an unalterable determination to pass it over that
time, and reserve reprisals for a future date.
It was a relief to get into the air again after the hot stuffy
room, but in the streets the row had increased tenfold ; the orgie
was at its height, and the din unbearable. As we stood and
looked into the lower part of the town, the glare of the torches
and coloured fires, the sombre stillness of the surrounding bush,
the hordes of nude savages flying madly around, and the different
flares lighting up their naked bodies as they twirled and turned,
made a most weird scene, and one could well imagine it was the
very haunt of demons. We had hardly gone a hundred yards when
whiz ! came an empty bottle past my ear, smashing on the road in
front, another broke at my friend's feet, followed by a shower
of stones, and it was lucky we had not discarded our helmets, for
mine was knocked over my eyes by a large lump of flint, which
would have smashed an unprotected head. We scrambled up
the bank to dislodge our unknown assailants, who were lurking in
the ruins of an old mud house, and when we rushed in, there was
a dash and scuffle, as a dozen dusky figures clambered over the
walls and were lost in the labyrinth of clay ruins. This little
ambush was no doubt intended for some white man, and as we
were of the same colour, they thought we should make as good
recipients for such favours as the intended quarry, providing it
gave vent to their pent-up feelings.
As we got into the main thoroughfares the crowd became
denser than ever, but we managed to push through into the
Ashanti road where a fresh crowd was gathered, and some well-
dressed nigger clerks greeted us with a string of insults. We took
no notice till the rabble sent a volley of stones after us, when we
turned on them, and I grasped my stick, expecting to be involved
in the thick of a fight, but to my surprise the crowd melted,
scattering in all directions ; two hundred instantly put to flight by
two white men. Our troubles were not yet ended, as in the
square by the Wesleyan Mission Church, we encountered a fresh
mob. In the centre were two more highly civilized negroes in
European dress, making melody on an old banjo and concertina,
the crowd dancing round the centre pair, who were almost revered
for their adoption of civilized attire. Wishing to make a further
show of their vast superiority, they made various offensive remarks
about white men, and finished it by shouting " you two white
niggers, &c., &c." Had we passed on, the rabble, thus encouraged,
would have sent a volley of stones after us, so we turned sharply,
62
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
and made for the educated specimens, who precipitately fled,
followed by the crowd running like a flock of frightened sheep,
many falling over one another in the panic.
Christmas day brought no relief from the row ; the respectable
few attended service, but the majority kept up the drunken debauch
till night, when they ceased their noise from sheer weariness.
So much for these wretched Fantis, who are practically use¬
less, being the most cowardly, indolent, toil-hating tribe to be
found on the coast.
Among negroes, conscience really does not seem to exist,
unless the wholesome fear of the law, and its far-reaching arm
when they have transgressed, can be so termed. They have no
true sense of right or wrong in themselves, but know that if they
are found out in certain things they will be punished, and keep a
little straight in consequence, though they do not abstain from
law-breaking for any moral sense of wrong. The Fantis have a
terrible dread of the law and police, while the logical deductions
which often enable the white commissioner to bring a crime home
to a man, is looked on by many as the wonderful power of fetish ;
for their own dull brains can never put two and two together.
When returning from Elmina early on Christmas evening, I saw
a group of people gathered round a prostrate figure, while another
man was tearing at his wool, and beating his forehead on the
ground in a way that would be perfectly suicidal if other than a
negro's thick skull were concerned. As I drew near, the man,
hearing the approach of booted feet, sprang up with a cry and
disappeared in the bush. I found a youth badly stunned, with
blood oozing from his nose and mouth, and was told by an
intelligent-looking negro that the man who had dashed for the bush
had beaten this youth on the head with a club. Thinking he had
killed him, he was told by the crowd, who had coolly watched the
proceedings, that the police would take him, and he would be
hanged. Not till then did he feel any compunction for his brutal
conduct, but he at once set to work to kill himself rather than be
captured, though he would have taken a long time to fracture that
thick skull of his. He was, however, cutting his face badly on
the gravel, till hearing a European tread, he made off.
" Where has he gone ? Why did you not stop him ?" I asked.
"Oh, sah, him go to bush plenty far, but white man strong
medecin find him ebbery where he go. Dat dere fool nebber
escape, no fear ob dat."
I did not seek to underrate their belief in the secret power of
the white man and his Sherlock Holmes' methods of procedure
when unravelling simple crimes.
GOLD COAST WOMEN.
GOLD COAST CHILDREN.
65
The feelings of maternity are strong among African women,
and form a wonderful contrast to their utter indifference on all
questions of morality. For two or even three years the mother's
whole care is devoted to her little one, though probably she has
one or even two more children before the first is weaned. Thus
she slaves and never separates herself from them, and even when
going through the most laborious occupations, one or two
children will be suspended on her back, with their little heads
alone showing over the tight folds of her wrap. Thus en¬
cumbered, she will trudge into the bush, and collect her supply of
yams and plantains for the day's use. Many procure a second
load, and trudge to market, with sixty or seventy pounds balanced
on their head and child behind, to exchange the fruit for other
wares. Yet these children soon return this marked devotion with
perfect indifference, and when once they can do for themselves, the
mother is treated as an absolute stranger.
The brightness of these little savage children presents a strik¬
ing contrast to the dull expressions of their elders. The active
little boys and girls, with their naked bodies, fat corporations, and
bright fearless faces, roll about in a perfect state of happy
innocence. On seeing a white man they instantly stand to atten
tion, gravely saluting, as they have seen the Houssas do to white
officers. As you pass, there is a shrill little chorus, " A good
h'evening, sah," " Good h'evening, sah"; you look round with a
smile, and a dozen little paws are outstretched, " Dash me frepence,
sah," " Dash me frepence." Who could resist such an appeal ?
You dash, i.e., give them a couple of threepenny bits to scramble
for, that being the smallest coin current on the Gold Coast, and
go on your way ; but another hundred yards, a fresh group of
urchins require "dashing," and it soon becomes wearisome.
This charming naïveté of character is lost as soon as
childhood's days are past. There is little of the bloom of youth
in Africa, especially with the women. Children develop at a
very early age, and at thirteen or fourteen, the girl is married, and
soon sinks under the degrading slavery of her position. The
male degenerates by the life of apathy, and the excesses he in¬
dulges in, long before man's estate is reached.
There is a newspaper on the Coast, published at Accra,
a weekly production — The Gold Coast Independent — of
which the inhabitants of the coast towns are very proud.
The price is threepence, for which you get two small sheets
of large print. The modest aspirations of this delightful
F
66
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT,
paper are " To create and foster public opinion in Africa,
and make it racy of the soil." To accomplish this small
task, which you are reminded of by the motto appearing in
large type, in three different places, you pay threepence, and we
obtained, on December 31st, 1895, one column and a half devoted
to an Ordinance, a copy of which could be seen posted up in a
dozen places in the town, and the remainder of that page filled
with a school report and remarks on Ashanti, taken from the
Standard, of Nov. 15th, 1895. Two pages of advertisements, and
the last columns containing some startling information under the
heading of " Latest War Intelligence," in which we are told " All
people are taking much interest in the forthcoming war." " Many
men from Axim are running into Cape Coast to see the troops
land," etc., etc.
The British trading companies on the Gold Coast have a
white agent, and one, or perhaps two, white clerks to superintend
the working of the staff of native assistants. The clerks are
generally young men who hear of an opening on the West Coast
of Africa, and immediately are filled with a romantic longing for
a change. Visions of lion and elephant hunting, travels among
cannibals, and a life of adventure, loom in the distance, and they
engage for periods varying from two to three years, at a salary
that is not munificent at home, and is certainly inadequate com¬
pensation for a life on the Gold Coast. They arrive fresh from
home, and what a terrible disappointment is in store. Before a
week has elapsed, they are longing to return, and after a few
months on the coast, their energies have become impaired, and
they go on in a mere sort of day-by-day existence, and hope dies
within them. To spend three years in the pestiferous environs
of a town like Cape Coast, with a miserable craven-hearted tribe
like the Fantis, is little better than a living burial were the
climate healthy ; but the risk of health and life is also so great,
that I should strongly advise those intending to accept a situation
on the West Coast of Africa, to think well before they decide,
and to take a small post in England, rather than an apparently
good one in the tropics. If they manage to live three years, they
return home broken in health, and probably ruined for life.
With Government officials it is entirely different, as the conditions
are better, the pay is good, and future prospects assured ; with
chances of seeing the surrounding country, and six months' leave
in England, after every twelve months on the coast.
67
CHAPTER V.
ASHANTI ENVOYS—THE PALAVER- WEST AFRICAN SQUADRON—THE WHITE
TROOPS—TO THE FRONT !—BICYCLING IN AFRICA—AKRAFUL—NIGHT IN
THE BUSH — COWARDLY NIGGERS —AFRICAN VILLAGES— MANSU —
AITEMPTED MURDER.
Final arrangements were now made for a rapid advance on
Kumassi. Oq December i6th the Ashanti Envoys arrived at
Cape Coast on the " Roquelle,'' and hadan interview with the
Governor before returning to the capital. Governor Maxv^ell,
Sir Francis Scott and Staff, and the Naval Officers from the Gun¬
boats took their seats in the Castle, many of the Kings and Chiefs
of the Protectorate also being present ; for a palaver is a function
that the African Kinglet delights in. The Ashantis were ushered
in, but they were not the two Ansah princes who had made such
a stir in Portland Crescent, but their subordinates, Kwaku Fukoo,
Prempeh's gigantic linguist, Kwamin Boatifl, Kwakoo Inkruma,
and Kobina Bondah, who all appeared to be of little importance
in London, but lounged in rear of the royal princes. The Ansahs
evidently did not mean to run unnecessary risks, and sent for¬
ward the lesser lights to bear the brunt of their monarch's
displeasure in Kumassi, while they waited for a later boat.
Kwaku, who acted as spokesman, leaning on his gilded staff,
with his retinue, and gorgeously arrayed in striped toga and
Moorish trousers, tried to appear at his ease with a forced smile
and fixed carriage.
Mr. Croome acted as interpreter, and through him His
Excellency promptly came to the point, nonplusing the Ashantis
who, in common with other African tribes, delight in hyperbole
and flowery rhetoric.
" I understand the Envoys who have been to England wish to
speak to me ! "
Kwaku then looked ill at ease, but after a prolonged pause,
rejoined to Mr. Croome, "Some time ago you brought a letter to
the King saying the Governor wished to send a white man to
govern his country, and the letter also said six nations had
accepted British protection. The King told you he would consult
f 2
68
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
his chiefs and reply to the Governor, and he held a palaver, but
he could do no business with Governor Griffiths ; he was not a
safe man, for he had been offering British protection (when asked
for) to tribes that owed allegiance to Prempeh. The King
therefore sent messengers to England to see the Queen, but when
we got there Griffiths had interfered between Prempeh and the
Queen, and she would not see us, so we had to come back, as we
were told to see the new Governor. Thus we are here and the
other Envoys return soon."
" Am I to understand he brings a message to me ? " asked the
Governor.
" We took a letter to the Queen," was the reply.
" Has he anything to say to me, then ? If so, let him say it."
Kwaku pondered, and began a rambling statement about
Governor Griffiths, who was not a good man to settle with, but
His Excellency interrupted :—" I have been in the Colony since
April last, and the Envoys left for England only three days before
I arrived. They have wasted eight months, and if they had a
message from the King why did they not await my arrival ? "
Kwaku attributed that to Governor Griffiths, but Mr.
Maxwell stopped him. " In defiance of prohibitions, and in spite
of advice you Envoys proceeded to England. You were distinctly
told before you started that you would not be received, and you
were not received. In your absence it was necessary to send a
further demand to Prempeh in Kumassi, to which he has not
replied. Have you any instructions from the King as to that?"
The Envoys shook their heads and grunted, Kwaku saying,
" The King will accept a resident, and we will take him with us
to Kumassi."
The Governor then told them to return at once to the capital,
and tell the King, if his promise were sincere he must prove it by:—
1. Meeting the Governor on the border of the Protectorate.
2. Signing a fresh treaty with England.
3. Paying the expenses to which the Government had
been put by his defiant conduct.
The Envoys smiled contemptuously. They evidently thought
such terms perfectly ridiculous, the idea of Prempeh coming to
meet the Governor being specially preposterous.
A USELESS PALAVER.
69
Still there seemed a possible chance of the expedition being
stopped on the border of Ashanti, though it was generally thought
that Prempeh would never leave his capital to meet the Governor.
To satisfactorily overcome the difficulty, it was no use treating the
Ashantis as spoilt children. The Ashanti policy had ever been a
mixture of open treachery, insincerity and procrastination, and in
the interests of trade and civilization alone, Kumassi would have
to be crushed. A section of the Press in London howled and
fumed, but surely the Government, through fear of condemnation,
were not hesitating before striking a decisive blow. Expedition
after expedition had been sent during the last century, and yet all
had failed to enforce obedience and respect from the truculent
Ashantis, who had been a menace to the Gold Coast Colony only
too long. British prestige alone demanded that Kumassi be taken
once and for all, and kept in our hands. The abject submission
of a dozen sham envoys or of Prempeh himself, would not have
been worth the paper it was written on, as our past dealings with
Ashanti have too clearly shown. There was only one course open,
and that was for a force to march right into Kumassi, capture it,
and leave a garrison there, unless we wanted to be made a laugh¬
ing stock of the Ashantis, and all the surrounding tribes, who
would thus be shown how even a savage king might twist the lion's
tail with impunity. Governor Maxwell no doubt meant to have no
shillyshallying, but it was little use attempting any compromise,
or giving the King loopholes of escape, to cause subsequent
trouble.
On December 24th, the West African Squadron arrived and
dropped anchor off the castle. The vessels anchored in the roads
were the Flagship " St. George," H.M.S. " Philomel," " Blonde '
and gunboats "Racoon'' and "Magpie." In the afternoon
Admiral Rawson, commanding the squadron, came ashore. He
was met by Sir Francis Scott and Prince Christian, a guard of
honour being formed by a company of the West India Regiment.
The warships were to remain in order to operate in case of need
on the coast, but officers and men, " Jack Tars " and " Joeys,"
were very disappointed at having to remain everlastingly rocking
in their narrow quarters on board, without a chance of gaining
fresh laurels in Ashanti. Both bluejackets and marines on these
ships are continually being called upon to summarily deal with
some turbulent coast tribe. The men are landed ; there is a
sharp fight ; an officer and a man or two are killed, and an entry
made in dispatches. Owing to the absence of the ubiquitous
70
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
Reuter in these out of the way villages, and the fact that the mail
takes perhaps months to get home, the brisk little affairs cause
small interest, being soon forgotten amid the excitement of more
recent events.
The duties of the men-of-war on both the East and West of
Africa are arduous and trying, and the vast importance of the
work devolving on them, in maintaining order, and protecting life
and property on the coast, should not be underrated. The
authorities are rather guilty in that respect, and they have been
particularly stingy in granting medals for some of these little
affairs, which, in proportion to the size of the respective forces
engaged, would rank above some much lauded engagements.
During the afternoon loo Houssas from Lagos arrived under
Captain Reeve Tucker, and proceeded directly to the front.
The wildest rumours came down continuously to the coast ;
there had been sharp fighting : Kumassi was undermined with
powder : Prempeh was dead : the Ashanti army was being formed
to invade the Protectorate : also many other reports so conflicting
that no reliance could be placed on any one of them. Two of
our Adansi scouts were found with their throats cut, but that had
little significance beyond shewing that the Ashantis were on the
alert ; and could not be looked on as the actual commencement
of hostilities as some thought.
The surf was very heavy during Christmas week, and com¬
munication with the mail boats dangerous. Anxious to get a letter
on board the s.s. "Volta," which had just signalled for departure,
I hurried to the shore to find the surf boats had ceased running
for the evening. To wait for a crew would be out of the question
as the steamer would be gone, so I foolishly decided to cross in a
canoe. The two boatmen flatly refused to go at first, but the
promise of a good " dash," or bribe, at last prevailed, and the sorry
craft was duly launched. Time after time we attempted to get
through the surf, but were driven back, till we broke through the
crest of an advancing roller, which all but swamped us, and by
vigorous paddling, got clear of the breakers, into open sea. Our
troubles were, however, only just starting, for every moment
tremendous seas threatened to overwhelm us, and while the niggers
slaved at the paddles, I baled continuously with helmet and cala¬
bash, to keep the canoe afloat. We reached the ship, and by
means of a rope thrown over the side I managed to scramble on
to the ladder and deliver my letter. The difficulty was now to
ARRIVAL OF THE WHITE TROOPS. 71
get back into the frail craft that was one moment alongside, the
next, swept far away, but after a dozen tries I dropped, luckily,
fairly in the centre, as the boat was swept right below me, and we
then headed for the shore. Drawing near the jagged bar of rocks
off the Castle, we steered for the narrow opening through them,
but the rush of water swerved us violently on one side ; a huge
wave came behind, completely enveloping us ; there was a dull
scraping, a jolt ; we were swamped, twisted over and over in mad
confusion till I was suddenly thrown on shore, half choked with
sand and water. The darkies were also safe, and we scrambled
out of reach of the next wave, which brought up the canoe.
Soaked and bruised we waded on shore with it, happily little the
worse for the small adventure. The wave had carried us right
over the bar, and brought us up almost high and dry, but had our
frail canoe struck on one of those jagged spurs, we must have been
dashed to pieces, as no one could live in a boiling sea, against
those rocks.
On Christmas day the transports, " Coromandel " and
"Manilla," arrived with the white troops. The surf was still very
heavy, and little communication could be held with the ships,
but a surf boat went over, bringing back the mails which had been
put on board instead of being sent by the ordinary and slower
mail boat, not due till four days later, when many of us would be
on the way up country. There was naturally much rejoicing over
the unexpected piece of good luck, an instant rush being made to
the Commandant's little post oihce in the Castle. Letters were
none the less acceptable by arriving opportunely on Christmas
day, when one's thoughts would revert far over the sea to the
various home circles gathered in England.
Two fishermen had rowed down the coast in a canoe, but
on attempting to get through the bar, they came to grief on the
same spot that we were capsized on the previous evening. I'heir boat
was smashed, the men vainly battling with the waves that merci¬
lessly battered them against the rocks. Happily, the surf boat
was returning from the " Manilla," and under the direction of
Sergeant-Major Bamford, A.B.C., who was on board, they were
rescued with great difficulty, suffering from severe contusions.
On board the Hospital-ship " Coromandel " were the Special
Service Corps, with detachments of the Medical Staff and
Engineers, and the " Manilla " brought from Gibraltar the 2nd
West Yorkshire Regiment under Colonel Price. Only Prince
72
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
Henry of Battenberg landed, the troops all remaining on board
till required.
On Boxing-day, everyone was hard at work making final
arrangements for the landing of the troops and the advance up
country. Special stores were landed from the transports, also
the two donkeys Prince Henry had brought with him for use on
the march, though there was much surmising as to the effect
of the dreaded teste-fly on them. The landing of these
animals was difficult, but after their feet were tied, they
were safely lowered into the surf boat. The twelve stalwart
Fanti boatmen were in a ludicrous state of funk at the
presence of these uncanny beasts, and every time they started
to plunge or kick as they lay in the bottom of the boat,
over would go every nigger head foremost into the sea. It took
some time before they could be induced to resume their seats, and
as these dives took place several times, the voyage ashore was
unduly protracted. Once beached, the donkeys were turned out
on the sands, this proceeding being watched by a large crowd of
Fantis, but when one of the asses lifted up his voice in a
glorious succession of ear-splitting brays, the crowd bolted en
masse, not stopping till they were out of sight or perhaps sound.
I much doubt if that animal's historic and voluble brother, Balaam's
mentor, could have created a greater sensation.
On December 27th, the Headquarter Staff started for the front.
Prince Henry and Major Piggott being first off, and leaving Cape
Coast Castle at 4 a.m. Sir Francis Scott left at 7 o'clock,
accompanied by Prince Christian and the remainder of the Staff,
except Colonel Ward, who was left to superintend the landing of
the troops.
For the first four miles the road was smooth and wide, the
bush being a variegated mass of vegetation composed of small
palms, (green scrub, lilies, acacia and flowering creeper, tangled
together in a glorious profusion of colour, and rising shoulder
high on either side of the road. As we mounted the densely-
wooded hills that skirt the coast, the early morning sun was just
gaining power and dispelling the mists ; but white and glistening
far below lay the town, already like a smouldering furnace, and we
heaved a sigh of relief at the thought of the smells now left behind
in that pestiferous place.
After gaining the summit, the sun began to make its presence
forcibly known, beating mercilessly down on our backs, and as
BICYCLING IN WEST AFRICA.
73
there was not a vestige of shade, it was a relief to turn into a
hammock. The regular jolting as the bearers step stolidly
together makes reading or writing impossible, and is trying at
first, but one soon grows accustomed to the motion, and a nap
may be indulged in, if the bearers will only hold their tongues for
a spell.
The first rest camp was formed at Jaycuma, or Inquabimas it
is often called. Prince Henry was waiting here for the other
members of the Staff, who halted for breakfast and a short rest
during the heat of the day. The camp was built in a clearing,
and consisted of rows of roughly built huts for the use of the troops
on the march. These shelters were about 40 feet long ; a framework
of bamboo covered with palm leaves interlaced, and kept in place
by long strips of fibrous creeper. The interiors were fitted with
long, gridiron shaped platforms, running from end to end, and
made of six-foot strips of bamboo, tied to trestles at top and
bottom. These formed a rough and knotty bed for the troops to
spread their blankets, and if the couches did not err on the side
of comfort, they at least saved the men from sleeping on the
ground, and the palm leaf thatch effectually kept off the worst of
the deadly night dew.
Our rest was only a brief one at Jaycuma, for we were doing
two ordinary stages each day to Prahsu, leaving the troops to
march up in the short daily distances. "Chop," which, by the
way, signifies any meal or food, being finished, we re-started on
the road to Akraful.
The road visibly narrowed, and as the level macadam
developed into a rough track, with traces of recent widening for
the advance of the expedition, the first impression that in this
highway was at least one useful piece of work of the Colonial
Government was rudely dispelled. Mr. Bennett Burleigh intended
to ride to the Prah on a bicycle ; perhaps he had made his decision
after reading of this road in the official accounts, which, if they
cannot lie, equivocate to a near degree ; but I pity a cyclist
scorching over such a track. As we subsequently heard, he
pluckily managed to pedal to Mansu, in spite of ruts big enough
to bathe in, and an occasional trunk resting serenely across the
path, but at that village the " bike " had to be abandoned. This
was a pity. Judging from the effect on the coast niggers, who fled
at its approach, had the valiant Burleigh taken his machine to
Kumassi, and entered the capital sounding his siren, his presence
74
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
would have been more effectual in subduing the Ashantis than
twenty Special Service Corps ; for Prempeh and his merry men
would have instantly succumbed at the apparition of such a
powerful fetish giving its aid to the advancing white man.
As we proceeded on the road, the bush increased in density,
and in some places the trees, meeting overhead, formed a perfect
archway and shelter from the sun, while huge cotton trees, with
massive buttresses, reared majestically above the surróunding
bush. The low dense undergrowth parted at intervals, opening
into shady dells, containing stagnant pools, overhung with a
choice profusion of flowering plants of all hues. In these lovely
glades splendid and rare orchids abound, and a botanist can revel
for hours in any one spot in an African forest. Floating on the
surface of the water are various aquatic plants, and the beautiful
African lily abounds ; flocks of many coloured birds flit on the
surrounding branches, brilliant lizards run up the trunks as one
approaches, and myriads of glittering little creatures flit on the
surface of the stagnant pools. What a glorious picture ! How
you would like to linger and revel in its beauties for Faugh !
A loathsome smell assails your nostrils as you approach, and you
instantly turn back to the road, inwardly vowing never to venture
into these elysian glades again. This deadly smell comes from
the rotting vegetation of ages, that forms a rich strata in which all
plants flourish luxuriantly, but it also charges the air with the
germs of malaria that, sooner or later, act on the system of the
white man who enters that fatal country, and it pulls him to the
very verge of the grave, if he escapes with his life.
Hearing Akraful the road widens, andas we reached the village,
the smell of an extensive piggery played havoc on the olfactory
nerves, making even the Sierra Leone hammock bearers break
into a trot, with a vigorous hum to expel the noxious effluvia.
All these villages are in a filthy state, the bush on the outskirts
being terribly defiled ; and the gangs of carriers passing to and fro
had not improved matters in that respect. The natives seem
impervious to smells, but the Sierra Leone men were an excep¬
tion, though the odours in Freetown would want a deal of beating.
Smart, active fellows, these Sierra Leone men are—made for
hammock carrying, with their flat heads and bull necks—and they
have a stock of ready wit and repartee that would vie with any
cockney 'bus driver, both for pointedness and vulgarity. All
other tribes are as dirt to them, especially the cowardly Fanti.
FIRST NIGHT ON THE ROAD.
75
" Out de way, Fantee man ! " '• You Fantee fool ! He no
good 'tall, sah ! " " Let us pass, you Fantee fool ! " " Go to bush,
you pig ! " and woe betide the carrier who did not hastily step
on one side to allow the hammock free progress, for the nearest
bearer seized the offending nigger by the nape of the neck, and
over he went, load and all, into the prickly scrub at the roadside.
There were a few gangs of women carriers employed on the
early stages of the march, and to these they were very polite and
gentle. If we overtook a dusky beauty, the nearest bearer's arm
was instantly placed round her waist to remove her gracefully on
one side, after which he bestowed a smacking kiss on the ebony
lips as he passed, and that without jarring his corner of the ham¬
mock, or losing his equilibrium.
After hurrying through the village, we reached the second rest
camp on the road, and halted for the night. The shelters here
were similar to those already described at Jaycuma, the camp
being in charge of a white officer and guard of the West India
Regiment. The surroundings of this camp at Akraful were very
beautiful, and as cocoanut palms abounded in the vicinity, we
were able to refresh ourselves by a good supply of the green fruit,
which contains a cool and luscious drink, long before the hard
nut is formed inside.
Our long strings of carriers were still straggling in, when the
sun disappeared behind the high masses of foliage spreading
around the clearing, but camp fires were soon blazing, cooking
pots on, and every one started to settle down and spend the first
night in the bush as comfortably as possible under the circum¬
stances. The water was a dirty brown hue, and very thick even
after twice boiling, and passing through the crude but fairly
effectual dripping pot system of filtration.
Here we had the first taste of the preserved Government
vegetables, and they were very savoury, despite the ominous label,
" Made in Germany." The latter fact gave rise to a deal of
small talk among some would-be patriots at home, and even
formed a theme for a question in the " House " ; but as vegetables
in this form are unobtainable in England, these busy-bodies could
have easily turned their attention, with more profit, to the hundreds
of articles that can be produced at home, but which are thrust
out of the market by the inferior, if cheaper, products of the wily
Teutons.
76
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
The leafy thatch of the shelters served the double purpose of
keeping off much of the dew, and harbouring myriads of lizards
and small insects that invaded everything and everybody alike.
The first few nights in the bush, sleep, to the novice, is impossible,
for beside the tortures of prickly heat, various little pests persist
in crawling over him, and inflicting a series of judicious
but maddening nips and stings. Enormous crawlers, horny
beetles, lizards and spiders occasionally drop from the thatch
upon one's upturned face, and a deafening chorus is kept up
incessantly till morning by thousands of crickets.
A thick mist was hanging over everything when the march was
resumed next day. The dew dropped from the trees like rain as
we passed beneath them, and the musty smell of rank decaying
vegetation was almost overpowering in the heavy humid atmos¬
phere. Prince Henry was the first to start, and evidently believed
in a morning constitutional, for he always tramped stolidly in
front of his hammock for the first few miles, till the sun began to
gain power. His bearers exchanged many glances of mutual
satisfaction at their luck in being attached to so indulgent a
master ; for they thought it was done for their special benefit.
The first two miles on the road to Mansu were very trying,
but as we reached higher ground, things became more favourable,
and the sun at last dissipated the miasma, and shone forth in all
its glory and power.
The soil right up from the coast is a bright red colour, and
highly ferruginous, and the road is so strewn with quartz crystals
that walking is difficult. This ferreous strata has a marked effect
on compasses, the needles being tilted and rendered perfectly
useless.
In some places the water had risen right over the road, or had
washed it away, but these gullies were being rapidly bridged over
to facilitate the advance of the main body. The pools were a
great temptation to the natives, who were panting and perspiring
under their loads, and the moment they thought themselves
unobserved, down went the burden, off came the scanty wrap,
and in two seconds they were splashing about in the delightfully
cool but stagnant water. Many of them deliberately stooped to
drink deep draughts, ignoring the green slime on the surface, and
the filthy state of the water from the constant washings ; but the
nigger argues, " I am thirsty. Thirst requires water, and if I
cannot get it pure I must take it as it comes," and they arrive at
A TYPICAL VILLAGE SCENE.
77
all their deductions and rules of life by such simple but
questionable logic. Numbers of natives die of dysentery, but it is
chiefly caused through living on raw unripe fruit ; and the
consumption of this foul water, which would be death to a white
man to drink unboiled, has no serious effect on them.
Passing along the road we met many women returning from
the forest with their day's stocks of yams and plantains. The
Fanti carriers made short work of these, stripping every woman
and child of their day's provisions which had only been gathered
at the expense of much personal toil and trouble. One comely
maiden, about 15 years of age, attempted to run into the bush,
but some cowardly Fanti struck her a blow which knocked her
down, and her head striking a tree, she lay helpless and half
stunned. I heard her scream, but was not near enough to see
who struck the blow, and when I arrived the poor little creature
lay dazed and bleeding, while a dozen lusty negroes were
scrambling to get the biggest share of her stock, someone having
even stripped her of her only print robe or wrap. So much for
your civilized, educated and Christianized natives of Accra and
Cape Coast, where these cowards came from. Yes, my Exeter
Hall friend ! these are members of the black brotherhood you are
so fond of pitying ; and they would call themselves enlightened
members too.
Happily they were so absorbed in plunder that they did not
hear my approach, and glad was I that a good stout cudgel was
handy. The track was narrow, my hammock nearly block^ed the
way, while every stinging blow I struck filled me with unholy
exultation, and before they had all got clear, my arm was
powerless, and some of them were marked in a way they would
not forget in a hurry. A little lime juice brought the i)oor girl
round ; her goods had all been dropped by the niggers in their
flight, so she got back her stock intact, and the present of four
bright new threepences to go on her necklace, made her forget her
troubles. Little scenes like this speak volumes for the cowardly
despicable nature of the negro, even if he has been brought up
and educated in a town—the seat of the Government and the
home of the English official, missionary, and trader.
We reached Dunkwa, the next rest camp, shortly before lo
o'clock. The huts and camp were similar to the previous ones,
with sleeping accommodation for 500 troops provided. This
halting place was only five miles from Akraful, and it was sixteen
78
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
miles to the next camp at Mansu, thus giving the troops very
unequal marches on succeeding days, but the water supply had
much to do with the selection of sites at such awkward distances.
After a brief halt for breakfast, we resumed the march at mid¬
day. The heat was intense, the path anything but shady, and
many a poor carrier lay thoroughly exhausted on the wayside with
his load beside him.
We passed through several small hamlets, but all unimportant
except Daman, which is a flourishing and dirty township.
The only difference in these African villages is the size, for
they all consist of a collection of mud huts, built on similar lines
in a forest clearing ; the people squatting on their hams, moodily
dozing in the sun, and a few dozen naked children tumbling in
the street with half a score of skinny fowls, and a few pigs. The
women ran and hid themselves on the first approach of white men,
but even these ebony daughters of Eve are inquisitive, and unable
to restrain their curiosity, they could be seen furtively peeping
through the holes and crannies in the mud-plastered walls. The
young men had all been engaged at Mansu as carriers, but the old
men squatted about and looked on with listless indifference, while
hideous old hags grinned at us as they stood by the roadside, with
short pipes between their toothless gums.
Most of the villages have some horrible monstrosity which is
assiduously pushed forward iu full view of any passing stranger.
Here was a woman with her face half eaten away by a loathsome
disease, a ghastly and terrible picture to behold. At Dumassi, the
next village, a boy was strutting about, perfectly nude, but his
hair and skin of a sickly white hue, though his parents were
niggers black as night ; and his appearance was not improved by
festering sores covering his body.
In the centre of each of these forest townships are the palaver
trees, with trimmed logs laid round under the shade of the spread¬
ing branches. The rustic seats are occupied by the " big men "
of the village, and the most solemn palavers take place in these
leafy parliament houses, during which the most trivial questions are
discussed with weighty argument and flowery speech, under the
presidency of the local chief.
The road dips suddenly as it crosses two valleys, with a low hill
between. F rom the summit of this eminence a splendid view opened
out, showing a vast stretch of vegetation extending on every side.
A DAMP CLIMATE.
79
The track in several places was washed away by previous floods, but
the gaps had been roughly filled, or bridged with logs, by the
advance party. Passing through some swampy districts, the road
suddenly plunged into pitch darkness, as it passed through magnifi¬
cent clumps of bamboo. These clumps may be viewed from a dis¬
tance, their presence being distinguished by a soft cloudy outline
of bluish-green vegetation, differing greatly from the surrounding
masses of foliage. The darkness was intensified by entering into
it suddenly from brilliant sunlight, and as each cluster of canes
rises at first perpendicularly, and then curves gracefully over to
interlace with the tops of the adjoining clumps, a series of beauti¬
ful archways are formed. The atmosphere thus closed in is so
humid, and saturated with malarious vapour, as to be almost
unbearable, and a feeling of relief is experienced as you again
emerge into the light of day.
The climate had already made its mark on our things, and
every metal article was oxidized a few hours after cleaning, so that
constant care alone prevented arms from being rendered useless.
Pen nibs were rusted together, watches had refused to act, and
my stock of paper, though carefully packed, was in a pulp from
the damp, and this only our second day on the road.
At 5 p.m. we sighted Mansu, Prince Henry and Prince
Christian being the first to arrive.
It was a late hour when the whole of the carriers had come
in, having straggled much on the road. Here was one officer
vainly waiting for a change of clothes, another searching for his
*' chop " box, but all turned up safely at last.
The camp at Mansu was larger than the previous halting places,
as it formed the half-way depot to the advanced base at Prahsu.
Three large compounds of bamboo formed the storehouses, and
stewing in the heat during the previous fortnight, a little band of
officers and non-commissioned officers had been working from
morning till night, receiving the everlasting streams of carriers
with stores, and organizing fresh gangs to transport the loads to
the Prah.
Being an important station, a hospital of several beds had
been built, and a field bakery was almost completed. A company
of the West Indians formed the garrison.
A few days previously, a West Indian private of the Mansu
force was reported for insubordination by a sergeant, and sen-
80
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
tenced to some trifling punishment. His trial was hardly over,
when he seized his carbine, loaded it, and walking to the hut
where his accuser sat writing, deliberatly shot him. The ball
struck the sergeant in the shoulder, completely shattering it, and
going through the flimsy wall of the hut, it passed through the
arm of a carrier who stood just outside. The sergeant's life was
at first despaired of, but he subsequently recovered from his
terrible injuries. Such an event happening on the opening of a
campaign, requires no comment, and, unfortunately, the West
Indian soldier is not always a model of good discipline, for with
the best treatment he is a grumbler, easily aroused. In this case
the would-be murderer was tried by civil power, and sentenced
to seven years' imprisonment, but had he been tried by court-
martial, under the rules of active service, he was liable to be shot.
This latter sentence might have seemed harsh, but it would have
had a salutary effect on other of his disaffected comrades, and
the term of imprisonment he received was certainly a light
one.
Near Mansu there is a stream of quite respectable proportions,
and the water free from the terrible Guinea worm. It was pitch
dark when I heard of this pool, but immediately a longing for
a refresher came over me, and as the feeling increased, I set out
with a couple of niggers to act as guides. There was only a
narrow track leading through the forest to this so-called lake, and
that was fringed with tall grass that completely overshadowed the
path, but after stumbling over various obstacles, a gurgling revealed
the whereabouts of a stream. As I reached the bank, three dark
figures rushed from the water ; for this bathing place was set apart
for Europeans, the natives having a strip lower down. There was
a large patch of sand, clean, but infested with ants, and just as I
had stripped, my guide suggested crocodiles. Reassured, how¬
ever, by the presence of the three niggers two minutes before, I
took a header into the inky darkness, only to run my head into,
fortunately, soft mud at the bottom ; the depth of the water
had been exaggerated, for it was barely four feet deep. But what
a treat that deliciously cool stream was, and how one revels in
the luxury of sufficient water to wallow in, after some time on a
very restricted allowance. The stream and its approaches were
swarmed with thousands of fireflies, and the effect was both
startling and beautiful. The trees met overhead on the higher
reaches of the water where the stream was narrower, and swarms
of these luminous little creatures flitted in the leafy avenue and
A ROYAL RESIDENCE.
8l
settled on the branches, making a rare and wonderful display of
nature's own fireworks.
Sir Francis Scott had happily arrived in Mansu too late for
the never failing palaver with the king of the place, though we
were not so fortunate next day.
I paid a visit to the huts forming the royal residence, but there
was little of interest save some elaborate war drums covered with
leopard skin, and bedecked with a goodly supply of skulls, dried
ears and eyes. All these petty African kings seem to revel in an
osteological collection that would form a pretty decent graveyard
or a first-rate bone museum.
Major Piggott who arrived with the staff at Akraful the pre¬
vious day, returned to transact some business at Cape Coast the
same evening. He arrived there at midnight, left again at 3 a.m.,
and reached Akraful soon after the Staff had started to Mansu.
He pushed on, however, and arrived in camp during the afternoon,
having established a record for hammock travelling. The double
journey to Akraful, and then on to Mansu, made a total distance
of 64 miles, almost without a break ; a rate of transit that the
hammock bearers would not appreciate too often.
G
82
CHAPTER VI.
SUNDAY IN THE WILDS—PRINCE HENRV'S DONKEYS — LOST KIT — THE
ARTILLERY—ASSIN YAN COMASSE—AFRICAN ROYALTY AND EUROPEAN
IDEAS—A KING — FETISH CEREMONIES—PRAHSU—CROCODILES—NEW
YEAR'S DAY—THE ANSAH PRINCES—THE ASHANTI IN WAR—STAFF
OFFICERS DESCRIBED—ARRIVAL OF THE TROOPS—THE HOUSSAS—THE
MOHAMMEDAN NEGRO,
On Sunday, December 29th the sweet clear notes of reveille
were echoing among the trees when the column again got in
motion ; the long line of carriers wending their way like a long
moving snake as they followed the sinuous windings of the path
through the bush. As we left the camp the strains of a plantation
hymn came stealing through the trees from the West Indian lines,
reminding us it was Sunday. These men show a national trait in
their fondness for hymns and part songs, and well they sing too,
though some of their songs are coarse. They are outwardly very
pious, and on the " Loanda," en route for Cape Coast, being
unable to sleep much, they were singing the lowest songs till mid¬
night on Saturday, when the theme instantly changed to the
Church Service which they chanted till 3 a.m. without intermission.
Quietness then reigned till daylight, when they started the service
again from beginning to end, mingled with many well-known
hymns, this being kept up all day. Sunday and its observances,
witb them, is a mere outward form to be adopted for a fixed
period, i.e., from twelve p.m. Saturday till twelve p.m. Sunday.
The road between MansuandKwaita was rough, but remarkably
open on one side, and frequently intersected with large streams.
The bridges over these were very crude, being simply three or
four huge trunks thrown across, but the water was shallow in most
instances, and easily forded by the natives. Crossing one of
these bridges. Prince Henry's largest donkey came to grief, getting
his foreleg fixed firmly between two trunks. The niggers would
soon have made short work of it, for being afraid to approach too
near, a dozen started to pelt the poor brute with stones in the
hope of making it struggle to its feet. It vainly kicked and
plunged, and must have broken its leg had not Major Ferguson
arrived on the scene and stopped their pranks. Even then he
AN ASININE CALAMITY NEAR ASSIN.
83
could not induce the niggers to approach and lift the poor beast
up, and he had to wait till others arrived, when half a dozen willing
hands lifted Jack from his awkward position. These donkeys
were the cause of much cogitation on the part of the bush people,
and for once the much despised ass evoked a considerable amount
of anxious interest and fear. An animal whose voice will beat
even the roar of a lion is certainly a marvellous creature, and we
were much amused when passing through a village in which the
headman and numerous suite were seated in state to receive
the white men. Suddenly the donkeys appeared on the scene,
marching in solemn file. At once the regal party were visibly
agitated, being half inclined to bolt, but they bravely sat, however,
awaiting the approach of the animals, till a glorious bray broke
the stillness of the forest, and chief, wives, courtiers and children,
fled precipitately, overturning stools, and throwing aside every
article in their flight. Nor did they stop till they were far from the
source of danger.
Much is said on the coast of the teste-fly whose bite is so fatal
to domestic animals, but the donkeys seemed to suffer little incon¬
venience from this cause ; the total lack of forage seems to be a
greater drawback to their introduction.
Passing up a rugged incline through Akrofuma, we reached
Suta at 10 a.m., and halted for a couple of hours. The surround¬
ing country is beautiful, and though the so-called bush is a
misnomer, the trees having attained a sufficient height and density
to fully exhibit the majestic beauties of a tropical forest,—the
landscape is bright, with plenty of sun and sky, which quite removes
the feeling of solemnity and gloom experienced in the dense
forest further north.
The Colonial Authorities had an overhead wire in course of
construction, which had been completed as far as Mansu, and
from that place, the Engineers had started with their field cable
already laid well on the other side of the Prah.
Passing through several villages, we reached Assin Yan
Cornasse just before sundown, after a trying march of twenty-two
miles over an indifferent road. The long journey had severely
taxed the endurance of the carriers, who straggled much on the
way, and dragged themselves wearily into camp one by one, at all
hours of the evening. At last all the loads had safely arrived but
one, which was, as chance would have it, a bundle containing my
only changes of clothes. Tired of waiting, I walked into the bush
G 2
84
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
to see if therewere any traces of the missing man, or the kit lying by
the road-side, but after going a long distance fruitlessly, I began
to retrace my steps. The sun set suddenly, and darkness came
on, so my return journey was difficult and protracted, through
swamp, and over fallen trunks, rocks, and other obstacles. In
the solemn stillness of these vast forests at night, there is an
awesome and appalling feeling of loneliness and depression that
will not be shaken off. In the denser part of the bush it was
impossible to see a foot ahead, but the dead stillness was
occasionally broken by a dismal howl from a jackal, or the rustle
of leaves, as some animal wended its way on a nocturnal prowl.
Hearing a breaking of twigs, and the creaking that denoted
the approach of a human being, I stood in the shade on the edge
of a large roadside pool, and in a moment a native figure, clad in
white robes, cautiously emerged from the gloom of the trees, and
proceeded to fill a chattie from the pond. The outline of his
figure was shown in relief on the gleam of the water, and from
his large head-dress and fiowing robe he might have been a
Mohammedan Priest, but for the long spear in his hand and
sword in his girdle. I stepped out of the shadow suddenly,
when the figure with a bound reached the bush and disappeared
among the trees.
On return to camp there were no signs of the missing kit ; my
clothes were sopped through with perspiration and dew, and ^ss-
ing a night under such circumstances is not only uncomfortable,
but well calculated to give one the necessary chill for a dose of
malarial fever. In a country where the difficulties of transport
are many, no one takes more than their absolute requirements,
but happily I found one good Samaritan in the person of
Mr. Ward, of tfie Pall Mall Gazette^ who had a spare rig, of
which he generously gave me the loan.
On Monday, December 30th, the Staff halted for the day at
Assin Yan Comasse ; Prince Christian and Major Piggott going
on to Prahsu, about sixteen miles distant. Captain Benson had
got his Artillery mobilized in camp, and during the day the con¬
tingent was inspected by Sir Francis Scott. They marched into
the bush with guns slung, carriages in pieces, and carried on natives'
heads, making a brave show with the long train of ammunition
bearers. The order was given to come into action, and the whole
movement was done in splendid style. In an instant each man
deposited his load in its place, guns and wheels were unslung
A SMART DISPLAY.
85
from the poles, ammunition placed handy, and on the carriers
retiring to the rear, the native Houssa detachments, each in charge
of a smart Royal Artillery sergeant, had the guns mounted, rocket
tubes fixed, and all in readiness within one minute after the first
order was given. This display of efficiency was a great credit to
Captain Benson and his subalterns ; one of whom was Captain
de-Hamel, a well-known officer of the Londonderry Artillery,
also Capt. Irvine, Donegal Artillery, and Capt. Hawtrey,
4th Royal Munster Fusiliers.
The gunners were evidently ready to give a good account of
themselves should occasion require, though with the native
carriers there is the fear of stampede or confusion when really
under fire, and at such a time disorder may prove fatal to the best
efforts of the officers and troops.
A big drumming and commotion in the distance plainly
bespoke another palaver. Kings are as plentiful in Africa as
Colonels on the other side of the " herring-pond," and every one
was heartily sick of the constant palaver on palaver, all to no pur¬
pose, though it is most impolitic to refuse such honours, and the
officials have to endure them with inward groanings but smiling
exterior.
On the Gold Coast, a visit from one of these dusky monarchs
is regarded as a necessary but unpleasant function, to be endured
but not encouraged ; but when some king or chief, who owns a
bit of swamp and a few mud huts, with half-a-dozen wives thrown
in, is able to get enough gold dust collected by his people to don
European dress, and betake himself by deck passage to England,
how differently he is received. His arrival and subsequent
doings are duly chronicled by the Press ; he dinês with my Lord
Mayor, and is petted and pampered to a degree that plainly shows
how little African royalty is consonant with European ideas. The
young kinglets that yearly come over to this country for education
seem to move freely in superior circles of Society, and they are
specially patronised by moneyed nobodies, whose snobbish
instincts revel in the fact of having a real live Prince in their train,
though he comes from a stock of brutal niggers that no person
could see in their natural state, without horror and disgust. Yet
with all the luxury and civilization that is crowded into them in
England, the majority of these, when they have exhausted their
finances, return to the old habits, with a bit of print and a swish
hovel as evidences of the very thin veneer civilization has
86
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
put over their patrimonial barbarism. It is a common
thing in Africa to find young chiefs who have been educated in
England, but have now thrown off the trammels of civilization,
and are living in a blissful state of barbarity that would vie with
any of their less enlightened subjects.
The King who turned up that afternoon for palaver was
Attafuah, King of Akim, a more important personage than many
of the same species who abound in the vicinity. His retinue was
large and influential, and he was well aware of the fact. Had not
his Prime Minister a large bunch of old rusty keys tied to his
girdle ? Was not the royal stool studded with brass-headed nails,
and had he not a few rusty old flint lock guns in his possession ?
They formed a dusky but picturesque crowd as they were
grouped beneath the shade of three enormous umbrellas of silk
and leopard skin. And after a short prelude on three drums, all
skull-bedecked, the business started. The King had a long yarn
to spin about Prempeh, and complained that many of his people
had gone to the 'Shanti country to collect rubber, and had never
returned, having been sacrificed in Kumassi. Sir Francis
informed the king and his chiefs that he was going to Kumassi to
enforce the demands of Queen Victoria, that Ashanti would be
annexed, and the country opened up for trade. His remarks
made an evident impression on the assembled chiefs, and then
Prince Heniy of Battenberg was introduced to the King as the
husband of the Queen's daughter. All the chiefs, headmen and
commoners immediately got on tip-toe to get a glimpse of His
Royal Highness, and by their expression, they were evidently
disappointed. That a Royal Prince ! Why, he was wearing his
own sword, instead of having a sword bearer, and worse still,
holding a small white umbrella over his own head ; then he had no
slaves ! no stool bearers ! no war drums ! : he did not come up to
their African ideas of royalty, and they could not understand a
Prince laying aside all considerations due to his rank, and sharing
the same hardships and dangers as the rest of the force. A fawn
was afterwards sent to Prince Henry from the King as a present,
and the Akims took themselves away ; King, noise, and stench.
On Tuesday, December 31st, we were all on the alert before
sunrise. Major Ferguson was always one of the first up, and,
with his able assistant Quartermaster Sergt. Toye, gave an eye to
the arrangements for moving camp. Sir Francis Scott also was
always ready to move with the lark, and little time was lost in the
FETISHISM.
87
early morning. The scene at sunrise was an animated one, all
the carriers bustling about, the native servants working or
pretending to work, and the officers superintending the packing
of their things till, everything ready, the march was resumed.
Meanwhile, the light would be rapidly increasing ; the thick
miasma moving slowly up till the top of the trees were visible,
over which the orb of day soon rose and beat down relentlessly.
The first village on the road to Prahsu is Anowia, which
contains a curious fetish house. My presence so alarmed the
priests and little group of men whom I disturbed when I entered
the compound, that I did not push my investigations too far, but
the fact of my being in the vicinity was regarded as gross sacrilege.
Some of the carvings done in red and black clay were very well
executed, the chief one representing the male and female figures,
denoting the important genital symbol of fetishism, but a glimpse
of the interior of the house revealed nothing more interesting than
some medicine heaps and earthen pots containing food offerings
for the gods.
The fetish religion flourishes in many different forms through¬
out the whole of Western Africa, and seems to consist mainly of
the worship of the immaterial, existing, or supposed to exist, in
material things. Thus, any odd article may contain some
marvellous virtue. An old wooden doll, a horn, a tooth, a bit of
snake skin—all may be endowed by a hidden power, transmitted
through the medium of a fetish priest, to cure diseases, bring
good luck, wealth or happiness, on the lucky owner ; or on the
other hand, to call down ruin and destruction on the head of an
enemy. If a charm refuses to act, the native loses no faith in
fetish, but knows the influence of his charm is counteracted by
the more powerful charm held by some enemy, who is bent on
acting against him. This gives the fetish priests abundant
opportunity to impose on the credulity of the people. Present
after present is exacted and cheerfully given to enable the priest
to propitiate the gods in the suppliant's favour. More potent
charms are purchased till the priest has extracted as much as he
thinks prudent, and if natural means have not brought about a
satisfactory ending, the trusting victim is told that there is a
combination of fetish spirits joined against him, whose influence
no power can break.
The consultation of the Fetish constitutes one of the most
remarkable ceremonies possible, and animals are frequently
88
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
sacrificed in the Protectorate in lieu of human beings. If a man
feel ill, the fetish priest, or medicine man, is consulted. Should
he think the illness slight, he demands a large present, and
mutters some incantation which causes the evil spirit to take its
departure within the next day or two. Should the case appear
unsatisfactory, he is clever enough to procrastinate, reserving
judgment till the symptoms are more developed or decreased. If
he fears the illness will be fatal, he is at once endowed with so
keen a sense of perception that he sees whole strings of spirits
joining hand to rob the sick one of life. He is not quite dis¬
heartened, and accepts all the presents he can get to try and
break the circle of uncanny influence. Should the patient
recover, " Wonderful Fetish man ! ! " If he die, " Bad patient
to make the spirits combine so strongly against him that even the
priest's efforts are unavailing." To the dark native mind the fetish
priest is as infallible as the old clock of Jedburgh, for though the
sun or moon might be a few minutes wrong, that old timepiece
never varied a minute.
A novice wishing to devote himself to the service of the gods
must have sufficient goods, or influence, to open the eyes of the
chief priest to the fact of his being endowed with the supernatural
powers, and if a would-be priest is rich or influential it is wonder¬
ful how the gods swoop suddenly down and put the spirit of
divination on him. There are many classes of deities, and the
novitiate has to work himself into a frenzy in the presence of all
the tribe, with emblems of the different gods grouped in the
centre. The wily old priest, previously bribed, watches till he sees
the dancing convert approach the pre-arranged symbol, when he
immediately declares that the spirit has attracted the subject
toward it, and henceforth he must devote all his services to that
god.
A Fetish priest is not held accountable for any actions when
the spirit of divination comes over him. He is at perfect liberty
to violate most sacred laws, and indulges in fearful enormities
There is little need to add that everyone is careful to conciliate
the holy man, or surely a speedy vengeance descends on their
innocent heads when next he becomes inspired. It is also
surprising how quickly a fit of piety will come upon him if he has
cause for offence.
On the coast, religion is often simply a mixture of Christianity,
the Koran and fetish mixed ; the last named usually predominating.
PRAHSU.
89
Fetishism is deeply imbued, missionaries have introduced
Christianity, and the intercourse with Mohammedans has left traces
of the religion of the faithful ; but many of the negroes follow a
compromise between the three, which makes a curious combination.
Barraku was reached about midday, the latter part of the
march being particularly hot and trying. After a halt for lunch
and the issue of chop to the carriers and hammock boys, the
march was resumed through Dumassi, a large hamlet which con¬
tained some of the best clay houses to be seen on the way up.
Some of these residences even boasted of roughly-carved wooden
doors, swinging on common iron garnets ; an advance in civilization
which few of the natives in the enlightened precincts of Cape
Coast have arrived at 3 for many there are quite satisfied with
holes in the wall for the double purpose of door and window.
Nearing Prahsu the track gradually widened, and the road into
the wretched village was a well-made level highway, with extensive
clearings on each side used as squatting camps for carriers.
These places were in a very clean state ■ considering the large
numbers of natives constantly using them, or they might have
been a serious nuisance and source of danger to health in camp.
Prahsu village is now a miserable collection of mud huts,
though at one time it was a town of fair size. It derives its name
from the river Prah ; the suffix "su" meaning " resting on " or
" built on." This termination is very common in West Africa,
and thus Fumsu means, town on the Fum river, likewise Bannisu
on the Banni; Mansu on the Man, and several others. "Unfor¬
tunately such nomenclature often causes confusion, as there are
possibly three or four towns on the same river, and all therefore
named in the same way. The system of naming towns after their
situation or some special feature, is also extended far beyond
rivers ; duplicate names being very common in consequence.
The camp was formed on the bank of the Prah, or more
properly Busum Prah, which is roughly reckoned as the boundary
line of the British Protectorate and Ashanti, though since 1874
the latter country has never regained her lost power over territory
south of the Adansi hills.
The Adansis who used to inhabit the portion beyond the
Prah, have removed to safer quarters on the south bank, and the
district beyond is a waste or no-man's land, dotted with a few
hamlets occupied by miserable settlers, while the sites of many
old towns are now only marked by a heap of ruins.
90
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
On entering the camp, we passed the hospitals which were just
being completed, though one ward was already nearly full, for the
dreaded fever had attacked the advanced party of the Array
Service Corps and Engineers. There were six of the latter
corps in hospital, all of the telegraph department. Their work
in laying the cables had been particularly arduous, slaving from
morning till night, exposed to the hot sun one minute, and in the
damp shade of the trees the next. The little body of the Army
Service Corps, who had been toiling and steaming under the
leadership of Captains Barnard and Matthews in receiving and
checking loads of stores from sunrise to sunset, had also suffered,
and several had been obliged to give in. These two Departmental
Corps usually bear the brunt of the " kicks," but do not always
get a full share of the " halfpence."
The Hospital buildings were large and airy, built of bamboo,
and raised three feet off the ground. The interiors were fitted
with rows of small bamboo rests, so the patient, brought in on a
stretcher, had simply to be lifted to a stand, the body of the
stretcher forming the bed. There were also small separate wards
for officers, a native ward and dispensary under the charge of Staff
Sergèant Ormiston, a genial and sturdy warrior who had seen
much service.
Under the watchful eye of Surgeon-Col. Taylor, the P.M.O.,
who arrived with the Staff, things were soon put into perfect
order, and it was evident that the Medical Authorities at home
had a thorough grasp of the requirements for the Expedition.
Nothing had been forgotten, even the smallest details having
received due attention.
General Mackinnon, when Surgeon-Major, was entrusted with
the medical supervision of the '73 Expedition, and, doubtless, the
evidence of forethought and care taken in the present arrange¬
ments under his directorship, were mainly attributable to the
knowledge of the climate he gained at that time.
This also applies to Lord Wolseley, assisted by the Adjutant-
General, Sir Redvers Buller, V.C., and the Quartermaster-General,
Sir Evelyn Wood, V.C. They used their previous knowledge,
gained in the country, to the best advantage, and nothing was
lacking.
The Army Service Corps had gathered piles of stores in the
compound at Prahsu, and long lines of carriers were constantly
THE BUSUM PRAH.
91
arriving from the coast. The road was particularly lively with the
thousands passing to and fro continuously, and the whole route
was often blocked by the moving mass. They worked in gangs,
each under its own chief, and wearing distinguishing armlets.
One gang with cases of bouilli beef, another with lime juice,
pressed vegetables, or biscuit. A few lady gangs were also used
to take supplies to the Prah, and these worked far harder than
the men, and were more cheerful, notwithstanding they had often
an additional load in the person of a little brown baby, nodding
behind in the ample folds of the mother's wrap.
Near the bank of the river stands the European Frontier
House, used by any Houssa officer or official that might have
cause to occupy the station. In this two-storied building, once
white, but now a dingy yellow, the Staff took up their quarters.
Such a thatched residence would not be classed as a good barn in
England, but it is considered quite palatial in West Afric's sunny
clime, where even a royal palace is of-mud. A long apartment
on the ground floor was used for a mess-room and offices, while
access was obtained to the upper floor by a rough outside ladder,
up which Sir Francis Scott and Prince Henry had to climb when
retiring.
Skirting the camp, its yellow waters flowing on in stealthy
silence, is the Busum Prah, a beautiful stream of about one
hundred and eighty yards in width. The current is swift, and,
in the rainy season, it is a surging turbid flood, but in the dry
months it is fordable in many places. In December its waters
were quietly flowing between high banks clothed in luxuriant
foliage ; the motionless forms of the trees dully reflected on the
unruffled but dark waters, as they flowed through a region of
densest forest.
Singularly, the aspect of the fringe of forest verging on the
north bank opposite Prahsu, is not particularly tropical, and from the
south side the landscape has a most English appearance, resembling
rather the outskirts of a well-wooded estate in Hants than an
African forest. This is mainly due to the entire absence of palms
and other tropical plants close to the bank, but the moment the
river is crossed, and the forest entered, the English idea is dis¬
pelled by the thick and rich profusion of undergrowth and dense
bush immediately encountered. Above and below the camp the
river flows through a glorious tangled mass of luxuriant bush, with
graceful feathery palms and long creepers hanging right to the
92
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
water's edge. The river is worshipped by the natives in the
vicinity as being the abode of the Busum or fetish, the rivers
inland, beside the sea, being held as a sacred haunt of the gods
of West Africa.
The stream of humanity had seriously disturbed the equanimity
of the crocodiles in the Prah, and by way of protest, they removed
themselves from the vicinity, leaving the river safe for bathing by
the bridge. The scaly brutes had congregated a little lower down
the river, but were too much on the alert to give a chance to the
few keen sportsmen, who pushed through the jungle on murder
bent. There were one or two fruitless excursions undertaken by
different officers, and Surgeon-Captain Cunninghame, Corre¬
spondent for the Lancet, and an ardent sportsman, made several
difficult trips through the bush in his endeavours to secure a bag,
but he was unsuccessful each time.
When on a botanizing expedition within a few hundred yards
of the camp, I had a golden and unexpected chance of a pot at
the amphibious game. Emerging from a dense tangle to the
river bank, I espied a wily old beast who, more daring than his
fellows, had come up the river, possibly to reconnoitre. He was
quite unconscious that a bloodthirsty two-legged monster was in the
vicinity and who, though not looking for game, was none the less
seized with a desire to kill when the unsought opportunity arrived.
He lay like a log on the water, his gaping jaws facing the bank,
and offering a beautiful target. Alas, I hesitated to alter my
position for a steadier aim, and was lost. He spotted me almost
as I fired. Bang ! His lordship sank like a stone, with a derisive
wisk of his tail as he disappeared, and my bullet was received in
the responsive bosom of the Prah. He put two little snail-like
nostrils up to breathe shortly after, but far out of range of my
revolver, and doubtless he gazed at my retiring form with a
twinkle of mingled scorn and amusement in his armoured eyes
when he had slunk to a safe retreat. And I ? Well, I went
home in a sadder if not a wiser mood, for had I not been offered
a chance denied to far more deserving sportsmen, and yet made
a grievous hash of it.
Prince Henry, Prince Christian, and Major Piggott had
several shooting excursions in the vicinity of the camp, but the
density of the bush interferes greatly with sport and large bags
were not obtainable.
A FOREST CEMETERY.
93
Close behind the huts built for the detachment of Houssas is
a spot that has a melancholy interest to all Englishmen. A
narrow pathway opens through the hush, its entrance being
marked by a huge cotton tree, in.the hark of which is cut a large
cross and an inscription, now almost indistinguishable. As far as
I could trace it, it read as follows :
T.
381.
T.A.
2.
R.B.
1874.
2.
W.
Passing up the path there is a second tree whose hark bears the
T H •
initials ' A little further on is a large mound planted with a
grove of small trees, and beneath this, sleep the soldiers who fell
from wounds and sickness during the last war. On one side of
this mound is a single grave surrounded by a plaited cane fence
which marks the place where Captain Huyshe was buried, and in
the centre of the small cemetery, a splendid tree spreads its
branches as a canopy of dense foliage over the melancholy forest
graveyard, in which another inmate was to he laid to rest only too
soon.
The days at Prahsu passed quickly. On December 31st we
arrived, and a considerable number of congenial spirits gathered
to welcome the New Year in true Caledonian fashion, though the
wiser or less enthusiastic ones retired early to rest. When the
strains of Auld Lang Syne aroused the niggers from their
midnight slumbers under the trees, they wondered what fetish
custom was being kept up, as the forms of the white men, with
hands clasped, were revealed by the flickering of the camp fire.
Usually the Prah has to be crossed in a long dug-out canoe
made from the hollowed trunk of a cotton tree. Major Sinclair
and his Engineers, however, had built a substantial pontoon
bridge which was safe enough in the dry season, but how it will
stand the rain when the river is twenty feet higher, remains to be
seen. The work of transporting the casks through the bush to form
the pontoons was a very difficult one, and by making use of the
large trees on the banks, a suspension bridge would have been
more expeditious and much more durable.
Prahsu is certainly not an ideal spot for a camp as it is very
94
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
damp from its proximity to the river, and therefore unhealthy. A
thick mist hangs like a pall, completely hiding the trees round
the clearing, and not till the sun is high, does this veil rise. At
ten o'clock in the morning, the tree tops were often not visible,
and though at last, as the sun gained power, the mists would
gather in heavy wreaths, and roll away to seek a hiding in the
swamps till night, there was a feeling of dampness and mustiness
which the fierce heat of midday never quite dispelled. Before
the dewdrops were evaporated from the blades of the jungle grass,
the miasma would gradually rise, and by sunset, perpetual fog
again enveloped everything.
The Artillery arrived in Prahsu on January ist, but they
received special orders and crossed the Prah a few hours after
to advance to Kwisa, to support the levies.
During the morning, a nigger darted up to me, and seizing my
hand, literally leaped round in transports of joy, and I recognized
the carrier who was in charge of my missing kit. There sure enough
was the bundle lying intact close by. He had missed me in
the last camp, but had never rested till his load was safely
delivered ; for the honesty of the natives is proverbial when
dealing with a white man's things. They have a wholesome fear
of the law, and a few days before, two carriers, probably worn out
or ill, deserted, leaving their loads by the roadside. When these
were found by a patrol, each man's badge, armlet and day's sub¬
sistence money was laid on top of the load. Unfortunately this rule
does not always apply, and the civilized negro is usually a terrible
thief, for his enlightenment has made him cunning, and he does
not fear betrayal from any occult power or fetish of the white man.
About midday the Ansahs arrived from the coast where they
had landed on December 27th. They had an interview with
Governor Maxwell there, and submitted their credentials and a
document dated September 8th, 1894, purporting to bear the
mark and seal of King Prempeh.
The Governor is not a man to be taken in by natives, even
if they have been educated in English schools, and after an
attempt at bluff, the Ansahs confessed that the document had
never been seen by King Prempeh, but was drawn up on the
coast, and the seal, manufactured in England, had been affixed in
London by John Ansah.
So much for the talked-of envoys, who (jwVafe a section of the
ARTILLERY CROSSING THE PRAH,
From a sketch bv Mr. H. C. Seppings Wright^ Artist Correspondent to
The Illustrated London News'^
THE ANSAH PRINCES.
97
Press) were shamefully treated in London by Mr. Chamberlain,
who wickedly refused to negotiate with them, and thus rendered
an expedition necessary, when it could easily have been avoided.
Such random twaddle requires no comment, for subsequent events
speak for themselves. Respice finem I
The Ansahs were at once told by the Governor that the
Colonial Government would not recognise their statements or
declarations as binding on King Prempeh, so they had better set
out at once for Kumassi, and advise the King to accept the terms
which had been sent to him by the other envoys. They were,
however, in no hurry to leave Cape Coast, being afraid of the
consequences when they reached their King, and they made every
excuse to delay their departure. They started for Prahsu eventu¬
ally, having much trouble with their carriers on the road, who did
not relish working for " Shantee-man," and deserted at every
opportunity. They came into camp in hammocks, having, among
other things, a tin of children's biscuits, some bottles of sweets,
and two pounds of candles, as presents to mollify the wrath of
the tyrant in the capital. They both seemed weighed down with
anxiety, which was not feigned ; for their royal master would have
thought nothing of beheading the two of them if he supposed
they had neglected his commands in the slightest degree.
The Ansah Princes are grandsons of the late King Osai
Tootoo, Quamin, Bonsoo. Naturally, when one has recovered
from the shock of that stupendous announcement, little wonder is
caused that these Princes refused to take in letters from Sir W.
Brandford Griffith ; for the Princes were actually addressed
therein as " Messengers to the King of Kumassi," instead of
" Royal Ambassadors of Ashanti," which the Princely John Ossoo
Ansah said was a " breach of civilized etequette" (sic).
Singularly on the morning of their arrival, envoys came in
from the subsidiary Ashanti King of Bekwai saying that this
important ally of Kumassi would accept the English flag if
we could send troops up to protect him from Prempeh's forces.
A palaver had been held in Kumassi to which all the Ashanti
chiefs had been summoned. The King of Bekwai, Yow Boatin,
did not attend. Thereupon Prempeh sent men to bring him by
force, but the subordinate monarch so forgot his good manners
as to allow his people to beat Prempeh's myrmidons out of the
town, and then, fearful of the consequences, he dispatched these
ambassadors to the English for help.
H
98
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
The Bekwai messengers were terribly alarmed when they heard
of the Ansahs' arrival, and the consequent risk of the discovery
of their double dealings. However, by various subterfuges, the
Ansahs were detained in front of Headquarters while the trembling
ambassadors, hastily stripping off all badges of office, were hurried
over the Prah, and they were well on their way home again before
the Ansahs re-started.
These Ashantis from Bekwai were evidently types of a far
superior race to the Fanti people on the coast. Our allies are
contemptible cowards in war while the Ashantis have been
hardened by years of constant fighting. Lord Wolseley, speaking
in 1874 on the negro as a soldier, dwelt on the many instances
of personal bravery among the Ashantis in the late war. On one
occasion an Ashanti was found guarding the path, but he stood
till the officers, leading the advancing troops, were within five
yards of him, when he coolly fired point blank at them, and such
acts of individual reckless bravery were common throughout that
campaign. It was the habit of Ashanti generals to post-certain
men behind the fighting line, and their special duty was to kill
every coward who fell back during the battle. The burden of their
war song is :
If I go forward I die.
If I go backward I die.
Better go forward and die.
If an Ashanti general were defeated it meant death to him ;
for he paid the forfeit with his head when he returned to Kumassi,
and they usually committed suicide on the field rather than suffer
the disgrace of public execution.
On January 2nd, the Bearer Company, Medical Staff Corps,
arrived under Surgeon-Major Wolseley. These "Poultice
Wallahs," as they are playfully dubbed by brother "Tommies"
of other corps, marched into camp in fine style, despite their
sixteen miles' tramp. Though they may be deemed, by some,
to be better fitted to make out diet boards in a hospital ward,
than to endure the rigours of a campaign, the Medical Staff Corps
always show they have real grit in them, and on that toilsome
journey to Kumassi, they marched and endured as well as any of
the picked troops in the force.
The next few days they were actively engaged in getting their
seven hundred odd native bearers drilled into order. The niggers
thoroughly entered into the spirit of the thing, and when once
SPECIAL SERVICE OFFICERS.
99
they grasped the different words of command, their movements
were very creditable. Hammocks were brought up in good order,
the counterfeit wounded picked up, medical store boxes unslung
and opened, while spare members repelled the supposed attack.
The acting patients were bundled into the litters with scant
ceremony, the natives being excited in the heat of the moment,
but sharpness of action is required above all things on some
occasions, so it could hardly be counted a fault.
A mail reached us at Prahsu, bringing a fresh batch of news¬
papers. Some of them contained amusing reading on Ashanti
subjects. The remarks made in certain quarters were absurd,
and some of the personal attacks on Prince Henry, made in
specially bad taste, were totally uncalled for. Certainly he ought not
to have been indulged in a pleasure picnic at the country's expense ;
that is if an expedition through the bush, amid endless morass and
stinking swamp, in a deadly climate, constitutes a picnic. Prince
Henry fared exactly the same as any other officer ; he was there
as a soldier, not as a prince. He drew the regular Government
rations as laid down for every member of the force, and as an
old veteran remarked, " There was nothing but bully* beef and
biscuit one day, and biscuit and bully beef for a change the next,
in that ungodly country," unless you took tinned stuff yourself.
The Staff were hard at work at Prahsu planning out the details
of the campaign, which, to sum it up roughly, seemed to require
more commissary than strategy. The Ashantis had a far more
powerful agent acting for them than their hordes of warriors with
Dane guns and pot-leg shot, and any neglect in looking after the
troops would soon give that enemy full play ; for the malarious
poison present in the very air we breathed, required constant care
to defeat.
Sir Francis Scott made an ideal commander, showing untiring
energy and determination, but marked with a kindliness of
disposition that made him beloved as well as respected by every
member of the force—officer, soldier, Houssa, or even the
humble carriers who had been brought in contact with him. He
was indeed wisely chosen to take command, for he knew the
country, the people, and all the requirements for dealing with the
climate and its drawbacks.
Colonel Kempster was admirably fitted for his duties as
Second in Command, and Major Belfield, who worked so hard to
' Bouilli.
H 2
lOO
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
complete every arrangement, proved himself to be an officer with
tact and discretion. He is one of those hard-working, energetic
men whose example infuses fresh life into everything he takes in
hand.
Colonel Ward also filled an onerous and most responsible
post. Under his direction, and thanks to an efficient staff of
supply officers at various stations at the coast and on the road,
everything went without a hitch, and nothing was wanting.
Surgeon-Colonel Taylor was constantly employed, inspecting
the hospitals on the way, testing the drinking water available,
and directing by telegraph all the arrangements for the sick on
the coast and at various camps up country.
Major Victor J. F. Ferguson, the popular Camp Com¬
mandant, was also an officer beloved by all ranks. The eldest son
of the late Colonel John Ferguson, 2nd Life Guards, he entered
the Army in 1884. In 1890, he went in charge of the special
mission to King Lobengula, in Matabeleland, and he attained the
rank of Major in the Royal Horse Guards, in February, 1895.
Prince Christian Victor is, perhaps, too well known to need
describing, but he is a smart officer, highly popular, and noted for
his considerate treatment of subordinates. He showed unflagging
zeal and energy throughout the march, and frequently pushed for¬
ward to the advanced posts with the indefatigable Major Piggott,
doing long journeys with little sign of fatigue, and being always to
the front if there were dangers scented. The officers ahead with the
scouts were also doing excellent work. Major Sinclair, Captain
Curtis, and other Engineer officers were cutting a road through the
dense forest north of the Prah, building bridges, placing corduroy
over impassable swamps, and laying the cable up toward Kwisa.
Major Baden-Powell and Captain Graham were pushing on with
the scouts, and Major Gordon, late Commandant at Prahsu,
to whom the cleanliness and good order of the camp were due, was
marching up to form a camp and advance depot at Kwisa on the
other side of the Adansi Hills.
On January 3rd, the Special Service Corps marched into
Prahsu in splendid condition, under Colonel Stopford. On
December 27th an advance party disembarked under Major
Northcott, and drew all equipment, proceeding to Jaycuma to
make things ready. The main body landed next day, and
marched at once up country. That first day's march to
A BURIAL IN THE BUSH.
lOI
Jaycuma proved terribly trying to the troops. Numbers fell
exhausted by the wayside, and two men succumbed to the heat,
Sergeant Arkinstall, Scots Guards, and Corporal Dickeson,
Army Service Corps. Physically, these two poor fellows were
perfect specimens of manhood, though the latter suffered with
his heart, and never ought to have been passed as fit by the
Medical Authorities. Yet it is strange that the climate should
pick two of the finest men as first victims, before they were five
miles in the interior. They were buried in the bush by their
sorrowing comrades before the march was continued.
There is something particularly touching in a soldier's funeral
at all times, but in the solemn stillness of the forest, amid the
haunts of savages, the effect is indescribable. There are the dense
masses of vegetation, the roughly excavated grave, that still form
sewn in a blanket, the troops drawn up in line, small groups of
blacks peering in wonderment through the trees. The burial
service is read by the senior officer ; the body is carefully lowered ;
then short words of command, and three ringing volleys in the
air, wake up the echoes in the far recesses of the forest ; the bugles
softly sound the last post, and we leave the quiet form to sleep till
the last reveille shall sound.
The Special Service Corps marched up by easy stages to
Prahsu, and though many fell by the way during the first few
marches, they got more into form afterwards, and scarcely a man
fell out. Prince Henry and Captain Larrymore proceeded some
distance down the road to meet them, and on arrival, the battalion
was drawn up and inspected by Sir Francis Scott, who com¬
plimented the men on their appearance.
The West Yorkshire Regiment disembarked from the ''Manilla"
on December 29th. This fine regiment suffered severely on the
first march up country, when over eighty men fell by the way,
thoroughly exhausted. The authorities seem to have shown little
consideration in selecting this battalion for service in such a
climate as the Gold Coast.
The West Yorks had spent many years on foreign service in
India and Burmah, and they were then moved to Aden ; perhaps
the worst British station occupied by white troops. They were
on their homeward voyage, when instructions were wired out for
them to disembark at Gibraltar, to be picked up by the "Manilla "
for the Gold Coast. The men were all suffering, more or less, from
previously contracted fevers and ague, and their constitutions were
I02
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
SO undermined by long sojourn in hot climates, as to be totally
unfitted to battle with the trials of West Africa.
The one plea was, that the men would be able to stand the
heat better than troops fresh from England, but in the bush the
heat is a secondary consideration. Experience shows that the man
most likely to brave the malarious climate is he who is sound,
organically and physically, and certainly not those whose health
is already impaired by wretched climes.
This fine body of troops were only too eager to win fresh
laurels, and struggled right manfully to do their duty, but it was
at much personal suffering and inconvenience. The first day
they fell out like "rotten sheep," and many an instance came to
hand of officers loading themselves with carbines and ammunition,
to ease some of their men, who each had to march with seventy
rounds of ball cartridge in their pouches, no light weight for
those suffering from weeks of knocking about and rough diet on
board ship, apart from the previous climatic drawbacks. They
marched, however, into Prahsu in capital form after a sixteen-mile
tramp, but the yellow, drawn faces, and glittering eyes of many
officers and men showed they were still suffering, and thirty had
fallen out that day on the road, though many of these afterwards
were well enough to rejoin their regiment.
The bakers of the Army Service Corps were pushed forward
across the Prah to get their oven up, and thus issue a part ration
of bread when the troops advanced. The butchers were also with
the troops, but beyond two wretched African sheep, when skinned,
little larger than rabbits, there was no fresh meat obtainable.
There was much stir in camp among the men one morning.
Going to the door of the hut I was told a spy had been captured.
" Oh, a spy, eh ? " " Why, yes ; a spy !—an Ashanti spy, caught
lurking in the bush ! "
The startling intelligence did not seem very important, as the
Ansah princes had got all the information the Ashantis wanted,
when they openly passed through our lines, but my informant
evidently thought I was mad, or struck dumb by the news, for he
again yelled, " A spy, man ! " and passed on breathlessly to impart
the thrilling tidings.
In the centre of the camp, bound between West Indian soldiers,
was the spy. One glance was enough for me to recognise him as
the native whom I met so mysteriously in the forest at the last camp;
A WEST INDIAN SOLDIER.
AN ASIIANTI SPY.
there was the same big hat and strings of charms, and a soldier
was carrying his spear. He was a fine fellow, made of very
different stuff to the cowardly coast nigger, and was looking round
fearlessly, though inwardly ill at ease with all his apparent sang¬
froid. One Ashanti of that stamp would be far preferable to a
dozen of the Fanti men, who, with an air of superiority, inform
every white man they meet, " Shantee man, no good, sah ! Big
coward him, sah ! " Give the Ashanti people the same chances
our own coast tribes have had, and they would be allies worth
having, and reliable authorities seem very sanguine as to the
successful result of British rule in Ashanti, when once the
bloody rites of fetish are stopped.
It was amusing to see the faces of some of the group, eyeing
the captive as if he were a wild beast, and evidently expecting a
startling denouement ending in hanging or shooting. There was
an audible sigh of relief, or disappointment, when some of the
Staff arrived, and Sir Francis, after exchanging a dozen words
with the spy, ordered his immediate release. His capture might
have divulged some useful information of intentions in Kumassi
if they were needed, but as the man was this side of our outposts,
it is far more likely he was an Ashanti who had been on a hunting
or trading expedition, and was home-ward bound when he found
the way blocked by the troops, so was hiding till he could slip
through the barrier and reach his own country.
At Prahsu there was an improvised mosque in the Houssa
lines, and a Mohammedan priest in attendance. At five every
morning the chanting of the Muezzin might regularly be heard ;
for these splendid allies of ours are devout followers of the great
Prophet.
It is a striking fact that on the West Coast of Africa the
Mohammedan negroes are far better than those who profess to
have adopted Christianity. The Mohammedan is always polite ;
he is usually dressed in clean white fiowing robes, and he has a
certain dignity of character rarely found in the other class. Why
this should be so it is difficult to say. The christianized negro is
noted for cheating and lying all the week, and as assiduously
singing hymns on Sunday. He has usually received some sort of
an education, and knows smatterings of English, and this gives
him an advantage over his more ignorant brethren which he is not
slow to use. He feels he is a very superior person, and could not
demean himself with low work, so starts to live by his wits as
io6
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
much as possible. In their eagerness to prove their usefulness
and swell their report, some missionaries are only too ready to
induce the negro to embrace Christianity, and will even go as far
as to buy converts at the rate of 5s. a head when new members are
scarce. The result of this state of affairs is obvious, and has
spread its pernicious effect throughout Africa. It also makes
things far more difficult for the true missionaries, but all the more
honour is attached to their labours, and on the Gold Coast a good
and steady work is going on, of which I have given particulars in
a previous chapter.
The Arab blood gives the Houssas better and more refined
features, and also an unselfish devotion seldom found in the pure
negro, who seems ever to come under the ban of the curse of
Ham. Another redeeming feature of a Mohammedan is that he
seldom drinks.
Splendid fellows are these lithe active Houssas. They will
follow their white officers with a courage and devotion equal to
any of Her Majesty's troops. " Faithful unto death " is the true
characteristic of the Mohammedan soldier, and he will go with his
officer into Hades if needs be.
Volumes might be written of the struggles of the few Com¬
missioners and other officers, who, with small detachments of
Houssas, maintain order among thousands of savages along the
frontier of British West African Dominions. They would add some
very mournful pages to the history of our colonial possessions,
and a long list would be required to publish all the names of
officers and officials who have been killed, or died from sickness,
among the dreary waste of forest and swamp, when enforcing a
semblance of order among the savage inhabitants, who revel in
battle, murder, cannibalism, and ju-ju or fetish worship with its
horrible rites of human sacrifice.
The Special Service Corps crossed the Prah on January 5th,
the Staff remaining for the arrival of the West Yorks, who came
in at midday.
The previous evening a camp fire was arranged by the
" Press," and a most successful concert was held under the leader¬
ship of Mr. Burleigh, the whole of the troops attending, and the
officers also being present. A topical song, written and sung by
Captain Ackland Hood, of the Rifle Brigade, appeared a general
THE TRANSVAAL INVASION.
107
favourite. The words were adapted to the tune of " Tommy
Atkins," the chorus being :—
" Oh Prempeh ! Prenipeh ! Prempeh ! You had better mind your eye,
You'd better far be civil or, by Jove, you'll have to die,
And your kingdom of Ashanti, you'll never see it more,
If you fight the old West Yorkshire, and the Special Service Corps."
The same day, news of Jameson's invasion and defeat in the
Transvaal, and also of the friction with America re Venezuela, was
wired up from the coast. The whole message barely contained
a dozen words, but it was quite enough to make everyone
supremely anxious for further news, and there was much sur¬
mising among the troops. " Would Kumassi be invested, and
the expedition on the coast again in time to be sent South to the
Boers?" etc., etc. Next day, however, the idea of further war
was dispelled by the brief but pithy telegram : " England disavows
action Transvaal."
io8
CHAPTER VII.
OVER THE PRAH—LOATHSOME DISEASES — THE NATIVE LEVY — FLYING
COLUMN TO BEKWAI—AKUSIREM—FÜMSU — BRAFFU EADRU—NATIVE
DISHES—LONG PIG CHOP OR IGUANA—A RIOT—THE ADANSIS—DEATH
OF MAJOR FERGUSON—SNAKES.
On January the 6th the Staff crossed the Prah, having, unfor¬
tunately, to leave Major Ferguson in hospital with fever. He
was walking with Prince Henry on the previous evening, appa¬
rently in the best of health, but next day signs of a chill were ma¬
nifest, fever supervened, and he had to be removed at once to
hospital. Prince Henry also contracted a slight cold, but no
serious symptoms set in, and he had quite recovered when the
march was resumed.
Once across the Prah, the whole aspect changed as the road
entered the gloom of the true African forest. The official "Great
North Road '' was little better than a narrow sheep track, even
after the path had been widened by the levies. The exuberance
of the vegetation is almost incredible, and the track each side was
walled in by a tangled mass of leaves, branches, creepers, and
tree trunks, while gigantic cotton trees towered far above the
other giants of the forest. The earth itself is covered with a thick
layer of fallen leaves, out of which spring masses of ferns, moss
and creepers ; above these are shrubs, and luxuriant undergrowth,
while long sinuous stems and adnascent creepers twine and inter¬
lace with the branches above, festooning the path in a hundred
different curves till an unbroken network is formed, over which
the branches of higher trees intermingle and form a perfect leafy
canopy.
Many of these creepers hung within five feet of the path, often
making it necessary to stoop, while the carriers, whose heads were
protected by their loads, pushed their way through with little
thought of those behind, and any unsuspecting person who
followed too closely had a full benefit when the stems rebounded.
The tortuous turnings of the road, which winds like a ser¬
pent through the forest, greatly add to the distance "as the
crow flies." Huge trees lay across the track and much hindered
the carriers, while the path often led through particularly damp
AFRICAN CURSES.
109
and musty places. Here and there a large swamp had to be
traversed, but gangs of natives were hard at work making long
strips of corduroy of logs lashed together with monkey rope, thus
spanning the vile patches of black fœtid mud.
The only breaks in the dense forest are the small clearings
containing a few mud hovels. Atawasi Kwanta, a medium-sized
village, had been visited by small-pox, so we passed through
hurriedly and did not linger in the vicinity. This disease is very
common, and makes terrible havoc among negroes, and both men
and women are constantly met fearfully pitted. There are many
loathsome diseases peculiar to West Africa, and disgusting sights
have to be viewed daily. Children suffering from vile hereditary
diseases ; men and women with suppurating ulcers, while at one
village a woman, with nose and eyes completely eaten away, was
pushed forward in full view of everyone. The poor creature was
a horrible sight, and no one could repress an involuntary shudder
at the disgusting object. Elephantiasis is also very common on
the coast, and women may be frequently seen with one or both
legs the size of a young elephant, and only just the tips of the
toes showing from the festering mass. African leprosy is found
in various forms, but is not particularly repulsive, though the
victims are covered with white patches, which gradually spread.
A terrible pest among the niggers is the Guinea worm, which
infests the pools. It is a long parasitic worm which burrows in
the cellular tissue, especially of the legs, and causes the utmost
distress. There is also the jigger or chigoe, a vile little insect,
scarcely larger than a pin's head. It burrows under the skin of
the foot and, luckily, soon makes its presence known by itching
and pain. Woe to the man, white or black, who does not remove
it at once with a sharp-pointed knife, for delay is disastrous. It
speedily lays eggs, and a multitude of young follow the footsteps
of their parent. When once the eggs are laid, it is difficult to
remove all traces of the pest, and if it goes on unchecked the foot
will rot away and mortify.
Tobiassi was reached at ten a.m., and a strong stockade and
rough sheds had been built near the village by the native levy.
The rest camps were necessarily much rougher north of the Prah,
and after Kwisa the advance party of natives under the Engineers
could not be pushed forward ahead of the troops to construct
camps in readiness. Beyond Tobiassi, the road was obstructed
every few yards by huge trunks lying directly across the path, and
no
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
the size of some of these may be judged by it being necessary, in
some cases, to build rough steps to surmount the obstacles. The
road goes across two narrow ravines, the ascents of these dips
being steep and difficult ; in fact, one of them was so near the
perpendicular, that it would have been impossible to climb it had
not the gnarled roots of the trees, laid bare in many places,
given a secure foothold.
We reached Esiaman Kuma at midday, and though the vil¬
lage is small, the water supply was splendid and plantains very
plentiful. This camp was also formed and stockaded by the
native levy.
Prince Christian and Major Piggott had pushed forward to the
outposts. The native levies were doing much useful work in the
advance. They had been assembled under Major Baden-Powell
at Cape Coast on December i6th, and consisted of three hundred
Krobos under Chief Malikoli, one hundred Mumfords under
Chief Crew, and a company of Elminas under Chief Ando, a fine
old warrior who did good service as an ally in 1874. The Krobos
are a fairly warlike tribe ; but the Mumfords, though finely deve¬
loped fishermen, have no great aptitude for war. At Prahsu they
were joined by one hundred Adansis who were very useful in
scouting and gleaning information from the front. The pay of
the levy was less than that of the carriers ;—sixpence a day,
and threepence for subsistence, the latter sum being ample for the
purchase of yams and plantains upon which they usually live.
Some of the men had Sniders ; many were armed only with
the long Dane flint-lock guns ; but this despised weapon can do
much execution in the bush, when loaded with a handful of buck¬
shots or rough potleg.
With Major Baden-Powell was Captain Graham, 5th Lancers,
and Captains Aplin, Middlemas, Houston, Mitchell and Green
were with the Houssas. Major Gordon afterwards took command
of the right flank.
When the news arrived from Bekwai, it was evident that a
sharp advance would be necessary to save the King from reprisals
from Kumassi. There was little doubt that Prempeh would take
speedy vengeance when he heard of the Bekwai chiefs treason, as
his disaffection would be likely to spread among other Ashanti
tribes, who were heartily sick of the constant wars and executions
carried on by the despotic ring of chiefs in Kumassi. A small
A MIDNIGHT MARCH.
Ill
flying column was therefore at once organized and ordered to pro¬
ceed from our outposts to the Bekwai capital, twenty miles distant.
The column had with them supplies for a week and that
involved the employment of a large force of unarmed carriers
who could only march in single file through the bush.
At Essian Kwanta there was a strong picket of Ashantis, and
as the only road led past their outposts they would have, probably,
laid in ambush till the carriers came up, and then opened fire, which
would have caused the greatest confusion in the native ranks.
Major Baden-Powell therefore determined to make a forced night
march past this outpost, and having gained his position, to attack
the Ashantis with his armed force unencumbered with carriers.
The column was made up of the levies and two companies of
Houssas, great secrecy being observed as to the movements on
hand. The troops fell in at nine o'clock and none of the natives
knew of the operations till they were fallen in and furnished with
ammunition, so there was no risk of chance traitors warning the
Ashantis, a contingency always to be guarded against when
dealing with negroes. The levies seemed fairly ready for a fight,
and it was difficult to restrain the war-loving Houssas, ever spoil¬
ing for a brush with the Ashantis despite the odds. The march
by a side path was difficult in the darkness, and the scouts in front
had their suspicions aroused several times, and hurled suddenly
lighted brands into the thicket, but all the draws proved blanks,
and the little column reached Bekwai country safely, having now
got in rear of the outpost on the main road. They halted at
Reman, about half way to the Bekwai capital, and heard there
that so far the King had not been attacked from Kumassi. After
a brief rest the carriers and a company of Houssas resumed their
march to the capital, while the remainder of the force marched
down the main path to drive the Ashantis from Essian Kwanta.
Officers and men alike eagerly pushed forward, but reached their
destination only to find the wily Ashantis had made tracks. No
doubt their scouts had visited the camp occupied by the troops
the afternoon before, and finding to their dismay they were out¬
flanked, they did not wait long, but set off full pelt for Kumassi,
leaving their smouldering fires as the only evidence of occupation.
The little force was disappointed to find their birds had flown ;
yet there was nothing for it but to turn back again and follow the
remainder of the column to Bekwai. They were received there
by the King and all his councillors, and the Bekwai monarch
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
accepted the British flag, much relieved for his prompt succour ;
for he had been in mortal fear of being captured and beheaded by
Prempeh before the English arrived.
The King and a vast retinue assembled to receive the force.
The Union Jack was tied to the flagstaff in a ball, and the King,
advancing, pulled the halyard, unfurling the flag. The flfes and
drums of the Houssas immediately struck up " God save the
Queen," while the Bekwai monarch feigned sleep, saying that he
would remain under the flag till he died. He-then shook hands
with the officers, pouring such effusive compliments on Major
Baden-Powell's head, calling him friend, protector and deliverer,
that the gallant Major blushed. The King flnished the palaver by
executing a few steps of the fetish dance for the edification of the
assembled officers.
Next day they came to business, and then the dusky monarch
at once showed real true African gratitude. He was asked, as a
small return, if he would provide some of his subjects, who were
idling in the villages, to form an armed levy, and others to act as
carriers, for which they were all to be paid i/- per day a head.
Ah, yes ! He would provide the thousand fighting men asked
for, but he could get no more for carriers. All right, send the
thousand fighting men and we will use them as carriers ; which
were the more needed. He had not reckoned on this, and at once
began a long yarn that they could not carry loads, and would also
take a long time to collect and get ready. When, however, he was
threatened with the withdrawal of the force, he soon came round,
afterwards furnishing all the men first asked for.
Meantime, the main body was steadily moving up country.
On January 7th, reveiU'e sounded in camp at Esiaman Kuma at
4.30, and the whole place was soon a scene of bustle and
confusion, till, everything ready, the Headquarter Staff moved off
shortly after 5 a.m., for the longest march on the whole advance.
Progress at first was very slow, the path being narrow and
washed away on one side into a rugged gully. It rose gradually,
winding along the edge of a deep and thickly-wooded valley
which was almost indistinguishable, so thick was the bush rising on
all sides. The surroundings were very pleasant on this high
ground, and the path beautifully dry. The forest resounded with
the calls of birds, a clear prolonged cuckoo predominating, while
gorgeous little sun-birds and cardinals flitted from tree to tree,
IN THE FOREST.
A PRESS DRONE. II5
and groups of parrots flew to and fro with hoarse cries. The
track led through glorious scenery, and many splendid patches
of plantains, with their enormous leaves of brilliant green, and
clusters of fruit which form the staple food, not only of the natives,
who roast them green as a substitute for bread, but also of the
parrots and monkeys, who feed on the pulpy way-bread when ripe
and yellow.
The road greatly improved as we reached the next camp,
Fumsu, where the Special Service Corps had halted. The river
Fum was very low, and the channel completely choked with large
masses of rock. Crossing the bridge and again entering the
bush, we found Colonel Stopford with his men in the woods in
skirmishing order.
Passing through the long line of out-posts, we reached a very
swampy district, the whole road reeking with the vile foetid vapour
oozing from the sticky mass of rotting vegetation. Yet in these
horrible marshes beautiful butterflies flutter round in myriads over
the sea of mud ; crane-flies and many brilliant little insects
abound, while enormous dragon-flies, with their reticulated wings,
gaily flit from pool to pool among all the steaming mugginess.
In some places the road was only made passable by the
corded chain of logs thrown over, while in others the booted
individual had the choice of wading knee deep across a strip of
sticky morass, or " dashing a carrier for the loan of his broad
back, while his naked legs splashed through the mire. In this
district, close to the village, one of Captain Donald Stewart's
Houssa Escort, named Dawudu Moshi, was shot dead by an
Ashanti ambush. The miscreants escaped in the forest, and there
is little doubt that they were lying in wait to kill either Captain
Stewart or Mr. Vroom, the District Commissioner ; probably the
latter gentleman, who had incurred the hate of the Ansahs and
others in Kumassi, for the spirited action he had displayed, on
various occasions, during the previous negotiations.
Leaving these swamps and passing through Bràflb Eadru, the
path became flrmer and wider. The bush was much less dense,
and the sun blazed down with terrific force on the road leading
into Akusirem. A camp had been prepared here, and the Army
Service Corps had pushed forward stores, and formed a supply
depot in the village. However, the Lancet Correspondent,
Dr. Cunninghame, who had gone on ahead of the Staff, tested the
water, and found it very bad, and close behind the village a large
♦Paying.
ii6
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
rotting patch of decaying plantains was also found. He immedi¬
ately reported this to Surgeon-Colonel Taylor, who pushed on and
inspected the place, which he found so unsatisfactory that the
camp was condemned at once. For once, at any rate, one of the
War Correspondents, opprohriously termed the "curse of modem
Armies," has proved a blessing in disguise, as his report just
arrived in time to prevent the Special Service Corps advancing to
Akusirem, and the effect might have proved disastrous if they had
been quartered in the camp. Instructions were given them to
halt at Fumsu and march the two stages, a matter of sixteen
miles, into Braffu Eadru on the following day.
Captain Benson, R.H.A., the popular commandant of the
Artillery, was attacked with fever here and was seriously ill.
Captain Curtiss had also succumbed to the rav.iges of malaria,
which had attacked, more or less severely, those officers and
men who were active in pushing forward supplies, or bridge
building, camp making and laying the telegraph. They had all
had long turns of arduous duty, and Africa requires a heavy
penalty from those who over-work themselves, on her West Coast
at least.
Luckily the weather was very favourable, being a particularly
dry and hot season. Had there been rain, the dampness caused
thereby would have brought a much larger amount of sickness in
its train. There seemed every chance of getting the affair settled,
and the troops back to the coast before the rains started, for
death would stalk freely among the Europeans exposed during
those wet months.
Malaria is a tricky thing, and it is attributed to half a dozen
causes, which probably all, more or less, combine in producing it.
The chief cause no doubt is the poison exhaling from the ground.
The system becomes saturated with malaria, as it is inhaled at
every breath, and everything reeks with it. No precautions will
ward it off for ever, though they may do much in rendering the
attacks less frequent ; but carelessness will surely be fatal. It may
be kept off for a time, perhaps several weeks, but it spares no man
for long, and everyone in its sphere will be attacked sooner or
later. A sudden chill or slight cold is just enough to bring it on.
First cold pain, then frequent shiverings and burnings ; the tem¬
perature flies up as the fever increases, delirium supervenes, and
the life or death struggle begins. If the first attack prove slight,
and a profuse perspiration relieves the fever, a second attack may
MALARIA.
117
be postponed for some time to come, but the awful chain of
British graves right down to the coast, and the appalling mortality
among white people, should be seriously reflected on by anyone
who thinks of casting in his lot with darkest West Africa.
Quinine is supposed to be the only remedy for malaria, and is
universally taken, but the effect of that alkaloid is harmful in
many ways, though it has held supreme sway for want of a better
substitute. This has now, however, been supplied by " Kreat
Halviva," which entirely supersedes quinine in its therapeutic
value, and has none of the baneful after-effects, as deafness,
drumming in the head, lapses of memory, dizziness, and other
well-known allies to cinchona bark. There were many officers
and men who escaped the malaria, and attributed it to the fact of
their taking " Kreat Halviva," being high in their praise of the
same. Many residents on the Gold Coast swear by it as a
wonderful preventive, and I add these remarks at the risk of
puffing the tonic, as the great question of antidotes is of vital im¬
portance to Europeans in malarious climes. This view has also
been advocated by Surgeon-General Sir W. Moore, K.C.E.I.,
Brigade-Surgeon Geo. Neates Hunter, and many other authorities
on malaria who have had unusual opportunities of testing it.
The road from Akusirem to Sheramasi was very rough, with
many big obstacles to block the way. In one place on the road
a curious natural archway had been formed. A huge cotton tree,
probably struck by lightning, had fallen from the bank right across
the track, snapping in its fall a rather smaller tree of the same
species, some twelve feet from the ground. The roots of the first
tree rested on the bank, and the other end, lodging fairly on the
stump of the second, was firmly fastened by yards of intertwining
creeper. Nature thus forming a magnificent triumphal arch.
Passing on we reached the Kiribu river, a tributary to the
Fum, and which flows in a straight silver streak through thick
overhanging foliage, forming one of the loveliest pieces of tropical
scenery to be seen on the road. Crossing the river the bush
becomes singularly open on each side, and is only short scrub in
many places, with a few higher trees here and there. This gave
the sun full play, which proved the last straw that almost broke
the camel's back. Everyone felt it severely, and after the long
and fatiguing march Brafu Eadru proved a welcome sight.
This village was quite deserted, as were the other villages on
the road from the Prah. The people had removed themselves
Ii8
TO KUIVUSSI WITH SCOTT.
and all their belongings into the bush, and out of reach of pending
hostilities.
The houses of these people, though of similar build, are far
more substantial and cleaner than those on the other side of the
Prah, and with a little judicious cleaning and disinfecting, they
made very fair quarters, though in wet weather they would be
hardly tenable. In many ways they resemble the houses of the
ancient Romans of the first century, which may be seen in the
remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Outwardly, each house represents four houses, all standing
corner to corner, enclosing a quadrangle with an entrance way in
one corner. The walls are formed of wattle, smoothly plastered
with mud, or rather clay, and the roofs thatched. Inside the
courtyard you find the houses have outer walls only, and the sides
facing the enclosure are left open. The lower half of the walls is
stuccoed with a brilliant red clay which dries in the sun a smooth
glazed surface. This clay was used by the troops to coat their
helmets and straps in place of pipe clay. On the straps, especially,
it looked well, and at a little distance, the equipment thus treated
had the appearance of highly polished tan leather.
The roofs of these places were infested with lizards and other
more loathsome creatures that occasionally dropped squarely on a
sleeping face ; but the dwellings were airy, and yet kept ofiF the
dew. The mud floor also, being smoothed and hardened, and
often raised a few inches from the ground, made a safe, if hard,
spot to lay our blankets and sleep in peace, even though the impro¬
vised pillow consisted of a box of ammunition or case of meat.
Wandering in the vicinity of the village, I came across a few
suspicious bundles tied in dried palm leaves and laid across a
frame-work of bamboo. This place formed a sort of necropolis
for defunct chiefs ; but such a method of disposing of dead bodies,
chiefs or no chiefs, cannot be recommended, though these corpses
were as dried and shrivelled as any Egyptian mummy. As inter¬
ment in the ordinary way is usually practised, these remains may
have been bodies of deceased fetish priests, kept above ground to
enable their living colleagues to make good use of the various
offerings placed round for the benefit of the dead. Food and
drink is always provided in large quantities for deceased persons ;
in some cases a hollow bamboo being inserted in the mouth of
the corpse, leads up to the surface, and at regular intervals par¬
ticles of food and drink are put down. The fetish gods are also
SOME NATIVE DISHES.
119
regaled with offerings of the best meat and drink, and the cre¬
dulous niggers are delighted to find the god has accepted their
gift, which of course has either been appropriated by the crafty
priests, or the food devoured by ants and the drink evaporated in
the sun.
Near each village is the medicine heap, consisting of a raised
platform of bamboo or a hollowed tree stump, and piles of broken
crockery, small bones, bits of metal and rag, placed indis¬
criminately together, and supposed to be a constant source of
gratification to the fetish gods.
At this village I screwed up my courage to try a native dish
that is often eaten on the coast. The dish consisted of an
oleaginous stew made of the "achatina variegata," which, I may
add for the benefit of readers unlearned in malacology, are
immense land snails, often measuring nine or ten inches when
crawling. No wonder then that gourmet curiosity and squeamish-
ness had a struggle, but the former was victorious, and with a
final effort, I started the attack. It tasted like dambake when
particularly rank seaweed has been used in the preparation, and
was just passable, though certainly not a dish one would choose
again. In Cape Coast large quantities of these Titanic molluscs
are collected and sold in the market. A brawny Jack Tar
observed, as he turned away with evident disgust from some
tempting piles of these helical dainties offered for sale at three¬
pence each :—" The cussed niggers are every bit as bad as them
French Johnnies," a comparison that our across channel
neighbours would think odious. I must admit, however, that the
niggers' stew appealed to me far more than a most carefully
prepared dish that I tasted in Boulogne, where the animals had
been carefully reared and selected, at least so said the j^arfon.
Continuing with native dishes, the favourite food of many of the
natives is kankee, a mixture of pounded corn and water, and "fou-fou"
made of cassada plant, which the women laboriously beat out in a
hollowed tree-stump with a heavy wooden pestai. The first time
I tasted kankee was in a village near the coast, where some balls
were prepared specially for me by the small, but not fair, hands of
a real live, if dusky, young princess. I devoured a few of them
with a good grace, but it was like eating sour dough, though-1
managed to surreptitiously sprinkle over them a tiny pinch of
saccharine, a bottle of which is always carried in case of emergency.
This same stuff I afterwards tried boiled in a stew with a little
120
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
bouilli-beef and plenty of the vegetable pepper, and in that case
it resembled boiled damper, but the dish was so highly seasoned
that relief had immediately to be sought by copious draughts of
demulcent cocoanut milk.
Apropos of native dishes, the tale is told of a well-known
Government official dining with a native chief. He managed to
get through one dish, and was attacking another with avidity,
when, from the bottom of the vessel, a delicious morsel was físhed
up, like a small human hand. The dinner was spoiled, and the
unfortunate official was seized with a terrible organic working.
Cannibalism at last, and he had partaken of it. When he had
recovered sufficiently to move, he seized the negro by the shoulder
and pointing to the ghastly fragment, gasped, " baby child, you
scoundrel " and the inward groaning started again. A broad grin
overspread the sable features of the chief. " Him no piccan you
fool ! Him iguana chop ; dats him flipper." It was a stewed
iguana.
Kola nuts are eaten by many of the natives habitually, and
they are said to be very sustaining for a long march, and also to
contain valuable medicinal qualities. The natives, especially the
women, chew them like tobacco and expectorate as freely as any
enlightened Boer.
The cable was run into Brafu Eadru during the afternoon, and
taken over the Adansi hills the next day, while the Staff halted to
allow the troops to close up before they crossed to Kwisa. Fortu¬
nately the cable is always looked on in reverential awe by these
natives, and nothing is more wonderful, to their idea, than to hear
the sounders at work. Its fame has spread, and no nigger would
dare cut or injure what they call the " fetish cord." During the
last war, the Ashantis, fearing to be overcome by the powers of
this fetish string, fastened a long line of cotton on the opposite
side of the road for a considerable distance, hoping thus to
counteract the white man's fetish.
The carriers were all done up after the long march, and the
leisure day following, was greatly appreciated by them ; but the
old adage about Satan and idle hands again proved true.
Camped by the side of the stream were a large party of
Winnebahs. A couple of Sierra Leone hammock-men went on a
foraging expedition, and stole some plantains cooking on a fire.
The owners retaliated, and there was a petty squabble, after which
A FIERCE FACTION FIGHT.
121
the Modenas of Sierra Leone raided the Winnebahs' camp.
Though the latter were more numerous, the Modenas were the
more resolute, and a splendid faction fight started. Sticks,
clubs, stones, were speedily brought into play, and Donnybrook
Fair was for once surpassed, though the niggers religiously
followed the maxim of the " bould Irish buoys " : " If you see a
head—hit it." Some familiar whacks were exchanged with a
force that would have cracked the skull of any Irishman, and the
niggers on both sides, with their blood thoroughly up, fought like
demons. The sturdy Modenas forced the Winnebahs to retire,
but every step was fiercely contested, and they again rallied on the
bridge and attempted to hold it. Thrice the Modenas dashed up,
and thrice they were repulsed, many of the combatants being
hurled from the bridge into the water which soon cooled their
passion.
A few of the natives had matchets and slashed right and
left, happily with little serious effect. Mr. Bennett Burleigh was
the first white man on the spot, and armed with nothing more
formidable than his white sunshade, he rushed in the midst of the
combatants. It was almost ludicrous to see his broad form used
as a shelter for many a hard pressed black, and showers of blows
were dealt all round him, while he, I think, rather enjoyed the
fun. Perhaps he thought of Trafalgar Square. One poor fugitive
was cut off, and seeing the white man near, rushed to him for pro¬
tection. He fell ; and would soon have been dispatched by half a
dozen men, who furiously started on him with heavy sticks, while
one was about to make a clean cut on the fugitive's cranium with a
matchet, when bang came the gamp, and with much difficulty
and beating did Mr. Burleigh induce the maddened crew to let
the poor fellow alone. Hostilities soon started on the other side
of the water near the village, and as things were becoming serious,
a message was sent to the camp, and the officers, hastily arming
themselves with sticks, appeared on the scene. Prince Henry
arrived first, and going into the thick of the fray with shirt sleeves
rolled up, emerged a minute after with a lanky Winnebah, whom
he had brought out of the fight in a sorry state, covered with
blood. Both sides were fairly worn out, and the small party of
white men had little difficulty in separating the rival factions.
Thanks to their thick negro skulls, no one was seriously hurt, and
they were mostly suffering from nothing worse than bruised or
cut heads and bloody noses.
122
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
In the evening the thousand carriers from Bekwai arrived, and
were dispatched down country to bring up supplies. They
seemed greatly relieved to get through our lines, but whether their
anxiety was caused by the desire to get beyond the camp, or joy
at having some one between them and the Ashantis, it is difficult
to say.
On January 9th, the Staff restarted for Kwisa, which is situated
on the other side of the Adansi Hills. The road from Braffu
Eadru runs through a low and marshy district with dense bush,
till it starts to wind in zig-zag fashion up the thickly-wooded and
steep sides of the Monsi Hill.
The track was very narrow, rugged and difficult, and though
I started early, and had reached the hill by sunrise, the exertion
of climbing brought out the perspiration in streams. Upward,
still, clambering over rocks, clinging to projecting roots and hang¬
ing creeper, with tongue furred, throat parched, till, hot and
panting, the summit was gained. The top of these hills is 2,000
feet above sea-level, and a delightful breeze blows across them
and cools the over-heated frame ; but it comes as a deadly if
welcome relief to those who linger to enjoy it.
I was disappointed, yet pleased, with the view from the
summit. Through a break in the trees, a cloudless sky was
visible, and stretching away below, a vast white rolling sea of
mist had risen above the trees, but was not yet dispelled by the
sun. I had expected a glorious view of the green sea of vegeta¬
tion, but that white expanse of cloud-land almost compensated
for the loss of the former. Descending on the other side, we
were tantalized by the refreshing sound of running water, but
the bush was too impenetrable to reach the stream which flows
in a hundred cascades down the rocky sides.
On the hill, large masses of iron-stone abound, and gold in
small quantities is collected in the beds of the neighbouring
streams. We read in one report of the expedition, "Gold
sparkles in the auriferous sand," also " Specks of gold dust glitter
in the clay walls of the houses." If this were true, the place must
be a perfect El Dorado ; but, alas ! " 'tis not all gold that glitters,"
and these sparkling particles are nothing more precious than
glistening pyrites.
Gold dust is, however, found in considerable quantities by the
natives, who know where to seek for it, and it still forms the chief
MAJOR FERGUSON.
From a photograph by Hospital Corporal-Major Saunders^ Royal Horse Guards,
DEATH OF MAJOR FERGUSON. 12$
currency of the Protectorate, though English silver coinage is
becoming more common on the Coast proper.
Kwisa is the most salubrious camp on the road, while its
reputation is further enhanced by a stream of beautiful limpid
spring water flowing from the solid rock. The sparkling liquid
was very acceptable after the water we had previously found, often
as thick and coloured as the soup at a sixpenny dinner, while
so-called streams were more often mere mud puddles.
Though Kwisa is undoubtedly a very healthy camp, several
cases of fever occurred there. This is easily explained by the
affected persons getting over-heated when crossing the hill, and
afterwards taking a chill that at once brings on fever, and develops
the malaria previously inhaled. Major Gordon was in charge of
the camp, which was as beautifully clean and well laid out as his
previous one at Prahsu.
Shortly after the Staff arrived, news was received from Prahsu
announcing the death of Major Ferguson. Though he was as fine
a specimen of manhood as ever donned uniform, malaria put its
deadly grip on him, and he never rallied. His temperature rose
to no, and recourse was made to the cold pack with a possible
view of lowering the fever, but every effort was unavailing, and he
died the previous evening. His funeral took place on January
loth. The service, conducted by Major Wolfe Murray, was a
very impressive one, and was attended by all the garrison at
Prahsu. The remains were laid to rest next to the grave of
Captain Huysh. The poor fellow was only thirty-one, and his
loss came as a shock to every member of the Expedition ; for he
was generally beloved by all who knew him, and many an officer
and man will mourn his loss at home and abroad.
Captain Graham was down with fever, and Major Gordon left
Kwisa and temporarily took over his command with the scouts.
Captain Benson had a relapse, and had to be sent to the coast,
which was very disappointing to an officer who had worked so
hard in getting his batteries efficient, only to be denied the
honour of taking them to the front.
The Artillery were at Kwisa, and, happily. Sir Francis had a
second efficient Artillery officer with the Expedition in the person
of Captain Blunt, who pushed forward and took over the command
when Captain Benson was first taken ill.
Sickness was beginning to make many gaps in the ranks of
126
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
both officers and men. There were, at this time, sixty cases on the
sick list at the base alone, though only two deaths there, one of
which was Sergeant-Major Stocker on the " Coromandel," and
another a private soldier in the hospital at Cape Coast.
On January i6th the Staff halted for a day ; the Special
Service Corps crossed the hills to Kwisa, and the West Yorkshire
Regiment advanced to Braffu Eadru.
Anxious to obtain a view from the summit of the hills, I again
made the ascent at a later hour than on the previous day. This
time I followed the course of the stream, which has its source
among the rocks on the summit. The bed was so rocky that it
was possible to follow the water right to the top by jumping and
scrambling from boulder to boulder, with a little wading between.
The bush closed right in to the edge of the water on both sides,
the branches interlacing above, and forming a leafy avenue.
Viewed from the top, this tunnel had a striking effect, as it was
possible to see right down the whole length to the foot of the hill,
the water flowing swiftly in smooth channels, then pouring in
cascades over steep masses of rock, and glistening in places where
the sun's rays penetrated the branches of the leafy canopy above.
The head of the spring proved to be some distance from the
crest of the hill, and the tracts of the stream suddenly ended in a
cul-de-sac of jungle. However, by dint of much struggling and
laborious hacking with a jack knife, I struck the path close to the
top. The noonday sun had dispelled every trace of mist, and
through a break in the trees, as far as the eye could reach, there
was a perfect flowing sea of leafage. Hills and hollows, ridges
and lowland, all marked by waves of foliage ; a vast expanse of
heavy drifts of vegetation of every description. These hills form
a crescent-shaped ridge, running from east to west, making a
natural barrier for the Ashanti country proper, and with such
a splendid line of defence, and also considering the difficulties
of transport, Ashanti could be rendered practically unassailable in
this direction by a little judicious generalship, even with a small
force.
Snakes are very plentiful, but did not intrude much into the
camps. In bush cutting many were disturbed, especially in the
vicinity of bamboo clumps. The cobra is found, but chiefly in
the long jungle grass and corn patches to the north. The deadly
puff adder is sometimes in evidence, likewise the more harmless,
but more formidable, python. They are of little nuisance, and it
AN AFRICAN ANT.
127
would be quite possible to travel for weeks without coming across
a single snake, though, if search were made, no difficulty would be
experienced in securing good specimens. I had a few hunts, and
found many harmless reptiles not worth skinning. At Mansu,
however, I bagged a fair-sized python, and at Kwisa a brilliant
green snake, about five feet long, curled from the thatch of the
hut and dropped close to our feet. Having dispatched and
skinned the gentleman, whose bite, I am told, is fatal, I put the
carcase on the fire to boil to extract the vertebra. A carrier seeing
this, spread the report that a white man was cooking snake for chop,
and an eager crowd assembled to watch my culinary operations.
I dished up the dainty morsel in a split bamboo, and great was
their disappointment when, after cutting out the backbone, I
threw the rest away, instead of making a meal of it as they had
anticipated.
The ants on the Gold Coast are ever a source of wonder and
fear. They have wasp-like waists but jaws of iron, and for callous
brutality, voracious cunning, defiant audacity, and unrelenting
malevolence, give me the African ant. You find him in im¬
penetrable woods, many parts under water and no other
animals to be seen. In the inner recesses of the forest he is
instantly found ; in beautiful glades, cultivated patches, even
in a town—the pertinaceous little brute is there; go where
you will and he will follow you. White ants will attack a
huge tree and reduce it to powder ; they invade everything and
everybody, and if they don't gnaw at your things for food, they
will from sheer " cussedness."
I carefully treasured up a collection of various objects, but the
ants got wind of it, and terrible havoc they made, devouring dried
plants, entomological specimens, and a couple of small lemurs'
skins into the bargain. If a swarm invaded a hut, little use was
it disputing possession ; you had to clear out bag and baggage,
till they took their departure. The carnivorous little beast will
crawl on you with unblushing effrontery, and coolly burrow his
armoured head in your flesh as you are innocently watching him,
and if you get in their toils, they are as painful, if not as poisonous,
as any swarm of bees, and more difficult to get rid of, for each
insect has to be hauled by main force from your body.
Their hills and houses are of various shapes and sizes, some
making large mounds, while others are content with a smaller but
far more elaborate dwelling, shaped like a three-storied Chinese
Pagoda.
128
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
A more startling but innocent creature to be seen in
the bush is the goliath beetle (Góliathus Drurii), which often
grows to more than five inches in length, and he has an
armour that requires considerable force to penetrate. The
armoured little ant-eaters are also often found hiding away in
some hollow tree waiting for their prey. These edentulous little
animals are easily tamed, and pretty little creatures they
are too, despite their somewhat dragon-like appearance.
Tiger cats, sloths, lemurs and monkeys abound in the West
African forest. Leopards and jackalls are common. A fair
quantity of deer are found on the coast, while almost every
animal that came from the Ark can be traced in the wide forest
strip extending down the Guinea Coast.
At the foot of the hills there is a large track of sword grass
about six feet high, with small clumps of trees dotted amongst it.
These groves were loaded with bitter oranges, a juicy but tart fruit
which makes a refreshing beverage, two being sufficient to make
half a gallon of strong orangeade which can be sweetened to
taste. These, and limes, might be well cultivated on the coast,
and would pay, if shipped in sufficient quantities, as deck cargo,
to England.
129
CHAPTER VIII.
PRINCE HENRY ILL—FOMONAH—AN ALARM—ANNEXING OF BEKWAI AND
ABADOOM—THE KINGS DESCRIBED—THE DRINK QUESTION IN AFRICA—
NEWS OF PRINCE HENRY—THROUGH THE SWAMPS—A DASH FROM
BEKWAI—NATIVE BEAUTY—DARWINISM—ADVANCE IN CLOSE COLUMNS—
CAMPED IN THE FOREST—AN ASHANTI EMBASSY—AN UNFORTUNATE
OCCURRENCE—NEAR THE GOAL—TORNADO IN THE FOREST.
On Friday afternoon, January loth, Prince Henry was not at all
well, and though he made no complaint, everyone in camp
noticed that he was not his usual cheery self. Naturally, he felt
depressed at the news of Major Ferguson's death, for they were
both walking together at Prahsu the evening before that gallant
officer was taken ill. Towards evening, the Prince grew rapidly
worse, and symptoms of malaria fever developed. Everyone
hoped that as it was taken in its early stage, the Prince would
recover sufficiently to resume the march. Surgeon - Colonel
Taylor was in constant attendance, and everything done to relieve
the fever ; but malaria is a subtle enemy to deal with, and as the
symptoms were serious, the doctors decided the Prince must
return to the Coast without delay, and be removed to the
" Coromandel."
The Royal sufferer was bitterly disappointed at this decision,
and all ranks felt deeply for the brave officer who had entered into
the campaign with such spirit, and who had uncomplainingly
braved all the hardships, only to be invalided when the goal was
almost in sight.
On Saturday morning, as we turned our faces Kumassi-wards,
a little party, consisting of Prince Henry in a hammock, his
attendant, George Butcher, and Surgeon-Captain Hilliard, who
was in medical charge, started for the coast. The Prince cast
longing eyes toward the troops already preparing to march, but he
was much weaker, and realized that it would be useless to attempt
to proceed further. Many expressions of deep sympathy for the
poor fever-stricken patient went out from all members of the
force : one could not but think that he, who, comparatively, a few
hours before, had been in the best of health and spirits, was now
paying Africa's penalty, whose malarious grip might demand even
K
130
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
life itself from its victim. We sorrowfully watched the hammock
till it was lost in the gloom, as the bearers carefully wended their
way up the steep sides of the Monsi Hill ; and then we resumed
our march.
Leaving Kwisa, the road descends rapidly, afterwards winding
through a swampy district, infested with frogs of enormous
proportions. The slimy batrachians, who infest these morasses,
are held in religious horror by the natives, who refuse to touch
them ; and even the ominous croaking is the signal for absolute
silence from the usually irrepressible carriers.
Having crossed the Adansis and entered Ashanti proper, the
natives acted very differently on the march. There was no lagging
behind or plumping down loads for " chop" at every half mile;
and even their remarks were made in an undertone for fear of
arousing the dreaded 'Shantiman. The one topic among the
white men was the probable chance of fighting ; for the Ashantis
fell back on Kumassi before the advancing scouts without firing
a shot. What could be the intentions of His Sable Majesty
Kwaku Dua III. ?
Several skulls were found in the vicinity of these swamps below
Kwisa, which evidently marked the spot of a fierce battle in by¬
gone days. This swampy district was trying, for the bush was so
dense all round, that it completely cased in the narrow path.
The air in those murky forest depths was also vitiated by the long
lines of carriers, that it was scarcely possible to breathe. The road,
after crossing some low sand hills, became dryer, however, and
the undergrowth less dense, though the forest was as luxuriant as
ever.
Fomonah was once a flourishing town, and the capital of the
Adansi Kingdom, but it is now in ruins and has few inhabitants.
Passing through the village clearing, we reached a broad but shallow
brook which was easily forded. By the marks and excavations on
the banks and in the bed of this river, the natives had evidently been
prospecting for alluvial gold, which abounds in many of the West
African streams. Crossing the water, we were refreshed by a
fragrant smell from a clump of smallish trees covered with a white
bloom resembling hawthorn blossom. Nature here seemed to
have wilfully joined two extremes, for a few yards further on, a
noxious creeper grew in abundance, emitting a vapid foul muskiness
which got into the throat and nose, and gave a peculiar taste to
the mouth.
THE ALARM.
From a sketch by Mr. H. C. Seppings Wright^ Artist Correspondent to
The Illustrated London News.**
AN ALARM.
133
Dompiassi, another ruined town, is about four miles from
Fomonah, and from there the road led direct into Essian
Kwanta, where we arrived at 10.30, after a trying march of ten
miles. Reports had reached Essian Kwanta that the piquet, who
had evacuated the village and fallen back on Kumassi, had been
reinforced, and 2,000 Ashantis were then within two miles of the
camp bent on retaking their outpost.
The small company of Houssas turned out with an alacrity
worthy of better results, and the native levy got under arms. The
piles of cases of biscuit and meat were hastily thrown round as a
barricade, and others packed to form a rude fort. I am afraid all
were highly pleased with the prospect of a fight at last with the
Ashantis, and Prince Christian bustled about looking eagerly forward
for the brush. Everyone was disappointed when further news came
in that the movement was not being proceeded with, and the
Ashantis had withdrawn again. Thus nothing came of all the
preparations and the wily foe did not show fight.
When the Special Service Corps and Artillery arrived, they
marched through the village, and bivouacked in the bush about a
mile ahead, while the Staff took up their quarters in the village
itself, which was deserted. The houses were superior dwellings,
many having additional courtyards and out-houses for the use of
the household slaves. The surroundings were also fairly clean ;
but there was a very bad smell, partly due to some plots of
plantains rotting in the vicinity.
Large piles of stores were stacked in readiness for the advance,
and Captain Donovan, of the Colonial Service, had pushed well
ahead throughout the march with his carriers and supplies, enter¬
ing Kwisa, and forming a camp there just behind the advanced
scouts. Captain Swain, British Guiana Police, took the Bekwai
carriers in hand, and he used these friendly Ashantis to the best
possible advantage in getting necessaries to the front. Governor
Maxwell was journeying from the coast to enter Kumassi when it
had been invested.
Saturday afternoon, by the time we had settled into quarters
at Essian Kwanta, a furious drumming announced the arrival of
the young King of Abadoom, who was coming with the King
of Bekwai to sign a treaty with the British. He seated himself
on the outskirts of the town to await the time arranged for the
palaver, and a little later, the King of Bekwai arrived in the
vicinity of the camp, resting his royal bones on a stool in the
forest.
134
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
Punctually at five o'clock, the guard of honour, furnished by
the Special Service Corps, marched in, and was drawn up in line
outside headquarters. "The Kings then came on the scene ; the
Bekwai monarch in great state. Immense war drums thundered,
tom-toms were thumped, big metal bells hammered on conti¬
nuously, while a hideous tooting on elephants' tusks completed
his noisy if inharmonic arrangements for wooing the gentle muse.
Behind these raucous melodists marched the Fetish priest and
sacred executioner combined. With his appearance and rig, and
enormous head-dress of leopard skin, surmounted with tusks and
a high fringe of eagle's feathers, he could have taken his place
among any Redskin chiefs of the Wild West, on the war path.
Then came his most sable Majesty of Bekwai, an intelligent but
sensual looking negro of medium stature and apparently about
forty-five years of age. A small black cap perched on the back
of his cranium, and ornamented with gold filigree work, did duty
for a crown ; a long silken robe and sandals completed his outfit.
His claw-like fingers were covered with massive gold rings finely
worked, which were well displayed by a paw bearer on either
side, holding a bunched-up silken cloth on which the royal hands
rested. Several gold fetish ornaments were hung on his wrists
and suspended round his neck, while his royal toes were also
adorned with gold work. In fact his Majesty was a veritable
walking jeweller's shop.
Over his head rose the mighty folds of a gorgeous umbrella of
plush and silk, which the attendant kept on a continuous hop and
twirl for no apparent reason except it were to circulate the air
about the King, but it seemed a clumsy and laborious method of
fanning. Immediately behind his Kingship walked a prime
minister, who placed his hands round the royal waist as a support
to the monarch as he walked in majestic state.
The Lord Chamberlain followed, with a fine collection of
rusty keys of every description hung in bunches on his body as an
insignia of office ; and bringing up the rear were a motley crew of
minor chiefs, fetish men, soldiers with flintlocks, ladies in waiting
and slaves with fly whisks, or bearing their master's stools, chairs
and litters.
The King of Abadoom had a very different gathering. He
was a gentle lad of fourteen, of pleasing countenance, and very
nervous throughout the proceedings, though any lack on his part
was amply made up by his two chief advisers ; one, a cunning,
A KINGDOM ANNEXED.
135
white-headed old rascal, the other a younger but no less crafty-
looking negro. Many of the King's retainers were boys younger
than their master, but there were also older chiefs, sheltering their
sacred heads from the sun under common cotton umbrellas sent
up from the coast, and all much the worse for wear. The bearers
of these sorry gamps were quite young boys, some not more than
five or six years of age. The poor little fellows are doomed to
stand behind their master's chair for hours, with arms stretched
upward to the utmost extent, in order to shade the lazy negro
sitting at his ease, while his poor little slave is ready to drop with
exhaustion.
When the Kings were seated on their respective thrones (other¬
wise brass-studded kitchen chairs), and the followers had grouped
themselves round, the " General Salute " was sounded, the troops
presenting arms as Sir Francis Scott and his Staff appeared on the
scene. In the centre of the gathering stood a small camp table,
with papers, pen and ink duly arrayed thereon, also a short end
of candle (a valuable commodity in the bush) for use in sealing
the treaty.
Captain Donald Stewart officiated ; and, after asking if they
had signed a treaty with any other foreign power, and being
answered in the negative, he read the articles of the treaty between
" Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria and the Kings of
Bekwai and Abadoom." Each article was translated by a native
interpreter, the terms being as follows ;—
" That Her Most Gracious Majesty would accord her protection over their
countries, the same to be part of the Jurisdiction of the Gold Coast, provided
that, —
The respective countries of Bekwai and Abadoom should be always kept
open for trade; every facility being offered to traders ; the roads kept
open, and in good repair.
That capital punishment must be abolished for all crimes except murder,
and no slaves to be kept, bought, or traded with.
They were to enter into no contracts with other Foreign Powers.
The King not to enter into any act of aggression or war, but must refer all
disputes to the Governor of the Gold Coast.
Great Britain would respect, and not interfere in any way with the customs
and habits of the country not enumerated in the above, and no levy
or tax would be imposed on them. The King's methods of collecting
the revenue remaining the same.
Human sacrifices must be abolished and kept down with a strong hand."
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
The young King listened attentively, but the more skilled
diplomatist of Bekwai did not want to appear too eager to accept
British terms. He was in frequent conference with his chiefs,
and having craved permission to speak, began to raise salient
points of order and law.
The High Chamberlain wished to know what was to be done
if a man committed a murder ?
Captain Stewart replied that he would be tried under British
law, and, if found guilty, be put to death.
That only half satisfied the contumacious old wretch.
"The King had a number of young slave girls that he was now
going to give to his young men as wives ; if one ran away might
not she be killed, if caught ? "
It was pointed out that slavery must be abolished, and they
would therefore be no longer slaves, but free.
We were then favoured with a few different phases of breaking
the Seventh Commandment. It appears that in Ashanti, Sir
Francis Jeune had a counterpart in the Executioner, who dealt
summary justice to the offending parties ; but the Bekwais had
previously been told that no man or woman must be put to
death except for murder, so that all these questions of moral law-
breaking, involving death to the guilty parties, had been answered
in that one stipulation.
More caviling was in course of preparation, and king and
ministers were in close conference ; but as the proceedings were
getting unduly protracted. Sir Francis remarked to the interpreter,
" Tell him I am not here to be made a fool of, and if he has any
more to say, he must say it quickly." Then, finding the King of
Abadoom was quite ready to sign the articles, he gave the signal
for him to advance.
The Bekwais were still deep in consultation on some learned
subject, but it did not transpire. There was Bekwai prestige and
precedent being rudely put aside, and the subordinate King of
Abadoom signing first !
Their whole natures rebelled against such supersedure. The
chiefs shouted ; the court crier sprang to his feet and howled off
some marvellous panegyric, informing us of the supreme dignity,
nay, the cohabitation of the divine and mortal realized in their
Lord and Master ; while the King hastily gathered his rather
THE DRINK QUESTION.
137
dirty robes around him, advancing to the table with more haste
than dignity.
The seal was attached, and the royal finger nail touched it ;
Captain Stewart then held the pen, the King placed his digital
extremities on it, " YowBoatin" was duly written,and the treaty thus
signed. The King of Abadoom, who had been rather disconcerted
by the previous little scene, then went trembling through the same
ceremony. The Union Jack was hoisted ; the general salute
sounded, as the troops sprang to attention and presented arms ;
thus annexing the Kingdoms of Bekwai and Abadoom under
British rule and protection. After much shaking hands the Kings
took their departure, and the troops hied away for tea and much
needed repose.
As the King of Bekwai was leaving in state, he expectorated
freely, and, to my disgust, there was a general scramble among
the followers to secure the saliva ; some youths actually applying
their tongues to the spot, to obtain the last traces.
To the credit of the Bekwai Monarch, on one occasion when
Prempeh required a number of victims for sacrifice, and sent to
levy slaves from the dependent monarchs, he refused to send human
beings, but substituted an offering of gold dust instead.
In this village I was offered a peculiar native spirit with a
most pungent odour. One has heard of Europeans becoming
addicted to drinking " stink-pot," but I doubt if any white man
could have taken a nip of this vile concoction. I pushed the
nigger and his jar away, but he took a deep draught, which
made his eyes water, and then smacked his lips with evident relish.
There are certain people who are continually making an outcry
against the drink traffic in Africa. These gentlemen are doubt¬
lessly prompted by the best intentions, but they are sadly mistaken
by attributing the whole evil to the white man. The general im¬
pression is, that the whole of the curse lies at the door of the
white trader and his fire-water, and that if he were prohibited from
supplying drink to the natives, the evil would be removed at one
stroke. This is a pure fallacy ; the natives much prefer European
drink if they can afford to get it, which is not always, but they will
have drink of some sort ; if not proper spirits then Pombi, or
some other vile mixture. Spirits are far beyond the reach of the
majority of natives in the interior, so they freely drink their own
liquors, which are nothing more or less than a fiery poison, far
more terrible in effect than the most adulterated trade gin.
138
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
A trader once remarked that sending rum to the African at a
high price was a blessing in disguise. He loses his taste for native
drink, and can only afford occasional debauches on the less
harmful spirit. This is a curious line of argument, but it only
advocates the lesser of two evils.
Khama will undoubtedly be held up at once as an example in
dealing with the evils of imported drink. Now Khama was a
thorough prohibitionist from the first, and forbade the manu¬
facture of all native drinks. He had hardly stamped them out
when his country was invaded by traders who supplied bad spirits
to his people, and the drink fiend again stalked throughout the
land until he was able to get the second evil redressed. If
Khama's legislation could be extended throughout Africa it would
be a great blessing, but the only way to effectually stamp out the
drink curse is to strike at the root of the matter, and not make a
drastic removal of one evil and stimulate a greater one. On the
coast towns, where cheap and common spirits are always obtain¬
able, there are far too many mud liquor shanties licensed. Much
greater care should be exercised by the proper authorities. They
seem to grant a license to anyone who cares to pay for it, and the
number of drink hovels in Cape Coast is a standing disgrace to
the Colonial Government.
More news from Kumassi arrived by spies who stated that all
the men were called into the capital, and the women were wailing
in the villages for their husbands, who had gone to the war. News
also came that every effort would be made to keep the white man
from Kumassi, and envoys were on their way down to promise
anything and everything, if only the troops would return to the
coast. If the forces advanced on the city there might be no
resistance unless the English fired the first shot, or injured or
captured the King.
Telegrams arrived from the base concerning the sick.
Captain Curtis, R.E., Lieutenants Mangan and Davies, who had
all been dangerously ill, were now reported doing well. Everyone
was hoping to hear Prince Henry had reached the Coast and had
been safely removed to the " Coromandel," but his illness un¬
fortunately proved even more serious than was at first anticipated.
He arrived safely on the 12th at Prahsu, but had been much
tried by the journey, the fever greatly increasing. The Medical
Staff spoke of the great consideration shown by the Prince to all
attending him. He was frequently bathed with warm water, with
NIGHT AND MORNING SCENES.
139
a view of inducing the skin to act. Though this water was well
warmed, it seemed cool to the fever-stricken frame, and the
Prince remarked " How refreshing that cold water is." The
doctors were decidedly anxious about him, but he rallied enough
to be moved to Mansu on the 14th and resumed the journey to
the coast next day.
On Sunday, January 12th, the Staff remained at Essian Kwanta
to enable the Ammunition Column and Bearer Company to close
up, in readiness for the final advance into Kumassi.
Several hundreds of carriers were encamped in the forest just be ■
low the village. The thick undergrowth had been cut away, leaving
the high trees alone standing. At night the flickering light of the
numerous camp fires throwing a red glare on the surrounding
foliage ; hundreds of black naked forms moving about under the
trees, or lying round the blazing fires in every conceivable
position ; a perfect babel of voices jabbering and shouting in
unknown tongues, and you have the weird picture that requires
far more than a pen to portray.
At half-past five the sun is just rising, the birds give a few
preliminary whistles, flocks of parrots fly overhead, the crickets
have ceased their chorus, while the sloths also stop their child-like
screams, that render sleep impossible to the bush novice. He
constantly awakes during the night, startled from his doze with
dim visions of murder and violence, till he suddenly remembers it
is only the sloth, an African substitute for our feline tribe in their
nocturnal choruses. Monkeys are not as common as is generally
supposed, though at night they often come round the camp for a
midnight chatter, while jackals occasionally give a short interlude
by a series of mournful howls.
At sunrise, on January 13th, we resumed our march and ex¬
perienced one of the worst strips of road on the whole advance.
Progress was painfully slow, as the track was narrow, and a very
large body of troops and carriers were on the move, the column
wending its way over tree trunks and through vile patches of foul-
smelling swamp, happily now rendered passable by furlongs of
corduroy thrown across by the native levy. Passing slowly on¬
ward through Adawassi, now in ruins, we went through Kuraman
and reached Ejinassi at midday.
The Special Service Corps marched on through the village and
pitched camp in Amoaful, once a large and important town, but
140
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
now little better than a heap of ruins. This place was the
scene of a sanguinary conflict with the Ashantis during the '74 war,
when fighting raged between Amoaful and Ejinassi all day, the
natives being repulsed at nightfall.
The Headquarter Staff again halted for a day, remaining in
Ejinassi on the 14th to enable the forces in the rear to close up.
The Special Service Corps advanced to Esumeja, their late camp
being occupied by the West Yorkshire Regiment, who arrived
from Essian Kwanta at eleven o'clock, and they marched into
camp in splendid style, despite the drawbacks they were still
suffering from.
The day passed very quietly, though the necessary delay was
chafing, with Kumassi so near ; and yet the force were in a state
of absolute uncertainty as to the probable issue of the expedition.
The water in all the adjoining villages was very bad, the only
available supply being from a muddy gutter streamlet. There was
one trivial incident ; a hammock-bearer was caught robbing an
Ashanti woman, so a parade of natives took place in the morning,
while a Houssa Corporal administered twelve strokes on the thief,
who was deeply impressed by the ceremony, as were the other
natives, though in a different way.
In the afternoon the Bekwai Prime Minister arrived from the
capital, bringing a " dash " for the white Chief. The "dash"
consisted of a long string of natives, loaded with yams, plantains,
fowls, and eggs, a present of gold dust, and last, but not least,
a bullock, which was, perhaps, the most acceptable present of
the batch, for no fresh meat had been procurable on the road.
Major Piggott volunteered to shoot it, as none of the natives
were capable of properly slaughtering the beast. Immediately
fire-arms came on the scene, the cowardly Fantis bolted to a
safe place in the bush ; a splendid shot in the forehead brought
the animal down, and it was soon skinned and cut up, making an
agreeable change after the long spell of preserved meat.
In connection with this beef, a curious incident occurred which
caused much discussion and rumour in camp. Major Piggott cut
off a joint of beef, and sent it ahead to the commander of the
advanced scouts by a runner, with a scrap of paper attached,
" Major Gordon. Killed 14th inst." Major Gordon received the
meat safely, and as paper was scarce, he scribbled a note of receipt
on the back and returned it by the messenger, who duly delivered
the same. The front script alone was an ominous missive to those
NATIVE BEAUTY.
141
out of the ken, and naturally the worst conclusion was jumped at,
and the startling news spread. Poor Gordon! Killed! How terrible!
Excitement ran high ; fighting was imminent now, and bitterly
was his death to be avenged. Then some far-seeing person turned
the paper over, and found on the back a note of acknowledgment
written by the defunct officer himself, and the matter was cleared
up.
The Bekwai people had opened a market as requested, and a
plentiful stock of bananas, plantains, yams, and paw-paws were
ofiered for sale. So high a value did these bush people put on
an English three-penny bit, that sufficient fruit could be purchased
with it to last a week if you thought the load worth the carrying.
The market women were all very ugly, but probably that was
intentional, for fear if more comely Bekwai maids were sent they
might be turning the heads or capturing the hearts of the white
men. At any rate, Darwin could never have been to Ashanti, or
he would assuredly have found his missing link ; and the
evolutionary theory seems borne out in Africa by types of start¬
ling reliability.
With all due respect to these ladies, as some of them waddled
about, it required a distinct stretch of imagination to realize that
they were human beings, and not belonging to a race of the
quadrumanous gorillas ; and their shaved heads, a sign of slavery,
did not add to their beauty. Many prevalent fashions among
West African women are as cruel as those practised by their more
enlightened European sisters ; though the facial disfigurements are
not as common on the Gold Coast as in surrounding districts,
where the upper lip is slit and widened by pegs till a large ring
is inserted to keep the orifice extended.
Though barbarism has its dark side, these bush people, quite
cut off from every trace of civilisation, and out of the reach of
missionaries, lead a very contented existence. " Ignorance is
bliss," and the fèw requirements they have, are easily supplied :
they have no luxury and no wants, few yearnings and few
aspirations ; a pointed stick makes them a spear, and a few sticks
plastered with mud, a house, while an abundance of fruit springs
up around for food which requires little preparation. Undoubtedly
their great curse is the pernicious form of government and fetish,
though this, of course, has more effect on the chief towns and
immediate surroundings, than on the small scattered bush villages.
With their cheeks for bellows, a stone for a hammer, a hard
142
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
tree stump for an anvil, and tongs made of a split piece of green
wood, they can turn out work of a sort that would really compare
favourably with that of an English blacksmith. Unfortunately,
at first, civilisation spoils all this, they begin to covet ; and once
give them an education they lose their simplicity, becoming proud
and arrogant ; considering themselves quite equal to a white man.
The black brotherhood is all very well in its place, but the
negro cannot be treated as an equal by a white man. He must
first be taught to regenerate his character, quit habits of brutish
sloth, and abandon the practice of most degrading crimes and
filthy ways. Speke says, "I do not deem the African negro
capable of raising himself from the degradation in which he lives,"
and there is a great amount of truth in the assertion. Centuries
of barbarism cannot be changed in a moment, though it may be
hid under a thin veneer of civilisation, and, at present, it is
doubtful if the invasion of the white man has been a great
blessing to the African. That is more the fault of the European
than the negro. With patient teaching, and wise legislation only,
will the savage be taught self-respect, and gradually emerge
from his age of darkness and hereditary paganism with all its
incumbent horrors.
A white man has much infiuence over an uncivilised black
by his superior moral power, and even the ordinary things of
every-day life of a European seem supernatural to the savage
mind ; but this influence is only too often abused. The native
wants a certain number of kicks, but also a certain number of
"ha'pence"; and strict justice and impartial treatment will go
a long way with a nigger. If the justice is too much tempered
with mercy, he is not slow to take advantage of it ; and on the
other hand, too harsh a discipline will brutalize him.
The fresh arrival in Africa who starts by making friendly
overtures to natives usually turns into one of the hardest men
when dealing with them, because he is so often taken in and has
his clemency abused at every turn. The negro may become as
faithful as a dog with proper treatment, but he will need as
strict a breaking in as a colt, who is either made or marred
by early training. He won't follow his teachers into civilisation,
neither will he be driven to it, but he must be firmly led.
The natives have few games, the most universal being Po,
which is played in most of the villages. The game takes place on
a board containing twelve round holes, each containing four men.
BUSH ETHICS.
143
On making inquiry as to the rules, the answer was always the
same, " No savey, sah !" but they get very excited when playing,
and will gamble the very wraps from their bodies. Apparently it
is not unlike the Indian "Pachisi"; at least, they have similar
methods of reckoning.
Funerals are attended by scenes of disgraceful orgie, especially
if a chief or big man has died. His remains are closed over by
some dozens of his progeny, who, with his faithful wives, are all
as drunk as they can afford to be. In cases of war, the dead
enemies are never buried, but the bodies are sometimes eaten, or
thrown into the bush to be devoured by wild beasts.
The birth of a child gives no pleasure to the Ashanti, with his
plurality of wives ; the woman is often banished to the bush, and
never remains in the husband's house during confinement. The
female offspring is sold as a wife-slave, at a tender age, to some
neighbouring chief. Who can wonder that pudicity is unknown
among these women, whatever other virtues they may possess,
when wives are looked on in the same light as a farmer in England
regards cattle. They all work for their lord ; do everything for
him, and their numbers are a standard of his wealth. There,
indeed, Marie Corelli would have ample scope to dilate
on, and anathematize the supreme egotism of man ; and there
is certainly an opening for a branch of the " Women's Rights
Association." Perhaps some of our more advanced sisters of
civilization will turn their wasted energies in this direction.
"The Society for the Emancipation of African Womanhood"
would sound even better than the "League for Supplying the
Blacks with Flannel Petticoats and Pocket Handkerchiefs," or
similar société de bienfaisance.
There was a great difhculty in keeping shaved in the bush ;
some let their hirsute appendages fiourish, others shaved clean
every day, but the climate played havoc with razors, and shaving
was an ordeal. I had one of the finely-ground " Mabs,'' however,
and that kept in splendid condition, often shaving half-a-dozen in
one day ; for no one is particular in those things in the wilds.
" He that hath, lendeth," is a universal maxim there.
On the 15th instant, preparations were made for the final
advance, as the force had practically closed up. The order of
march behind the scouts was :—
The Advance Guard of the Special Service Corps, under Major Northcote,
Houssa Artillery, with maxim and two seven-pounders, ammunition, and
two rocket tubes.
144
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT,
The Special Service Corps, under Colonel Stopford, accompanied by
Captain Blunt and Artillery.
The baggage and part of the Medical Staff Bearer Company with sick
hammocks.
The Head-quarter Staff.
The West Yorkshire Regiment.
Remainder of the Bearer Company,
Baggage column.
Company of the West India Regiment.
Houssa Artillery.
Away in the rear The Supply and Ammunition Columns and Field
Hospital.
Progress was painfully slow, the pace being reduced to a
regular crawl, with frequent halts. The road at first was
moderately clear, but plunged into a thick bush tunnel with the
branches interwoven above, only just allowing free passage. The
smell in the leafy avenue was unbearable as we followed in rear
of hundreds of carriers. The numerous obstructions soon also
caused straggling, and the long line of troops and bearers ex¬
tended for some miles.
Crossing three streams in succession, which join about two
miles down, and form the River Suberri, the road passes
two sharp ridges with sides approaching the perpendicular, but
once having cleared these, the path widened into an open and
fairly smooth track right into Esumeja, being the best and
widest piece of road after the Prah.
From the top of the ridges a splendid view was obtained. The
long straggling line of the column could be seen winding in and
out, patches of scarlet showing the position of the troops moving
through the trees, with streaks of white, caused by the light robes
of the carriers.
At Esumeja we found the Bekwai King drawn up in state,
with his band well to the fore, to play us from his dominions.
They made a terrible din, monotonously uttering a peculiar war
chant, which was almost drowned by the infernal drumming and
jangling of the musicians. We sighed in vain for wax to stop our
ears, like the companions of Ulysses, when they rowed past the
sirens and their delusive melodies. This music, however, would
have rather caused one to die in agony than in ecstacy of delight.
Judging from their faces they derived a considerable amount of
gratification from the display, but we were much relieved to get
out of earshot.
CAUSE AND EFFECT.
145
After leaving Esumeja the forest archway was again apparent,
while the rough and swampy track reduced the advance to a
snail's pace, and there were frequent stoppages. The foetid smell
caused by the narrow air space, vitiated by hundreds of carriers,
and the stench from the swamp was really filthy. Everything
comes to an end at last, but the trying march had its effect on the
troops, many of whom fell by the wayside, thoroughly exhausted,
and the numerous sick severely taxed the resources of the Bearer
Company. We reached Edunku at three o'clock, the Special Service
Corps advancing to Dede Siwa, and bivouacking on the banks of
the Adra •, but it was almost sunset before the end of the long
straggling column came in and had settled down. The troops
pitched their íeníes dabri where practicable, and these useful
and portable little shelters, which are just large enough for three
men to snuggle inside, can be easily put up in any situation.
Some of the miserable hovels in the village were turned into
temporary hospital wards, and the remainder only afforded
accommodation for a few officers of the Staff. Several of us
bivouacked in the forest, hastily rigging up rough shelters of
bamboo poles, with creepers twined above, and palm leaves laid
over for a roof. Fires were soon burning, and we had settled
down fairly comfortably before the chilly night came on. An
encampment in the bush is soon made, as the material is
near at hand. Some search for young trees or bamboos for
uprights ; others lop down plantains and palm leaves, and thus
rough shelters are easily formed.
Several Fanti servants and interi)reters were grouped round
a camp fire, each relating tales of their wonderful presence of
mind and their prowess, and what they would do if the
'Shantiman came across the river and attacked our camp that
night. Crack ! bang ! bang 1 went some fresh bamboos, thrown
on the next fire. 'Shantiman had come at last, and they were off
heiter skelter to the bush, without waiting to see the cause.
These explosions, when burning bamboos, are very common,
as the cavities between the joints are often filled with water, and
when put on the fire steam is generated, blowing up the section
before the wood is burnt through. This water is often drunk by
the natives, who select a likely-looking reed, and obtain a pint or
more from a single cavity ; though it would not be fit for
European consumption except in a case of dire extremity.
There were various bowlings and roarings from the different
L
146
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
animals prowling round in the forest ; but after making big fires
by the shanty, for comfort's sake, I had dropped off to sleep in
spite of this mournful nocturnal chorus, when suddenly despairing
screams of mortal agony, followed by a fearful hub-bub, and more
cries, harrowed every soul as they were startled from their sleep.
The attack had come at last, and the wily foe had crept through
the bush and was upon us, was the first thought. To spring up
and get outside was the work of a moment, and two other
pyjamed figures came rushing on the scene shortly after, while the
startled natives sat half dazed on their mats, which they had
spread near the fires.
Hastening in the direction of the noise there was a gang of
hammock bearers with a Fanti in the midst, who was yelling
and screaming madly, for no apparent cause, while the others
shouted to drown his yells. Our slumbers had thus been disturbed,
and our small camp alarmed, for nothing more serious than some
horseplay of the niggers, who speedily retired at the end of a good
thick stick.
Morning dawned, and everyone was up betimes to resume the
march. Still no signs of the Ashantis, and only four hours' sharp
travelling from Kumassi. The road was good, but the column
made a short advance only, ready to invest the capital on the
morrow. Passing down a broad well-cleared track we passed
Adwabin, which place was quite deserted save for a hideous old
hag, who sat in one of the houses, left, apparently, with the hope
that the English would make off with her.
After an easy march Dede Siwa was reached, the West Yorks
camping on the site occupied the previous day by the Special
Service Corps, who crossed the Adra and halted on the other
bank. The Headquarter Staff took up their quarters in the
village, which boasted of several very fair houses, the inhabitants
having cleared out stick and stone. Officers and men were
fretting with the slow advance, and all would have preferred a
quick dash into Kumassi, but that would have entailed possible
risk, with no gain beyond the few hours saved.
The Adra river was then a shallow stream about one hundred
and fifty feet wide, and it was easily and quickly bridged over in
a rough fashion, though the Engineer officers and men who were
directing operations, had to stand up to their middle in slush and
water for some hours. Stockades were also thrown up, so that
the bridge could easily have been held.
AN UNFORTUNATE RIOT.
147
Both the Engineers and Army Service Corps were decidedly
undermanned, especially the former. There were only sufficient
men sent out to meet the bare exigencies of the Expedition, and
when fever made many gaps in the ranks, the remainder of the
sappers were very hard pressed, especially the Telegraph Section.
They had lost the services of their commander, Captain Curtiss,
and several men, though Lieutenant Mclnnes, with a mere hand¬
ful of assistants, pluckily pushed ahead with the cable.
Envoys came down to the outposts bringing as hostages,
boys bedecked with gold, and said to be Prempeh's sons. They
were only two poor slave children of no value to Prempeh or
anyone else. Major Baden-Powell instructed them to return to
Kumassi and tell the King that it was not the intention of the
British to force the fighting, or depose Prempeh if he agreed to
come to terms, but they had better hurry to Kumassi and
await the Governor's arrival, for the Expedition must enter the
capital, and the treaty would be arranged there.
Prempeh, still hoping to delay the advance, again sent
down Kwaku Fukoo, Boatin, and a number of subsidiary chiefs
to treat with the white man and promise anything ánd everything
if they could only stop the troops investing Kumassi.
The envoys came down to Ordasum, where the advanced
party of Houssas and native levies were camped, and they also
brought a numerous following ; attendants and slaves bearing
stools, umbrellas, litters, state swords, and many emblems of
office.
An urffortunate occurrence followed this visit ; and though
the Ashantis were themselves greatly to blame, it was none the
less to be regretted, as it was contrary to the British methods of
treating negotiators of an armistice. The Ashantis, huddled
together waiting palaver, were obstructing the Hoússa quarters.
Three times they were asked to move by the interpreters, but they
seemed to think it derogatory to their dignity, and would not
budge an inch. The Houssas, always ready for a little fun,
thereupon started to move the offending niggers, who were still
stubborn, till canes were seized and freely used. The Ashantis
moved then ; the followers, dropping umbrellas and stools, bolted
into the forest, leaving their belongings behind. The native levies,
seeing a chance of "getting their own back" for years of aggression,
then rushed at the Ashantis, whom they freely hustled and cuffed,
till the officers came on the scene and stopped the row. In the
L 2
148
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
confusion the envoys had been driven for a considerable distance,
dropping even their smallest articles in the ignominious flight,
and some of these things were stolen by our levies, who looked on
Ashanti goods as lawful spoil.
The Ashantis soon regained confidence, and after retailing
their grievances, returned to camp, where a short search revealed
most of the lost property, which was restored to the owners.
Three delinquents were then tied to a tree, and had half-a-dozen
lashes apiece, in sight of the Ashantis, who saw strict justice had
been done ; but they took advantage of this by trebling the previous
stated amount of their losses to Captain Donald Stewart, when the
palaver started.
Captain Stewart, through the interpreter, first said he was very
sorry for what had happened. It was an accident, and they must
tell the King so.
They had complained about their losses, but most of the
things had been recovered and returned, yet they now gave a
finely exaggerated tale of missing property, but he would tell the
Governor, and see what could be done. Chief Assufu first said
he had lost ;£6o worth of gold dust, and now he has added
to that. The Ashantis were fond of doing such things. Every
man who had lost anything during the last twenty years put it
down, but the Governor would see they got justice. He was now
ready to hear their message from the King.
The lanky Kwaku Fukoo, after along preamble, replied that they
had taken the letter to the King, and Ansah had read it ; but the
voluble linguist then went on with such a jumbled speech that no
one could quite grasp the gist of his remarks.
Captain Stewart answered that they did not seem to understand
the letter, which said that it was not the intention of Her
Majesty's Forces to depose King Prempeh if he fully submitted
and paid a war indemnity, and would agree to the demands of the
British Government, namely, the appointment of a Resident.
Also he must send hostages to be held till the indemnity was paid.
Kwaku Fukoo interrupted : " You want hostages ! Why, I
brought you two, and you refused to take them." Captain
Stewart rejoined : " Thank you ! We shall choose the hostages,
not you, and the two children you brought were not royal
personages, and not worth anything. You know that ! " (A
broad grin of acknowledgment illuminated three hundred dusky
A TORNADO.
149
faces.) " We shall come to Kumassi, and the King must submit
in proper fashion to the Governor."
Boatin sprang to his feet : "I am the eye of Kumassi, and the
people agree to submit. Lo ! I say so ! We are here to settle the
whole matter for the King, and you need not come further. I am
a big chief, yet your people have robbed me. Perhaps we shall
be treated thus if we let you come to Kumassi."
Captain Stewart rejoined that the palaver about their losses
was settled, and they had punished the guilty. The Governor
would agree about compensation. Things had gone too far, and
the Expedition must go to Kumassi and nowhere else. The
Chiefs begged and pleaded that the treaty might be drawn up
there and then, and they would touch the British flag in token of
submission, so the white men could then march back to the coast.
Finding that their entreaties met with no response, and that the
terms would be discussed in Kumassi alone, the envoys returned
with sad hearts to the capital. The visit of these messengers still
further reduced the chances of fighting, but in the last Expedition
the same tactics were adopted in the earlier stages of the advance,
when the sole efforts of the Ashantis were also to keep the troops
out of Kumassi, and when the British General steadily advanced,
the foe resisted and made a desperate stand outside the town.
There seemed now two probable courses ; either Prempeh
would bolt, or a stand would be made at the gates of the city
when they found the occupation of the capital inevitable.
The night of the i6th the whole force was encamped on the
banks of the Adra, and everyone turned in, eagerly looking forward
to the final march on the morrow, and the solving of the Ashanti
enigma, which was a difficult one. It was a glorious night for
Ashanti, and little mist, so all settled down to sleep in eager ex¬
pectation of the morrow, and what it would bring forth.
About midnight, without any previous warning, a fearful clap
of thunder awakened everyone with a start. The lightning
flashed incessantly, and the rain suddenly poured down in torrents.
The rough roofs of plantain-leaf thatch were washed away in a
second, and everyone was drenched to the skin. It was a copious
shower bath which would have been pleasant in the heat of the
day, if we could have stripped, and put clothes and effects in a
dry place. The flashes of lightning were vivid and incessant,
followed immediately by the deafening roar of thunder rever-
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
berating through the trees. The forest was lit up as brightly as at
noonday, the electric fluid playing dangerously over the tree tops,
and bringing many a giant of the forest down with a crash. In one
case a huge cotton tree was struck, and fell, crushing to jelly a
group of native carriers who were clustering, affrighted, round its
ample roots. The tornado raged without cessation for over two
hours, and then the clouds dispersed as suddenly as they had
gathered.
Everything was in a deplorable state of dampness, with water,
inches deep, flowing around ; but, when the rain ceased, soldiers
and carriers turned out to cut down wood for bonflres, and,
before long, cheery piles were blazing for all to warm and dry
themselves by. During the storm the officers moved about freely
among the troops, administering rum to those who needed a
stimulant, and the surgeons were up all night doing what they
could to the poor fever-stricken patients in their charge.
Things were getting more comfortable, when the storm
started again, extinguishing the ñres and swamping everything ;
but, luckily, tea and cocoa had been prepared by the men before
the rain began. At 4.30 reveille sounded, ending a strange and
dreadful night ; and, after a hasty breakfast had been swallowed
in the rain, the column re-formed to wend its bedraggled steps
into Kumassi.
Captain Birch, R.A. ; Captain Bain, Royal Irish Constabulary ;
Lieutenant Straubenzee, R.A. ; and Lieutenant Vesey, R.E.,
disembarked at Cape Coast on January 12th to reinforce the
Departmental Corps. They travelled up country almost night
and day, with relays of hammock bearers, and reached the main
body near'the Adra, making a record journey through the bush.
151
CHAPTER IX.
KUMASSI—KING PREMPEH—THE QUEEN MOTHER—COURTIERS—A STATE
RECEPTION IN KUMASSI—A PROCESSION BY TORCHLIGHT — THE
GOLGOTHA THE ROYAL PALACE—SACRIFICES —SUNDAY IN ASHANTI —
THE LAST SCENE—PREMPEH'S DOWNFALL—THE LOOT,
The rain poured down steadily till eight o'clock, but when it
ceased things were as bad for some time afterwards, sundry small
streams of water still dropping from every tree as we passed
beneath.
The men of the Special Service Corps led the way, followed
closely by the Headquarter Staff ; the remainder of the column
stretching far in the rear.
The path, turned into a veritable quagmire with the rains,
made marching anything but pleasant. The sun shone at last,
and as it began to gain power, things became drier overhead,
and our spirits rose accordingly. This was not altogether a
blessing, however, for the foetid vapours began to rise from the
swamps by which Kumassi is insulated ; and the vile steamy
mugginess was much increased by the surface-water of the
previous night's storm.
The broken rest and general dampness affected the troops,
though they stoically held out, determined to reach the long
looked for goal, and not give in with their object in sight. Many,
however, dropped by the way, thoroughly done, and the
hammocks were crammed. Still others could not keep up, and
staggered along, vainly trying not to fall out, while officers pluckily
assisted their men by carrying accoutrements, and giving an arm
when needed.
Surgeon-Lieutenant Spencer, though not well himself, re¬
linquished his own hammock to a worn out sick one, and not
content with that, loaded himself with the accoutrements of some
of his men, who were just able to walk when thus relieved. That
day's march was not the only occasion that this young officer
acted in a similar way, and when the Medical Staff were reduced
by sickness, he laboured day and night tending the patients in his
charge. It is such acts of devotion and self-sacrifice as these that
have ever made the British officer stand pre-eminent in the
annals of civilization.
152
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
Other officers likewise showed the same self-sacrifice, and
Surgeon-Captains Maher and Bevor, the medical officers with the
West Yorks and Special Service Corps, had their hands very full,
especially the former officer ; and early and late they assiduously
tended the lame and sick ones.
That march to Kumassi proved to be another fine exhibition
of the stamina and national pluck which carries the Britisher
through when other nations fail. Heavily equipped, the troops
had tramped towards Kumassi ; through sweltering heat and dank
night fogs, and there was no malingering among them. Early and
late the Tommies doggedly pressed on, defying the fever and
not giving in till they dropped by the wayside, thoroughly
overcome.
Kumassi at last ! The proud and dreaded capital of Ashanti !
Major Baden-Powell's force had worked its way by different
paths through the bush, capturing many armed Ashanti spies on
the way. The main road into the town was narrow but fairly
good, and led through a dense patch of high jungle grass,
fringed with medicine heaps. There were also many graves
strewn with fetish images, and rotting vultures tied by the neck
to the head posts.
Suddenly a thunder of drums could be heard, but still the
scouts warily advanced. Major Gordon and Captain Williams
cut their way through the bush, and entered the town by the
Kokofu road on the right flank, and a party of Bekwais forced a
passage in the same way on the left.- The main advance party
consisted of the Political Officer, Captain Stewart, Major Piggott
bearing the Union Jack on his Soudan Lance, Major Baden-Powell
and Captain Graham with the scouts and levies, Captain Mitchell
with a company of Houssas, and their drums and fifes. The
levies were followed by a small party of four Engineers ; Sergeant
Lowe, Corporal Dale, and Sappers Richardson and Rubery, with
the reel of cable, which they payed out and fixed as they marched.
The wire was in and working at an early hour ; a fresh feather in
the cap of the smart telegraphists, who had slaved from morn till
night in getting the cable laid from the coast.
Shortly after the scouts had arrived, the two flank parties
appeared, and piquets were immediately posted on all the
approaches to the Palaver Square, where the levies halted at 8.20
a.m., the flag being firmly planted in the centre of the market.
KUMASSI AT LAST.
155
The drumming increased, and at last King Prempeh, with his
chiefs and hundreds of followers, was seen advancing. They
made no show of resistance : the King seated himself on his throne,
•or raised dais, in one corner of the clearing, while the chiefs and
followers ranged themselves in dense lines on the two sides of
the square. Colonel Stopford's gallant boys heard the thunder of
drums in the distance, and mistaking it for firing, eagerly pressed
forward. Fatigue and fever were alike forgotten as they broke
into a trot, eager for the fray, but the troops were doomed to
disappointment when they drew nearer, and the true nature of
the sounds was revealed.
Close behind the " Specials " came the Houssas with their
seven-pounders, then Sir Francis Scott and his Staff, followed by
the West Yorkshire Regiment and their carriers. As each
company of troops arrived they were drawn up in the Palaver
Square, and soon a long string of hammocks wended their
way onward to the Field Hospital on the outskirts of the town,
bearing many a poor fellow with aching head and burning frame.
The baggage column then poured in with line after line of
carriers, and it was three o'clock before the whole force was drawn
up and dismissed to quarters.
The Houssa Band made an attempt to play the troops in, and
among other appropriate airs, the strains of " Home, Sweet
Home," floated through the trees, as if in irony at the dirty
surroundings.
Viewed from a distance, the long rows of enormous coloured
umbrellas resembled the line of round-abouts in Barnet pleasure
fair, with far more infernal din than in that English orgie. The
chiefs and petty kings were arranged in rotation, from the King
himself, ranging gradually downward according to rank, till the
minor chiefs took up their position by the side of the road leading
into the town. The least powerful chief had one big umbrella
and a small group of dependents and slaves, with a couple or
so of drums and tom-toms ; but higher up the line, the followings
grew with the importance of their master, and the number of
musicians likewise increased.
Near Piempeh, the Kings of the surrounding Ashanti depend¬
encies were placed, with their swords of state and fetish dancers ;
but little attention beyond a passing glance was paid to these
groups, for on the built throne sat Prempeh and all his royal
gathering in choice barbaric array.
156 TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
Was that oily, peevish-looking object the monarch whose name
alone made the surrounding tribes tremble ? It seemed im¬
possible, but it was he, and in a state of ludicrous funk.
He was sitting with his back half turned to the square, but
now and again he glanced round furtively at the troops formed up
there. He wore a black crown, heavily worked with gold, a
silken robe and sandals. Suspended from his body and wrists
were various fetish charms, while behind him hung a dried lemur
as a special fetish. He was seated on an ordinary brass-studded
chair, which was placed on the top of the tier of baked clay
forming the throne. The fabled stool of solid gold was not to be
found, and had been removed to a safe distance, long before the
troops entered the capital.
Seated on the left of King Prempeh, was the Queen Mother,
smiling and jabbering, with an air of nonchalance that contrasted
strongly with the marked concern exhibited by her puny-hearted
son. Though her face wore a hard, cruel expression, she had
regular features, and would have been good looking had her
appearance been less sinister. Round her were perched a
numerous train of women, decently and cleanly dressed, but their
shaved heads and flat oily faces gave them a most repulsive look.
Prempeh's Aunt, swathed in a gaudy wrapper of silk, sat among
them, enjoying a gnaw of chew-stick, and grinning at the white
men who approached the throne. Like the Queen Mother, the
demeanour of these women was one of absolute indifference,
though the faces of the sterner sex were livid with fear.
The lower parts of the throne were filled by prime ministers,
advisers, sword bearers, executioners,- and criers, in every descrip¬
tion of barbaric apparel. On the outside of the circle, slaves
bearing huge plaited fans, kept a constant current of air directed
toward the King. The throne, with its numerous occupants, was
sheltered by immense and gaudy umbrellas held aloft by gigantic
Swefis, captured in a raid by Samory, or some other manhunter,
and sent to slavery in Kumassi.
Grouped in a large circle round the throne were some hundreds
of Prempeh's minions, under-executioners, lesser ministers of the
household, and slaves. In the centre of the circle, three hideous
fetish dwarfs, in little red shirts, capered about, while seated in a
group on the right were Prempeh's own personal attendants. These
boys and men were protected by various fetish laws, and wore as
a badge, a small hair cap surmounted with a mortar board of gold,
PREMPEH AND HIS COURT.
157
resembling one of Spratt's dog biscuits. They seemed to enjoy
their position immensely, but as their paramount privilege con¬
sisted in being sacrificed on the death of the King, to accompany
him to the next world, the honour of such a post was highly
enigmatical.
Surrounding the royal circle were the musicians, and the din
was absolutely ear-splitting. Enormous war drums, bedecked with
skulls, dried eyes, ears and other portions of the body, boomed
out in deafening thunder as they were vigorously hammered by
perspiring slaves, tom-toms were untiringly thumped, a continuous
clanging was kept up by means of iron rings, and hollow metallic
vessels knocked together, while a separate band of slaves added to
the infernal din by monotonous roars from elephants' tusks, care¬
fully graded to play two alternate notes. Each lusty tooter could
have put a steam siren in the shade, the first deep roar resembling
a hundred hoarse steam-boat whistles, followed by the shriller
shrieking of an army of tugboats in mortal agony.
Drawn up in line were the native levies, with their long guns,
every whit as proud as kings themselves. Major Baden-Powell
had done wonders with these men, who in four weeks were trans¬
formed from a horde of savages into a disciplined force.
Right opposite Prempeh were his revolted su'ojects, the
Bekwais, and many a glance of hate went across from those dusky
ranks, to be returned by glances of envy from many of the
petty Kings, who would gladly have thrown off Prempeh's rule in
the same manner, had they dared.
Rushing about from King to chief in great perturbation of
spirit, were the two Ansahs.' They found playing at king-making
very pleasant when masquerading in London, but fraught with
considerable danger and anxiety in Ashanti.
The King had ascended his throne early in the morning, and sat
right on till five o'clock, watching the arrival of the dreaded white
men. The Royal family all seemed of a superior race to the
remainder of their subjects ; in fact, they bore little resemblance
to the surrounding Ashantis, being better looking, and of a much
lighter colour. The reason of this is not far to seek, for in Ashanti
as in other countries in Africa, the Kings have as many wives as
they like, picked from all classes of society ; but blue blood is
not the necessary qualification for a royal marriage ; the indis¬
pensable endowment is good looks. The royal sons may marry
pretty women, the royal Udies the best looking men they can find.
158
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
Prempeh's mother was very fickle in that respect ; in fact, she
was a veritable female Bluebeard. It is stated that at various
times she had taken unto herself fifty husbands, all of whom were
executed by her orders, until Prempeh's father came on the
scene, and the offspring was considered comely enough to ascend
the stool. The Kumassi eligibles must have, figuratively speaking,
trembled in their shoes at an amorous glance from that female
dragon. She so thoroughly turned the matrimonial market into a
lottery, in which a blank meant death, though her speedy
vengeance also would unerringly descend on those who failed to
enter the lists when told.
The troops were quietly dismissed to their quarters, and still
Prempeh held state reception in all barbaric pomp and splendour ]
but it was his last, though little did he realize how completely
his power would be overthrown, without a chance on his part to
fight for it. The Ashanti rulers may be skilled in wily statecraft,
but they proved no match for European diplomacy with its
far-reaching arms.
About one o'clock the reception had begun with a weird dance
of executioners and dwarfs round the throne. Three dancers in
long flowing robes twirled and leaped in a mazy serpentine fling,
till they dropped thoroughly exhausted, to be followed by others.
The chief executioner also gave a solo dance, accompanied by the
most diabolical leers and suggestive gestures, as he furiously
brandished his huge beheading knife, accompanying each wild
flourish with a series of blood curdling whoops and yells.
The various kings and chiefs next approached to pay homage
to the plenipotent monarch, while the din waxed louder than
ever. Each chief advanced in turn, with all his followers, down
a long lane formed through Prempeh's courtiers. The royal crier
then sprang to his feet, and, in Ashanti epics, extolled his master's
virtues and prowess. Other of the courtiers followed, and
extending their arms towards Prempeh, vehemently yelled various
adulatory but ridiculous effusions. These exaggerated encomiums
were expressed in many ways.
" Oh, Prempeh, who is as powerful as thee ! ''
" Who is like unto thee ! "
" Oh, King, thou art great and mighty !"
" All kings of the earth are but dirt before thy feet ! ''
" Thy wisdom and knowledge is revealed unto all nations ! "
PREMPEH'S LAST STATE RECEPTION.
From a sketch by Mr, ti» C,i^¡f^pÍHgs IVrigki^ ■' Illustrated London News "
Corresptmdent.
A STATE RECEPTION.
l6l
" Who is like unto the King of the Ashantis ! "
And much more in similar strain. The monarch, if he were
flattered by these eulogies, could not fail to be wearied by their
repetition hour after hour.
During this uproar, the headman of the visiting chief was also
shouting and gesticulating, as if to call attention to the marvellous
qualities of his own master, and when this pantomine had gone
far enough, sudden silence fell on everyone ; even the drums
were hushed, while the chief advanced slowly, as if entranced,
with his eyes glued on Prempeh's face, and prostrating himself on
each step of the throne, he at last cringed full length at the monarch's
feet. The King, after a mock show of deliberation, extended his
hand, which the prostrate chief gingerly clasped between his own
extended palms. Bowing his head, he shook with emotion, as if
thoroughly overwhelmed by the ineffable bliss of holding the oily
paw of the cruel nigger despot, and so great were the transports
of joy that he could not let that hand go. Prempeh's prime
minister pushed him with his foot, and his own headmen dragged
at his robe. No I he could not tear himself away. The tugging
grew more forcible, till, with mournful countenance and much
rolling of eyes, he sorrowfully arose and prepared to descend.
Then the silence was broken as suddenly as it commenced, and
the din started again with redoubled vigour.
The Chief moved down one step, and stopped again.
The wrench was too great ! He hesitated, then advanced a
stage lower, stopped undecided, while his waiting attendants
beckoned and howled for him to come. It was impossible, and
he sorrowfully shook his head from side to side ; but, with a
vigorous and unceremonious shove, the prime minister sent him
flying off the step into the outstretched arms of his people.
The hypocritical old wretch dragged his robe securely round
his shoulders, heaved a great sigh of relief at having got through
his part of the business, and marched off with his followers.
Another immediately took his place, and exactly the same
ceremony was gone through, and kings and chiefs succeeded each
other in this performance, in all its details; though, at heart, those
cringing negroes were cursing the very existence of the monarch
they were professing to revere.
After seeing a dozen or more go through the same form I
turned to inspect the city ; I say " city " advisedly, but mud heap
i62
to kumassi with scott.
would have been better. It certainly boasted of many regular
and wide streets with fairly built wattle houses on each side ; but
the very roads were defiled, and the place was a mass of festering
pollution. The much vaunted capital was a combined filth heap
and charnel house.
The town stands in a large clearing at the foot of a hill, and
appears to have been larger than at present, notably on the
east side, which was once an extensive suburb, but now is deserted.
It is almost surrounded by a swamp ; but under proper sanitary
conditions the place might be made fairly inhabitable, though the
misty exhalations from the marshes envelop the town at night in
a thick fog which is not conducive to health.
Disgusted with the filthy hole, I turned into quarters in one of
the clay bedaubed dwellings. Outside they are substantially
built, but once inside, the compound was a quagmire of polluted
mud and filth, round which the veranda-like chambers opened;
and in that state of foul squalor had the Ashantis lived like pigs.
Heaps of this accumulated offal had to be carted away before the
places were fit for European occupation, and then only with
abundant disinfectant was existence possible. Everyone suffered
more or less from sore throat, which was due to the vile smell
and dampness.
Lieutenant Pritchard, R.E., was indefatigable in his endeav¬
ours to make things pleasant. This young Engineer had exhibited
great tact and energy throughout the march, and had been right
forward with the advance ; done a full share of duty when his
superiors were stricken with fever, and came through with flying
colours, though, unfortunately, he was seized with malaria after
Kumassi was invested and his work practically done.
Captain Blunt ranged his guns so to have full sweep across the
Palaver Square and its approaches, and Major Baden-Powell pushed
through the town to Bantama, and held all the roads from that
direction. The Special Service Corps and VVest Yorks were
quartered in two of the many separate districts into which the
town was" divided by stretches of dense elephant grass and corn
patches.
At five o'clock. Sir Francis Scott and all the officers of the
Expeditionary Force seated themselves in a semi-circle on the
square, while Captain Stewart and his interpreter went to tell
the King that the Commander was ready to see him. Some
THE l'LENIPOTENT MONARCH.
of the chiefs blustered a little after Captain Stewart had gone, but
the Ansahs finally persuaded Prempeh to pluck up his failing
spirits and comply, which he did with a bad grace.
The huge umbrellas began to bob and twi>t, and drums were
beaten as the whole of that vast assemblage got into motion, and
came slowly across the square toward the Commander-in-chief.
The two Ansahs acted as prompters, going through the motions
in dumb show, while the lesser chiefs passed, salaaming with out¬
stretched hand to each officer in succession down the line.
These chiefs were succeeded by the more important men and
their followers, and finally Prempeh himself, with a large nut in his
mouth, as a special fetish charm to guard against the wiles of the
white man, was half dragged past between two attendants. He
looked remarkably like a fat over-grown youngster, sucking a bull's-
eye, but ready for a good cry at being taken to school.
A more abject picture of pusillanimity could never be painted
than of that despot as he passed, cringing and trembling, down the
line. He afterwards advanced and shook hands with Sir Francis
Scott and Major Piggott, who must have both felt overwhelmed
by the honour. Sir Francis then addressed a few words to him
through the interpreter :—
" Tell him, I am glad to see him here, and that there has been no fighting.
I think he and his people have shown very good sense in not resisting the advance
of the Queen's forces. I don't want any of those noises and disturbances at
night, as we had when I was here twenty-two years ago in the last war. He must
tell his people to bring things and form a market, and everything will be paid
for. The town must be kept clean. White men cannot live in such filth, and
the long grass will have to be cut down.
" We want good order, and I have told my people that they must not
plunder anyone. The Governor, who is Her Majesty's representative, will be
here to-morrow. He will arrange a day for palaver, and you must make your
submission to him in native custom. That is all. I wish you a good
evening."
The white troops were respectfully standing in a line behind
the officers to witness the proceedings, but the native carriers,
with less deference, clustered round the Staff, obstructing the
view of the soldiers behind. Little notice was taken of this until
Prempeh approached, when curiosity overcame other scruples,
and there was a rush to get a closer view of the King. The
Ashantis instantly divined treachery, and were panic stricken;
for a moment the utmost confusion reigned. Their black hearts,
imputing their own methods to others, suspected a ruse ; they
thought they had been betrayed, and the men were going to fall
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
upon them ; but their apprehensions were soon quieted when the
troops stopped on the edge of the crowd, where they could feast
their eyes on that flabby, yellow, but royal countenance.
When the palaver was over, Prempeh again resumed his seat
on the throne, but many chiefs had taken their departure, eager to
get clear away. Evidently Prempeh thought he was well out of
the wood, and nothing would now be done by the force except to
instal a Resident, and march away satisfied with any amount of
flimsy promises, which the Ashantis could as easily break as
heretofore.
Most of the officers and men had retired to the Europea»
side of the town when the royal litter arrived, and the King
descended from his perch to be borne in triumph to the Palace.
In tropical regions there is no twilight ; the sun had set, and
sudden darkness descended when the royal procession was
formed. The King and many of his adherents had been fortify¬
ing their nerves, and were fairly on the way of being " beastly
drunk," as a " cockney " West Yorkshireman remarked.
There were only three white men in the vicinity, but Prempeh-
insisted on shaking hands with ail ; I can feel the grip of that
clammy paw again, as I write.
A start was then made for the Palace, and the weird appear¬
ance ■ of that barbaric state procession by torchlight, baffles
description. The musicians marched first, some of the enormous
drums bein^ carried between four slaves, and beaten by drummers
in rear. Hundreds of torches were lit, while the crowd of nobles,
courtiers, captains, citizens, and slaves, went mad with transports
of joy, excitement, and rum.
The purport of all this enthusiasm was echoed in their cry :
" Prempeh 1 Prempeh ! Your fetish has proved too strong for the
white man ! No power on earth can prevail against thee ! "
They leaped, they squirmed, shouted and screamed, directing
all their frenzied motions to the royal litter, from which little
could be seen except a crowned head ; and a puny hand waving,
in acknowledgment to the roaring plaudits.
Wearing European costume, and patent boots fit for Bond
Street, were the two Ansah Princes. They squirmed and shouted
with the rest, looking perfectly ridiculous in their civilized attire.
Prince Christian and Major Piggott appeared on a bank
watching the proceedings : both Ansahs danced furiously to the
THE GOVERNOR'S ARRIVAL.
165
rear of the litter, and then walked quietly behind with the
greatest nonchalance ; but directly the procession turned the
corner, thinking they were free from European observation, they
again danced and yelled with redoubled vigour:—the noble
savages !
As soon as darkness fell, piquets were stationed in all
directions, guarding every approach. Spies from Kumassi had
entered the British lines the day before, and reported that the
Ashantis did not want to fight, and would not resist if the
English only wanted to establish a Church and a Resident ; but if
they interfered with Prempeh, soldiers were ready in the bush.
Also that plenty of powder had been distributed in the town, and
the spies thought they had undermined the Palace and Palaver
Square in case of emergency. Ten thousand warriors also had
been collected in the capital a few days before our entry.
No doubt exists that had not the Ansahs arrived with reports
of the strength of the advancing English, which they greatly
exaggerated, the Ashantis would have offered a spirited resistance
at the entrance to Kumassi, when they found that no amount of
subterfuge and false promise would keep back the invader. The
wiser counsels of the Ansahs had prevailed, and the warriors
were removed to the bush, still ready to answer to the calls of
their chiefs if needed.
Everyone retired early, thoroughly worn out with the previous
night's broken rest and the long trying day that followed, and all
slept soundly despite the strange and wretched surroundings.
On Saturday, the i8th, Governor Maxwell arrived, and he was
accorded an official reception. The troops were paraded, and
as His Excellency entered the Square, a salute was fired by the
Artillery. He addressed a few words to the force, complimenting
them on the excellent way they had surmounted all obstacles and
gained their object.
Strict orders had been issued against looting, and also to
respect the sacred fetish temples or hovels, which were all marked
by white cards so that no one should unwittingly enter and defile
the sanctity of mud and sticks. The town was littered with fetish
heaps, shrines, images, clay pans, bottles, and other symbolic
fetish tokens, and many a sly kick was given by the Houssas to
these charm pots.
The water at first was very bad, and all endeavours to draw
M
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
the Ashantis on the subject proved futile, till by accident the
royal springs were discovered, and a fairly decent supply was the
result.
Many of the houses in the principal street were highly em¬
bellished, the walls being stuccoed in red, and finished in white ;
but with all this decoration there was still the filth and stench,
and the hundreds of carriers were at once set to work to
thoroughly cleanse and clear the end of the town occupied by
the troops. Beyond an occasional drumming, all was quiet in the
native quarter, and the streets were thronged as usual by the
proletarian Ashantis and slaves, though the upper classes did not
show themselves much.
One of the first objects I visited in the capital was the famous
Fetish Grove called Samanpon, or spirit house. In this grove the
decapitated bodies were thrown after sacrifice. Kumassi means
literally "the place of bloody death," and well its name described
it. This grove stood at the edge of the Palaver Square, on which
many a poor slave, both male and female, had been barbarously
tortured and executed, the bodies being dragged across and
thrown among the trees in the sacred grove, to form food for the
hundreds of vultures that circled among the trees, disturbed from
their gruesome feast by the approach of any bold spirit who dared
to venture into those sacred precincts, and risk the displeasure of
the fetish gods of the Ashanti Nation.
This horrible Golgotha, of which Bowditch speaks in 1817,
is piled with the remains of hundreds of miserable creatures,
executed simply to please the Ashanti rulers' insatiable lust for
human blood. Huge cotton trees had their buttresses piled with
bones and skulls ; human remains were littered about in every
direction, while the whole of that terrible place reeked with pesti¬
lential odours.
Every step I took in that rank grass revealed hidden human
bones mouldering there, while fat, contented-looking vultures,
battened and gorged with human carrion, swarmed the trees
above in hundreds.
On Saturday evening I strolled down to the King's Palace,
which occupies a considerable space in the centre of the town.
The palatial residence destroyed in the last campaign has been
replaced by a heterogeneous collection of well-built wattle huts
of enormous proportions and barn-like appearance. Large court¬
yards, alleys, and small quadrangles succeeded each other, with
THE KUMASSI GOLGOTHA.
THE ROYAL PALACE.
169
quarters for the numerous wives and slaves, and storerooms ;
all built with little design, either architectural or beautiful. In
some places the foundations of the old palace were still to be seen.
The buildings stood in a large enclosure, surrounded by a
fence of tall bamboo, and containing a fetish grove and private
place of execution for any person it was thought expedient to
decapitate on the quiet. Passing up a broad avenue with a com¬
panion, the chief entrance to the Palace was reached, a large
gateway hung with enormous wooden doors. One door was
immediately swung back to admit us, hut the dusky janitors
nearly dropped with astonishment when two presumptuous white
men entered.
We stood in a large courtyard just inside, with spacious
thatched alcoves opening all round, in which a couple of hundred
slaves and attendants lay in silent rows, resting on their mats.
Large earthen ewers of water stood in the enclosure, palms
occupied the corners, and on a balcony higher than the rest were
the huge bloodstained war drums, decorated with ghastly human
remains ad lib.
There was another doorway leading to the private apartments
of the uxorious King, with two naked daggers hung above on the
lintel. As we paused at this entrance the Ashantis started up in
horror, expecting to see those suspended swords of Damocles fall
on our sacrilegious heads ; but military regulations forbade a further
investigation, and we retired, to the evident relief of the hundreds
of attendants, who immediately barred the outer door, behind us
and in the face of two approaching officers on exploring bent.
Prempeh's numerous wives were all safely transferred to the
bush, so we had little opportunity of seeing any Ashanti beauties,
unless the Gorgonian attendants of the Queen Mother were
analogous types.
Polygamy is a very distinctive feature among these African
tribes, and the natives religiously follow the precepts of the Book
of Mormon, even if it has never been revealed to them, or
expounded by a Joseph Smith or Brigham Young.
Ashanti ethics are curious and manifold. There are king's
ethics and subjects' ethics ; king's psychics and subjects' psychics j
but individual influence and rank greatly determine the rules and
laws of life ; for they are promulgated by the fetish priests, who
naturally know on which side their " bread is buttered," and grant
dispensation accordingly.
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
The King of Ashanti was accredited in the English Press as hav-
'"g 3>333 wives granted him by law. Though there were no means
of testing the accuracy of this statement, it must be accepted with the
proverbial grain of salt. Any numbers derived from native sources
are to be looked on with suspicion ; for they have no true idea of
numeration, the word " many '' being used for all large amounts,
and may as equally signify hundreds as thousands. The King
could marry whomsoever he pleased, the more the merrier.
Certain death fell on any man who looked on one of the King's
wives, and instances are also known in which young lovers have
been ruthlessly parted for the maiden to be placed in the royal
harem, and afterwards, béing discovered secretly renewing their
vows, they have both been barbarously tortured and executed.
When Prempeh ascended the throne, he proclaimed, as a
punishment to the family, that any man who should cohabit with
the sisters of Prince Yao Atchereboanda of Kumassi should be
put to death. A few months ago, just before the Ansahs stárted
to England, Kwasie Adjaye, Captain of the Royal Hammockmen,
and commanding one thousand guns, was accused of familiarity
with one of these sisters. Princess Akosia Bereyna, and he was
publicly put to death on this flimsy pretext.
On one occasion, Prempeh is said to have caused a public
execution of four hundred young virgins, their blood being used
for the stucco on the Palace walls. Even if the numbers are
exaggerated, the information is probably true in the main, as
virgin's blood is supposed to contain very sacred properties,
and much of the Ju-ju or fetish medicine of the West Africans
must be obtained from different parts of a young girl immediately
after slaughter.
The royal wives were carefully guarded by eunuchs, but were
often executed for a fancied offence ; if they were passé, or had
been denounced as unfaithful, by some evil-disposed person, though
they had little chance of infidelity.
The Ashanti subjects who could not rely on the good services
of the executioner to dispose of old wives, whose beauty had
faded or who were too old to work, could easily rid themselves of
the encumbrance. They had only to bring an accusation of un¬
faithfulness against the poor wretch and she had to undergo the
ordeal of poison.
The fetish priest, on being consulted, arrived with an elaborate
apparatus of skins, idols, etc., and seated himself in front of the
FETISH HORRORS.
171
victim, who knew she was innocent, and had perfect con¬
fidence in facing the ordeal. The crafty fetishman then made a
poisonous mixture, and poured it down her throat. He shrieked
and wailed, while numerous interested spectators chanted a weird
chorus. He is a clever conjuror, and manipulated his parapher¬
nalia cleverly, but greeted every movement with a well-feigned
astonishment, not lost on the people. Excitement grew to fever
pitch as he muttered mysterious incantations; but at last, the
poison beginning to act, the poor woman screamed in fearful
agony as the pains seized her.
The priest paused in his mummeries to frantically clutch the
air as one possessed, while the victim lay writhing in the last
throes of mortal agony. When he saw the poison had success¬
fully done its work, he sprang up denouncing the dying woman.
Her agony was then speedily ended by the infuriated spectators
rushing in, and beating the remaining life from the pulsating body
with their clubs. By this means this wonderful fetish priest had
consulted the Spirits, and the Gods had devoured the life from
the wicked woman whose only offence, most probably, was that
her husband was tired of her. This ordeal by poison was not
confined to Ashanti alone ; but was, and is still, practised in many
places in the interior. Another more inquisitorial form of torture
was to bury a man to his neck in a colony of white ants, who
slowly devoured the flesh off the living body.
I have no wish to dwell unduly on these horrors ; but in order
to give a faithful account of the habits of the people of West
Africa it is necessary tP recount many gruesome details in
speaking of their devilish fetish worship. English people have no
idea of the fearful enormities constantly practised in darkest
Africa, and it is just as well that their eyes should be opened, so
that they will be in a better position to judge the difficulties to be
encountered in civilizing these people, and why it seems impos¬
sible for them to be made respectable members of society. In
the apparently most civilized districts, all manner of diabolical
crimes are committed under the very nose of the authorities; and
so superstitious are the people, and so powerful the influence of
the fetish priests, that the greatest difficulty is experienced in
tracing these acts to their source. In many places the tenth
child in every family is slain at birth as an offering. I could not
find out for what supposed reason the gods require this sacrifice,
but as the offspring of most African women exceeds this number,
172
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
many hundreds of innocent babes must be yearly killed. Even
on the Gold Coast itself, in well-populated districts, the moment
the tenth child is born in many families, it is either buried alive
or taken to the shore and thrown into the sea. It is difficult to
advise any course for the Government to stop such practices, as
most stringent legislation is of little use in restraining accepted tradi¬
tions, which the people are bound to follow by a superstitious dread
of fearful penalties. It would be a good plan to keep a more watch¬
ful eye on these wretched priests, who do much to counteract the
missionaries' efforts to teach the people better things. One day,
perhaps, the Authorities will remove some of these wretches to
safe quarters in the Castle ; for though it is undoubtedly a
dangerous precedent to take drastic measures in dealing with the
religion of a fanatical people, numbers of these priests have earned
enough rope to rig the gallows for themselves. This is digressing
somewhat, so to resume.
On Sunday, at 7 a.m., a church parade was held, at which all the
Garrison attended. The service was a combined one, conducted
by Canon Taylor Smith, the Church of England Chaplain, and
the Reverend William Somerville, the Wesleyan Missionary who
was with the force.
It was an impressive sight with the sombre forest surroundings,
the grey mists hanging over the tree tops, the long lines of red
coats, and a sprinkling of the dark uniforms and faces of the West
India Regiment. Behind stretched a long sea of dusky faces and
naked bodies of hundreds of wondering savages, carriers, levies,
and Ashantis looking on, the latter wonjjering what strange fetish
ceremony was being gone through by those assembled white
soldiers.
One could not but be struck with the conduct of the three
Chaplains accompanying the force. There was no bigoted
intolerance and no friction ; but the Church of England,
Methodist and Roman Catholic all joined in visiting the sick,
ministering to their flock, and working together for the general
good. Many instances could be quoted of the two Protestant
Chaplains, and Father Wade, who was attending the Roman
Catholics, relinquishing their hammocks to aid some fallen
wayfarer on the road, and generally assisting the sick when
practicable. A small, practical illustration of prejudice laid aside
for the common good. A pity it is, that there cannot be more
instances of it, in these days, when, despite the cry for the reunion
A MEMORABLE SUNDAY.
173
of Chrislendotn, many rabid " Stiggins " of all denominations
are occupied with riotous controversy over small points of doctrine,
upon which no two men can think the same. These unseemly
contentions have no effect beyond sowing seeds of dissension and
doubt, broad-cast throughout the land. It would be a good day
for England if these men would combine in their duty to the
cause of humanity, in place of wasting energy on petty bickerings
over theological differences ; though the latter gives these self-
seekers a chance for ostentatious but cheap advertisement, and
turns the pulpit into a mere rostrum for pressing individual ideas
and subjective idealism.
Captain Stewart had intimated to Prempeh that he must tender
his submission on Monday, January 20th.
Occasionally on Sunday there was a distant desultory drumming,
but Ashantis became more scarce in the town, and it was evident
that some movement was in the air.
On Sunday evening, a palaver was held in the palace,
the chiefs being hastily summoned, and it was thought that
this was a ruse to get them together to endeavour to slip away
in the night, get clear, collect their forces and attempt an
attack on Kumassi when most of the troops had been withdrawn.
They well knew that the white soldiers would have to leave before
the rains set in, and may have thought that eventually they would
be left in peace to return to Kumassi, and resume their life, in
the old sweet way, as in 1874, when all troops, both white and
coloured, were withdrawn.
To guard against aiTy escape, the jungle was cleared right
round the palace, and a cordon of the native levy drawn round
after dark. The Palace Garden joined the bush at the back, and
a secret footpath led through the swamp beyond. The piquets soon
secured many prisoners, who emerged from the palace to recon¬
noitre on the various roads, only to find each was barred. The
palace people grew anxious when the various spies did not return,
and one of the Ansahs came out to see what was in the wind, and
was found on the secret pathway.
About three o'clock the Queen Mother emerged from the
palace with torches, and a long train of attendants, and passed
unconsciously right through the outposts, but she was not stopped.
She and her people went to her own private residence, which
was quietly surrounded as soon as she was domiciled. Several
174
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
chiefs were also captured during the night, trying to slip
away ; but Prempeh had either got an inkling of affairs, or
did not mean to bolt, as he did not attempt to leave in person.
The various prisoners were released at daylight, when everything
was in readiness for the final act to take place.
The King had been told to appear at six o'clock, with all his
chiefs, on the palaver ground. The white troops formed uj) on
the square at 7 a.m.; and the Houssas, followed by the long lines
of levies, had arrived from their quarters just before. After
a weary wait, it seemed that Prempeh did not mean to
come, so Captain Stewart and the interpreter went to fetch him.
Major Barker also took a company of the Special Service Corps
to strengthen the cordon round the palace, making escape
impossible. Captain Stewart went in alone and told the King
he must come at once, or he would take him by force.
There was a beating of one solitary drum, as the King entered
his litter, and with a little delay, the Queen Mother joined the royal
procession, which slowly wended its way across the clearing, into the
square formed by the troops. Prempeh was accompanied by his
chiefs, and followed by a large procession of guards, soldiers, slaves
and attendants ; but with a quick flank movement the Houssas
cut this crowd away from their leaders, and umbrellas and stools,
bearers and attendants, were soon flying in every direction.
The Queen Mother took a seat on her son's left ; the
chiefs and a few select servants ranging themselves in a long line
facing Governor Maxwell, Sir Francis Scott, and Colonel
Kempster. These officers were seated on an improvised dais of
biscuit boxes, surrounded by the remaining officers of the
Staff.
One chief was still absent, but presently the disobedient old
rascal came in sight with his followers, escorted by a body of
Houssas, sent to fetch him. These troops moved along at a
quick rate ; an undignified and unceremonious way for his
chiefship to make his debut, and one which he bitterly resented.
He was pushed and jostled by his followers pressed in rear by the
gallant little Houssas ; and then his attendants were all turned
roughly aside, and he had to walk into the square unattended.
He turned indignantly to expostulate, but a muscular sergeant
added insult to injury, by seizing a stool and squatting him
forcibly down upon it. The palaver then commenced.
I
THE PALAVER.
From a sketch by Mr. H. C. Seppings Wright^ Artist Correspondent to " The Illustrated London News,*^
i, His Excellency Governor Maxwell. 2, Sir Francis Scott. 3, Colonel Kempster. 4, Lieut,-Col. Belfield.
5, Surg.-Col. Taylor. 6, Col. Ward. 7, Major Piggott. 8, Prince Christian. 9, Capt. Donald Stewart.
10, Mr. Haddon Smith, ii, Surg.-Col Henderson. 12, Mr. Bennett Burleigh. 13, Capt. Larrymore.
14, Surg.-Maj. Hughes. 15, Canon Taylor Smith. 16, Lif.ut, Faber, R.E. 17, Lieut. Pritchard, R.E. 18, Mr.
Gwynne (Reuter*s). 191 Father Wade. 20, Mr. Vroom (Native Commissioner). 2it King Prempeh. 22, Queen
Mother. 24. State Umbrellas
THE FINAL PALAVER.
177
Mr. Vroom, the Native Commissioner, acted as interpreter, and
through him the conditions of the treaty were given to the
Ashantis ; but it had to be again repeated by the royal linguist ta
Prempeh, wlio could not bemean himself by listening to the
stranger's voice.
Governor Maxwell reminded the King of his direct refusal ta
the ultimatums dispatched to him ; further, that he sent Envoys
to England, in direct opposition to orders ; for they were told that
all negotiations must be made to the Governor on the coast.
His Excellency went on to say that no article of our last treaty
with Ashanti had been kept. They had made no attempt to pay the
war indemnity, and it was still owing. Human sacrifices were to
have been abolished, but they had still gone on. No road had been
kept clear through the bush to the coast, which was another
express stipulation of that treaty. However, the British Govern¬
ment had no wish to depose Prempeh if he would agree to the
following conditions :—
He must make his submission in native fashion ; and pay an
indemnity of 50,000 ounces of gold dust.
He was now ready to receive the submission of the King and
the Queen Mother.
Prempeh hesitated.—It was a terrible blow to the prestige of
that haughty despot, to whom " all the princes of the earth bowed
down," to thus humiliate himself in the presence of those white
men and his own people.
He looked sheepish, toying with his fetish ornaments, and
ready to cry with mprtification. Albert Ansah stepped up and
held a whispered consultation with him. Then, quietly slipping
off his sandals, the King arose, removed his circlet, and he and
the Queen Mother reluctantly walked over to prostrate themselves
before the Governor, and embrace his feet.
The scene was a most striking one. The heavy masses of
foliage, that solid square of red coats and glistening bayonets,
the Artillery drawn up ready for any emergency, the black bodies of
the native levies, resting on their long guns in the background,
while inside the square the Ashantis sat as if turned to stone, as
Mother and Son, whose word was a matter of life and death, and
whose slightest move constituted a command which all obeyed,
were thus forced to humble themselves in sight of the assembled
thousands.
178
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
It was indeed a fall to the pride of that plenipotent monarch
and his royal mother, to whom many a tortured victim had
pleaded in väin for life, and at whose feet the very chiefs had to
prostrate themselves, before they dared speak.
A perfect hush fell on the assembled multitude, and even the
irrepressible natives were silenced as the King and his royal
mother knelt, and tendered their submission ; then rose to their
feet, thoroughly humiliated and confounded, and returned to their
people.
Prempeh collected himself, and being prompted by the
Ansahs, again rose, exclaiming in a clear voice, " I now claim the
protection of the Queen of England." The chiefs seconded this
remark with a resonant cry of " Yeo ! Yeo I Yeo ! " i.e., " Good !
Good ! Good ! "
The Governor reminded him that only one of the conditions
had been fulfilled. He was now ready to receive the indemnity
which had been promised.
Oh, yes ! The King knew that quite well and he would
be most pleased to pay it. Unfortunately, the treasury was not
full just then, so he would pay 340 bendas, i.e., 680 ounces of
gold, and pay tbe rest by instalments.
The Governor replied : " It is absurd to think that a man able
to send envoys to England, has only that small amount in his
treasury. Ashanti shall have British protection, but first British
demands must be complied with. The King has been told that
he must pay the indemnity, and he must provide the whole or a
large part of the amount at once. The Ashantis have proved
that their word cannot be trusted, and they have repeatedly
promised to pay the last indemnity, but had never fulfilled that
promise. The King must this time give me ample security."
Prempeh, with a deprecatory gesture, said he would pay in
time.
The Governor rejoined : " The King, the Queen Mother, the
King's father, his two uncles, his brother, the two War Chiefs,
and the Kings of Mampon, Ejesu, and Oiesu, will be taken as
prisoners to the Coast. They will be treated with due respect."
Had a thunderbolt burst in their midst, the Ashantis could
not have been more amazed. Consternation was depicted on
every countenance, and all sat transfixed for a moment, then
leaping to their feet, the chiefs begged that Prempeh should not
be taken from them.
PREMPEH AND THE QUEEN MOTHER RISE TO TENDER THEIR SUBMISSION.
A SMART COUP.
i8i
Kokofuku, pointing to the Ansahs, who stood by, looking
half amused, half astonished, s.houted angrily, " And what about
those men, who have brought this trouble upon our heads ? "
The Governor replied : " The Ansahs will be arrested as
criminals and taken to the coast on a charge of forgery."
The signal was instantly given ; Captain Donovan of the
Colonial Service stepped out and handcuffed the two Princes ;
several officers and warrant officers, previously appointed, drew
their swords and formed up as escort to the Ashanti King and
Chiefs.
The dhiouement was startling and complete, and one almost
expected to see the curtain fall on that dramatic scene, amid the
plaudits of the audience and hammering from the gods.
The captives were marched, shortly after, to a house pre¬
pared for their reception, and the Ansahs were incarcerated in the
Houssas' Guard room. The Princes were struck dumb at their
reception. Words cannot describe John's expression of mingled
hate, fear, rage and astonishment. Thus was the crafty negro
foiled ; a man of undoubted talent, whose cleverness and education,
if directed properly, might have made him a leading light on the
Gold Coast. Born in Kumassi, he was taken as a babe to Cape
Coast Castle. He was well educated, took an oath of allegiance,
and entered the Gold Coast Rifle Corps. As a youth he fought
for the English against his own country in 1874, and obtaining a
medal. Then he constantly had intrigues with Kumassi, and was
dismissed from the Public Service of the Gold Coast Colony,
With his younger brother Albert, who had returned to Kumassi, he
worked hard for his own ends, and these two educated princes
finely duped their more ignorant Ashanti countrymen. When they,
as envoys, arrived in England, they immediately began to work in
their own interests, selling concessions to which they had no right,
and forging documents purporting to come from King Prempeh
himself. As a specimen of their cool effrontery, they wrote the
following letter in London, and forwarded it to the Queen, but
needless to add, their character and fame had gone before, and
they were not received.
(Seal.)
To the Most Gracious and Illustrious Sovereign, Victoria,
Queen ok Great Britain and Ireland.
Kwaku Dua III., King of Ashanti, wisheth health and prosperity.
We pray Your Most Gracious Majesty to know that we have appointed
our trusty and well-beloved, grandson. Prince John Ossoo Ansah, son of the
i82
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
late Prince Ansah, of Ashanti, on our behalf to lay l)efore your Majesty divers
matters affecting the good estate of our kingdom and the well-lieing of our
subjects, with full power for the said Prince Ansah as our ambassador extra¬
ordinary and minister plenipotentiary to negotiate and conclude all such
treaties relating to the furtherance of trade and all matters therewiih connected
as your Majesty shall be pleased to entertain.
We therefore pray that your Majesty will be pleased to receive the said
Prince Ansah on our behalf and to accord to him your Majesty's most royal
favour.
Given at our Court at Kumassi this 8th day of September, 1894. my
Kwaku Dua III., X
King of Ashanti. mark.
Two companies of the West Yorkshire Regiment, under Captain
H. Walker, itnmediately took posse.ssion of the Palace. The
cordon had not been withdrawn, so no one could leave. ."Ml the
doors were barred, however, on the inside, and there was a hum of
many voices to be heard as the troops approached. One company,
therefore, formed round to strengthen the cordon of levies, while
the others, under the guidance of Major Baden-Powell, proceeded
to make an entrance by a side door. Owing to the rumour that
the Palace was undermined, the main entrance was not selected.
The side door was burst in, and opened into a large deserted
courtyard. Another painted door was then broken down, and the
troops dashed in among some hundreds of natives. No resistance,
however, was offered, and they were taken prisoners, disarmed,
and placed under escort outside.
The work of collecting the valuables in the palace was next
proceeded with. Looting the palace of a king of great reputed
opulence was tempting work ; but though a great many valuables
were seized, there was no fabulous wealth discovered as in the
palaces looted in India and China. The treasure collected, only
consisted of the richly worked head-dress of the King, also rings,
gold trinkets and charms, gold hiked swords, etc., etc., with
hundreds of articles of small value.
The celebrated Golden Stool of Ashanti, the solid gold crown,
and many other almost historical relics of great intrinsic worth,
had been previously removed to a place of safety, and secretly
hidden where, perhaps, no eye will ever penetrate. An Ashanti
custom was to bury the treasure in the bush in time of war, the
slaves occupied in the task being then beheaded. From reports,
this had been done just before the troops invested this capital of
mud and murder. The seized spoil was deposited in a he.ip out¬
side Headquarters, and soon formed a pile of large dimensions.
THE LOOT.
183
a great portion of the articles being of the most common-place
description.
Gorgeous State umbrellas, enormous kinkassies or wardrums,
brass-studded chairs, beautifully carved stools, European and
native swords, native spears, Asbanti daggers and knives,
executioners' blades and torture instruments, brass studded
cases, leather fetish caps, silken and cotton cloths, execution
stools with recent blood stains, valuable old English chinaware,
common table knives, large glass vases, carved wooden sandals,
silk and gingham pillows of down and soft cotton, a few tusks,
ivory pieces for playing " po" and drafts, a few bottles of brandy,
common blunderbusses, old flint locks, a few Sniders, and so on
ad infinitum.
Fetish was represented by hundreds of charms of every size,
shape, and description, from the common slaves' ju-ju of plaited
straw to the elaborately worked charms of chased gold or leopard
and lion skin, with human blood on the sacred inscription inside as
a fancied panacea, of far-reaching power, to cure every disease,
destroy an enemy, and grant the wearer a perfect immunity from
any ills the flesh or spirit is heir to.
The writing in these charms is usually burnt or written on
cloth or paper ; but I saw one inscription beautifully branded on a
dry strip of bamboo bark in Burmese style. The writing
resembles that of the Sanscrit, the formation of the figures being
identical, but as I am not an authority on the subject, I am
unable to say if it is the same in every lespect. Writing is un¬
known except among the fetish priests who have a written language
of their own. Thus not only is the bas bleu unknown, but a
very small percentage of the sterner sex ever learn what is looked
upon as an occult accomplishment.
There was not a large number of guns discovered, in fact, few
weapons of any description. The armed men had made off to
the bush, and were no doubt only awaiting the call of their leaders,
now safely ensconced, with a file or two of Houssa bayonets
between them and their warriors.
Among the loot were some horrible cloths including a woman's
robe, saturated with blood, and other evidences of very recent
sacrifices were not wanting.
184
CHAPTER X.
BANTAMA DESCRIBED—HUMAN SACRIFICES—THE FALL OF FETISHISM—AFRICA
FOR THE AFRICANS—SAMORY—FETISH TREES DESTROYED—ENGLISH
IMPRESSIONS—THE FUTURE OF ASHANTI—A MIDNIGHT RECONNAISSANCE
—PREMPEH'S COUNTRY HOUSE.
Immediately after the palaver, the native levy marched to
Bantama and surrounded the Royal Mausoleum and fetish houses.
When these were broken into, nothing was found except a row of
empty brass coffins in the Mausoleum. The contents of the
houses, which were of great value, had all been removed with
the sacred bones of the Kings, before the capital was invested.
The practice in Ashanti, when a person dies, is to bury all the
personal belongings, that they may accompany the defunct to the
next world. Before burial, each article has to be "killed,"
i.e., broken, to enable its spirit to " shuffle off this mortal coil."
On the decease of an important personage, slaves have to be
sacrificed, guns and spears snapped, bow strings carefully cut,
arrows split, and the odd utensils, as plates, calabashes, &c.,
cracked ; and thus the spirit of the departed native makes its
exit in a manner befitting its rank, attended by the spirits of every
needful commodity, from slaves to the deceased's diity pipe. The
Ashantis have no belief in award or punishment in the future
state, though the fetish power looks sharply after its adherents
in this life. Fetishism is a religion only in the literal sense of
that word, which means " fearing the gods." There is no question
of right or wrong in their creed, for the fetish is a spirit, or com¬
bination of spirits, manifested in material things, and which is
ever ready to seriously injure unless handsomely propitiated.
In short, by means of fetishism kings hold their despotic sway,
and the priests draw large revenues, and exercise an enormous
infiuence. In its tenets there is no question of doing good here
and being rewarded in the next world, and in this respect, it differs
greatly from the lowest forms of Hindoo idolatry, for even the
Thugs professed to think they would reap a rich posthumous
reward for every victim they secured with the sacred noose and
pickaxe of Käli.
These fetish houses at Bantama had doubtlessly contained
rich treasure belonging to the defunct Ashanti monarchs, and
BANTAMA.
this would be looked upon as sacred by the natives ; but it was
not to be found, having been previously removed. Outside the
chief buildings were various food offerings placed for the refresh¬
ment of the departed chiefs, and the door was firmly cemented
up. These offerings showed that the people were unaware of the
sacrilege committed, and the villainous priests may have surrepti¬
tiously removed the valuables for their own use, months before
the Expedition was thought of.
Near the buildings stood the sacred banyan tree, with a large
metal basin fixed below. Beneath the shade of this tree, human
fetish sacrifices took place on regular festivals, slaves being barbar¬
ously executed as offerings to the manes of departed kings. These
festivals took place quarterly, when the King paid his periodical
visit to show his respect to the deified shades of the departed, and
also to satiate his real, and their imaginary, blood-lust, by the
decapitation of twenty victims, whose blood was collected in the
sacred bowl.
The fetish village was speedily set on fire, and the tree blown
up, the bowl falling as trophy to the popular commander of the
levy. The ground round the tree was saturated and foetid with
human blood, and the very roots were stained and impregnated
with red corpuscles.
Some specially interested gentlemen, misled by the Ansahs,
publicly stated that human sacrifice was unknown in Kumassi.
The Princes (par nobile fratrum !) had serious thoughts, when in
London, of bringing an action for slander against Governor
Griffith and Sir Francis Scott, for stating that Prempeh indulged
in the mild dissipation of occasional head-chopping ; and thereby
casting a reflection on the character and the integrity of the
Ashanti Embassy then in London. The solicitor acting for these
masquerading princes and forgers, found he could not weave a
single mesh of the legal net required for a pruna facie case, though
he had twisted and contorted every clause of the laws relating to
libel, and waded through briefs innumerable, in the hope of finding
a precedent. He adopted, however, the moderately wise course
of writing to the Press on the subject, and by a striking coincidence,
the same week, abundant proof of recent sacrifice arrived by mail
from Accra, the reports being voluntarily furnished by eye¬
witnesses.
Every day that we spent in Kumassi, also brought to light
fresh evidences of the continuance of the practice, though the
N
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
people had been warned, under pain of fearful penalties, not to
give any information to the white men. By means of an interpreter
I talked with many of them freely on other topics ; but one had only
to touch on anything connected with fetish or sacrifice, and they
instantly glanced round much disturbed. "The priests are so
wise and will tell the white man all he wishes to know, but we
must not say words about it;" and the dark native minds fully
believed the priest knew every thought they had, or word they
uttered. There were fugitive Ashantis on the coast, however,
who were not afraid to speak, and native traders who visited
Kumassi with goods, and sometimes forfeited their lives for their
temerity, have brought reports from time to time, of strange and
bloody doings of Prempeh & Co. Much information was given
me by an intelligent and well educated young captain or chief from
Accra. He was in charge of his people serving as carriers to the
Expedition, and proved to be a perfect mine of information
respecting West African habits and customs.
There were two ways of evading sacrifice after a person had
been selected for execution. One was to repeat the "King's
Oath," a form of declaring allegiance to the sovereign ; or the
intended victim must break away from his captors and reach a
certain spot on the outskirts of the town, which formed a
sanctuary or place of refuge. Another subject would then have
to be selected, and the escaped victim would be free for the time
being. These seemingly merciful provisos were not available for
those who were to be executed for an offence, real or imaginary,
against the King, and if he wanted a victim, he had not far to
look for an excuse. Even the person who unwittingly passed
under the shade of a fetish tree was condemned to death. To
prevent intended victims getting clear by either of the before-
mentioned methods, the executioners sprang on the poor wretch
from behind, and thrust a long stiletto through his cheeks and
tongue to prevent him speaking. A long wooden skewer was
then thrust through the muscles of his arms, fixing them behind,
and in this horrible condition his legs were put in irons to keep
him fast until he was wanted for execution.
On the death of any great personage, slaves were immediately
sacrificed on the threshold. If a chief, male victims were
selected ; but if a great lady died, females were slaughtered, often
young virgins of tender age. The burial was marked by another
scene of bloodshed, and more victims were chosen and executed,
EXECUTIONS.
187
one of the mourners being sometimes seized and killed, if it
suited the priest's caprice to further amuse the crowd. Quite
recently, Aframi, King of Gyeso died, and Prempeh had six men
beheaded at the burial to " wash his grave," as the custom is
called.
When the King or any of the royal family of Kumassi died,
enormous sacrifices took place, and on the death of the King's
AN EXECUTIONER.
aunt, 400 slaves were tortured and executed for the supreme joy
and edification of the people. In these large executions, the
executioner in his frenzy would often seize an unsuspecting on¬
looker he had a grudge against, or had been bribed to remove,
and the victim's head would be hacked off amid the plaudits of
the onlookers. Fiendish tortures were also often resorted to,
especially with prisoners of war," when the executioners vied with
N 2
i88
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
each other in devising fearful methods of torture, such as flaying
alive, plucking out eyes, and even more original devices. When
Prempeh ascended the throne enormous sacrifices also took place
to celebrate the event.
Human sacrifices were offered to avert threatening calamities,
and even as the troops invested the capital, two young slave girls
had their throats quietly cut in the confines of the palace, their
blood being poured out as a libation to the gods to act against
the invading white man.
Sir Brandford Griffith closed his dispatch of February içtb»
1895, to the Marquis of Ripon, with these words :—
" I trust your Lordship will pardon me for placing this ghastly record of
savage atrocity, barbarity and reckless sacrifice of human life before you for I
know it will shock you, My Lord ; but all things considered it has appeared
to me that under existing circumstances, it was my duty to place before your
Lordship in a connected form, the account contained in this Dispatch, of the
savage, cruel and ruthless conduct of the King of Kumassi, and of those
supporting him in his atrocious and murderous career."
In these pages I have given accounts of a few atrocities
gathered from various sources, and must apologize to my readers
for the'sickening details ; but so much talk was made at the time on
this " totally uncalled for " Expedition, that it is well the true
nature of the Kumassi Rulers be made known. The great wonder
is that the bloody capital had remained so long. It has only
been during the last few months that affairs in Ashanti excited
comment ; but for a considerable time past, the Liverpool and
Manchester Chambers of Commerce had urged on the Govern¬
ment the necessity for strong action. On the Gold Coast itself,
also, public opinion had been expressing itself in both the
missionary journal and the regular newspaper. The following
extract from the Gold Coast Chronicle savours rather much of the
editorial " We," and the style isa good specimen of the work of a
coloured journalist. However, the pith of the remarks is true,
and not out of place at this juncture when little more than a year
had elapsed to see the fulfilment of the Editor's dearest wishes.
Extract from the Gold Coast Chronicle, Accra, Friday, 30th
November, 1894 :—
" So many reports are afloat with regard to Ashanti at present, that one
does not really know what he is to believe, although it is universally admitted
that the public chest must suffer if something of a decisive character does not
take place, as there have been no end of expeditions to the "bush "in late
years, and no sooner does one expedition return from Cape Coast than another
NATIVE PRESS LEADER.
is sent to the same place, and still we have the greatest unrest conceivable in
the interior. What are we all about ? Can no one open his mouth and speak ?
If we were wise in our generation, we would just march our troops direct to
Kumassi, and once and for all, put an end to fruitless missions to the interior.
If after we reached Kumassi there was the slightest disposition on the part of
the Ashantis to fight, we would then be afforded another opportunity of giving
King Prempeh and his followers some adequate conception of the resources of
civilisation. In plain words, we must go straight to Kumassi and occupy or
annex it, declaring Ashanti a British protectorate. A District Commissioner
with some 200 or 300 Houssas could be left in Kumassi to ensure the main¬
tenance of order. This, surely, would not be a difficult task for us. In fact,
it is almost impossible to understand the infatuation which has led the local
Government so far into so many blunders with regard to Ashanti. To tell the
truth, we appear to have been playing with the question of having a firm and
vigorous policy in regard to Ashanti all along, and we must be ready to
confess this.
We were told last week that Prince John Osoo Ansah was coming down
to Cape Coast with some 500 followers on his way to London, but he has not
reached the sea-board yet, from what we can gather, and the Governor is now
waiting in Cape Coast for him, we believe ; and if the information that we
received a few days ago is to be relied upon, the Prince in question may
suddenly alter his intentions, which would probably imply further waste of
public money. There is no spectacle, hardly, more humiliating than this !
Here we are being led about like pigs by Ashantis ! The latter know full
well our most vulnerable or weakest parts. When they wish us to pitch away
a few thousands, they simply create some little row, and threaten to do this,
that, and the other, and forthwith an expedition is sent to the "bush" to
await the turn of events. Certainly we are being fought with weapons of a
most amusing de.scription by the Ashantis. The demands on our chest, in
consequence of the constantly recurring expeditions, are getting so numerous
that before long, at this rate, we shall have very little money left. Possibly
the King of Ashanti thinks he can more conveniently injure us by placing us
constantly under the necessity of sending expeditions to the interior ; and thus
contributing towards the ultimate exhaustion of our resources. If every
expedition costs, say, ;Í5,ooo, 10 must necessarily cost ;¿'5o,ooo, and so on !
It is time for us to see that we have not too much money to pitch away. We
should like to hear of some demonstration of force which will be final. If
there are 800 Houssas in this Colony, send them all to Ashanti with the Union
Jack, and let the whole of that country be declared once and for all a British
protectorate in spite of all opposition.
Our interior policy has been throughout a failure, and had the 1883
Administration possessed the good sense to avail itself of the offer that was
made, the whole of Ashanti might now be under our flag, and during the
pa.st ri years we should not have heard of fruitless missions and unneces¬
sary expeditions to the "bush" so frequently, for in 1883 the Ashantis
expressed a willingness to become British subjects, the King having sent down
to the late Governor Rowe to ask whether Her Majesty's Government would
effect some arrangements in the matter, and thus put an end to the quarrels,
while avoiding all future misunderstanding or unpleasantness. In fact, we
should not like to assume any responsibility for the acts of the Government in
the year in question, for all round we had blunders ; and it was just about the
same time that Little Popo was also offered to us, but which the Germans,
through our want of foresight and supineness, ultimately seized ; it is difficult to
ipo TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT,
see how we could have been very alive to our interests in those days, while
manifesting so much indifference in matters pertaining to the extension of
territory ; but whatever we might have done in the past, it is obvious that we
are being made now to suffer for it. But we can certainly atone for our past
misdeeds by wiser action in the future. Every year has its lessons and they
should not be forgotten. There is, however, a fair opportunity now to
take Ashanti. Shall we avail ourselves of it, or shall we not ? Are we for
ever going to remain dead to our interests?
The traders who are living in the regions behind Ashanti would be glad
to hear that our flag was in Kumassi, as they could then come right down to
the sea-board to trade without any interruption, and be under no necessity to
deal with us, as they have hitherto done, through the Ashantis, and the latter
have heretofore occupied, commercially, the position of "middlemen." The
Jebus were made to suffer for acting as "middlemen." And the Ashantis
must certainly not be considered as saints when compared with the Jebus. It
strikes us forcibly that when the inquiry is really made, there will be found
some "balance" in favour of the Jebus, who have never been known to have
been half so atrocious as the Ashantis. The Lagos trade was not injured so
much as the Gold Coast trade has been by the Ashantis when war was declared
against the King of Jebu. Is the British Government afraid of the Ashantis?
If it is not, why should King Prempeh be permitted to do such things with
impunity that no other monarch in Western Africa would be suffered to do ?
As middlemen, to continue the indictment, the Ashantis have almost ruined
our trade. They are perpetually having wars, too, among themselves, and
it comes to this, that they will not, whenever the civil wars break out, come
to the Coast to trade or allow any of the people living in the regions behind
their country to come down. It is a reproach, moreover, to the civilisation of
this century, that any savage King should be suffered by the British Govern¬
ment to do what King Prempeh is daily doing. In a previous issue we also
referred to the periodical slaughter of men, women, and children in Kumassi,
and the constant sacriflces, and all notwithstanding the existence of the Treaty
of Pomona ! "
In the Cffûs/ Methodist Times of the 31st of August,
1894, there was a statement under the head of " Ashanti—(from
a correspondent^—Coronation of Prempeh.—Afagnificent Display
of Royalty "—that—
" On the 4th of June last, Prempeh, who had lieen elected to the Stool in
1888, was formally installed King of Ashanti and placed on the Golden Stool,
amidst magnificent display of royalty at the Ashanti metropolis. The election
oí Prempeh, some six years ago, occasioned much serious contention and
bloodshed in the kingdom, which led one of its principal Chiefs, Osai Esilrey
of Kokofu, to quit his district and flee to the Protectorate. Among the
influential Chiefs present at Kumassi on the grand day mentioned, were Asafii
Buakyi Bantuma Ewua, Etsia Yaw Buakyi of Bekwai, and Yaw Sapon of
Dwabin, who turned up in state, making Kumassi look like on some memorable
days gone by. After the coronation festivities, the Chiefs and King with his
Counsellors are said to have devoted full two weeks to deliberations as to how
order and peace could be restored in the kingdom, and Ashanti regain its past
glory and renown. The assembly dispersed about the 24th of June ; it having
been agreed to levy from the nation an amount of money to send to the
MORE HORRORS.
191
British Government for the giving back to the Kingdom of Esibey of Kokofu
and Nkansa of Adansi, Chiefs who have taken refuge in the Protectorate. To
this end 40 pereguins (£^2^) was to be raised by each of the great Chiefs in
their various districts."
The next paragraph, headed : " Dreadful Slaughter of
Human Beings," ran as follows :—
'■ It heilig customary with the new King of Ashanti on his enthronement
to observe a general funeral custom for royal relatives deceased, Prempeh also
lieing now installed, kept the hereditary custom by slaying some 400 human
beings in cold blood in honour of the royal dead, each of his Chiefs bringing
him presents of human victims from their provinces except the Chief of Bekwai,
who brought gold dust instead of human victims, stating his intention to con¬
form to British custom and practice, for, said he, ' My ancestors did not
prosper by their human sacrifices, and I am determined not to follow their
practices.'"
A trader also gives a fearful account of a " custom " he saw in
Kumassi in the previous November. It was held by General
Amanquanta of Ashanti in memory of General Awan, killed in
the civil war with Asibi and Kumassi. To celebrate the anni¬
versary, eight Nkoranza male captives, and one unfortunate
Princess, daughter of the late King Kari, were slaughtered
in cold blood. Prempeh attended this blood feast in person.
The following is an account given by Mahama Dankawrah,
a young Houssa, who joined the force with his friend Bapio, when
they reached British territory, after escaping from Ashantj. He
states :—
"About 12 years ago I came from my country (Kawrah) to Attabubu to
trade. While there Chief Ali caught me and sold me as a slave to one Kwadjo
Mensah at Nsuta. I was there only two days when my master sold me for a
pereguin (£8) to one Cucoe Tumfo at Agogo. I was employed by Cucoe
trading with the Coast, and out of the money I earned, my master was able to
buy Bapio Grunshi (who is here with me) at Mampon for £8, about four
yeais ago. After the soldiers came —about three weeks or so—our master
asked us to go to Quarmin with him to bring some of his sheep which were at
Quarinin back here. We went with him there. When we arrived he took us
to the King's house and sold us for £7 each to the King. After the King
bought us he put me in irons, but not Bapio, for 12 days. I tried all I could
to break the irons, and managed to do so after some time, when I ran away
with Bapio to Agogo to Mr. Harri Tenuha. About two years ago the present
Nsuta King's mother died at Konkrompe (near Attabubu), but they did not
bring the remains back to Nsuta till a fortnight ago. The day that the remains
arrived at the town we heard the beating of the great drum (Tumpang). I
was at Quarmin in irons, but Bapio had been sent to Nsuta to bring meat, and
was going to see what the matter was, when a man told him that the King
would kill him if he went to look on, as he was a stranger, so he did not go.
A man told Bapio that it was slaves who were sacrificed on this occasion. He
does not know how many, but whenever the Ashantis beat Tumpang, it means
192
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
that there is to be sacrificing. While I was lying in irons I overheard ihe
executioner in the next room tell a friend that he had just killed seven slaves.
The same night I broke my irons, and Bapio and I ran away. Some time ago
a Kumassi man died at Quarmin. His family came about i6 days ago to
Quarmin to get the remains. The same day they bought an old female slave
and sacrificed her there ; we saw the headless body of this woman lying in the
street the same day, the head having been taken by the family above-mentioned
to Kumassi, as the custom is."
After Prempeh's capture, the streets were filled with flying
Ashantis, taking what they could carry, to the bush. A group of
priests and fetish men crowded together in anxious deliberation
in a temple, on the north side of the town. Vile wretches, mur¬
derers, capable of any deed of cowardly cunning. Were these low-
looking creatures real humanity ? The huinanity which God
created ? Surely not ! They were more like apes than human
beings. The very leers and contortions of those lean faces, as their
owners wildly gesticulated, resembled the grin of the skulls that
we kicked into light when we wglked through the dank grass of
the horrible fetish grove. Their palaver did not last long,
and priests and executioners cleared to the bush, though
in strict justice, it seemed a pity some at least were not hung to
the adjoining fetish trees, as carrion for the vultures they could
provide food for no longer. Some of these " Ju Ju " men, trained
from childhood in the mystery and ways of the forest, and taught
carefully all that has been handed down in their profession for
generations, are not altogether imposters, and know secrets which
are not known in the Western World of Science; but all that
counts as nothing against their bloody and devilish rites.
The immense fetish trees were blown up one after another,
and the sacred houses and temples set on fire, or razed to the
ground, and a cry of despair went up from the miserable creatures
watching from the surrounding forest. " Our fetish is gone and
our gods have deserted us !" In a few hours they had a practical
lesson on the fallacy of fetishism that years of patient missionary
labour could not have taught them. The day before, they would
have declared that no power on earth could prevail against the
gods of Ashanti ; but when they saw Prempeh, the natural head of
fetish, forced to humble himself and afterwards be taken prisoner,
when the sacred houses and blood-washed trees, the very abode
of the spirits, were destroyed by the white man's powder, and
still the gods availed them nothing, their faith was shaken. It
was a trial of orthodoxy that even the negro mind could not
stand.
AFRICA FOR AFRICANS.
193
A mission is being founded again in Kumassi by the Wes-
leyans, under the personal direction of Revs. Dennis Kemp and
Somerville. This mission is to embrace Ashanti, and will not be
confined to tbe capital alone ; but a large sum is needed to put
it on a firm and satisfactory basis. I have referred to the
splendid work done by Methodists on the Gold Coast, and as this
is simply an extension of the work there, I trust among the large
amounts annually subscribed for Foreign Missions, ample funds
will find their way into these channels, where, I am convinced,
good use will be made of the money subscribed. The native
mind has never been so ripe for instruction, and with their belief
in fetish shaken to the very foundation, the mission will be a
great blessing and success.
The Ashantis, with all their blood lust and cruelty, are a
superior race to the Fanti, and much of the Ashanti savagery and
butchery lay at the door of the rulers and priests. When the
people have regained confidence, with judicious government and
wise teaching, the Ashantis will be creditable allies to Great
Britain, and the country a valuable acquisition.
Mr. Labouchere may say "Africa for the Africans," and plead
the cause of the negroes being robbed of their land. Let him ask
any reliable native resident, where British rule has been firmly
established, if he would prefer his own ruler or the present
administration, and ninety-nine cases out of a hundred I guarantee
the answer would be for a civilized government.
Think for a moment of Kumassi under the bloody rule of a
despotic tyrant like Prempeh, the people ground down and
degraded with slavery and every other dark form of barbarism,
the country in a state of perpetual civil war, and trade—nil.
Under British rule, trade will flourish, slavery and bloodshed
are abolished, the people also being instructed in schools, and
taught habits of self-respect and cleanliness. Thousands of
the natives are rejoicing even now at the downfall of Prempeh.
No doubt in the Congo Free State things are in a most dis¬
graceful condition in the interior, and I heard some heartrending
tales from a hammock bearer, who had previously been pressed into
the service of the State by Belgian agents in Sierra Leone. As
his statements only bear out reports from other sources, they are
no doubt true. The natives in this place, so aptly called " King
Leopold's White Elephant," are ground down and wickedly
194
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
oppressed and tortured by the officials of a civilized government.
It is time that strong measures were taken to alter the unsatis¬
factory state of affairs, mainly brought about by young and inex¬
perienced Belgian officers, whose sole aim seems to be extorting
goods from the natives, and making money. The poor negroes
in those districts have indeed found the rule of the white man
anything but a blessing, and one can imagine the sort of
oppression under Ú\s gallant Major Lothaire and others of his kin.
Ashanti had stood as the great barrier to the development of
our West African Colony, and the Expedition had been a brilliant
success in fully accomplishing its object, in spite of Mr. Regan's
prophecy, published on December 23rd, 1895, and which reached
us by the mail that arrived on the same day that the whole thing
was satisfactorily settled, and Prempeh captured.
It was interesting to learn that everything had been muddled
from the start ; also that a Resident might have been fixed and
the question permanently settled for a couple of thousand pounds ;
but happily for the prestige of England, she has not descended to
settling State affairs by " Whiteley," or by "Regan " either. If
that gentleman had only waited a few weeks, he would have found
the means justified the end. There was also much talk of Samory
and his intentions, but how the Alamany could attack us at
Kumassi it is difficult to say, for their army is chiefly cavalry, who
would be useless in the forest, for bush fighting. It is far more
likely that Samory will be only too glad to be able to trade
extensively with the English^ This will naturally take away the
monopoly from the firm who now send their agents to trade with
the great Mohammedan chief in the Hinterland, as the whole
country will be opened up to the traders on the coast. A railway
line is to be built from Saltpond which will be joined to Accra
and Cape Coast Castle by a coast line. The main line will lead
through the valley round the Adansi Hills, across the Ashanti
country to the Hinterland beyond.
The limit of the forest is reached 70 miles north of Kumassi,
and the country is then healthy and open. Large herds of cattle
and horses are owned by the Mohammedan Houssa tribes. The
country is rich, the inhabitants a fine race, intelligent and
industrious. Samory will no doubt be affected, as one of his best
slave markets is now closed in Kumassi ; but with fair treatment,
judging from his present attitude, he will be rather willing to assist
than hinder the British.
FALL OF FETISHISM.
195
The forest land will for ever remain much as it is. The coast
tribes are far too indolent to clear, and the climate is too deadly
for white men to attempt to work even as overseers, but when a
good road has been made from the coast, the timber trade may
be greatly developed, as it is now only hindered by the difficulties
of transport. There is much gold in the forest, but the climate
forbids the white man to disturb the surface of the earth, and stir
up the malaria germs ; for it is certain death for the European to
attempt to prospect.
The gathered loot was sold by auction outside Headquarters,
and fancy prices were realized for specially interesting articles,
though much of the stuff was not worth picking up.
Everyone in camp turned out to see the enormous fetish tree,
facing the market place, destroyed. Charges were inserted all
round the massive trunk, the cable was attached, and when every¬
one had withdrawn to a safe distance, the lever was pressed.
There was a dull roar ; a complete section about a foot wide was
blown away as cleanly as if cut, and the mighty trunk rearing its
lofty branches over 150 feet in the air, poised itself for a second,
and fell to the earth with a thunder and force that shook the
ground, crushing down large trees and part of the sacred grove in
its fall, and hadly injuring some natives who had gone too close
after they had been warned. The enormous stump with its
buttresses and gnarled roots was afterwards set on fire, and when
darkness fell on the capital the blazing fetish houses and heaps of
rubbish, with the black bodies of the levies as they rushed hither
and thither, demolishing walls and throwing fresh fuel on the
blazing piles, made a weird and striking scene, that will be long
imprinted on the minds of those who witnessed it. The public
square was turned into a temporary Gehenna, and tons of filth
and rubbish there destroyed.
There were many trivial but exciting episodes during the day
with Ashantis being mobbed and robbed by carriers, or natives
being disarmed by the Houssas, but a few of our niggers were tied
up and thrashed for robbing Ashantis, and things quieted down
by night, and the proud capital was left desolate and deserted.
Strong piquets were stationed right round the place, as i^ was
thought probable that an attempt might be made to rescue
Prempeh, but the night passed quietly, broken only by the chal¬
lenges of the native sentries—" Halt dere ! who come up dat dare
road?"
196
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
" Hullo ! did you take me for Shanti man ? " " Oh no, sah I
Shanti man him bad link, sah ! You no smell like Shanti, sah !
Good night, sah ! " and the cheery little Houssas resumed their
watch.
The Governor's smart coup in arresting all the chief men, had
robbed the warriors of their leaders ; and the open failure of the
fetish power had demoralized them thoroughly, but every precau¬
tion had to be taken. A popular tradition was that if the King died
at Kumassi, his fetish power remained, being transmitted to the
next ruler; but if he crossed the boundary, the power departed
with him from the capital, never to return. If Prempeh had acted
up to his acknowledged principles he should have committed
suicide rather than be removed ; but he was too great a coward to
do that, simply to bestow his evanescent power on his successor.
There were many who would have been glad to save his Royal
Highness the trouble, by assassinating him ; for thus the fetish
would remain with them for ever ; but they lacked opportunity as
a careful watch was kept on the King, till he was transferred to a
safe region.
On January 21st, a report reached Kumassi of Ashanti
warriors massing in a village near Mampon. Major Baden-Powell
took charge of a flying column, consisting of the levies under
Major Gordon, two companies of Houssas under Captain Mitchell
and a Maxim gun under Armourer-SergeanE Williams. They
started at midnight, and after a toilsome march through thick bush
and reeking swamp, reached the village, only to find the 400 armed
Ashantis had heard of their coming, and made off, leaving
smouldering camp fires as evidence of their recent presence.
When this column returned to camp, the main body was just
preparing to set out on the return march to the coast. They had
fresh orders to reconnoitre Prempeh's summer residence where
much valuable property had been stored. On arrival at this
palace it was found to be deserted and looted. It subsequently
transpired that Prempeh's head slave had been placed in charge,
and other slaves, freed from bondage in Kumassi, had flown there
with the news of Prempeh's downfall. They had then all systemati¬
cally plundered the store rooms, securing the valuables, shaking
the dust of Ashanti off their feet, returning to their own tribes with
a recompense for their forced sojourn in the King's service. A
large number of these slaves were taken during the war with
Mampon, who opposed Prempeh's enstoolment. Over a thousand
WAS THIS A PICNIC?
197
prisoners of war were then dragged into slavery to Kumassi, and
many of the chiefs, beside the old and infirm, were bound together
and burned alive by the savage army of Prempeh. Prempeh after¬
wards placed Osuche on the Mampon Stool, where he had reigned
as right-hand man of the Kumassi rulers. His capture by the
British will be hailed with joy by bis people, whom report says he
has kept down with an iron hand, and an ever-ready beheading
knife. Many a home in this district would rejoice in the
restoration of a long-lost son, father or husband, freed after,
perhaps, years of bondage.
While in Kumassi the number of sick swelled to rather an
alarming extent, and the Medical Officers anxiously looked
forward to the day the mud of Ashanti should be shaken off.
Every white man, paradoxical as it may read, was a sickly
yellow, for the malaria was upon all in a slight or severe form,
and a fever bred of the grisly and horrible surroundings. It was
always pretty hot, though not so glaring as on the coast, where
you lay an egg aside, and if you wait long enough, find a
chicken in its place. Then there were the tortures of prickly
heat to contend with, and a longing for a draught of water a few
degrees below 90°. At midday clothes might go ; the natives
were to be envied ; and the noblesse oblige of civilization, in dress
at least, was to be lamented. Then as night came on, the falling
dew chilled you to:the bone; yet when rolled in a blanket the
perspiration would drop from the forehead while alternate
shiverings and burnings succeeded each other in painful
monotony. Darkest West Africa indeed is no ideal spot ; and
as to those would-be journalists, sitting in the snug security of
their Fleet Street attics, and writing on the Ashanti Picnic—well,
they ought to be made to partake of a similar picnic. The West
African medal may well be hung on a ribbon of yellow and black
—fever and death stalk hand in hand in effective combination.
The Field Hospital was as well arranged as possible, and
everything was done to relieve the numbers of sick, who were in
a pitiful state with the dreaded fever. It was also a case of
" physician heal thyself," for malaria is no respecter of persons,
and attacked the Medical Staff as freely as other corps. Many a
fine lad lay suffering in the Hospital tent, dreaming in a hazy
delirium, of the home and dear ones far over the sea, which some
of the poor fellows were destined to never see again.
Close behind the town the forest rose in a dense, gloomy wall.
198
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
One day I ventured to explore this unknown waste. In half an
hour I could not have got more than two hundred yards. The
ground was a complete quagmire, and my journeying was from
root to root, and leaping on to fallen trunks and branches. A
miserable silence was over everything ; and around, as far as the
eye could reach, stretched the dreary mangrove swamps, dark
brownish green foliage above, and a mass of twisted roots rearing
their pale stems above the mud and water below. The muddy
stream gleamed in the fierce sunlight, while here and there among
the trees the white fever mist hung in thin wreaths, of which, if
the white man breathe, he shall surely die. Emerging from a
narrow tunnel-like waterway under the trees, which I had
traversed for the last hour, winding in and out among the man¬
grove roots, amid the semi-darkness made by the dense foliage
overhead, with its stifling, steam-like atmosphere, heavy with the
foul smell of putrifying mud and rotting vegetation, I reached
drier ground.
The forest was still as dense as ever and there were many
curious trees, and low shrubs of graceful palm-like leaves, forming
a huge crown over the top of the branches, high palms, with their
smooth columnar stems and finely pinnated leaves interlocked
above, forming arches and woven canopies of varied shape.
Then high above them rose the taller forest trees, whose giant
branches formed a second canopy from the sun. Immense
creepers clung around them, some stretching obliquely from their
summits like mast-stays, others spirally twisted around each other
and winding round the trunks like huge serpents ready for their
prey. Many of the trees were covered with parasitic plants, and
creepers climbing over each other in one vast struggle for
existence. Moralists would no doubt liken this scene to the
clamorous fight of humanity in the hopeless struggle of man to
lift himself to the vague unattainable ideal of life, as shown in
the picture of M. Rochegrosse, " Angoisse Humaine," recently
exhibited in the Paris Salon ; and their simile would not be out of
place.
Looking upward, the finely divided foliage was strongly
defined against a cloudless sky. There were few flowers, and
the ground was deeply covered with dead leaves and rotten wood,
through which low-creeping plants thrust their heads. Here and
there huge trunks lay rotting on the ground, forming a play
ground for hundreds of lively lizards, with red heads and brilliant
FLORA AND FAUNA.
199
green tails, which are the prettiest creatures to be seen in the
bush, though rather alarming at first, when they dash over your
sleeping body, and the thought of a venomous bite crosses your
mind. They are, however, perfectly harmless, and though the
larger species could inflict a nasty wound, their fangs are not
poisonous.
This forest land and the savage inhabitants who dwell in its
recesses, amid a chaos of slave-raiding and village-burning, which
goes on ceaselessly in the wild country that lies between the north
of the European colonies and the little-known Soudan, is indeed
a place of weird and interesting memories, and weeks might be
spent in exploring the forest and the hinterland beyond, finding
fresh interest day by day in the study of the features of the
country, both animal and vegetable. A lengthy account of the
information that I was able to glean, would hardly be in keeping
with this work, which is dealing with the campaign, and not an
exploring expedition, scientific or otherwise; but this short
description of the flora and fauna seen near Kumassi may be of
interest.
Pushing through the forest there were few animals to be seen ;
occasionally a rustling among the bushes announced some lordly
snake on the prowl, or a chatter and cracking overhead denoted
that a solemn palaver of monkeys had been disturbed. Then
birds there were in plenty, parrots of large size, a few aasvogels or
vultures also clattered affrighted through the trees, leaving their
meal off some dead creature in the bush. In one place near a
narrow streamlet were nests of the passerine weaver birds, some
hanging from fine branches along which even the bamboo snake
would not have the temerity to crawl in search of the luscious
eggs. The nests were composed of twigs and fibre, with a
cunningly made exit at the bottom of the carefully-woven
chamber. There were many brilliant birds, including gorgeous
copper-coloured pigeons, but these had been found lower down
the road, where Prince Henry had shot a fine specimen.
After coming off second best in a patch of prickly pear, a
cactus which is happily not common in the bush, I suddenly
reached swampy ground again, while in places the trees cleared,
opening out on large sticky patches of arundineous mud,
which would have made a capital ground for sportsmen. The
green canes made a refuge for numbers of small animals, and if
properly taken in hand, would probably have provided some lord
of the forest to add to the spoils. On the outskirts of one of
20O
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
these swamps an animal of the peccary species broke cover, but
disappeared with a whisk of his tusks before I had time to pot
him. There was soon more sport on hand, for a buzzing hum
and a stinging sensation on the cheek localized the swampy haunt
of the tsetse fly, which fortunately had not worried us much on
the upward march, and had left one or two donkeys that travelled
with the force unmolested. My face was soon in a pickle, and in
West Africa, where any little bite or cut becomes a festering sore
which will not heal, such things are to be dreaded.
The tsetse is much more active than the mosquito. In its
flight it moves with such intense rapidity, that the eye cannot
follow it, and when it settles it alights so quietly that the victim
does not feel it. When it considers itself secure it thrusts in its
weapon and sucks the blood. It is only while its needle-like
proboscis is embedded in the flesh that the fly can be caught.
Even when distended with blood it escapes by a rapid flight side¬
ways. To man the bite is as unpleasant as that of the mosquito ;
and that is saying a great deal ; for anyone who has been forced to
give his body as a prey to these little pests knows how painful are
the wounds which they inflict. Horses, cows, sheep, asses, and
dogs, with other animals useful to man, are destroyed by the tsetse ;
and so deadly is its poison, that if a cow is only bitten once by a fly
it will die of the effects, although wild animals are quite safe. It is
on them chiefly that the tsetse feeds, and they are apparently
inoculated and do not suffer any evil effects.
Needless to say, the ants also were everywhere apparent, both
the cannibal black, who takes a fiendish delight in burrowing his
head into your flesh and feasting to his heart's content, and also
his vegetarian but more destructive white brother, who chaws up
every article of clothing or equipment he can lay his jaws on. In
the rainy season the young ants, who have wings, rise in the air,
but they return to mother earth as soon as dry weather sets in and
the wings then drop off. It is said that so prolific are they, that a
single female deposits as many as fifteen thousand eggs in twenty-
four hours. Many an African traveller has had to fall back upon
a colony of white ants for food. Hunger is a good sauce, and the
creatures are collected, and a handful or two thrown into a fry-pan
with a little fat, and though I did not try this tempting dish, they
are said to be just passable, will keep a long time, and can be
easily prepared. Of course, in size the insects are like young
shrimps ; to the English idea of ants, cooking them would seem
impossible.
AN IMPROMPTU HUNT.
201
Another African insect that should be mentioned is an
enormous spider which the niggers call Boui. According to
M. Foâ, a famous French traveller, the natives pin much faith in
the revelations of this curious-looking creature. He was engaged
once on a very long chase after elephants, and his followers were
becoming impatient, when at last they found the home of one of
these spiders. "Now," said one of his men, "we shall know
whether or no we shall find the elephants."
M. Foâ and his men placed themselves in a circle round the
hole, but at some distance. In the middle the oldest negro
crouched near the hole and commenced his invocation.
" Boui," he said, " behold for three weeks we have travelled
through the woods from dawn till sunset. We can travel no
farther, and we have seen no ivory. Tell us ; Must we return to
our village ? If such be the case, return quickly into your
mansion. But if we shall have ivory and food, come out and take
the air."
At the last words he threw a little water into the hole. Four
velvet paws, joined like the fingers of a monkey's hand, showed
themselves immediately near the orifice. The men stood in
silence, their eyes fixed on the insect. If it withdrew, the negroes
would at once abandon the chase.
After a moment's hesitation the yellow velvety spider, as large
as a pigeon's egg, came forth. There was no more talk about
going back. The Boui had foretold success, and, as results
proved, foretold correctly, for they got two fine elephants.
On my return to the town, the natives were cutting down a
large patch of elephant grass to clear the environs. Unfortunately,
most of the officers were busily engaged preparing for the coast-
ward march, as sport in plenty was provided, this grass being full
of animals. Several fair-sized pythons also came to light, and
were dispatched by the niggers, who so battered the carcases that
skinning was out of the question. At intervals, a loud cry would
announce the discovery of some fresh animal, chiefly of the wild pig
species ; but, as a rule, after an exciting chase, the four-legged
brutes had the best of it, and got clear into the forest. With
organised beaters a good day's shooting might have been
organized. The only animal of importance killed was a not over-
big leopard, which was so battered about the head by the eager
natives that it was completely spoiled, the skin falling a trophy to
a Sergeant-Major of the Supply, who gave it the first blow with a
heavy stick as it ran.
o
202
CHAPTER XI.
COASTWARD MARCH—PEACE SOCIETY PRECEPTS—DEATH OF PRINCE HENRY
—EATING DEAD BODIES—A CIVILIZED NEGRO—THE COAST—ARRIVAL
OF PREMPEH—CONCLUSION.
On Wednesday, January 22nd, the column slowly wended its way
from Kumassi through the swamps, and before evening the white
troops were encamped safely at Dede Siwa, leaving Governor
Maxwell and Captain Stewart in Kumassi with a large force of
Houssas, and the West India contingent.
The royal prisoners travelled in hammocks, the Queen
Mother being carried in a long basket on the heads of two
niggers, from whence she looked round muttering and chewing or
smoking. The first day she was rather given to spit at any white
men who approached, but under the tender care of Mr. Knollys,
of the Colonial Service, who had charge of the prisoners, she
calmed down and soon began to enjoy the novelty of the journey.
The West Yorkshire regiment guarded the royal captives and
the Ansah s, who marched down handcuffed to Prahsu, where
they remained, awaiting their trial on the coast.
The Special Service Corps held the rear ; and sick at heart
and worn out, the white troops plodded homeward : the Expedition
had ended without their firing a shot. No doubt everyone ought
to have been deeply gratified that there had been no bloodshed.
Humanitarians sigh and exclaim " What a mercy ! " Well, it was
a mercy, but terribly disheartening to the officers and men. They
had braved the hardships and climatic dangers, and toiled steadily
onward, warming to their work as the king remained defiant, and
made a show of holding out to the bitter end ; but it was only to
find a craven braggart monarch, who hoped, by double dealing
and temporizing, to defeat the ends of justice, and when that
failed, did not hesitate to cringe and crave for pardon.
The troops had been buoyed up with the prospect of a stiff
struggle at the end, and a chance of distinguishing themselves,
and it seemed, by the abject surrender, that they had marched
and endured for nothing. There is not the slightest doubt that
DEATH OF PRINCE HENRY.
203
if the Expedition had been left to the Houssas and native levies,
the Ashantis would have resisted to the last ; for it was only on
the arrival of the Ansahs in Kumassi, with highly coloured reports
of the rapid advance of thousands of white troops, that Prempeh
decided not to fight unless it were forced on him, or he was
molested. The prompt action of Governor Maxwell at the final
palaver settled the matter—diplomacy had conquered brute force
and cunning.
The flag had hardly been unfurled outside the temporary
Headquarters when it was suddenly hoisted to half-mast. Prince
Henry was dead 1
The brief notice, wired up from the coast, came as a fearful
shock to all members of the force when they arrived in camp. It
seemed impossible to realise that the gallant Prince, who had
been amongst us in the best of health and spirits, cheerfully
enduring the hardships of the campaign only a few short days before,
should have fallen a victim to the dreaded malaria. But it was
too true. He had rallied on his arrival at the coast, and
earnestly desired to remain till he heard the Expedition had
reached its goal ; but he submitted to the doctor's advice, and went
on board Her Majesty's Ship " Blonde," which left Cape Coast
on the afternoon of the 17th ; at the same time Kumassi was
being peacefully invested. The "Blonde" set out at once for
Madeira, but on Sunday, the 19th, a change for the worse
occurred, and His Royal Highness expired peacefully on Monday
evening at twenty minutes to nine o'clock, off Sierra Leone.
Prince Henry Maurice of Battenberg was the third son of
Prince Alexander, and he was born on October 5th, 1858, being
in his thirty-eighth year when he died. On July 23rd, 1885, he
married Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice, at Whippingham
Church, in the Isle of Wight, and there are three sons and one
daughter of the marriage, the eldest of whom was only nine years
old on his father's sad decease. Mr. Gladstone, speaking in
Parliament before the wedding, in 1885, said: "I believe every¬
thing connected with this young Prince is what the country
would wish, and that his future life will be the same."
Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg have lived in con¬
stant companionship with Our Queen, greatly comforting and
aiding her in her solitude. In times of national rejoicing, they
have been at her side ; in days of sorrow and affliction, they have
oa
204
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
mourned with Her Majesty and shared her grief. The Prince had
a handsome and gallant bearing, and had endeared himself to
every member of the expeditionary force with whom he had come
in contact.
Born of a family of soldiers, Prince Henry was naturálly anxious
to identify himself with the military service of his adopted country,
and availed himself of the opportunity when the Ashanti Expedi¬
tion was decided upon. There he fell in the midst of faithful
service, meeting a soldier's death, if not on the battlefield ; and
that reflection must afford a slight measure of consolation to our
noble Queen, and the afflicted widow and her children. The
Prince knew the risks and bravely accepted them, to sink exhausted
in the service of his Sovereign and adopted country. Though he
died sadly, he died well and nobly !
There is little more of interest to add. The downward journey
was more depressing than the advance, though everyone was
anxiously looking forward to returning home again. The levies
scoured the bush in advance of the prisoners in case there should
be any attempt to assassinate the King, and several times
disturbed waiting Ashantis, who were lurking in the trees to obtain
a last glimpse of Prempeh, rather than lying in wait to kill him.
Passing through Bekwai dominions the same watchful care was
necessary, as many of the inhabitants there would gladly have
killed him, but in hate rather than fetish fanaticism. A brutal
but natural longing for revenge for past wrongs, ratber than a
re-echo from Seneca :—
" There can be slain
No sacrifice to God more acceptable
Than an unjust and wicked king."
Leaving the main body. Prince Christian, Major Piggott, and
others pushed ahead by forced marches to the coast.
This coastward march was not devoid of interest, especially
the journey from Essian Kwanta over the Adansis to Fumsu.
This one march covered the distance of four ordinary daily
marches. There were no hammocks available, being all taken up
for the sick ; my kit was ahead, so there was nothing for it but to
push forward on foot. I set off early with a few natives, and found
everything quiet, the villages still being deserted. Occasionally
small groups of niggers, escaped slaves from Kumassi, peered
cautiously through the trees.
THE ADAN SI TREATY.
205
Leaving Bekwai country, the old Adansi kingdom was reached.
The dread of Ashanti being removed, ths Adansis will return to
their own territory, and the ruined capital Fomonah will again
flourish, under the rule of the King : a fine old man who had
offered every facility to the Expedition, and with whom a treaty
had been drawn up a few weeks before the march started. The
text of this treaty may be of interest :—
Treaty of Friendship and Protection made at Prahsu this eighteenth day
of October one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five between Her
Most Gracious Majesty Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland,
Empress of India, &c., &c., Her heirs and successors, by her subject.
Captain Donald William Stewart, an officer in the Civil Service of the
Gold Coast Colony, acting under instructions received from His
Excellency William Edward Maxwell, also a subject of Her Majesty,
Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and
Saint George, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Gold Coast
Colony, on the one part, and the King, Chiefs and principal headmen
of the Country of Adansi on the other part.
Whereas Kweku Lukansa, King of the country of Adansi, and the Chiefs
and principal headmen of that country, for and on behalf of themselves, their
heirs, successors and people have presented to the Governor of the Gold Coast
Colony a request that their country should be placed under the protection of
Great Britain, and have agreed to enter into a treaty with Her Majesty the
Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, &c., &c., her heirs and
successors, by the said Captain Donald William Stewart acting for that purpose
for the said Governor.
Now, therefore, Kweku Lukansa, King of Adansi, and the Chiefs, and
principal men of that country, whose names are hereinafter signed to this
treaty, for themselves, their heirs and successors and the people of Adansi on
the one part, and his Excellency William Edward Maxwell, Companion of the
Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Governor and
Commander-in-Chief of the Gold Coast Colony, a subject of and representing
Her Most Gracious Majesty Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, &c., &c., her heirs and successors,
by Captain Donald William Stewart, a subject of Her Majesty (acting for
the Governor), on the other part, do hereby enter into this treaty containing
the following Articles :—
Article I.—The King of the country of Adansi for himself and his
lawful successors, together with the Chiefs and principal men of the country
of Adansi, whose names are hereinafter signed and seals affixed, for and on
behalf of themselves and their successors and people of Adansi hereby place
themselves under the protection of Great Britain, declaring that they have not
entered into any treaty with any other foreign Power.
Article II.—Her Majesty's "subject, the Governor of the Gold Coast
Colony, for and on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and
Ireland, Empress of India, &c., &c., her heirs and successors, hereby takes the
country of Adansi under the protection of Great Britain.
2o6
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
Article III.—It is hereby agreed that the King, Chiefs, and principal
men, together with the other people of Adansi, will not enter into any war or
commit any act of aggression on any of the Chiefs bordering on their country
by which the trade of the country shall be interrupted, or the safety and pro¬
perty of the subjects of Her Majesty the Queen of England and Empress of
India shall be lost, compromised, or endangered, and that the said King,
Chiefs, and principal men of Adansi hereby undertake to refer to the Governor
of the Gold Coast Colony, acting on behalf of Her Majesty, for friendly
arbitration, any trade or other quarrels in which they may become involved
before actually entering upon hostilities.
Article IV.—Should any difference or dispute accidentally arise between
the King of Adansi or any of his Chiefs and principal headmen, or between
any of the Chiefs and principal headmen, it shall be referred to the Governor
of the Gold Coast Colony, or to the nearest British Authority, for the time
being, whose decision shall be final and binding upon all parties concerned.
Article V.—British subjects shall have free access to all parts of Adansi,
and shall have the right to build houses and possess property according to the
law in force in the Gold Coast Colony : and they shall have full liberty to
carry on such trade or manufacture as may be approved by any officer appointed
for the purpose by Her Majesty's Government, and should any difference arise
between the aforesaid British subjects and the King, Chiefs, and principal
headmen of the country of Adansi as to the duties or customs to be paid to the
said King, Chiefs, or the principal headmen of the towns in that country by
such British subjects, or as to any other matter, that the dispute shall be
referred to the officer mentioned in Article IV., whose decision in the matter
shall be binding and final, and that the King, Chiefs, and principal headmen
of Adansi will not extend the rights hereby guaranteed to British subjects to
any other persons without the knowledge and consent of such officer.
Article VI.—In consideration of the protection guaranteed on the part
of Great Britain to the King, Chiefs, and principal headmen and people of
Adansi, they hereby bind themselves, their heirs and successors to keep their
main roads in good order, that they will encourage trade, and give facilities to
traders, and will not cede their territory to, or accept a protectorate from, or
enter into any agreement, arrangement, or treaty with, any other foreign
Power except through and with the consent of the Government of Her Majesty
the Queen-Empress.
Article VII.—The Government of Her Majesty the Queen-Empress
will not prevent the King of Adansi or his Chiefs and principal headmen and
their lawful successors from levying customary revenues appertaining to
them according to the laws and customs of their country, nor in the adminis¬
tration thereof ; and her Majesty's Government will respect the habits and
customs of the country, but will not permit human sacrifices; and slave deal¬
ing when brought to the notice of the Government will be punished accord¬
ing to the laws of the Gold Coast Colony.
Article VIH.—This treaty shall come into force from the date hereof,
but power is expressly reserved to Her Majesty the Queen-Empress to
refuse to approve and ratify the same within one year from the date hereof
In witness whereof the parties to this treaty have hereunto set their hands
and affixed their respective seals.
A FUNERAL.
207
Done in triplicate at Prahsu, in the country of Assin, this tSth day of
October in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five, in the fifty-
eighth year of the reign of Her Majesty the Queen-Empress.
Names of Signatories. Their marks and Seals.
1. Kweku Inkansa, King of Adansi. x (Seal.)
2. Kofi Kwedu, War Chief of Adansi. X
3. Kojo Gimma, Chief of Ayowasi. X
4. Kweku Ashanti, Chief of Edubiasi. X
5. Akwesi Fori, Chief of Donipoasi. X
6. Kweku Afuakwa, Chief of Ekrofrome, \ y
represented by Yow Yamua. /
7. Yaw Apia, Chief of Akrochire. X
8. Kwabina Kwantabisa, Chief of Odumasi. X
9. Kweku Wia, Chief of Kwisa. X
10. Kwami Iduo, Chief of Brobidiasi. X
11. Kwami Essifi, Chief of Abejimu. X
12. Kwami Apeajo, represented by Yow 1 ^
Simpon, ot Adomemu. /
13. Kwabina Chiadi, Chief of Eginasi. X
14. Kwesi Buabin, Chief of Medomma. X
15. Kofi Ammua, represented by Se-Kojo
of Kianbusu.
}
Donald William Stewart, Captain,
Travelling Commissioner,
An officer in the Civil Service of the Gold
Coast Colony, for and on behalf of
William Edward Maxwell, Governor
(Seal.) of the Gold Coast Colony.
Passing through Kwisa, where the little garrison were eagerly
looking forward to the arrival of the troops, when they would
strike camp and follow in rear of the returning column, the
rugged sides of the Adansis were soon reached. On the top of
the hill I halted and revelled in the glorious view, for the atmos¬
phere was unusually clear, and the vast undulating sea of gloriously
tinted foliage could be traced for miles. Then downward again,
clambering with difficulty on the steep rugged track into Braffu
Eadru.
A few miles past the village, a rolling of drums and a weird,
monotonous chant i'^sued from the depths of the forest. My
carriers were behind, having halted indefinitely for " chop," so
I went a short distance through the bush to see what the row
meant. In a small forest clearing, a fetish man was dancing and
shouting, the centre of a great crowd of men, women and children,
who kept up a continuous ¿loge. Suspended on a pole in their
midst, and carried by two men, was a corpse, which was being
2o8
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
bumped and jolted in a very unceremonious fashion. I quietly
watched the proceedings, undiscovered for some time, while the
priest ever and anon approached the body and appeared to
question it closely. Suddenly he stood transfixed, and muttered
something, upon which a grey-haired patriarch was seized, in spite
of his vigorous protestations, and rushed to the front. The priest
started his incantations again with redoubled vigour, hut a woman
espied me watching, and the whole assembly were greatly discon¬
certed at the intrusion of a stranger, and a white man to hoot.
I stood a few moments longer, hut the burial was evideritly not
to he proceeded with in my presence, so I discreetly withdrew,
followed by some niggers, who furtively watched me well down the
road before returning to the grave side. On subsequent inquiry
I found the fetish priest was asking the corpse "who has killed
thee ?" The spirit of the deceased is then supposed to reveal to
the holy man the name of the one who has worked the evil. The
wily priest always has a pre-selected victim named in the silent
revelation ; one who is either rich or unpopular, and though the
dead man has probably died of colic and stomach-ache, the
culprit may be put to death for witchcraft, or heavily fined, which¬
ever is deemed expedient.
Passing Akusirem the sun set, and the rest of that day's journey
had to be done in total darkness in the thick forest, though it was
full moon, and there were occasional gleams through the trees. It
was a dreary march, but Fumsu was at length reached, and cross¬
ing the river, I entered the village, thankful to have reached my
destination after being on the road for over sixteen hours. The
carriers all turned up shortly after, for though the African is slow,
he is fairly sure, and you may generally rely on him to arrive at
his destination, although he takes his own time to do so.
Close to the hovel in which I slept there was a curious fetish
consisting of a large carved gourd, containing a few crocodiles
teeth, and a raised crown-work over the whole, made of long
strips of hippopotamus hide. I appropriated a couple of these
strips as curios and placed them with my goods. At the next
camp there was no trace of them ; the hide would be of no value,
intrinsic or otherwise, to the natives, and no doubt my carriers,
with more conscience than I, had quietly replaced the strips on
the sacred spot. I did not press the loss, but accepted the reproof.
It was hardly fair that the sanctity of the spot should be disturbed,
and the owner of the consecrated ground would have been much
DEAD EATING.
209
upset, had he found it marred. More than likely, to his pagan
mind, it would have caused serious forebodings ; for, probably, it
had been raised to the fetish of some departed relation, and
demanded respect in consequence. I am afraid we civilized beings
are not always considerate in dealing with the belief of these
heathen, and hardly realize what importance they attach to their
god-worship.
Cannibalism is gradually dying out in Africa, but there are
still tribes who keep up the abominable practice of eating their
own dead. A few miles from Fumsu, the path was remarkably
wide and clear, and in full light of the moon, and close to the
road, I noticed a hole and the body of a negro at the bottom with
a cloth over his face. A native, when ill and alone, will crawl into
any nook, cover up his face and await death till he recovers or
really does die. I debated a moment, wondering if this were a
corpse partially buried, or a sick man, but as I looked, fancying
I could see him breathing, I jumped down and pulled off the
cloth. He was not only dead, but the flesh of both cheeks had
been cleanly cut away and the mutilated face was plainly visible,
though already a mass of flies and larvae. It was a fearful sight,
rendered more ghastly by the pale moonlight and silent forest ;
sickened and horrified, I clambered from the grave and resumed
my journey.
With the carriers who came into Fumsu later, was an
intelligent Houssa, and on my asking if he noticed the grave
by the road, he at once replied in the affirmative, adding that
three men were filling it when he passed. I told him of the
mutilation and he at once said " O yes, sah, dat man then, sah,
hab him face cut for chop, sah ! Bush man make plenty chop
long pig when he find man go die, sah ! " Naturally, I was
incredulous, but the Houssa's verdict may have been correct—
that the negro had died, and being a stranger, the men who
were burying him, had adjourned their task for a gruesome and
disgusting feast. Certainly, if the deceased had belonged to any
tribe in the vicinity, he would have been buried in state, with a
crowd in attendance. It has since been suggested that slaves of
some distant dead-eating tribe had escaped from Kumassi, and
one of their number dying, his companions had simply acted up
to their old principles. At any rate, the natives in that district are
not usually given to eating their own dead.
The cultured enlightened negro from the coast was en évidence
210
TO KU M ASSI WITH SCOTT.
next day. Passing a small hamlet apparently deserted, I was
hailed. " Hi! you white man, what you do here?" and from a
shanty emerged a nigger in an old suit of white duck ; evidently a
discharged or deserted servant of some white officer.
"You speak English, do you ?" I remarked.
" Corse I does I I'se Accra man, I is ! "
" What are you doing here, then ? "
"Well its like dis, de son of the chief of dis ere place he
berry sick and I nuss him wid medecin I make. Dese people
big fools dey is, my medecin ain't no little bit use, but den dey
keep me here and de chief he gib me darter for wife cos I cure
son." (The lingua franca of the West Coast.)
" Why, you have got a wife in Accra, haven't you ? "
" In Accra, wall dat ain't here. I guess I want a wife while
I'se in dis place, don't I ? When I goes 'ome, get Accra wife
again."
I went in to see his patient and found a young negro evidently
suffering from fever and dysentery. I mixed him a little chloro-
dyne I had, gave him a dose, and telling the .'Kccra nigger to give
him the remainder, I left.
"Hi I " shouted the gentleman from Accra. "You stop and
see my sick man an stop in his 'ouse. I charge you five shillin
for dat : "—I was deaf and walked on. " Wat ! you call self a
gentman ? You white rascal ! You tief! You rob me you
white liar ! Heah, massa ! dash me one shillin for luck an close
palaver ? "
Oh yes ! he got his dash that time—half a dozen strokes
judiciously applied !
Once in the Protectorate proper we were accorded a warm
reception, for the villages had just heard of Prempeh's capture,
and as we passed through, the women danced and shouted,
clapping their hands in transports of joy at the Ashanti king's
overthrow, and various offerings of palm wine, fou fou and plantains
were always ready.
At Prahsu there were many sick, waiting their transport to the
coast. Daily hammock trains plied between station and station
clearing the hospital at the depot there, but as one patient was
moved, another victim took his place. As soon as possible they
were taken down in stages to the coast, and placed on the
THE COAST AGAIN.
211
" Coromandel," out of the malarious zone. In the comfortable
cots of the Hospital Ship, kept cool by punkahs, the sick quarters
were indeed comfortable after the necessarily rough treatment in
the bush. A man remarked that it seemed like heaven to lay
his fever-worn frame in a comfortable berth, and to have decent
food and treatment after the hardships on land. Much praise
must be given to the brave Nursing Sisters who were unremitting
in their care of the sick on the " Coromandel." There was a
risk even when anchored right away from the deadly coast, and
another tribute must go forth to the noble " Red Cross " Sisters.
Steps were being taken at tbe time to place the little cemetery
on the banks of the Prah, in tolerable order. Poor Major
Ferguson's body lay quite close to Captain Huyshe; and Major
Piggott and Prince Christian spent some hours giving directions
for the melancholy grave to be marked and fenced in, so that, at
least, the sanctity of the spot might be respected, and a token
made that the remains of a brave English officer rested there.
At Prahsu also, the garrison were eagerly looking forward to
the day their work would be done, and the homeward march
begun.
On the road we passed an intelligent-looking negro accom¬
panied by a large train of attendants. It was King Asibi,
Prempeh's rival for the stool, on his way from Accra, where he
had been living in exile, to Kumassi ; for now he could travel in
safety to his native country.
Prince Christian was suffering from touches of Indian fever.
Captain Williams was going down country very ill indeed, and
Major Piggott was far from well, so all haste was made on the
way.
On January 30th the first sight of the ocean was obtained, and
spirits rose accordingly. On top of the hills a delightful breeze
was blowing off the sea, the carriers stepped out gaily along the
road, breaking into a merry song, and as we entered the dirty,
smelly town of Cape Coast, it was a welcome sight, for it was the
end of the drearj- march, and anchored in the roads were the
ships ready to take us home.
Man is supposed to become attached to the place he lives in
for any length of time ; but not on the West Coast of Africa, for
there every day adds to the loathing of the surroundings, and the
longing to leave them. Nostalgia, on the Gold Coast, is a
universal and terrible complaint.
212
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
On February ist, Sir Francis Scott and his Staff arrived at the
Castle, all well but thoroughly worn out. Indeed every member
of the force looked terribly jaded and ill, many being only just
able to keep about at all. Major Piggott received the temporary
appointment as Resident in Kumassi ; and though he was very
unwell, he returned a few days later with a force of Houssas to
relieve the West India troops, who were already suffering very
much from the climate, though they should be well seasoned from
their previous training. Major Piggott was certainly the man to
take over the reins in Ashanti. He has ever shown that fearless¬
ness and force of character that were specially requisite for dealing
with a half-subdued country, and demanding respect from the
savage inhabitants.
Lieut. O'Donnell, who had been dispatched with Captain
Cramer and Lieut. Armitage through the Koranza Country to
advance on Kumassi from the North, with a large force of Houssas,
arrived safely in the capital. He had made a treaty on the way,
with the King of Juabin, an important ally of Kumassi. These
plucky officers had arrived safely in the capital to find it peacefully
occupied, but this fact must not detract any value from the service
they rendered by this most trying and dangerous march. The
officers and men of the Constabulary on the West Coast, have a
continuous round of duties both arduous and exciting.
At the Castle the carriers were constantly returning in gangs,
and being paid off ; the rum shanties did a roaring trade. The
work of paying off these natives was neither a small nor easy task,
but one which was carried out with the utmost celerity. There
was one officer, however, far too hasty when paying off these
natives. They had worked hard, and worked well, and his treat¬
ment of them at the close was brutal and unworthy of an officer
and a gentleman. Niggers are trying, and enough to spoil any
person's temper, but there is reason and limit to all things, which
this gentleman quite set aside. With this solitary exception at
the close of the campaign, all the officers, from Sir Francis Scott
downwards, had been most careful in their treatment of the natives
serving with the expedition. There had been little flogging, and thai
only in flagrant cases ; and in consequence of the respect gener¬
ated by the white officers, there had been no desertion, and no
disaffection among the thousands of men of various tribes employed
as bearers, and in other capacities.
On February 4th, the West Yorkshire Regiment arrived at the
ARRIVAL OF PREMPEH.
213
coast with Prempeh and the other captives. The King and
Queen Mother had never left Kumassi before, and Prempeh
especially seemed awed by the first sight of the mighty Ocean.
The prisoners were at once put in surf boats and taken on board
the " Racoon," which weighed anchor for Elmina Castle, where
the King will be kept in captivity.
For some days thousands of natives had anxiously waited in
eager expectancy, for a glimpse of that tyrant, whom they had
dreaded so long. Men, women and children flocked in from all
adjacent coast towns and bush villages, and lay at night in long
silent rows onthe sea front or along the sides of the houses. As
each day passed, their excitement seemed rather to increase than
their ardour to be damped by the weariness and discomforts to be
endured. Then their patience was rewarded. The strains of a
band could be heard in the distance, the regular roll of the
approaching drums was unmistakable—it was the white troops at
last.
Like a muffled roar did the cry travel from one end of the
town to the other. " Prempeh is coming ! He comes! Recomes!"
Thousands of people rushed in the direction of the Castle, and in
a few seconds every inch of standing room was occupied by a
black seething mass of expectant faces.
The regular tramp of marching feet drew nearer ; there was the
clash of arms as the entrance guard turned ouj: and presented
arms, a murmur of a thousand voices speaking in hushed tones,
succeeded by one fearful yell of triumph and hate as the litters with
the prisoners came in sight. Again and again was the yell repeated,
drowning the loud tones of the band, which were re-echoing
beneath the vaulted entrance to the Castle as the troops filed
through into the courtyard. Small wonder that Prempeh was
livid with fear, and trembling in every limb as he heard the
furious cries, and saw the denunciatory gesticulations of the angry
multitude that spread around him on every side. With fixed
bayonets, his guard was formed strongly on either side, and had
the wild passion of those frenzied people, kept back by the gleam
of steel, been allowed full play, they would have wreaked a fearful
vengeance on the unhappy occupants of the prisoners' litters.
Once in the compound of the Castle there was little delay.
The postern opening to the shore was flung back ; the West
Yorkshire Regiment sallied forth and lined down to the water's
edge. Right along the seashore, over the sand hills, up among
214
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
the wretched Fanti mud hovels, clustering round on the sacred
surf-beaten mass of rock forming the foundations of the Castle—
there was the same sea of faces, and again did the frenzied
cries and yells resound on all sides, as the prisoners issued
forth, and passed down to the waiting surf boats.
Up on the Castle battlements all the European residents were
crowded — Officers, Government officials and traders. As those
Ashantis stood trembling, cowed and disheartened, looking one
moment at the yelling crowd, then at the ever-rolling expanse of
the vast Atlantic, a sight few of them had ever seen before, a
thrill of pity must have gone through all the hearts of those white
people there. But with those who had seen that king in his
capital, the pity was only momentary. As a flash, all the horrors
which lay at the door of those rulers, came to one's mind. That
fearful "Golgotha," the slaves, and the terrible rites of human
sacriflce : there was little room for pity ; rather for thankfulness
that the corrupt rule had come to an end at last ; that Kumassi,
henceforth, would not be a place to associate with deeds of cruelty
and blood ; and that in time, the thousands of Ashanti subjects
would gain confidence, emerging from the cloud of a bloody
fetish worship, to be taught a measure of self-respect by the
presence of the English flag now floating over their head.
Mr. Knollys entered one of the captive-laden surf boats, and
then with vigorous strokes, the boatmen reached the gun-boat, the
prisoners were transferred and taken off to their exile ; loved and
regretted by very few, if by any. They will be well treated, and
have fairly comfortable quarters, with good food. Their one
craving will be for spirits, of which they are allowed little.
Prempeh, especially, will miss his periodical debauches, in which
he drowned dull care, for no doubt as with Cleomenes of old :—
" Consuming cares lay heavy on his mind :
In his black thoughts, revenge and slaughter roll.
And scenes of blood rise dreadful in his soul."
All day long in the streets of Cape Coa.st hundreds of the
women danced and sang their songs of triumph. Their lords and
masters were hourly returning in bodies and being paid off ; and
in the native quarter at least, everyone gave himself over to a
somewhat riotous jollification. The spirit shanties, of course, did a
roaring trade ; but if drunkenness existed on all sides, it led
only to scenes of uproarious joy ; they were far too happy at being
home again and all their troubles over, for any quárrelling
GOVERNOR MAXWELL.
215
amongst themselves. The white men also met with almost dis¬
quieting receptions if they ventured in the Quartier Fanii. Every
other negro wished to shake hands, the women clapped their
hands and shouted words of welcome, and the youngsters
crowded round with their shrill little " Good hevenin, sah ! "
With the men who had been right to the front, the levies and
others, a note of bonne camaraderie was at once struck up; but on
every side there was a distinct and noticeable difference in the
attitude of the people toward Europeans. When I first landed
there was a respect shown to white men, but it was prompted by
fear. Now it was entirely altered. The natives paid everyone
the same respect ; but there was in it both a difference and a
distinction. The appearance of those regiments of white soldiers,
the campaign in the interior, and capture of the King, had filled
them with gratitude and wonder, and everyone was treated with
a marked and deferential attention. Thus the Expedition will not
be without its effect among our own friendly tribes and subjects
on the coast.
His Excellency Governor Maxwell is a gentleman of tact and
understanding ; arid since his tenure of office, he has taken in hand
some much needed reforms, which he intends to bring about in
the near future. Under his watchful guidance a new era of pros¬
perity is assuredly dawning for the Gold Coast Colony. Much
remains to be done, and advancement must necessarily be slow
owing to the very nature of the country and climate ; but a large
increase of trade is looming in the near future. The initial cost of
the Expedition cannot have been very large ; and certainly not
approaching the sum that the Government would be justified
in expending to secure such advantages as are likely to accrue
from the subjugation and annexation of Ashanti.*
The troops had suffered terribly on the coastward march, and
the subtle enemy, the fever, had thrown " Death " more victims
for his own, beside laying its grip on very many more. The Field
Hospital was crammed, and a few more days' delay in that fatal
country, or bad management of the sick transport service, must
have produced a calamitous result.
There was no hitch ; the sick were speedily transferred to the
" Coromandel," where the pure sea-air did much for them. Still
litters poured into the base from the front, and as fast as the
* Since writing the above, the hardly creditable debate respecting the Estimates has
taken place in the House of Commons. The sum was comparatively small, and the
proscriptive, not to say fatuitous, action of the Opposition is not worth commenting upon.
2I6
TO KUMASSI WITH SCOTT.
Hospital on Connor's Hill was cleared, fresh sick trains arrived,
and the beds were again filled with the limp forms, and yellow
drawn faces of suffering men, most of whom had landed a few
weeks previously, perfectly fit, and in a glow of health and vigour.
The West Yorkshire Regiment, when their captives were safely
transferred, at once embarked on the " Manilla." It was painful
to see the thoroughly worn out condition of this fine regiment, a
majority of which looked more fit for a hospital ward than any¬
thing else ; but the thought of Old England, after their long sojourn
abroad, buoyed them up, and they pluckily did their work till the
end, though numbers were forced to give in each day. The
Special Service Corps marched into the Castle, travel stained and
weary, and were to have embarked on board the " Coromandel."'
When they got down to Cape Coast, there was little room for any
but sick on the Hospital ship, and one half of them had to be
transferred to the " Manilla " before she sailed on the 6th. The
Mail and Coasting Steamers were then requisitioned for by tele¬
graph, from ports down the coast, and were used to carry drafts of
officers and men, instead of coasting for cargo, and at length
quarters were found for all.
On February 8th, the remaining sick from the hospital were
carried to surf boats and swung on board the " Coromandel,"
making a total of nearly 250 sick officers and men, The Head¬
quarters had embarked, and quietly and orderly the Expeditionary
Force left for Old England, having brought to a close the most
peaceful, but also the most successful and best managed campaign
that has ever graced the annals of English History ; insignificant
as the operations in Ashanti, 1895-6, may have seemed.
INDEX OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
H.R.H. Prince Henry of Battenberg, K.G. {Frontispiece).
PACE
Sketch Map of Gold Coast vii.
Scene near Las Palmas S
Santa Cruz de la Palma 9
Cave Dwellings of Atalava 6
Cape Coast Castle ......... 29
Sir Francis Scott ......... 41
Gold Coast Women 63
Artillery Crossing the Prah 95
A West Indian Soldier 103
In the Forest . . 113
Major Ferguson 123
The Alarm 131
Occupation of Kumassi by British Troops .... 153
Premper's Last State Reception . • , . .159
The Kumassi Golgotha 167
The Palaver 175
Prempeh and the Queen Mother rise to tender their
Submission 179
An Executioner 187
WicHTMAN & Co., "The Westminster Press," Regency Street, London, S.W.
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Health Culttire" & Jaeger Coy H Price List sent free.
JAEGER DEPOTS :-
3 and 4, PRINCES-ST.. CAVENDISH-SQ. (near Regent-circus).
126, REGENT-STKEET (near the Quadrant).
30, SLOANE-STREET (adjoining McPherson's Gymnasium).
456, STRAND (near Trafalgar-square),
85 and 86, CHEAPSIDE (near King-street).
TAILORING (oniy):-
42, CONDUIT-STREET, NEW BOND-STREET, W.
The Jaeger goods are sold in many Towns. Address sent
from Jaeger Co.'s Head Office, 95, Milton Street,E.C.
TRADE .MARK yv The Jaeger Goods
ON JAEGER
,UNDER-
WEAR.
NOTE !—The J.veger Pure Wool Underwear does not chill or become "clammy,'
even when damp. Cotton and linen are ready heat-conductoi-s, and therefore quickly
chill. The Jaeoer clothing is also porous throughout, in order to facilitate Ae
escape of the watery vapour which is cotitinuallg e.xhaled from the skin, and which
conveys from the body matters which are highly injurious if repressedjor retained.
Linen and cotton underclothing and/¡/u'/i(/.v retain the jierspiration and throw it bad^
and are therefore unhealthy, soon becoming dirty and malodorous. The Porous WoolM
J.vege.r Clothing encourages and maintains the full activity of the skin, while jwtiUG
ing from chill. The J.veger name and trade mark are a Guarantee of pubswofc^
QUN8, AMMUNITION, &c.
TLEY RICHÄ
PERFECT PATENT HAMMERLESS EJECTOR CUNS
Fur fine workmanship, elegant lorm, durability, and Shooting, they cannot be
surpassed. The simplest and most successful Ejector Gun yet invented. It has stood
the test of eleven years' experience. Sixty thousand cartridges have been fired from
one of these guns without failure or impairing the mechanism.
IN THE MATTER OF THE WESTLEY RICHARDS' EJECTOR PATENT.
"We have defended our'valuable Ejector Patent, and, after a protracted trial, the
Patent has been held good and valid by the judgment of the Court of Appeal and the House
of Lords. Proceedings will be taken against all infringers."
A FEW TESTIMONIALS (from a large number).
" Tlie ihre« Uainmerless Ejector Guus you made me iu 1887 have giveu me every satii^fuction, and have
worked i>erfectly all the time."—Euston.
" Lord Egmoiit has pleasure lii speaking highly of the pair of Ejector Guns supplied him by Messrs.
Wertley Richards and Co. They are beautifully balanced, shoot admirably, aud the Ejector works easily and
smoothly."
" I have giveu the gun supplied by you in August last a good trial, aud I can only say it is as perfect as
the pair I had from you in August. Itâ9. These guns have been iu constant use. aud the Ejectors work as
well to-day as they did when they left your hands. I have never had the slightest trouble with the guns in
any way. After such a trial as these have had, and have proved themselves so excellent, I think it only
fair to tell you so."—H. M. Upcher.
" 1 have Just fired some 4,000 shots in twelve d.-iy.s, shouting from the last gun you made me, aud
nothing could have worked better than the Ejector."—E. C. (Major).
WESTLEY RICHARDS' NEW DOUBLE '3D3 RIFLES
FOR DEER STALKING AND OTHER SPORT.
SPECULLY CONSTRUCTED WITH OUR SOLID STEEL PROJECTION TOP FASTENING.
The Safest and most mechanical in use for withstanding heavy charges.
Made with barrels of best Whitworth fluid compressed steel, and specially regulated
with smokeless powder to give the greatest accuracy at short and long ranges.
ACTUAL DIAGRAM.
¡0 Consecutive Shots at 100 yards in SJ^in. by 2Kin.; 8 of these were In 1,'iln. by 2}4iii.
These accurate and powerful weapons combine New F'eatures and Improvements, which
we have carefully worked out, and which render them specially suitable for Sport.
NEW SPECIAL SPORTING CARTRIDGE for Ditto.
" Abundant living antelope targeta shot at with the deadly 'Westley Richards' Rifles made the Boers dead
ebots tit 1,000 yards."—" South Africa," Dec. 27,18M.
" Constant praeUce with tiie rifle (Westley Richards) made the Boers perfect shots, and they were the
beet riflemen in the world—and are out and out the beat game shots in the world with a rifle."—" Tales of a
Koraad " (Montaguei.
WESTLEY RICHARDS' Patent LONG RANGE LARGE GAME RIFLES '500
Accurate from 100 to 600 yards.
ACTUAL DIAGRAM.
10 Consecutive Shots at 100 yards in 4^iiii. by 2Kin. 8 shots in 3in. by 2Xin.
These Single and Double Rifle.s shoot as accurately as a target rifle to 500 yards.
At 100 yards they give a force of impact 50 % greater than the Lee-Metford "303 bore.
" We found it in every reject a splendid weapon. With the nickel-covered bullet the
penetration was enormous.—Ealitor of "Field's " Report, June 23, 1894.
IlluitraUd Price Litit of any dtscripiion of Gum, Rifles, Revolvers, ¿re., sent free by post
en applieatUm. 178, NEW BOND STREET. LONDON:
128, Ruede Provence (Boulevard Haussmann), PARIS; A 12, Corporation St., BIRMINGHAM
West and South-West Coasts of Africa,
THE CANARY ISLANDS, AND MADEIRA.
THE ROYAL MAIL STEAMERS OF
THE RFHICRH STERIVISHIP Co.
(Incorporated 1852 by Royal Charter) and the
Britisli Sl AMcan Steam Navigation Co.,
LIMITED,
Sa//—Liverpool to West Africa ...EverySaturday&AiternateWed.
Liverpool to South-West Africa...Every Four Weeks.
Hamburg to West Africa ...Every Ten Days.
Rotterdam to West Africa .. Every Ten Days.
Hamburg to South-West Africa...Every Month.
Antwerp to South-West Africa...Every Month.
taking passengers at low rates.
TRIPS FOR HEALTH AND PLEASURE.
THE CHEAPEST & BEST ROUTE TO MADEIRA & THE CANARY ISLANDS
is by the steamers of these companies.
They have excellent accommodation for passengers, most being fitted with
Electric Light, Electric Bells, Hot and Cold Water Baths, and other modern
conveniences. Surgeon and Stewardess carried.
Grand Canary is recommended by the Faculty as one of the healthiest Islands,
its climate being exceptionally mellow, dry and almost unvarying in its
temperature all the year round.
Saloon Fare (Single) £10. Return (AYailable for 12 Months) £15.
Only Saloon Passengers taken. Tickets are available for Return by either
Company's Steamers, and give passengers the option of breaking the journey,
if the Steamers by which they travel call, at each or any of these three Islands.
Option is also given to return from Grand Canary to Barcelona or Genoa by
the magnificent Steamers of La Veloce Navigazione Italiana a Vapore.
From Liverpool to Grand Canary every Saturday.
Liverpool to Madeira & Teneriffe every alternate Wednesday.
Full particulars may be obtained oa application tn—
ELDER, DEMPSTER & CO.,
14, Castle Street, LIVERPOOL
Leadenhall Chambers, 4, St. Mary Axe, LONDON.
8, Commercial Buildings, Cross Street, MANCHESTER.
70, Queen Square, BRISTOL.
Luisenhof, Neue Groningen Strasse. HAMBURG.
?ixe KoUl
GRAND CANARY.
^
^^HIS HOTEL, facing the sea, and situated in its own groundai
is the best and healthiest in the Islands, being away from
the town, and having the full advantage of the sea ozone.
The Comfort of English visitors is made a speciality of.
The Hotel contains very large and beautifully furnished
Reception Rooms, Dining, Billiard, and Smoking Rooms, Bath
Rooms, Hot or Cold Water.
TERMS from 8s., 10s., 12s., and 15s. (according to position
of Room) per Day each Person, inclusive.
Two occupying one room, a reduction will be made,
CHILDREN AND SERVANTS, 5s. PER DAY EACH.
(k)f!ee after Dinner served in the large Patio or Verandahs.
DOCTOR AND TRAINED NURSE.
SANITATION EXCELLENT.
Telegraphic Address:—
" METROPOLE, LASPALMAS."
a.b.c. code used.
R. G. FALKNER. Manager.
Aoents in London: Agents in Liverpool;
Messrs. ELDER, DEMPSTER & Co., Messrs. ELDER, DEMPSTER & Co.,
Leadenhall Chambers, H, Castle Street.
4, St. Mary Axe.
omoinal ano
only ainuinl
FOR
COUGHS, COLDS, ASTHMA,
BRONCHITIS.
DR. J. GOLLIS BROWNE'S
CHLORODYNE.
Dr. J. collis browne (late Army
Medical Staff) DISCOVERED A
REMEDY, to denote which he coined the
word CHLORODYNE. Dr. Browne is the
SOLE INVENTOR, and, as the composition
of Chlorodyne cannot possibly be discovered
by Analysis (organic substances defying elimi¬
nation), and since the formula has never been
published, it is evident that any statement
to the effect that a compound is identical with
Dr. Browne's Chlorodyne must be /aise.
hr- j- collis browne's chlorodyne.
^ -Vice-chancellor Sir W. PAGE WOOD
stated publicly in Court that Dr. J. COLLIS
BROWNE was UNDOUBTEDLY the
INVENTOR of CHLORODYNE. that the
whole story of the defendant Freeman was
deliberately untrue, and he regretted to say it
had been sworn to.—See Times, July 13, 1864.
j)r. i. collis browne's chlorodyne
is the true palliative in
j^euralgia, gout, cancer,
toothache, rheumatism.
»phe great specific for ^holera,
j^iarrhœa, dysentery.
GENERAL BOARD of HEALTH,
London, REPORT that it ACTS as a
CHARM, one dose generally sufhcient.
Dr. GIBBON, Army Medical Staff, Cal¬
cutta, states "2 DOSES COMPLETELY
CURED ME of DIARRHCEA."
The Illustrated Ltmdem Neva of
Sept. aS, i8^s, says
"If I were asked which tangle medicine I
should prefer to take abroad with me, as likely
to be most generally useful, to the exclusion of
all others, I should say CHLORODYNE. _ I nerçr
travel without it, and its general applicMiility
to the relief of a large number of simple
ailments forms its best recommendation."
Ro}ral Irish Fusiliers, Cork, Feb. 6^ i8g&
Dear Sir,—I wish to give public testmiooy
to the inGnite value which your remedy for
Dysentery ard Diarrhoea (DR. BROIfNE'S
CHLORODYNE) proved to sevoal members of
the Special Service Corps, in the recent
Ashanti Expedition. I benight a small bottle
just before leaving London for West Afiica,
and having used it myself with beneficial result,
treated some of my comrades with equal
succe.ss (though some of them were very bod).
I should be very glad to recommend it to kn^
one about to travel in a treacherous climate,
where they are so much exposed to this
dangerous malady.—Gratefully yours,
G. SMITH, •'Band," R.LF.
To J. T. Davenport.
qr. j. collis browne's chlorodyne
rapidly cuts short all attacks of
£pilepsy, spasms, colic,
palpitation, hysteria.
IMPORTANT CAUTION. — The IMMENSE
SALE of this REMEDY has given rise
to many UNSCRUPULOUS IMITATIONS.
Be careful to observe Trade Mark. Of all
Chemists, Is. l;<d., ta. 9d., and 4s. M.
Sole Manufacturer, J. T. DAVENPORT, 33, Great Russell St., W.C.
BO V R I I.
irrs ORIGIN.
BOVRIL is Beef, the entire lean of the best Beef procurable. Not the
Forty Pounds Weight of Beef which would have to be eaten before the
nourishment contained in one pound of Bovril could be imparted to the system,
but Forty Pounds of the primest parts obtained from the finest selected cattle
reared in Australia and South America, concentrated by a special process,
rendering it the most perfect form of strengthening, stimulating, easily
digestible nourishment in the smallest possible bulk.
irrs usRS.
BOVRIL is meat and drink at one draught, providing a perfect, warm¬
ing, nourishing, invigorating beverage, which fortifies the system against
Colds, Chills, and other Winter Ailments.
BOVRIL imparts fresh strength and renewed vitality to the healthy,
and forms a true stimulative, recuperative food for Invalids, who relish it and
retain it when other foods are rejected.
BOVRIL adds "piquancy and nourishment to Soups. Sauces, Gravies,
Ragout of Game or Poultry, Meat Pies or Puddings, Croquettes, Rissoles, and
all Entrées, and is invaluable in every kitchen where economy and high-class
cooking is desired.
BOVRIL LTD., faoii LONDON, B.C.
Oifvctorsr-THE RIGHT HON. LORD PLAYFAIR, G.C.B., LL.D., Chairman;
DR. FARQUHARSON, M.P., and others.
'EASY SHAVING'
The MAB'RAZOR
The Mab Razor
A- is a revelation
to those who
have habitually
used the hie
clumsy Razor of the period. The ease with
which it is manipulated enables the user to
shave in half the usual time. The blade is
manufactured of the finest English Steel,
and can be had eidier plain or hollow ground.
At the great Shaving Contest at the Royal
Aquarium, little Nellie _Wick Shaved Five
Men in 4 min. 42 sec. with the Mab Razor.
Can be nsed entirely without stropping.
Many flattering notices/rom the Press and
unsolicited Testimonials,
H.M.8. "Beaol*," Rio db Jaitbi&o, Oct. 1.18&4,
Deab Sibb.—I am pleaaed to say that the " Mab "
Raaon airivad all right and they proved excellât. I
had haadly to open the parcel before I had half
the Ai^'a eantpaoy iiMiBg for then—in fact they are
^1 In love vttowab. I eaeloae amonot for two dosen
more, which fctwDy eend at oi^.
H. OVENDm. Qoalifled Signalman.
Pricei—Black handle, 2/6 ; Ivory, 3/6. Pair in
case (Black), 7/6 ; Ivory, 9/6, post free.
'HAB' Co.,94 Nevhali St., BIRMINGHAM
Swan . .
Fountain
. . Pen.
10/6, 16/6, 25/-
Known the world over as
absolutely reliable.
In the use of this famous pen, time
and money are saved while hand¬
writing is improved.
CATALOGUE ON APPLICATION.
MARIE TODD & BARD,
CHEAPSIDE, LONDON, E.C.