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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..32de12f --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #65997 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65997) diff --git a/old/65997-0.txt b/old/65997-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c26ff4c..0000000 --- a/old/65997-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7665 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Land of Fetish, by Alfred Burdon Ellis - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Land of Fetish - -Author: Alfred Burdon Ellis - -Release Date: August 5, 2021 [eBook #65997] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: deaurider, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The Internet - Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LAND OF FETISH *** - -+-------------------------------------------------+ -|Transcriber’s note: | -| | -|Obvious typographic errors have been corrected. | -| | -+-------------------------------------------------+ - - -THE LAND OF FETISH - -BY - -A. B. ELLIS, - -CAPTAIN FIRST WEST INDIA REGIMENT. - -AUTHOR OF “WEST AFRICAN SKETCHES.” - -LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, -LIMITED, - -11, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN. -1883. - - - - -WESTMINSTER: -NICHOLS AND SONS, PRINTERS, -25, PARLIAMENT STREET. - - - - -CONTENTS. - PAGE -CHAPTER I. - -The Gambia--Bathurst--Jolloffs--Novel Advertisements--A -Neglected Highway--False Economy--History of the -Gambia--Musical Instruments--Burial Custom--Yahassu--St. -James Island 1 - -CHAPTER II. - -British Combo--An interesting Conversation--Bakko--A -small Account--Sabbajee--Peculiar Governors--The -Gambia Militia--A new Field for Sportsmen 19 - -CHAPTER III. - -The Slave Coast--Whydah--The Dahoman Palaver of 1876--The -Dahoman Army--An Unpleasant Bedfellow--The Snake -House--Dahoman Fetishism--Various Gods--A Curious -Ceremony--Importunate Relatives--The Dahoman Priesthood 35 - -CHAPTER IV. - -The Amazons--Trying Drill--System of Espionage--The -Annual Customs--Human Sacrifices--The Dahoman Repulse -at Abbeokuta--Natural Features of -Dahomey--Agriculture--The Whydah Bunting 54 - -CHAPTER V. - -Lagos--Small Change--A Ball--A Cheerful Companion--An -Anomalous Sight--History of the Settlement--The Naval -Attack of 1851 73 - -CHAPTER VI. - -Leeches--Ikorudu--A Blue-blood Negro--Badagry--Flying -Foxes--Fetishes--A Smuggler entrapped--Floating -Islands--Porto Novo--Thirsty Gods--Cruel Kindness 95 - -CHAPTER VII. - -The Niger Delta--Gloomy Region--Cannibals--King -Pepple--Bonny-town--Rival Chiefs--Dignitaries of the -Church--Missions--Curlews--A Night Adventure--A Bonny -_Bonne Bouche_ 111 - -CHAPTER VIII. - -Old Calabar--Duke Town--Capital Punishments--Moistening -the Ancestral Clay--A surgeon’s Liabilities--Man-eaters--A -Mongrel Consul--Curious Judgments 131 - -CHAPTER IX. - -Sierra Leone--More Civility--Cobras--A Guilty -Conscience--Naval Types--Freetown Society--A Musical -Critic--The Rural Districts--A British Atrocity 143 - -CHAPTER X. - -British Sherbro--The Bargroo River Expedition--Professional -Poisoners--An African Bogey--A Secret Society--A -Strange Story--A Struggle with Sharks--Startling News -from the Gold Coast 158 - -CHAPTER XI. - -Ashanti Politics since 1874--The Secession of -Djuabin--Diplomatic Mistakes--The Conquest of -Djuabin--The Importation of Rifles--The Attempt on -Adansi--The Salt Scare--The Mission to Gaman and -Sefwhee--Dissensions in Coomassie--The War Party 178 - -CHAPTER XII. - -Cape Coast--The Panic--The Golden Axe--Preparations for -Defence--Ansah--A Divided Command--A Second Message -from the King--Native Levies--Ordered to Anamaboe 207 - -CHAPTER XIII. - -A Teacher of the Gospel--Anamaboe--A Third Message from -the King--Affairs in Coomassie--Downfall of the War -Party--False Rumours--Arrival of the Governor--A Fourth -Message from the King--Further Complications 227 - -CHAPTER XIV. - -Arrival of Reinforcements--Sanitary Condition of Cape -Coast--Culpable Neglect--Meeting of Chiefs--The -Messengers from Sefwhee--Expedition to the -Bush--Its Effect upon the Ashantis 251 - -CHAPTER XV. - -A Trip to Prahsu--Mansu--A Fiendish Réveille--Bush -Travelling--Prahsu--The King of Adansi--Masquerading -Costumes--The Camp--Strength of the Expedition 267 - -CHAPTER XVI. - -Regulating the Sun--Arrival of the Ashanti Embassy--The -Palaver--Ciceronian Eloquence--A Diplomatic Fiction--A -Beautiful Simile--Physiognomies--Unhealthiness -of the Camp 281 - -CHAPTER XVII. - -Another Interview--Atassi--An Importunate Investigation--A -Shocking Accident--Yancoomassie Assin--Draggled -Plumes--An Unintentional Insult--A Scientific -Experiment--The Palaver at Elmina--Our future -Policy--Recent Explorations on the River Volta 297 - - - - -TOWER HILL BARRACKS, -SIERRA LEONE, -_November, 1882_. - - - - -THE LAND OF FETISH. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - The Gambia--Bathurst--Jolloffs--Novel Advertisements--A - Neglected Highway--False Economy--History of the Gambia--Musical - Instruments--Burial Custom--Yahassu--St. James’ Island. - - -My first visit to the Gambia took place in March 1877, from Sierra -Leone. After two days’ steaming from the latter place we passed Cape -Bald, with the two queer little Bijjals Islands in front of it, and -sighted Cape St. Mary at the entrance of the river. On the high ground, -at the point, could be seen the long low white building of the deserted -barracks, and the tops of mangrove trees could be faintly distinguished -above the level of the sea in the distance to the right and left as we -entered the estuary; while, making a long sweep of two or three miles, -we reached the Fairway buoy, picked up a pilot, and steamed up the -river. - -Bathurst, St. Mary’s Island, does not appear to advantage from the -anchorage. The island is low-lying and flat; in front is a row of -staring white houses, with a few stunted silk-cotton trees and -hearse-plume like cocoa-nut palms mounting guard over them, and--and -that is all. The prospect was not inviting, but, hoping that it -might prove better than it looked, I hailed a boat, and was pulled -to the shore. On the way several curious Shiriree canoes, fashioned -like crocodiles, and full of men, passed down the river. The bows -were filled with wooden idols, and in each canoe was a man beating a -tom-tom, and howling some monotonous ditty in a minor key. - -The island of St. Mary is a mere sandbank, barely raised above the -level of the river, (in fact a considerable portion of it is below -high-water mark,) and is separated from the mainland by a narrow -mangrove swamp, dignified by the name of Oyster Creek, which is -fordable at low water. The centre of the isle can boast of a little -solidity, as a ridge of rock, covering about twenty square yards, -there crops up through the sand, and is pointed out to strangers by -the inhabitants with much pride, as a proof that their _demesne_ has a -stable foundation. The island has apparently been formed of the sand -thrown up by the meeting of the inflowing tide with the current of the -river. A bar, or sandbank, is now in course of formation to the south -of the island from the same causes, and in a few centuries the British -possessions in the Gambia will receive a considerable accession of -territory in that direction. - -The town of Bathurst is small and insignificant: there is a row of -habitable buildings, principally stores, built of brick and stone, -facing the river, and behind this lies the remainder of the town, which -consists of native huts built of palm-leaves, old boards, and matting. -There are no made roads, and every street is ankle-deep in sand. To one -side of an open space in the centre of the town stand the old barracks, -in which the West India troops were formerly quartered, and this, with -Government House, which though small is perhaps the most comfortable -in West Africa, are the only two buildings in Bathurst worth a second -glance. - -The natives of the country north of the Gambia are Jolloffs, an -entirely distinct race of negroes, and, as far as my experience goes, -the only really black people to be found in West Africa. The colour of -the ordinary negro is a deep brown, but the skin of the Jolloffs is -of a dead dull black. Their features differ from those of other races -on the coast: the eyes are slightly oblique and almond-shaped, the -nose long and inclined to be aquiline, and the lower part of the face -less prognathous than is usual amongst Africans. There is a tradition -amongst them that they were once white, and it may be a fact that in -the dim past their ancestors were of Arab blood, and that their colour -may be accounted for by a succession of marriages with the aboriginal -women of the country. Many of them are remarkably like Arabs in every -other respect, and both sexes wear the Arab costume. The women dress -their wool, which they suffer to grow long, into innumerable ringlets, -each about a foot in length and of the thickness of a pencil, which -hang down in a mass on their necks; some of them are rather handsome, -and have regular features. - -There is a colony of Jolloffs in Bathurst, but the majority of the -people of that race that one sees in the town are traders from the -interior, who bring down their ground-nuts to exchange for powder, -muskets, and Kola nuts. In the one street of stores, of which I have -spoken, long lithe Jolloffs may be seen coming out of the shops with -trade muskets, the stocks of which are painted a brilliant red, and -the barrels made of renovated pieces of old gas-pipe. Into these -unquestionably deadly weapons they pour two or three handfuls of -powder, and then fire them off in the road to test them. The test -frequently leaves nothing remaining but a fragment of barrel and stock, -and the practice is one that is rather startling to strangers who may -happen to be passing by. The Kola nuts (_Sterculia acuminata_) are -eaten by the natives habitually, as sailors chew tobacco. They are said -to be particularly useful to travellers, as they prevent all sensations -of hunger, thirst, or weariness. I ate two or three as an experiment, -but I did not find that I was any the less ready for my dinner at -the usual hour. They are imported from the Timmanee country, near -Sierra Leone, principally in the neighbourhood of the Great and Little -Scarcies rivers, to which part, though distant three hundred miles from -the Gambia, large canoes and boats resort solely for the purpose of -obtaining them. - -The English-speaking and Christianized negroes in Bathurst, most of -whom are emigrants from Sierra Leone, are a vast improvement upon their -compatriots in that negro paradise. They positively do a little work -occasionally, and some few of them might even be called industrious. -I could not discover the cause of the improvement. Perhaps it is -owing to the good example of the Jolloffs, or to there not being such -a redundancy of missionaries in the Gambia; but I think it is more -probably due to the fact that the island is so small that there is no -spare land on which they can squat and do nothing (even if there were -any soil to produce anything), so that they are obliged to work or -starve. They build cutters of from twenty-five to sixty tons’ burden, -which are used by the French merchants for bringing produce down the -river from their outlying factories, and for carrying cargo between -Bathurst and Goree or Dacar. - -In the one street of Bathurst there is a fairly good market-shed for -native vendors of fruit and green-stuff, and I was going to look round -and see what there was to buy when I caught sight of a large slab of -marble let in to the rubble wall of the gateway. It bore the following -legend:-- - -“This market was erected by Colonel Luke S. O’Connor during his -Governorship, A.D. ----.” - -I said to myself, “Oh! indeed,” and passed on. - -Thirty yards further down the road I saw a tablet attached to an old -swish wall. I walked up to it and read:-- - -“This wall was repaired during the Administration of Colonel Luke S. -O’Connor, Governor, A.D. ----.” - -It did not appear to me that this was such a stupendous feat as to need -commemoration, so I turned down a side-street and walked on. In a few -minutes I met a pump standing in the middle of the road. I saw there -was an inscription on this too, and tried to avoid it, but a fatal -fascination drew me on, and I read:-- - -“This pump was erected for the benefit of the thirsty wayfarer during -the Governorship of Colonel Luke S. O’Connor, A.D. ----.” - -I began to get rather tired of this, and turned towards the country, -where I thought there could not be any more advertisements of this -kind. I passed a dilapidated battery, which bore testimony in letters -of stone to the worth of the departed monarch, Colonel Luke S. O’Connor -the First, and approached the Colonial Hospital. From afar off I -perceived a slab of darker stone let into the masonry of the wall, and -I turned my head the other way. It was no use, I could not pass it, and -I groaned in spirit as I read:-- - -“This building was enlarged during the Administration of Colonel S. -Luke O’Connor, Governor, A.D. ----.” - -I staggered away and wandered into a neglected grave-yard by the side -of the path to Oyster Creek. I was in hopes that I might be able to -sooth my mind by finding the grave of this departed potentate; but, -alas! after a long search I only found a tomb which bore the following -remarkable epitaph: - -“Sacred to the memory of the bodies of three sailors, which were washed -on shore on March ----, A.D. ----. This monument was erected during the -Administration of Colonel Luke S. O’Connor, Governor.” - -I left hastily. That man was not going to let his fame languish and die -for want of a few monumental inscriptions. - -The Gambia river is a magnificent highway to the interior of this -portion of Africa. Its estuary measures twenty-seven miles in breadth -from Bald Cape to Punshavel, and though it is only two miles across -from Bathurst to Barra Point, directly opposite, it widens out to -a breadth of seven miles immediately above St. Mary’s Island. At -Macarthy’s Island, one hundred and forty-seven miles up the stream, -the river is four hundred yards broad; and vessels drawing ten feet of -water can ascend even up to some seventy miles above Yahlahlenda. Here, -as in our other West African possessions, we have been retrograding -of late years. Only some twelve years ago, Macarthy’s Island was -garrisoned by troops, European traders had factories there, and small -steamers went up the river as far as the falls of Barraconda; while the -British name was respected, and the British power dreaded, far and wide -among the warlike tribes dwelling upon the river banks. Now the troops -have been withdrawn from the Gambia, Macarthy’s Island is deserted, -and the natives laugh at the idea of England being a powerful kingdom, -since her might is only represented in Bathurst by a miserable force of -one hundred policemen. In fact the colony is quite at the mercy of the -native chiefs, and but for their internecine squabbles and jealousies -would have already fallen a prey to them. - -In 1869 the Third West India Regiment, then stationed in the Gambia, -was, as a measure of economy, disbanded by the Liberal Government -then in power, the Minister for War stating that £20,000 a year would -be saved by the transaction. The immediate result of this measure was, -that when, in the same year, Bathurst was threatened by hostile tribes -from the mainland, the Administrator had no garrison for the protection -of the lives and property of British subjects, and was compelled to -apply for assistance to the French at Goree. Two French men-of-war were -at once sent, and the colony was saved. The effect of this incident was -that the British Government, without consulting the inhabitants of the -Gambia, or mooting the subject in Parliament, offered the colony to -France; and, in spite of the protests of the people, who represented -that they were Protestants and did not wish to be subject to a Roman -Catholic power, the transfer would have been completed but for the -outbreak of the Franco-German war. In 1874-5 the subject again cropped -up, and, as a Conservative ministry was then in office, the French -offered their settlements at Grand Bassam, Assinee, and Gaboon, in -exchange for the Gambia. It is probable that this exchange, which would -have been most advantageous for England, as through the acquisition -of Assinee we should be able to control the importation of arms to -Ashanti, would have been effected, had not the matter become entangled -with the religious question. The Exeter Hall party brought all their -influence into play, and the French offer was declined. - -A more serious result of the disbandment of the Third West India -Regiment was the Ashanti war of 1873-4. When the Ashanti invading -army crossed the Prah, the Administrator of the Gold Coast had only -two hundred soldiers with which to defend a colony of more than two -hundred miles in extent. Had the Third West India Regiment been then in -existence, and been sent to the Gold Coast with the same promptitude -that characterized the despatch of the Second West India Regiment in -1881, the war of 1873 would equally have been nipped in the bud. As it -turned out, the interest of the money expended in that war would have -more than sufficed to keep up the Third West India Regiment; so that no -saving was effected after all. - -Our possessions in the Gambia consist of St. Mary’s Island, a strip -of land one mile in breadth on the river bank opposite, called “the -_ceded_ mile,” about three square miles of unoccupied bush and swamp -higher up on the western bank of the river known as Albreda, Macarthy’s -Island, and British Combo. Bathurst alone is inhabited by Europeans, -nearly all of whom are French. The trade is entirely in French hands, -the exports consisting principally of ground-nuts, hides, and beeswax, -of which the first are shipped to France and used in the manufacture -of olive oil. From a commercial point of view we have nothing to lose -by exchanging the Gambia; and should France again broach the subject, -as the present Government is now, 1881, almost identical with that -which offered the settlement unconditionally in 1869, it could now -hardly refuse to part with it without stultifying its former action. -At present we are playing the part of the fabled dog in the manger: we -will not make use of the Gambia as a means of opening up the interior, -nor expend any money on the colony; and, although it is of no value -to us as it is, we will not give it up to another nation, to which -it would prove exceedingly useful, and which is willing to make the -necessary outlay for unclosing this long-closed artery. - -Our connection with the Gambia dates from 1588, in which year Queen -Elizabeth granted a patent to some Exeter merchants to trade there. -Thirty years later a company was formed for the purpose of carrying on -this trade, which almost entirely consisted of “trafficking in black -ivory,” as slave-dealing was euphonically termed. After the abolition -of the slave-trade this settlement, in common with the others in West -Africa, declined, and the colony was almost abandoned, until in 1816 -a new mercantile company was formed by British traders from Senegal. -A dependency of the Gambia is Bulama Island, which lies to the east -at the mouth of the river Jeba, and where Captain Beaver established a -settlement in 1791 at Dalrymple Bay. There used to be a small garrison -kept up here under a subaltern officer, but after nine officers, in -succession, had died at their post from the effects of the climate, the -Government seemed to think the experiment had had a fair trial, and -the troops were withdrawn. The Jeba river is unapproachable from the -Gambia by land, as between the two lies the Casamanza river with its -dense forests and swamps, and the inhabitants of that cheerful region -are ferocious savages and cannibals. The Administrator of the Gambia -exercises no jurisdiction of any description over the tribes dwelling -in the vicinity of the British settlements. - -The Jolloffs are a musical race. Besides being the happy possessors of -the tom-tom, or native drum, the six-stringed native banjo, and the -long reed-instrument which seems universal in West Africa, they are -the inventors of various musical machines peculiar to themselves. The -most curious of these is one formed of slabs of a dark, heavy, and -close-grained wood, which when struck emits musical sounds, varying -in depth of tone according to the size and thickness of the piece -of wood, the larger pieces giving forth bass notes and the smaller -treble. These are arranged in regular order so as to form a complete -gamut, and fastened above the halves of calabashes. It is in fact a -native dulcimer, in which wood takes the place of glass. They have also -a kind of kettledrum, in which the skin is stretched across half an -enormous calabash, highly polished and sometimes elaborately carved. -Another instrument is a species of zither, having ten strings, all -of which are made of some vegetable fibre, though I have somewhere -read that it is considered impossible to obtain strings suitable for -stringed instruments from such a source. Some of their tunes are -rather pleasing, though perhaps monotonous; but if, as some musicians -assert, repetition may be considered a beauty, the Jolloffs may be well -satisfied with their national music. - -The Jolloffs have a curious burial custom. The body of the deceased -is laid out in the inclosure, or yard, which surrounds every Jolloff -house, where the ladies of the family prepare the kous-kous, and their -lord and master prays at morning and evening; and, when it is about to -be carried out for sepulture, the funeral party, instead of taking it -through the gate, proceed to demolish the whole fence. They consider -that it would be fatal to the deceased’s hopes of future bliss if his -body passed through any gate before he crossed the bridge of Al Sirat -and knocked at the door of paradise. Expectoration seems to be the -commonest form in which grief is exhibited by Jolloffs. Of course the -men never show even this sign of weakness; but the women at funeral -customs, or when they are grieved about anything, fill up the pauses of -their dirge, or complaint, with vigorous discharges of saliva. Any fly -within a radius of ten feet has but small chance of escape. - -The Jolloff country extends from the Gambia to the French possessions -on the Senegal river, and is divided into three independent kingdoms, -viz. Senaar or Senegal, Saulaem, and Ballah. A late king of Senaar, -Jumail by name, was a source of considerable anxiety to the French, and -kept up a standing army of ten or twelve thousand cavalry, with which -he made frequent raids on the settlements. The religion of these people -is purely Mohammedan. - -During one of my visits to the Gambia I crossed the river to look at -the country of the “ceded mile,” opposite Bathurst. At the extremity of -a promontory, where the visitor is usually landed, are the remains of -a small fort, called Fort Bullen, which has fallen into disuse since -the withdrawal of the troops; and from the summit of its walls one can -enjoy the pleasing prospect of miles upon miles of dwarf mangrove, -bounded on the horizon inland by a mass of tall cocoanut palms and -silk-cotton trees. To the east of the ceded mile lies the Mandingo -state of Barra, and to the west the country of the Shirirees, who are -idolaters. - -The principal town in the British territory on this side of the river -is Yahassu; and the ride to it from Fort Bullen after the mangrove -strip is traversed is rather picturesque. The path throughout is shaded -by stately silk-cotton, teak, caoutchouc, and cedar trees; while -plantations of Indian corn and ground-nuts extend on either side. -Yahassu stands in the centre of an immense plantation of bananas, and, -like all Mandingo towns, is surrounded by a strong stockade, made of -the trunks of trees of different lengths, and consequently somewhat -irregular. The entrance is at a re-entering angle, and is defended by -a small brass cannon, the sole piece of artillery appertaining to the -town. The houses are all circular, and consist of a swish wall, about -four feet in height, with a conical thatched roof, the rafters of which -rest on an inner circular wall reaching to the apex, and forming an -inner apartment. The door of this second chamber is in a point of the -circumference of the inner circle diametrically opposite to the side -and into the outer circle, so that ingress to it is only obtainable -by traversing the first apartment, which is usually occupied by the -slaves, dependents, and household utensils of the proprietor. Each -house stands in a rectangular yard; and the streets of the town, -which are about six feet wide, are completely walled in by the plaited -palm-leaf fences of these yards. In the centre of the town is a square, -where stands a mosque, and a school in which the male children are -taught to read the Koran, which is written on wooden tablets whitened -with lime. In the neighbourhood of Yahassu, the last elephant seen in -this part of Africa was slain some twenty years ago. - -After visiting one of these towns, one cannot help being struck with -the difference of manner between Christian and Mohammedan negroes. -The latter are courteous and dignified, never try to elbow a white -man out of the path, or shove against him, or pick a quarrel; and the -salutation, “Dam white nigger,” is replaced by the oriental “Salaam -Aleykoum,” “Peace be with you;” while the idleness, improvidence, -drunkenness, and ignorance of the former is replaced by industry, -frugality, temperance, and a certain amount of learning. Yet not -satisfied with looking after the converts they have already gained -or striving to obtain others from among the idolatrous pagans, -missionaries actually endeavour to reduce Mohammedans to the debased -condition of their Christian compatriots: fortunately they do not meet -with much success. However moralists may endeavour to explain the -cause, the fact remains that Christianity does not produce such good -results among negroes as do the tenets of Mohammed. Probably I shall -bring down a storm of indignation on my head by saying that I consider -the former is not a religion adapted to races barely emerging from -barbarism. At all events this is what my experience of South and West -Africa tells me. - -About an hour’s row up the river from Bathurst is the island of St. -James, which was the site of the first British settlement established -in the Gambia. This isle, now so silent and deserted, was, towards the -end of the seventeenth century, the scene of much bloodshed. During -our numerous local wars with the French on this coast it was captured -by them, and re-captured by us, no less than three times. On the last -occasion a French naval force under the Count de Genes, in 1703, -destroyed all the houses and devastated the entire settlement; and it -was after this that the building of the town of Bathurst was commenced. -Why the new colonists did not re-occupy James Island it is difficult -to say, as it is fertile, well wooded, and fairly healthy, while St. -Mary’s is barren, treeless, and pestilential. The ruins of the old -fort, built in 1669, can still be distinguished from the river, covered -with brushwood and shrouded in trees. The island is now entirely -uninhabited, and its silence is never disturbed except by the advent of -an occasional fisherman from the neighbouring Mandingo town of Sikka. - -It is from the Mandingo tribes, who inhabit the country bordering on -the river, that the supply of ground-nuts is principally obtained, and -in the swampy districts a good deal of rice is grown; they also trade -in beeswax and small quantities of gold. They are an industrious and, -generally speaking, harmless people, and a European, speaking Arabic, -might traverse the entire country alone and unarmed. To eat kola-nut -with, or present some kola-nuts to, a Mandingo or Jolloff, places a -stranger on the same footing as the tasting of salt does with an Arab; -and after such a ceremony one is entitled to protection and assistance. -A kola-nut is a good kind of passport and _viséd_ for any Mohammedan -town. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - British Combo--An interesting Conversation--Bakko--A small - Account--Sabbajee--Peculiar Governors--The Gambia Militia--A new - Field for Sportsmen. - - -Until I had visited British Combo I never could understand why it -was that old officers always spoke of the withdrawal of troops from -the Gambia with regret, and talked of that colony fondly as the best -station in West Africa; but after I had seen it, though shorn of its -former glories, it was quite comprehensible. Having borrowed from a -friend one of those diminutive but thoroughbred Arab horses common to -the country, I started from Bathurst one morning soon after daybreak on -my expedition. Passing the disgraceful burial-ground, and leaving to -the right Jolah town, which is inhabited by a race of outcasts supposed -to have no moral or religious code of any kind, and to possess their -women in common, I crossed a level tract of cultivated country, and -halted for a few minutes in the grove of palms at Oyster Creek. This -creek used to be the resort of the sporting members of the garrison, -who would supplement the somewhat scanty food supply of the colony -with green pigeons, wild ducks, curlew, and snipe from this place; but -now the report of a gun but rarely awakes its echoes. - -On the other side of the creek I entered upon a swampy region, -consisting of stretches of sand and small lagoons surrounded by dwarf -mangroves; and after splashing through the last of these I found myself -in front of a dense growth of grass, eight or nine feet high. I thought -that if all the open country of which I had heard were like this I -should not care much about it, and rode into the narrow path which -lay before me. The grass closed overhead, and I could see nothing in -front but a long green tunnel, with occasional flecks of gold on the -sand where the sunlight broke through. The grass was heavy with dew; a -continual shower-bath of drops fell on me from above, and the long wet -stems brushed my legs on either side. I should have enjoyed it very -much if I had been unprovided with clothes, but I had not anticipated -this bath, and was consequently dressed. - -After a couple of miles of this I emerged into an open plain, as -thoroughly wet through as if I had been towed behind a boat for a -quarter of an hour; but the view compensated for any little discomfort. -The country was of a dead level, covered with waving grass of a most -brilliant green, and dotted with clumps of palm and monkey-bread -trees; plantations of corn and ground-nuts appeared here and there; -the deserted barracks of Cape St. Mary glistened white in the sun from -a sand-ridge in the front; while to the left was the dense vegetation -and rich colouring of a tropical forest. In the foreground were several -of those peculiar trees which bear no leaves when in blossom, covered -with their scarlet tulip-like flowers, while herds of cattle in the -distance gave the scene almost a pastoral aspect. There may not seem -very much in this to cause ecstasy, but nobody who has not sojourned -for some months on the Gold Coast, surrounded by its interminable and -depressing bush, can understand the delight with which a little open -country may be greeted. The monkey-bread is not a handsome tree, and -might be compared to a distorted semaphore or a corpulent sign-post. -The trunks of these trees are sometimes immense, measuring from twenty -to twenty-five feet in circumference, but they only throw out two or -three stunted limbs, which can boast of but few twigs, and produce no -leaves to speak of. - -I had reined in my horse near a conical ant-heap to look at a flock -of green parrots that were screaming round a crimson flowering shrub -when I observed two gorgeously-appareled Mandingos approaching me. One -wore a most elaborate turban, and his robe and sandals were highly -embroidered. He was apparently a chief, as the other, who was not much -behind-hand in the matter of brilliancy, was carrying, in addition to -his own spear, the curved sword and leather purse-bag of the former. -Both, it is needless to say, wore strings of leather-covered grisgris, -or amulets. I was anxious to air the little Arabic I knew, so as they -drew nigh I said, - -“Salaam Aleykoum.” - -They replied as one man, “Haira bi, haira bi,” and then stopped, -evidently waiting for more, while the spearman stirred up the sand with -the shaft of his weapon. - -I was non-plussed, and thought that they were taking an unfair -advantage of me; but, as they both remained gazing upon me in an -attitude of earnest expectancy, I let off at them again my solitary -phrase, “Salaam Aleykoum.” - -“Jam-diddi toh-chow haira-slocum-doodledum,” said the chief, or -something that sounded like it. - -“Quite so,” I replied. - -“Kara noona chi dodgemaroo,” he continued, excitedly. - -“C’est vrai,” I responded, breaking out into another language in my -agony. - -“Hanu sah daday,” he shouted, advancing towards me. - -“Verbum sap,” I yelled, in despair. - -“Ri-tiddi, to tolli, soh gamma,” they both shouted, and, bowing almost -to the earth, extended their hands deferentially towards me. - -I shook them with unction, and they both passed on, highly gratified -with our interesting conversation, and pleased with the information -that I had given them. Really the Mandingos are a most intelligent -race, and how well these two understood what I had been telling them. - -Riding on, I shortly arrived at a small village surrounded by a fence -made of palm-sticks, and further fortified on the exterior by hedges of -thorned acacia and prickly pear. This was the Mandingo town of Bakko, -and here the individual in whose honour the stone advertisements of -which I have spoken were erected was, during one of his numerous petty -expeditions, defeated with considerable loss by the natives under Hadji -Ismail, the black prophet. On that occasion a portion of the colonial -force was cut off and annihilated, while the remainder fell back -with considerable difficulty upon Bathurst, where, as the victorious -Mandingos followed up their success, and received large accessions to -their number from their warlike neighbours, the governor was obliged -ingloriously to apply to the French to save him and the colony. - -I dismounted here, and was immediately surrounded by a crowd of naked -and grisgris-covered children, while three or four men lounging about -suspended their yawning and regarded me with stoical indifference. I -did not discharge my sentence at these, because I had learnt all the -news from the two with whom I had already conversed; and, besides, I -was rather fatigued with the previous conversation. After a few moments -a negro, clothed in the remnants of European garments, and whom in -consequence I inferred was not a Mohammedan, came up to me and said, -“Good morning.” He asked me what was my name, address, and occupation, -whether I was married or revelling in single bliss, if I had any rum -with me, and why I had come to Bakko; and in return vouchsafed the -information that he was a farmer. He said he would show me round the -town if I liked, so I left my horse in charge of a Mandingo and went -inside the fence. - -The interior was a perfect labyrinth, and the houses similar to those -in the town of Yahassu, on the Barra side of the river, but smaller and -dirty. My guide pointed out to me several small edifices of palm-sticks -and bamboo, like miniature houses, raised upon piles inside the village -gate, and informed me that these were where the people kept their -corn. The doors to these granaries were merely bolted, and a piece of -paper, inscribed with a verse from the Koran in Arabic characters, was -fastened to each as a protection from thieves. My cicerone said, - -“These are very foolish people, sar.” - -“Are they? How?” - -“They put dem writings on the bolts, and then think nobody can open the -doors.” - -“Oh!” - -“Yes; and them Mandingos won’t touch them when they’re leff so--they -’fraid to.” - -“You’re not afraid, I suppose?” - -“Me? No, I don’t care for grisgris. By’mby I show you my farm; when -these foolish people sleep on dark night, I take as much corn as I want -for planting time. They think it must be devil,” and he chuckled at the -joke. - -“What religion are you then?” - -“Oh! I b’long to the Wesleyans.” - -“Ah! I thought so.” - -My co-religionist informed me that the deer usually devoured half his -crops, and that leopards, and animals “that howled like drunken men at -night,” by which graphic description he meant hyenas, were so numerous -and bold in their raids on the poultry and dogs that the thorn hedges, -which I had noticed surrounding the village, were erected for their -special behoof. Beguiling the time with such artless conversation, -he led me round the village, and finally halted before a hut, which -he asked me to enter, saying it was his. As I thought he had been -unusually civil and obliging for an English-speaking negro, I did not -like to refuse, though I do not care to invade the sanctity of such -houses and inhale the odour thereof. I saw some six or seven women -suckling babies and pounding kous-kous, whom I learned were the wives -of my host, and sat down as far from them and as near to the door as -possible; while their lord and master produced a dirty-white piece of -paper and a lead pencil, and began writing away most laboriously. - -After waiting a few minutes, and finding that my obliging friend was -still hard at work, I got up and said I was going. He added a few -finishing touches to his manuscript, came forward, and handed it to me. -I read as follows:-- - -Thomas Henry, services to European stranger from steamer. - - - £ _s._ _d._ - - 1. To showing city of Bakko and - houses 0 15 0 - - 2. To hunting information given as - to deer 0 2 6 - - 3. Use of house for purpose of resting 0 10 6 - - 4. To loss of time in performing - above services 0 1 0 - -------------- - £1 9 0 - - -Isaid: “What does this mean? You don’t think I’m going to pay this, do -you?” - -All the civility dropped from my guide’s manner like a mask, and he -said, jeeringly-- - -“I ’spose you call yourself a gen’leman.” - -“I shall pay nothing of the sort,” I continued. “Do you think I’m a -fool?” - -“Yes!” - -I looked about for some implement of castigation, more weighty than my -light riding-whip, and said-- - -“What d’you say?” - -He moved off to a safe distance, and replied: - -“If you not a fool, I like to know what you come to this town for -nuffin for. You must be a fool, man.” - -I saw there was nothing to be gained by following up this branch of -the discussion, so I returned to the original subject, and said, -decisively-- - -“I shall not pay you anything, for your impertinence.” - -“’Spose you no pay, I keep the horse.” - -The thought of what my friend’s face would be like if I returned to -Bathurst without his steed, was quite enough, and I hurried out of the -village to the spot where I had left the animal. He was nowhere to be -seen. - -I felt then that I was up a tree of considerable altitude. If I went -back to Bathurst for police, the thief would decamp in my absence; and, -even if he obligingly remained to be caught, the delay of the law is -such that I should miss my passage by the steamer, which was to sail -next day. When I thought of my stupidity in leaving my horse, I began -to have an uncomfortable conviction that my guide’s estimate of my -character was correct; and I thought I should have to submit to his -extortion after all. While still deliberating on the probable results -of a violent assault on this amiable negro, a happy idea occurred to -me. I knew that in every Mohammedan town there was a head-man, or -alcaid, who, in those that were independent, was magistrate, governor, -and arbitrator in general, and answerable for the preservation of order -to the Mandingo king; while in those nominally subject to the British, -such as Bakko, he settled disputes between the natives, and regulated -the charges made against strangers for food and lodging; so I said to -my extortioner, who had followed me out of the village-- - -“I shall go to the head-man.” - -My forlorn hope told; his countenance fell almost to zero; and without -waiting to consider that I did not know the alcaid, or where to find -him, and that if I did succeed in finding him I could not make him -understand my complaint, as I could not speak his language, he said, -sulkily, - -“Well, I don’t want to make trouble, you can pay half.” - -“I shall do nothing of the sort.” - -“Give me five shillings, and the palaver’s set.” - -“Certainly not.” - -“Master, dash me two shillings for the boy that hold the horse, and I -go fetch him.” - -I thought it would not do to push my advantage too far, so I agreed to -these terms, and in a few minutes this scoundrel brought out, from the -penetralia of some hovel in the village--my missing steed. - -I climbed into the saddle, threw the money at the man’s head, and then, -with my whip--but no, I won’t say what I did, or I shall have the “poor -black brother society” of Exeter Hall down on me. It is sufficient to -say that I rode off in a more happy frame of mind, though still annoyed -to think that after the many years during which I had been acquainted -with the negro I should have been such an idiot as to imagine that a -Christianized and English-speaking low-class specimen of the species -could be polite and obliging without having some ulterior scheme of -insult or extortion in view. - -On my return to Bathurst I learned that Bakko enjoyed anything but -an enviable reputation. It appeared that its inhabitants were outcast -Mandingos, who had found it advisable to leave their native country, -and who, while thoroughly grasping the full meaning of _meum_, had but -hazy and unsatisfactory notions as to the interpretation of _tuum_, -in consequence of which their society was rather avoided, and they -were rarely seen in the haunts of civilisation, except on those few -occasions on which the intelligent police might be observed escorting -them towards a public building yclept the jail. - -From Bakko I rode on over open country, adorned with herds of -short-horned cattle and solitary pie-bald sheep with long tails, and -where occasionally the wild ostrich may be seen, to Josswang, close to -Cape St. Mary. There are a few houses here, which, in the palmy days -of the colony, were the country residences of the Bathurst merchants, -but which now are affected by the universal blight which has fallen -upon the settlement and fast becoming ruinous. Ten miles from Cape -St. Mary is the Mandingo town of Sabbajee, now belonging to British -Combo, which was the scene of one of the glorious exploits of the great -advertiser Colonel Luke S. O’Connor, who commanded a force which took -the town, stockaded like all such, by assault. That individual’s mania -for self-laudatory memorials was so great that on this occasion he, as -Governor, took away two large kettledrums which had been captured by -a West India Regiment, and, after a short interval, returned them to -the regiment, embellished with two silver plates, which set forth that -he, during his administration of the government, had presented these -drums to it for gallantry in the field; and then sent in a bill for the -plates. - -He is not the only peculiar governor with which the Gambia has been -afflicted; one in particular I can remember who was notorious for his -parsimony throughout West Africa. I had known this potentate when -he revolved in a more humble sphere, and during one of my visits to -Bathurst (I shall not say in what year) I allowed myself the honour -of calling on him. At about 1 p.m. I presented myself at the door of -Government House and knocked; not a soul was to be seen anywhere, and -the place might have been deserted. I kept on knocking louder and -louder for some minutes, and then as nobody answered and the door was -wide open I walked in. I traversed one room, and, turning round the -corner of a screen, discovered a person attired in very seedy garments -employed in cutting mouthfuls off a slab of mahogany-coloured meat -which lay in a plate on a chair. This was the governor, but I should -never have recognised him in that position had it not been for the suit -of clothes he was wearing and which I remembered having seen on him -some years before. He received me with great affability, asked me to -sit down, and conversed about mutual acquaintances. He did not ask me -to join him in his lunch, for which I was not sorry, but he did ask me -to have a glass of wine. He said: - -“Can I offer you a glass of pam wine?” - -“I beg your pardon, I didn’t quite catch....” - -“Will you take a glass of pam wine?” - -I said, “I don’t quite know what you mean.” - -“You don’t know pam wine? It is the sap of the pam tree; the natives -bring it round to sell. It is very refreshing.” - -He meant that horrible emetic known as palm wine, and I declined with -thanks. - -The subjects of this monarch said that he kept no servants, and made a -police orderly do all the housework. I saw nobody at all. They added -that he gave a small dinner once a quarter, and that everybody ate a -good square meal before going to it, because they knew that they would -not get enough to satisfy hunger at his table. All these West African -Governors neglect their duty in the matter of entertaining, though they -receive a special table allowance of £500 a year for that purpose. -A circular from the Colonial Office pointing out that that money is -intended for entertainment, and not for the defraying of ordinary -household expenses, would not be out of place. - -The Gambia boasts of a local corps of militia. It is not often called -out, principally because there is no particular uniform for it, no -officers, except two unmilitary Colonial officials, and no arms, except -old trade muskets, for the men. As the latter are mostly decrepid old -pensioners and discharged men, all Africans, from the disbanded West -India regiments, it is not a very formidable body. It is a curious -fact that Africans cannot, as a rule, be taught to shoot straight: the -practice of the Houssa Constabulary on the Gold Coast is deplorable, -and it is well known that it is the bad shooting of the few Africans -who still remain in the existing West Indian Regiments that pulls down -the figure of merit in those corps. There is no such difficulty with -West Indian negroes, for the average recruit from the West Indies is -as good a shot as the British recruit, and this almost seems to show -that a certain amount of cultivation and civilisation is necessary for -making a marksman. In these days of long-range firing it is fortunate -that recruiting in Africa has ceased. - -Should any of my readers feel tempted to visit the Gambia, I believe -that they would find a hitherto unopened field for sport at the -upper waters of that river. Certain it is that elephants abound -some distance above the falls of Barraconda, the river is full of -hippopotami and crocodiles; while leopards, hyænas, antelopes, and -civet-cats are easily found, by any one who knows how and where to -look, in the vicinity of Bathurst itself. Of the feathered tribes, -quail, curlew, snipe, duck, and the usual varieties of cranes and -parrots, are common; while the valuable marabout bird and the ostrich -are frequently bagged by the badly-armed and worse-shooting Mandingos -and Jolloffs. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - The Slave Coast--Whydah--The Dahoman Palaver of 1876--The - Dahoman Army--An Unpleasant Bedfellow--The Snake House--Dahoman - Fetishism--Various Gods--A Curious Ceremony--Importunate - Relatives--The Dahoman Priesthood. - - -Towards the end of the year 1879 I visited Whydah, the seaport of -Dahomey, on the Slave Coast. Between Whydah and the boundary of the -Gold Coast Colony, now advanced to Flohow, about two miles beyond the -old smuggling port of Danoe, are the ancient slave stations of Porto -Seguro, Bageida, Little Popo, and Grand Popo; and the lagoon system, -which commences with the Quittah Lagoon to the east of the river Volta, -extends along the whole of this coast as far as Lagos. These lagoons -are however gradually silting up, and this movement is proceeding so -rapidly that already canoes can only pass from Elmina Chica to Porto -Seguro during the rainy season, the old bed of the lagoon being a vast -arid plain during the summer. - -Passing the clump of trees three miles east of Grand Popo known as -Mount Pulloy, and which is one of the principal landmarks of this -lowlying coast, we anchor off the town of Whydah, eleven miles from -Grand Popo. The landing here is very bad, the surf being worse than at -any other port in West Africa, and sharks abound. In fact in the spring -of 1879 the canoemen employed by the different trades at this place -struck work, so many of their number having been devoured by these -denizens of the deep. - -The lagoon at Whydah is a quarter of a mile in breadth and from four to -five feet deep; it is separated from the sea by a sand-ridge, 880 yards -broad. On this sand-bank stand the stores and sheds of the different -mercantile firms, French, English, and German; but the traders are not -allowed by the Dahomans to live there, and after business hours they -have to cross over to the town of Whydah, which lies a mile and a half -inland on the northern shore of the lagoon. - -The king of Dahomey is the only absolute monarch known in West Africa, -the power of all the other negro potentates being limited by the -influence and authority of the principal chiefs and captains, as that -of the king of Ashanti is limited by the dukes of Ashanti, but he of -Dahomey knows no other law than that of his own sweet will. Even the -European traders who reside at Whydah are to a considerable extent -subject to the native laws, or in other words to the king’s pleasure, -and none of them would be allowed to leave the country without -permission. - -The king has some knowledge of European methods of raising a revenue, -and an _ad valorem_ duty is imposed on imported goods, while each -vessel on entering the port has to pay a certain quantity of goods, -assessed according to the number of her masts, to the king. To the -east and west of Whydah stake and wattle fences extend across the -lagoon, closing all passage except through small openings, where are -stationed his Majesty’s revenue officers, who stop and examine all -canoes passing through, and frequently help themselves to anything that -takes their fancy. Little Popo and Grand Popo are both claimed by the -king of Dahomey, but are really independent. As the natives of these -towns will not acknowledge him as suzerain he periodically makes raids -upon villages lying on the northern side of the lagoon. The two towns -themselves being situated on the sand-bank are safe from attack, as, -since the Dahomans attacked Grand Popo by water and were defeated, it -is a law that no Dahoman warrior shall enter a canoe. - -In 1876 we had a difference with the king of Dahomey. In the early part -of that year Messrs. F. and A. Swanzy’s agent at Whydah, an English -gentleman, was maltreated by order of the caboceer of the town, and -subsequently sent to Abomey, the capital, as a prisoner. There he was -treated with every indignity, compelled to dance before the king’s -wives, and was daily dragged out, bareheaded, to be present at the -execution of criminals or sacrifice of human victims, hints not being -spared that he might shortly prepare himself for a similar fate. -Eventually, after being mulcted of money and goods, he was suffered to -escape. - -As a compensation for this outrage on a British subject, Commodore -Hewett, who commanded the West African squadron, demanded a fine of one -thousand puncheons of palm-oil, and threatened to blockade the coast -from Adaffia to Lagos if it were not forthcoming. The king refused -to pay the fine, and the coast was blockaded from July 1st. Both the -Dahomans and the British residents in West Africa anticipated that war -would ensue. The king had impediments placed in the lagoon at Whydah -and collected bodies of Amazons in the vicinity of that town. On our -side the system of lagoons between Lagos and Dahomey was surveyed by -naval officers, and it was found that small steamers could ascend to -within thirty miles of Abomey. In September 1876 the Dahoman troops -advanced towards Little Popo, and destroyed several villages in that -neighbourhood; an attack on the British settlement at Quittah was also -threatened. - -The blockade continued till 1877, when a French firm at Whydah, rather -than suffer their trade to remain at a standstill, paid, in the name -of the king, a first instalment of two hundred puncheons of palm-oil. -The whole of this was lost in the SS. Gambia, which was wrecked on the -Athol Rock off Cape Palmas. This was the first and last instalment -ever paid by, or for, the King of Dahomey; and in 1878 and 1879, when -a second instalment was demanded, the King flatly refused to pay -anything. The blockade, however, was not renewed. - -Thus affairs remain at the present day. For an outrage on a British -subject we demand compensation, a portion of the sum demanded is paid -by a French house, and the matter is allowed to drop. This is almost a -repetition of what occurred with regard to the Ashanti war indemnity. -The Ashanti envoys who signed the conditions of peace paid to Sir -Garnet Wolseley 2,000 ounces out of the 50,000 demanded, and promised -to pay the rest by quarterly instalments. When the first became due -an officer was sent to Coomassie with an escort of constabulary to -receive it, and it was obtained without trouble; on the third occasion, -when the same officer, Captain Baker, was sent, the King said the gold -was not ready. Captain Baker replied that he would leave next day at -noon whether the gold was forthcoming or not. On the day following he -paraded his men and marched out amid hootings and derisive laughter, -but when he had reached the Ordah river runners overtook him with the -gold dust. The Colonial Government, however, thought it would not be -advisable to send for any more instalments, and no more have been paid. -West African natives are now beginning to regard Great Britain as a -power which is satisfied with threatening punishment, and one that -would not go to any trouble to obtain actual redress, especially where -the offending state was powerful. - -It was indeed whispered in official circles on the Gold Coast that an -expedition to Abomey would have been undertaken but for the opposition -of the French Government. There is no doubt that the French are a -little sore at the withdrawal of our offer to give them our possessions -on the Gambia river, and this has been shown by their endeavouring to -intimidate the people of Catanoo into hoisting the French flag, and, -later, by their occupation of the island of Matacong near Sierra Leone; -but as far as regards Whydah neither France nor any other European -power has any claim to any portion of its soil. - -The annexation of Whydah would not be a difficult matter, and that is -the only real obstacle to our possessing a compact colony extending -from Assinee to Lagos. We should find allies in the Egbas of -Abbeokuta, the people of Grand and Little Popo, and in the inhabitants -of Whydah itself, who, in the last century, were an independent people, -and who still bear no goodwill to their conquerors. The Amazons are -the _élite_ of the Dahoman army, and they have shown at Abbeokuta and -elsewhere that they can fight with a ferocity that more resembles -the blind rage of beasts of prey than human courage. Their number is -variously estimated at from 15,000 to 20,000, and their warlike spirit -is kept alive by a yearly war which commences every April. Numbers of -the male prisoners made in these periodical wars are drafted into the -Dahoman army, so that it may reasonably be supposed that a considerable -portion of the male army corps is but luke-warm in its fealty. The -whole Dahoman army is estimated at 60,000 soldiers, all of whom carry -fire-arms, and a great number breach-loaders, the importation of which -has of late years been carried on extensively at all parts of the West -Coast. - -In 1876 it was proposed that a flotilla should ascend the lagoons -from Lagos to within thirty miles of Abomey and there disembark -troops. As however all that we should require would be the possession -of Whydah it seems objectless to proceed to Abomey, where we should -have to attack the enemy in the midst of his resources, and where, if -we did suffer a reverse, it would be irretrievable and none could -escape. A much less dangerous plan would be to land, unexpectedly, -at Grand Popo (the Whydah surf making the disembarcation of troops -there out of the question), a small force of from 800 to 1,000 men. -These men, proceeding by lagoon, would be in Whydah in two hours: -there are no Dahoman troops there, and there would be no resistance. -As Abomey is sixty miles from Whydah, a day and a-half would elapse -before intelligence of this occupation could reach the King, two days -at least would be occupied in mustering the army and performing the -fetish ceremonies necessary before commencing a war; and the army would -be another day and a-half on the march downwards, so that five days -would elapse between the entry of British troops into the town and -the arrival of the enemy. It is not at all improbable that if Whydah -were occupied in force the King, who is not by any means ignorant of -the power of Great Britain, would make the best of a bad business and -cede it to us with what grace he could. In any case by seizing his -solitary port we should make him entirely dependent upon us for the -African necessaries of life, viz., rum, tobacco, and gunpowder, and by -cutting off his supplies could soon bring him to terms. Our territorial -possessions in West Africa will surely increase, and as they do so and -fresh tribes are brought under our rule, some scheme of disarmament -similar to that carried out in South Africa will have to be enforced. -By occupying the Slave Coast we should be able to anticipate events by -prohibiting the importation of arms now, and at the same time we should -consolidate our West African possessions. - -In Whydah are the remains of several so-called forts, some of which -are still inhabited, though the majority have fallen into disuse. The -principal are the English, French, and Portuguese forts, and consist -of swish buildings surrounded by loop-holed walls. They were built -early in the last century, when the King of Whydah, which was then an -independent state, allotted portions of ground to each nationality for -trading purposes. These old buildings, like all similar ones in West -Africa, are garnished with dozens of obsolete and useless guns. - -Three out of the five districts into which the town of Whydah is -divided derive their names from these forts, being called English -Town, French Town, and Portuguese Town. The two remaining districts -are called Viceroy’s Town and Charchar Town. Each district is under -the superintendence of a yavogau or caboceer, who is responsible for -everything that occurs in his district. - -While at Whydah I stayed at the French factory, and there I had a -rather unpleasant adventure on the night of my arrival. It was a very -close night, and I was sleeping in a grass hammock slung from the -joists of the roof, when I was awakened by something pressing heavily -on my chest. I put out my hand and felt a clammy object. It was a -snake. I sprang out of the hammock with more agility than I have ever -exhibited before or since, and turned up the lamp that was burning on -the table. I then discovered that my visitor was a python, from nine to -ten feet in length, who was making himself quite at home, and curling -himself up under the blanket in the hammock. I thought it was the most -sociable snake I had ever met, and I like snakes to be friendly when -they are in the same room with me, because then I can kill them the -more easily; so I went and called one of my French friends to borrow -a stick or cutlass with which to slay the intruder. When I told him -what I purposed doing he appeared exceedingly alarmed, and asked me -anxiously if I had yet injured the reptile in any way. I replied that -I had not, but that I was going to. He seemed very much relieved, -and said it was without doubt one of the fetish snakes from the -snake-house, and must on no account be harmed, and that he would send -and tell the priests, who would come and take it away in the morning. -He told me that a short time back the master of a merchant-vessel had -killed a python that had come into his room at night, thinking he was -only doing what was natural, and knowing nothing of the prejudices of -the natives, and had in consequence got into a good deal of trouble, -having been imprisoned for four or five days and made to pay a heavy -fine. - -Next morning I went to see the snake-house. It is a circular hut, with -a conical roof made of palm-branches, and contained at that time from -200 to 250 snakes. They were all pythons, and of all sizes and ages; -the joists and sticks supporting the roof were completely covered -with them, and looking upwards one saw a vast writhing and undulating -mass of serpents. Several in a state of torpor, digesting their last -meal, were lying on the ground; and all seemed perfectly tame, as they -permitted the officiating priest to pull them about with very little -ceremony. - -Ophiolotry takes precedence of all other forms of Dahoman religion, and -its priests and followers are most numerous. The python is regarded as -the emblem of bliss and prosperity, and to kill one of these sacred -boas is, strictly speaking, a capital offence, though now the full -penalty of the crime is seldom inflicted, and the sacrilegious culprit -is allowed to escape after being mulcted of his worldly goods, and -having “run-a-muck” through a crowd of snake-worshippers armed with -sticks and fire-brands. Any child who chances to touch, or to be -touched by, one of these holy reptiles, must be kept for the space of -one year at the fetish house under the charge of the priests, and at -the expense of the parents, to learn the various rites of ophiolotry -and the accompanying dancing and singing. - -Fetishism in Dahomey is entirely different to fetishism on the Gold -Coast, and more nearly approaches idolatry, as the unsubstantial -shadows and apocryphal demons, which are worshipped and dreaded by the -Fantis and Ashantis, are on the Slave Coast replaced by images and -tangible objects. Before every house in Whydah one may perceive a cone -of baked clay, sometimes large and sometimes small, the apex of which -is discoloured with libations of palm-wine, palm-oil, &c. This is the -fetish Azoon, who protects streets, houses, and buildings of every -description. - -By the side of each road leading from the town grotesque clay images, -roughly fashioned into the human shape in a crouching position, may be -perceived, protected from atmospheric influences by a rough shed. This -is Legba, who is sometimes represented of the sterner and sometimes of -the softer sex, and propitiatory offerings to this fetish are supposed -to remove barrenness. Somewhat similar to Legba is Bo, who is the -special guardian of soldiers. - -The ocean is very generally worshipped, and has a chief fetish man -of high rank dedicated to its use, besides a large train of ordinary -fetish men. This high official at certain seasons descends to the -beach, shouts forth a series of incantations, and requests the sea to -calm itself, throwing at the same time offerings of corn, cowries, -or palm-oil into it. Sometimes, too, the King of Dahomey sends an -ambassador, arrayed in the proper insignia, with a gorgeous umbrella -and a rich dress, to his good friend the ocean. This ambassador is -taken far out to sea in a canoe, and is then thrown overboard and left -to drown or to be devoured by sharks. The honour of this diplomatic -post is not much coveted by Dahomans. - -Perhaps the fetish most dreaded is So, the God of thunder and -lightning, as what are considered to be the effects of his anger -are frequently both seen and felt; So being supposed to strike with -lightning those who disbelieve in his power or presume to scoff at him. -It is unlawful for any person who has been killed by lightning to be -buried, and it is commonly believed on the Slave Coast that the bodies -of those who have met their death in this manner are cut up and eaten -by the priests of So. - -A minor fetish is Ho-ho, who protects twins, who in Dahomey are always -named Ho-ho, as on the Gold Coast they are called Attah; and, in -addition to those I have already enumerated, and which are the most -commonly worshipped, the Dahomans worship the sun, the moon, fire, the -leopard, and the crocodile. - -The Dahomans place around the house a country rope, _i.e._ one made of -grass, festooned with dead leaves, which is a fetish to prevent the -building taking fire. When a large fire occurs they frequently kill the -owner of the habitation in which it first broke out, considering that -it originated through some sacrilege or omission of fetish worship. -They also place a ridiculous caricature of the human form, made of -grass, old calabashes, or any rubbish, on the doorposts of their houses -and on the gates of inclosures, to keep evil spirits from entering -therein; and a fowl nailed to a post, with its head downwards, is -considered a charm to prevent an unfavourable wind. - -The reverence which is paid to unusually tall and fine trees forms a -curious contrast to the foregoing barbarous beliefs. The silk-cotton -tree (_bombax_) and the well-known poison-tree of West Africa are those -most commonly selected. Libations in honour of these trees are poured -into perforated calabashes placed round their roots. - -One morning I saw a Dahoman, arrayed in spotless white raiment, seated -on a mat in an open space opposite the factory, and surrounded by -a small crowd of enraptured lookers-on. My thirst for information -is so insatiable that I never can see a crowd without wanting to -ascertain what is the matter, so I put on my helmet and went out. I -found the individual in white surrounded by small calabashes; one -of which contained water, a second rum, a third kola-nuts, and a -fourth a live fowl; and an old fetish lady sat opposite to him on the -edge of the mat, swaying backwards and forwards, and singing some -excruciating ditty in a low voice. Presently she dipped her fingers -into the calabash full of water, and annointed the crown, forehead, -chin, and neck of the patient with the fluid; then she sang another -verse, and repeated the process with the rum. The man seemed decidedly -refreshed after this, and I thought it was perhaps some native kind of -shampooing. After a short interval the old woman selected a kola-nut, -hurled it violently to the ground, examined all the broken pieces, and -then, picking up one fragment that seemed to satisfy her, proceeded -to chew it. When it was sufficiently masticated, she removed it from -her mouth, and touched up the sufferer with it as before; then she -decapitated the fowl, and, taking the bleeding head, went over the same -ground, for the fourth time, with it. After that she, and as many of -the bystanders as had a chance, fell violently upon the calabash of rum -and drank it, and the meeting broke up. I was confident in my own mind -that the man who had been operated on was sick, and that what I had -seen was a fetish cure; but one of my French friends told me that it -was a ceremony of common occurrence, and that the man was worshipping -his head in order to obtain good fortune. I had noticed that he had -seemed relieved when it was all over, as if he had been glad to be able -to get out of his clean raiment, but his head did not appear to be any -better than it was before. - -When a Dahoman falls ill he immediately fancies that the departed -spirit of one of his ancestors or relatives wishes to see him and -requires his presence below, and is undermining his health so that -the interview may be hastened by his death. To avoid this unwelcome -friendship he consults a fetish man, and begs him to use his influence -with the unquiet spirit, so that he may be excused paying the -unpleasant visit for the present; at the same time he deposits cowries -in the hands of the priest by way of fee. The latter, if he thinks -that the invalid is likely to recover, soon relieves his apprehensions -by telling him that he has obtained him permission to postpone the -interview indefinitely. If, on the other hand, the patient’s case be -doubtful, the fetish man procrastinates till more decided symptoms -set in; and then, if the disease be likely to terminate fatally, he -dolefully informs the sick man that he has used every means in his -power to conciliate the unquiet spirit, but without effect. This, -adding to the fears of the invalid, generally hastens the end. - -A resident in Whydah told me that he once heard the following -conversation between a sick man and a priest. The sick man said:-- - -“Who is it that wants to see me, and is troubling me now?” - -“Oh! it is the ghost of your brother Gele. He is anxious to have some -conversation.” - -“Ah! it’s only him, is it? You’re sure there’s nobody else?” - -“Oh! no--there’s nobody else.” - -“Well just remind him, will you, how I used to thrash him when he was -alive; and tell him if he doesn’t leave off bothering me now I’ll make -him have a bad time of it when I go below.” - -The future habitation of the Dahoman soul is supposed to be a gloomy -region situated under the earth, and like the world, but deprived of -most of its beauties and pleasures. A Dahoman, like the inhabitants of -the Gold Coast, believes in no future state of rewards and punishments, -and he is firmly persuaded that the social position which he holds in -life will be identically the same with that which he will hold in the -regions of the dead. A chief in life will be a chief after death, and a -slave will be a slave. - -In Dahomey the fetish men are divided into distinct sects, according -to the deity for which they officiate--the priests of the snake-house, -for instance, having nothing to do with those of Legba, and so on. -The rancour, however, which is exhibited between the various sects of -Christianity is here wanting. When a Dahoman wishes to devote himself -to the service of the gods he is not permitted to choose any deity -he pleases. He has to work himself up into a state of frenzy, during -which an old priest places round him images of the different deities, -and the one with which he first comes in contact is the one which he -is destined to serve. These neophytes usually preserve some kind of -method in their madness, and take care to touch the representative of -that form of worship to which they are most inclined, though sometimes -accidents do happen and a wrong one is touched. The fetish men speak -a language peculiar to themselves, and unknown to the common people, -which they learn in the fetish schools, and call “the holy fetish -word.” They have likewise many privileges, and can wear any dress they -please; whereas the laity are obliged to clothe themselves according -to the positions which they hold in Dahoman society. When the fetish -fit, or frenzy, overtakes a priest, he can do anything he pleases -without being held accountable for it; ordinary people, therefore, do -not care to make enemies of priests. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - The Amazons--Trying Drill--System of Espionage--The - Annual Customs--Human Sacrifices--The Dahoman Repulse at - Abbeokuta--Natural Features of Dahomey--Agriculture--The Whydah - Bunting. - - -I was wandering one day with one of my hosts, up the main road that -leads from Whydah to Kana, the second town of the kingdom, when we -heard the tinkle of a bell in front of us, momentarily drawing nearer. -Several Dahomans who were passing at once put down their loads and -rushed into the tall grass which bordered the road on either side, -while my companion stepped off the path and turned his back to it. I -said-- - -“What’s the matter?” - -“The King’s wives are coming, and no man is allowed to look at them. -You must do as I do.” - -“All right!” - -I said “All right,” but I had not the remotest intention of losing such -a sight, so I stood behind him where he could not see what I was doing, -and, as the galaxy of beauty approached, I covered my face with my -hands and--looked through my fingers. - -First came a young lady bearing in one hand a small bell, which she -rang incessantly, and in the other a whip, with which to drive male -loiterers into the bush. Her arms from the wrist to the elbow were -covered with amulets of silver, the distinguishing mark of officers -of Amazons, and she was further attired in a short tunic of blue and -white. She looked at me in a hesitating manner, as if she could not -make up her mind whether to use her whip on me or not, but, thinking -that I looked innocent and harmless, she grinned affably and passed -on. After her came fifteen or twenty more women, likewise attired in -blue and white tunics, and all armed. They were Amazons. The leader, or -captain, was not a bad-looking young woman, and carried a Winchester -repeating-rifle slung across her back: the rest were like the average -women of the country, that is to say, plain, and were armed some with -Enfield rifles and some with muskets. All wore cartridge-belts and -pouches, and carried long knives or _machetes_, with which it is said -they mutilate the wounded in a horrible manner. Several of them were -disfigured with the scars of long gashes on the cheeks and forehead, -the usual West African sign of slavery; all of them looked wiry and -muscular, and were covered with the cicatrices of old wounds. They soon -passed by, and their bell was heard tinkling in the distance. - -When my companion found out what I had done, he was very angry. He -said that very serious consequences might have ensued, and that, as he -was a resident and I only a visitor, all the trouble would have fallen -on him. There was a good deal of truth in this, and I said I was very -sorry, but I had some difficulty in making my peace. - -The institution of the armed body of Amazons dates from 1728, when the -then King of Dahomey, having had his forces greatly reduced by sickness -and the casualties of war, hit upon the happy expedient of arming a -number of women to recruit his forces. - -These were trained as soldiers, and officers were selected from those -among them who showed the greatest aptitude. With these novel troops -the King obtained a signal victory over the people of Whydah. - -The Amazons are sworn to strict celibacy, and the King alone has the -_privilege_ of choosing wives from their ranks. They are known in -Dahomey by the names of “The King’s Wives” and “Our Mothers,” live -in the King’s palace and there perform their fetish ceremonies with -great mystery. At the gate of the habitation, or barracks, of these -soldieresses, a curious fetish is hung, which is supposed to ensure the -certain exposure of any Amazon who has broken her vow of continence; -and the very fear of this fetish often causes the woman who has erred -to confess her fault, and doom both her lover and herself to a -horrible death. The stature and physique of the women of Dahomey, as -is the case in many other parts of Africa, are quite equal to that of -the men, and as all the labour falls to their share, their muscular -strength is perhaps more developed than that of the lords of creation. - -The Amazon ranks are recruited by girls of from thirteen to fifteen -years of age, who are trained in military exercises, but not allowed to -bear arms till they have attained a more mature age; and women who have -committed capital offences are frequently allowed to escape punishment -by enlisting in this female body-guard. The training to which these -recruits are subjected inures them to hardship and to physical pain. -They are made to sleep out in inclement weather, to suffer blows -without a murmur, to fast and bear all privations. - -Their drill is peculiarly unpleasant: one variety, which is supposed -to make them _au fait_ at scaling walls, consists of a succession of -rushes to, and clamberings to the top of, a tall hut covered with -prickly pear, the thorns of which lacerate them terribly. Drill of -this description was the cause of the numerous scars I had observed -on the bodies of the Amazons. I wonder how many recruits we should -obtain for the British army if, amongst other things, the recruit -had to precipitate himself upon _chevaux-de-frise_, or clamber over -walls adorned with pieces of broken glass. In battle, the Amazons -fire rapidly for a few minutes, then throw down their fire-arms, and, -uttering terrific screams and shouts, charge on the foe with their -knives. With these they do terrible execution, and even when shot down -and trampled under foot will fight on to the last gasp, making blind -stabs at the enemy above, and biting and tearing the feet and legs of -those standing over them. It would be difficult to prophesy how British -troops would meet these soldier-women at first, but experience would -soon teach them that they need have no compunction in shooting them -down. - -The party of Amazons that I encountered had come down to Whydah to -take some caboceer, who had incurred the king’s displeasure, up to -Abomey. Everything that is done in Whydah is known to the king, for -a most complete system of espionage there prevails; every man, from -the yavogau, or chief caboceer, downwards, being watched by two or -more spies, who are themselves under surveillance. To have authentic -information of what goes on in the bosoms of the families of the -caboceers, the king sends them occasionally one or more of his wives, -who are no longer in the first blush of youth, as a present. This -honour cannot be declined, and the chiefs have to admit to their -families women whom they must treat with kindness, and whom they well -know are only sent to report upon their most secret conversations -and actions. By this system the king has made every man in Whydah -distrustful of every other, and, consequently, any conspiracy or revolt -against his authority impossible. Even such minute things as the number -of yards in each piece of print paid on a ship being entered at the -port are reported to him, and the unfortunate caboceer who had been -sent for was accused of having appropriated to his own use a small -piece of cloth, the trade value of which was at the most three or four -shillings, and for which he would now have to pay probably with his -head. - -The “Customs” of Dahomey are three in number, viz.: The carrying -goods to market, the “Water Sprinkling,” and the Ahtoh. At the Water -Sprinkling custom, which means, in the Dahoman sense of the word, blood -sprinkling, the king sacrifices one or two slaves and pours their blood -upon the graves of his ancestors. This is done as a mark of respect, -and moreover is considered as necessary for the welfare of the deceased -by Dahomans, as masses for the souls of the dead are by the Roman -Catholic variety of Christians. - -The great annual custom, which takes place towards the middle of the -month of May, and lasts for six weeks, is the most interesting. To this -custom all the subjects of the king are invited, and all travellers -or strangers in the kingdom are ordered to the capital. The first day -is taken up by levées, a review of the Amazons, and the usual dancing, -singing, and firing of guns; all of which takes place in the large -square, or market-place, of Abomey. The victims to be sacrificed are -confined in a wattle hut, called the victim-house, situated in this -square; each prisoner being bound to the stool on which he sits, and -further prevented from attempting to escape by long ropes fastened -securely to his limbs and stretched tightly to the beams forming the -shed. They are attired in long red caps adorned with festoons of -ribbons, and wear white shirts ornamented at the neck and sleeves with -scarlet, and with a large scarlet patch sewn on over the region of the -heart. - -The second day of the custom is called “_Ekbah tong ekbeh_,” or -“Carrying goods to market,” and is really a display of all the more -portable wealth of the king. The performance opens with the exhibition -of the relics of the late king in a shed in the market-place; and all -present pay devout obeisance to them, believing that the spirit of the -departed despot is present, and that he would terribly resent any want -of respect. After this various dances symbolical of battle, such as the -charge, mélée, and the slaughter of prisoners, are performed by the -Amazons, the king himself sometimes taking part in them. The march-past -of the king’s worldly goods then takes place, and continues till -dark. The most extraordinary and incongruous exhibitions take place. A -procession of slaves bearing state-swords, gold and silver ornaments, -and articles of great intrinsic value, may be preceded or followed by -a band bearing vessels of crockery of the commonest and most homely -description. Articles of earthenware that are not usually exhibited in -public are here paraded in large numbers, mixed up in the strangest -confusion with silks, satins, umbrellas, Manchester prints, clocks, -bottles, pipes, tea-pots, cups, saucers, knives, forks, European -clothes, and all the miscellaneous rubbish which has been collecting -for years in the curiosity shop known as the Royal Treasury. Articles -of apparel of the seventeenth century are not uncommonly seen at this -custom, and there are many objects of _vertu_ which would delight -the heart of a Wardour Street connoisseur, and which were, probably, -originally presents to the king from the slave-traders of a century and -a-half ago. - -The third day of the custom is known as “_Ek-gai nu Ahtoh_,” or “The -throwing of cowries from Ahtoh”; Ahtoh being an immense raised platform -which is built in the market-place specially for this ceremony. The -platform is hung with banners and flags and covered with cloth of every -conceivable hue, while over it spread the large canopies of the state -umbrellas, made of strips of brilliant-hued silks and satins. To one -side of this “Ahtoh” is an inclosure in which are the victims for -sacrifice, bound hand and foot, and fastened into small canoes, or long -baskets of stout wicker-work. - -The king, accompanied by his wives and principal chiefs, occupies the -summit of Ahtoh, and from time to time throws into the crowd handfuls -of cowries and pieces of cloth, to be scrambled for. It is usually -supposed that the Dahoman public is admitted to this scramble, but it -is not so, and the whole ceremony is a fraud and a mere affectation -of generosity. Soldiers alone are allowed to scramble, and the goods -and cowries are their pay; for the Dahoman soldier, whether male or -female, receives no regular stipend. They are fed and clothed at the -king’s expense, and a moderate sum, the amount of which depends upon -the success that has attended the royal arms during the past year, is -set aside to be thrown from “Ahtoh.” The officers of the army generally -contrive in this scramble to obtain all the cloth, leaving the rank and -file to fight and struggle for the cowries; and in the wild confusion -that ensues men are not unfrequently maimed or trodden to death. - -After the goods that have been set aside for this purpose have all been -thrown into the panting and perspiring crowd, the victims for sacrifice -are brought up on to Ahtoh, carried on men’s heads, and taken to the -edge of the platform to be shown to the mob. They are greeted with wild -yells and cries, the executioners thronging to the foot of the platform -and brandishing their knives, while the crowd arm themselves with clubs -and branches, calling on the king to feed them for they are hungry. -After a short speech from the monarch the first victim is brought to -the edge of the platform, and placed upright in his basket: the king -then pushes the upper portion of the bound mass, the man falls over -into the crowd in a second, and before the unfortunate wretch has time -to recover from the shock of the fall the head is severed from the -body; and the latter, after having been beaten into a shapeless mass by -the shrieking and frenzied mob, is dragged by the heels to a pit at a -little distance, and there left to be devoured by crows and buzzards. - -The number of men sacrificed in public is about fourteen, of whom the -first three or four only are thrown down by the king; but, in addition -to the public sacrifices, a certain number of victims are allotted to -the Amazons, and are put to death by them within the precincts of the -palace, where no man may be present to inquire too inquisitively into -their peculiar rites. - -In Dahomey we have none of those wholesale massacres in which hundreds -of human beings are sacrificed, such as occur from time to time in -Ashanti. In the latter country dozens of slaves are immolated at the -death of even a very minor chief, but in Dahomey only one slave is -allowed to be executed at the demise of the person next in authority -to the king himself, and the number annually put to death in the whole -kingdom is said not to exceed eighty. - -The following is an instance of how horrors of this kind are -exaggerated. A few years ago England was convulsed with horror at -reading in the daily papers of hetacombs of slaves having been bled -to death in a broad and shallow pit at Abomey, so that the king might -enjoy the novelty of paddling about in a canoe in a sea of blood. What -really occurred was that at the grand custom, which always takes place -at the death of a king, the blood of the victims, about thirty in -number, was collected into shallow pools about three feet square, and -miniature canoes from six to nine inches long were set afloat in them. - -The practice of human sacrifices is, however, gradually dying out -in Dahomey; and, year by year, the number of persons sacrificed -becomes smaller and smaller. The walls of the king’s palace, and -those surrounding the residences of some of the principal chiefs, are -generally crowned with human skulls, placed side by side throughout the -entire length. Not many years ago it was considered a sign of poverty -or of great neglect if any of these ghastly ornaments, which had become -destroyed from exposure to wind, sun, and rain, were not at once -replaced by fresh skulls. Now, however, they are suffered to decay, and -no one thinks it necessary to sacrifice a slave in order to keep the -coping of the wall of his yard in good condition. - -No doubt the diminution in the number of sacrifices is in a great -measure due to the fact that there are no longer any small independent -tribes on the borders of Dahomey on whom war could be made, and from -whom a constant supply of victims could be obtained. This source was -exhausted in the early part of the present century; and the only people -against whom “slave hunts” can be organized are the Egbas, and these -have usually terminated so unfortunately for the Dahomans that they -seem lately to have lost all taste for the amusement. The persons -now commonly sacrificed at the “Customs” are criminals, and their -crimes would be punished capitally in even far more civilised kingdoms -than that of Dahomey, though scarcely with the same surroundings and -barbarity. - -Abbeokuta, the capital of the Egbas, a town with a population of over -fifty thousand, is the usual point of attack of the Dahomans. It is -situated on the left bank of the Ogu river, and is inclosed with -thick mud walls some twenty-five feet high, loop-holed for musketry, -strengthened with flanking bastions, and further protected by a broad -and deep ditch. - -The King of Dahomey suffered a rather severe repulse at his attack on -this town in 1851. For some months he had been threatening to destroy -Abbeokuta, being only restrained by the remonstrances of the British -consul; and, though at last diplomacy was found to be of no avail, -the Egbas had benefited by the respite which had been obtained for -them, and had been enabled to prepare for a vigorous defence. The van -of the Dahoman army, consisting of Amazons, arrived at the ford on -the river Ogu on the morning of March 3rd, 1851. The Egbas, who had -received ample intelligence concerning the movements of the Dahomans, -had mustered in force to dispute the passage of the river, and the -Amazons found themselves confronted by a body of some 12,000 or 15,000 -men. Forming up in a dense column, they crossed the river with a rush, -cutting the Egba line in two and scattering the enemy like chaff. Had -they then followed up their first success it is probable that they -would have succeeded in entering the town with the rabble of fugitives, -but the male corps of the Dahoman army was some miles behind, having -been out-marched by the Amazons, and the commander of the latter did -not consider it advisable to enter a town containing 50,000 enemies -with a force of but 3,000 disciplined troops. The Amazons consequently -extended beyond the ford and remained halted until the male corps was -close at hand, when they advanced to the attack. - -In the meantime every man, woman, and child in the town capable of -holding a musket had crowded to the walls, which were, in the words of -an eye-witness, “black with people, swarming like ants.” The Amazons -advanced across the plain, which was utterly destitute of cover, in a -species of column of companies; and, under a most furious discharge -of musketry, deployed into line; then, after firing rapidly for a few -moments, rushed madly on to the assault. Such a merciless shower of -balls and slugs met them from the walls that, notwithstanding the most -conspicuous gallantry and a wonderful contempt of death, they were -repulsed with considerable loss, and, retiring beyond musket-shot, -formed up in line facing the town. The Egbas did not venture to leave -their fortifications in pursuit. - -By this time the male Dahoman army corps had crossed the ford, and, -advancing across the plain, extended to the right of the Amazons, so as -partly to encircle the town, and, if possible, embarrass the defence. -The whole force then advanced within musket-shot, and a furious -discharge took place on both sides. That portion of the plain which -was occupied by the right of the Dahoman attack was still covered with -dried and yellow grass reaching to the waist; the left being bare, -through the grass having been burned some days before. An American -missionary, who chanced to be in Abbeokuta, observing this, directed -those Egbas near him to fire the grass; and, a strong wind blowing at -the time towards the advancing Dahomans, in a few minutes a vast sheet -of flame bore down upon them. To conceive the rapidity with which a -fire will under favourable circumstances sweep across a plain of dried -grass, it is necessary to have witnessed such a sight. The male Dahoman -army corps, finding itself suddenly confronted by a roaring, crackling -pyramid of flame, fairly turned and fled. They had come out to fight, -not to be roasted, and they bolted for their lives. The king, as soon -as he saw the course affairs were taking, hastily recrossed the river -with some 200 followers, leaving orders for the Amazons to cover the -retreat and hold the ford till nightfall. - -The victorious Egbas sallied out in thousands, and threw themselves -upon the devoted band of Amazons, who were extended in three lines, -with the flanks drawn back. In this order they kept at bay the whole -Egba force, the first line firing, retiring through the second and -third line, and then forming up again in rear to reload, and the whole -thus retreating slowly upon the river. Arrived at the ford, they formed -up in a compact mass; and, in spite of the repeated furious charges of -the Egbas, held their ground until nightfall, when the enemy drew off -and retired within their walls. - -Early next morning the Amazons picked up such of their wounded as the -Egbas had not murdered, and retired in excellent order across the river -to the village of Johaga, about fifteen miles from Abbeokuta, the Egbas -hovering round them during their retrograde movement, but taking care -to keep at a safe distance. At Johaga a sharp skirmish took place, -resulting in the repulse of the Egbas; and from that point the retreat -of the Dahomans was not further molested. - -The Dahoman force employed in this expedition consisted of some 3,000 -Amazons and 5,000 male Dahomans. The Amazons lost very heavily, -nearly 1,800 dead women-soldiers being counted by the missionaries -of Abbeokuta at the ford and under the walls of the town. The men -being little engaged did not suffer much. The Egbas engaged outside -the town, both before and after the assault, were estimated at over -20,000, and quite 40,000 persons bore arms during the defence of the -fortifications. Very few Dahoman prisoners were taken: the Amazons even -when disarmed refused to surrender, fighting on, and biting their -foes, and were consequently hacked to pieces. - -Since this repulse the king of Dahomey has been satisfied with making -mere demonstrations of force in the neighbourhood of Abbeokuta, burning -the outlying villages and destroying the plantations of plantains and -yams, and the fields of corn, without venturing to make any serious -attack upon the town itself. The Egbas had several wall-pieces and -heavy guns engaged during the assault, and these had done so much -execution, badly served as they were, that they at once, through the -medium of the missionaries, had a fresh supply of ordnance sent out -from England. The missionaries also, who were not at all desirous of -seeing their comfortable mission-houses burned and their vocation -destroyed, implored the Government to send discharged gunners from -West India regiments to Abbeokuta; and there was soon a small body of -trained artillerists in readiness for the next assault. - -The natural features of Dahomey offer a remarkable contrast to those of -the Gold Coast. In place of the succession of ridges covered with dense -bush and forest, the monotony of which wearies the eye in the latter -country, one finds an open park-like country, nearly flat, and with a -sandy soil bearing clumps of trees, tall grass, and but very little -bush. The banks of streams and the hollows of water-courses are of -course densely wooded, and fine timber-trees are common. The country is -one specially adapted for agriculture, but only a very small portion -of the soil is under cultivation, for the Dahomans, having for years -indulged in the exciting and profitable amusement of “slave-hunting,” -cannot, now that the slave-trade has been suppressed, fall at once -into peaceable pursuits. Palm-oil and ground-nuts are however exported -in considerable quantities from Whydah, and, as soon as legitimate -commerce is found by the Dahomans to be as paying as the illegitimate -bartering of human beings, cotton, sugar, tobacco, and cocoa will in -all probability be grown in sufficient quantities for exportation. - -Dahomey does not appear to be rich in minerals. In fact it is probable -that the territory now known by that name was once a vast lagoon, -similar to that of Quittah, only much more extensive, and that the -kingdom now owes its existence to that slow process of upheaval of -which I have already spoken as silting up the lagoons of the Slave -Coast. This theory is partly borne out by an immense and shallow -depression extending from the back of Whydah almost to Abomey, and -reaching its greatest depth about fifty miles from the former town. -At that point there is still a considerable swamp in the bed of the -ancient lagoon, and indications of coal deposits have been there -discovered. Throughout the whole distance between Whydah and Abomey the -shells of fresh-water molluscs, similar to those found at the present -day in the existing lagoons, are found in large quantities a few inches -below the surface of the ground. - -To the north of Abomey a geological change takes place. Instead of the -flat sandy expanse, the ground is broken up into valleys and undulating -hills, gradually rising until they merge in the distant Dabadab -Mountains, about forty miles from the capital. Here, as elsewhere in -the hilly countries of West Africa, the soil consists of volcanic mud -or laterite, interspersed with ironstone and granite. - -I do not think I have anything more to say about Dahomey except that -Whydah is the habitat of the Whydah bunting (_Emberiza Paradisea_), -the male of which is in the habit of changing its plumage five times a -year, so as to look like a different bird each time. It is sometimes -called the widow bird, and for many years troubled the minds and vexed -the spirits of naturalists. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - Lagos--Small Change--A Ball--A Cheerful Companion--An Anomalous - Sight--History of the Settlement--The Naval Attack of 1851. - - -In the spring of 1880 I found myself at Lagos, a town which has been -called the Liverpool of West Africa, and which, next to Freetown, -Sierra Leone, is the largest and best built in our possessions in that -quarter of the globe. The first breach in the lagoon system occurs -here, where the river Ogu, or Ogun, from Abbeokuta, discharges itself -into the sea; and the bar, on which at high water there is 16 feet of -water, is crossed by small steamers, which convey passengers, mails, -and cargo to and from the mail-steamers lying outside. The island -of Lagos is about four miles in length, and averages half a mile in -breadth. The town is situated up the lagoon about three-quarters of a -mile from the bar, and from the water presents quite a business-like -appearance. Numerous wooden piers, alongside which are vessels -discharging and receiving cargo, extend into the lagoon; steamers of -light draught come and go, while on the shore the Marina, or parade, -with its trees and white houses, covers a frontage of some two miles. -The native inhabitants of Lagos and the surrounding country, with -the exception of the Porto Novans, who are pagans, are Mohammedans, -belonging principally to the Yoruba tribe, which appears to be an -offshoot of the Houssa race. They are a quiet, orderly, and industrious -people, and form a pleasing contrast to the idle and insolent, -so-called Christians, of Sierra Leone, and the lazy tribes of the Gold -Coast. - -As cowries form the small coinage of the country, and are in universal -use, I thought I might as well obtain a few for small purchases; so, -as soon as I was settled down, I gave my boy a couple of sovereigns -and sent him out to get change. Half-an-hour afterwards, as I was -smoking in the verandah, I saw him coming along the Marina followed by -a procession of some twenty men and women, each of whom carried a small -sack on his, or her, head. The whole crowd turned into the yard, and -disappeared from my view. Presently I heard the trampling of feet and a -rattling sound in my room, and, on going to see what was the matter, I -found it full of natives, with an immense heap of cowries piled up in -the centre of the floor. I thought that I should be ruined, and said to -my boy, - -“What’s all this? What do all these people want?” - -He replied. - -“They’ve brought the cowries, Master.” - -“Well! I didn’t tell you to buy £1000 worth--I haven’t brought a bank -in my pocket. Clear it all away except what I gave you the money for.” - -He said there was only two pounds worth there. - -I never felt so rich in my life: as Dr. Johnson would say, I revelled -in wealth beyond the potentiality of dreams of avarice. A solitary -cowry is not of much value: 20,000 of them are equivalent to twelve -shillings and sixpence, so I had more than 60,000. I told the carriers -to take a few in payment, filled my pockets with some more, and went -out with a light heart to buy up the whole market; taking care, -however, to lock up the place, as I thought that so much unguarded -wealth might be a temptation to the evilly disposed. My boy suggested -that I ought to count my change to see if it was correct; but I decided -not to. - -A few days after my arrival there was a ball given by a club which -rejoices in the name of “The Flower of Lagos.” The members of this Club -are all negroes, principally haughty aristocrats from Sierra Leone, -Liberia, and the Gold Coast, and I believe that they do not admit any -of the Mohammedan _canaille_ to membership. - -I never was at such an amusing ball in my life, and, as I suppose -such entertainments are given for the purpose of amusement, it may -be considered a most complete success. The gorgeous-coloured satin -waistcoats, the rainbow cravats, and gigantic buttonhole bouquets of -the men, were sufficiently trying to the eyes; but when one turned -towards the softer, one cannot in this case say the fairer, sex, who, -as usual before the ice was broken, sat all together at one end of the -room, I had positively to turn away, and wished for a green shade or -a pair of blue glass spectacles. Scarlet, blue, pink, purple, yellow, -orange, green, white--every known brilliant colour was there, and I had -to follow the example of the other Europeans who were present, and view -this brilliant spectacle through the medium of an inverted tumbler. -The band was that of the Gold Coast Constabulary, and perhaps the less -one says of it the better, unless it is now “the thing” in music to -introduce crushing discords and heart-rending shrieks that are not in -the original score of the composition. - -Before the dancing commenced one could walk about and breathe without -any extraordinary discomfort, but after that the _bouquet d’Afrique_ -really became quite too, too. I have always held very much the same -opinion about dancing as that expressed by the pacha in Salmagundi, and -I should have liked then to have been seated afar off on some eminence -with a good telescope. It was pitiful to observe the struggles of -the _belles_ to appear cool (these poor creatures cannot, of course, -like their European sisters, use powder, unless indeed, they used -gunpowder or coal-dust), and how at last they gave it up as hopeless, -and used their handkerchiefs energetically. A new Administrator had -arrived at Lagos a few days previously, and he had to open the ball -with the leading Lagos lady. Poor man, he did not seem at all at home, -and was evidently unaccustomed to move in such high society. After the -ceremony was over he kept going about like one dazed, rubbing his hands -together, and bowing and asking what would be the next article. Some -people said that the infliction had been too much for his brain, and -that he was thinking of his earlier days, but I don’t know. - -I noticed that the negro gentlemen were scrupulously polite and -dignified, and talked, so to speak, on conversational stilts; the -ladies tried hard to do the same, but the high pressure was too much -for them. One sable beau went up to a charming creature in pink and -yellow, and, bowing by a succession of jerks, said:-- - -“May I, Miss, enjoy the unparalleled gratification of your hand for the -next polka?” - -The giddy young thing replied:-- - -“Oh I yes, Mr. Smith--I’m orful fond of polking--Good Lard! what a fine -coat you’ve got. I ’spect that cloth cost quite two dollars a yard -now, didn’t it?” - -Later on, when the fumes of the gooseberry wine, brandy, and rum began -to mount to the heads of the assembly, a good deal of the veneering -came off the manners and morals, and violent embracings took place in -the more retired spots. Then one or two personal encounters occurred -between jealous swains, while others, under the influence of ardent -spirits, came and tried to pick quarrels with the few Europeans who -were present, so I went away just as the orgie was beginning. - -Horses thrive very well at Lagos, and every merchant keeps his -horse and trap; not that there is anywhere much to drive to, except -the Marina, as all the streets through the native town consist of -ankle-deep sand, and the eastern portion of the island, where there -are no houses, is a mere sandbank. The horses are small, being all -of Arab blood, and are brought down from the interior by Mohammedan -traders; they cost from £15 to £30 a-piece. In the matter of horses -and food Lagos has a great advantage over other towns in West Africa. -On the Gold Coast, for instance, one has to live almost entirely on -those particularly nauseating preserved meats, the tins of which may -bear different labels and names, but which all taste alike; for the -country produces nothing but an emaciated fowl; but at Lagos one can -revel in oysters, land-crabs, beef, mutton, and all the luxuries of the -table. In the matter of salubrity, however, Lagos does not appear to -advantage, and its epidemics periodically decimate the white population. - -One morning, when I was walking along the Marina, I met a man who had -been a fellow-passenger with me from England, and who had come out -to Lagos to take home a coffin-ship that belonged to the Colonial -Government, so that she might be broken up and sold for fire-wood. This -individual had occupied the same cabin with me on the voyage out, and -had kept me quite lively and exercised my mind a good deal during the -trip. One night, when everybody on board, except the watch, was buried -in sleep, I was awakened by hearing somebody cursing and swearing in -a loud voice close at hand. I looked over the side of my bunk, and, -by the faint light of a lamp that was burning in the saloon, I saw my -cabin companion, stark naked, foaming at the mouth, and stropping one -of my razors upon his fore-arm amid torrents of oaths. Presently he -said:-- - -“I’ll have some d----d fellow’s blood to-night. I’ll have some blood.” -And he rolled his frenzied eye round the cabin. - -I did not make any remark. I did not want to remind him that my blood -was pretty handy, because I had no weapon with me in my bunk more -formidable than a pillow; so I lay quiet. He kept on stropping the -razor, cursing to himself, and repeating that what his soul craved for -was gore, for about ten minutes, then he suddenly hurled his weapon -across the cabin, and rushed out just as he was. I skipped out of my -berth with some alacrity, picked up my razor and locked it up; after -which I felt rather safer, as I knew he had none of his own. Then I -put on some clothes and went to look after the maniac; but, after -searching all over the ship without success, I consoled myself with the -thought that he had probably jumped overboard, and went to bed again. -Next morning, when I awoke, I found my friend clothed and in his right -mind, and thought I must have been suffering from night-mare; so I said -nothing to him about what had occurred. - -Ten or twelve days after this I was awakened in the middle of the night -by some one clutching at my throat. I sprang up with a yell and struck -out, fortunately hitting my assailant somewhere, and, as the ship -happened to be rolling heavily, he lost his equilibrium and tumbled -over. He was up again in a moment, and came at me brandishing a water -bottle. - -He said:-- - -“Give me my ship’s papers.” - -I seized my pillow, and replied:-- - -“I haven’t got your papers. Stew-a-a-rd.” - -“Give me my papers, or I’ll do for you.” - -“Don’t be a fool--I don’t know anything about your papers. STEWARD.” - -He threw the bottle at me, fortunately, instead of hitting me with -it; and tried to do the throttling business again. Then a very pretty -little struggle commenced up and down the cabin, we being thrown from -side to side with every lurch, while boxes, tumblers, boots, clothes, -and all kinds of loose furniture, went flying around. At last some -of the other passengers appeared to have a dim consciousness that -something was occurring, and appeared rubbing their eyes; and when -they grasped the situation we soon had our friend tied up, biting and -scratching like a wild cat. I told the captain next day I would prefer -to sleep in some other cabin. - -For the rest of the voyage this man appeared quite sane, and when I met -him, as I have said, on the Marina, he came up to me, shook hands, and -conversed like any rational being. He had brought his vessel alongside -a wharf, and was tilting her over to try and get at some of the worst -leaks and stop them up. Some of the guys he had out were very much -worn, and I said that if he did not take care he would capsize his -ship. This innocent remark set him off at once; he became purple in -the face, foamed at the mouth, gesticulated violently, cursed at me, -and was only prevented from proceeding to further extremities by my -rapid exit. Next day his ship did capsize. He sailed from Lagos soon -after, and I have been told that neither he nor his vessel have ever -been heard of since. In any other part of the world but West Africa -such a man as this would have been kept under restraint. His fits of -mania were, I believe, the result of sun-stroke. - -I was out driving round the town with a German friend one day when he -pulled up at an inclosure, and said he would show me something that -I would not see anywhere else on the coast. He took me in and showed -me a merry-go-round, and I was sufficiently surprised to gratify him. -What could have induced any one to bring such a thing out to West -Africa? It was one of the old kind, worked by hand; an organ stood by, -and I could almost imagine I smelt the sawdust and gingerbread, and -heard the shouts and cries with which such machines were associated -in my memory. I believe the speculation did not pay, the natives all -wanted to ride for nothing, and the Europeans did not want to ride at -all. The yard was full of Yoruba women, looking with wistful eyes at -the wooden horses and triumphal cars, so we hired the whole coach of -the proprietor for half-an-hour, and told all the women to get up on -it. It was a most anomalous sight to see all these Mohammedan women, -with their shawled heads, floating cloths, and long slim limbs, going -round and round to the tune of Champagne Charlie. They seemed to enjoy -it very much, and their bright eyes sparkled with fun; they were so -grateful that I believe they would have done anything for us, even -kiss us, if we had wanted them to. Some of them were by no means bad -looking, and the custom they have of touching up the eyes with _kohl_ -gives them a rather languishing appearance. - -The British first became mixed up in the affairs of Lagos after the -repulse of the Dahoman army from Abbeokuta, which I have narrated -in a former chapter. After that event the King of Dahomey commenced -intrigues with the kings of Porto Novo and of Lagos with a view to -cutting off the Abbeokutans from all communication with the sea, he -believing that they received assistance there, both in money and -weapons, from the British. These two potentates fell the more readily -into his plans because they were both interested in the maintenance -of the slave-trade, while the Egbas were anxious for its suppression. -The river Ogu is navigable for canoes to within a mile of Abbeokuta, -and, as it discharges itself into the sea at Lagos, that town may be -said to be the natural port of Abbeokuta. Owing to differences however -with Kosoko, the king of Lagos, a bloodthirsty despot who had dethroned -his uncle Akitoye and murdered some two thousand of his friends and -adherents in cold blood, the Egbas of Abbeokuta had been obliged to -use Badagry, a small independent township some thirty-five miles to -the west of Lagos, as their port; doing so at great inconvenience to -themselves, as communication between Abbeokuta and Badagry could only -be carried on by means of difficult roads, over which all goods and -produce had to be carried upon the heads of men and women. - -In June, 1851, Kosoko, in accordance with instructions received from -the king of Dahomey, sent up a number of men to attack Badagry, at -which town Akitoye the ex-king of Lagos was residing, and where there -were also several British residents. The enemy were repulsed, and -returned to Lagos, destroying on their way back an out-lying village -of Badagry, named Susu. During the rest of the month of June, Kosoko’s -people kept Badagry in a state of blockade, and occasionally landed -marauding parties at night. During one of these night-alarms a Mr. Gee, -an Englishman, was killed, and several Kroomen employed by the British -traders were kidnapped. Things went on thus until July, early in which -month a number of Lagos people came up to Badagry, under the pretence -of trading or visiting their friends, and were suffered to land. On -going ashore they proceeded to the market, which was crowded, the day -being market-day, and at once picking a quarrel with some of Akitoye’s -followers they threw off the mask and a fight commenced. The town of -Badagry was burned to the ground, and a great deal of British property -was destroyed. - -The senior naval officer on the station being informed of this outrage -felt it his duty to endeavour to obtain redress from Kosoko, and terms -were dictated to him. After much delay and duplicity on the part of the -king, it became evident that he had no intention of yielding except to -force, and it was finally determined to bombard his town. - -The naval force, consisting of Her Majesty’s sloops “Philomel,” -“Harlequin,” “Niger,” and “Waterwitch,” and the gun-vessels -“Bloodhound” and “Volcano,” assembled off Lagos bar in November 1851; -and at daybreak on the 25th of that month the ships’ boats, manned and -armed, and towed by the “Bloodhound,” entered the river and proceeded -towards Lagos. As the consul still had some hope of the king submitting -to a display of force, the flags of truce were kept flying; and, -although, on rounding the first point, the enemy opened a harassing -fire of musketry along the right bank of the river, the fire was not -returned, and the boats kept steadily on, with the flags flying, until -they arrived at about a mile from the town. - -There the “Bloodhound” got aground in the mud, and the enemy’s fire -increased, the shot falling fast and thick among the boats. The boom of -heavy ordnance showed that Kosoko was much better prepared for defence -than had been supposed; the flags of truce were hauled down, and the -British, for the first time, opened fire. - -The enemy were mustered in great force, and, being armed with good -muskets, kept up an incessant fire from behind stockades and mud-walls -upon the boats. They even endeavoured to send a body of men across the -river in canoes so as to take the British in rear, but this movement -was at once intercepted. - -The fire from the boats producing but little effect, it was determined -to land a party. The boats accordingly pulled in simultaneously for one -spot, and about 160 men were landed, the remainder guarding the boats. - -The natives made a most determined resistance and an exceedingly -skilful use of the advantages of their position. The town, or at least -that part of it where the seamen landed, consisted of narrow streets -intersecting each other in every direction. The British were thus -exposed to a flanking fire down every street which debouched on the -line of advance; and the natives, when driven from one post, ran by -back-alleys to take up a new position further on. After advancing some -three hundred yards, and finding the resistance by no means diminished, -but, on the contrary, that the number of opponents increased at every -turning, and having already suffered a loss of two officers killed and -seven men wounded, it was determined that to continue the advance would -be imprudent. All the neighbouring houses were therefore set on fire, -and the force returned to the boats, and thence to the “Bloodhound.” -The fire continued to burn with great fury for some hours, and two -heavy explosions were heard; but there was no wind, and the houses -destroyed formed but a very small portion of the whole town. - -In consequence of this repulse the attack of Lagos in force was -ordered, and it was determined to dethrone Kosoko and to replace -Akitoye on the throne. A naval force was concentrated, consisting of -the “Sampson,” “Penelope,” “Bloodhound,” and “Teazer,” the whole being -under the command of Commodore H. W. Bruce. On December 24th, 1851, the -boats crossed the bar, and the “Bloodhound” dropped up the river with -the tide to reconnoitre. Three guns from the south end of the island -opened on her but did no damage, for the fire, though exceedingly well -directed, was faulty in elevation. - -The plan of attack arranged was that the boats should pass the lines -of defence as quickly as possible, go round the northern point of -the island, and there make the bombardment, where Kosoko and the -principal slave-dealers resided. The line of sea-defence extended from -the southern point of the island to the northern, along the western -front, a distance of nearly two miles. In parts, where the water was -sufficiently deep for boats to land, stakes in double rows had been -planted in six feet of water, and along the whole of the distance -an embankment and ditch for the protection of infantry had been -constructed; while at special points exceedingly strong stockades, made -of stout cocoa-nut trees, were erected for guns. - -On the 26th at daybreak the “Bloodhound” proceeded up the river -with the boats of the “Sampson” in two divisions, the one in front -the other following. The “Teazer” followed with the boats of the -“Penelope” similarly arranged, and accompanied by the consul’s iron -boat “Victoria,” fitted for rockets. The enemy immediately opened a -heavy fire of guns and musketry, the whole line of the embankment being -filled with men, of whom nothing was visible but the muzzles of their -muskets. The fire was returned from the British guns, but produced -little effect, as the shot could not do much injury to the green wood -of the stockades. - -In trying to get round the northern point of the island with her -division of boats the “Bloodhound” grounded. As the tide was falling -it was impossible to get her off; but her guns, opening fire, silenced -a battery of the enemy which was abreast of her, though nothing could -silence the furious fusilade of musketry. A slight breeze springing up -at this time it was seen from the “Bloodhound” that the “Teazer” was -also aground, nearly in the same position as the former vessel was at -the attack of November 25th. - -Abreast of the “Teazer” was a battery, which her solitary 32-pounder -contrived for some time to keep in check; but it was not long before -two other guns were brought to a stockade, and opened fire from a -position which was quite unassailable from the “Teazer.” These guns -were admirably served, and Captain Lyster of the “Penelope,” who was -in command of the “Teazer” and her division of boats, seeing that the -vessel would be inevitably destroyed before she could be got off at -high tide if the enemy’s fire were not silenced, determined to land and -carry the guns. The eight boats which had accompanied the “Teazer” were -formed in line, and pulled in directly for the stockade, which appeared -to be the best spot for landing. As the boats touched the shore a -tremendous discharge was poured into them; but the men formed up on the -beach, and entered the stockade, from which the enemy retreated into -the bush, which was close in rear. Lieutenant Corbett rushed ahead and -spiked the guns. - -The object of the landing being thus accomplished, the party retired to -re-embark, when it was discovered that during the confusion which had -naturally taken place, on landing under a severe fire, one of the boats -had been taken by the enemy, a party of whom were seen at a little -distance taking her towards the guns which had first opened fire on the -“Teazer.” As it was necessary to re-take her, the men hurriedly ran to -the other boats to go in pursuit. The crew of the captured boat, sixty -in number, having nothing in which to embark, crowded round the other -boats, which became overloaded, and some delay and confusion ensued in -consequence. No sooner did the natives perceive this than they came -down from the bush in swarms, pouring in a most destructive fire at a -distance of a few yards. Two seamen who were unable to find room in the -boats were seized and dragged up the beach, their heads being instantly -lopped off under the very eyes of their comrades, and their bodies, -horribly mutilated, thrown down again to the water’s edge. - -The boats at last shoved off, and it was then seen that there was -something wrong with the “Victoria,” which was close to the shore. -On pulling back it was discovered that the anchor had been let go -without orders. It was impossible to slip the cable, as it was of chain -and clinched to the bottom of the boat, and there seemed to be no -alternative but to leave her in the hands of the natives, when suddenly -Lieutenant Corbett, who had received a severe wound on shore which -rendered his right arm almost useless, ran to the stern, and, under a -heavy fire, cut the chain-cable with a cold chisel. While so doing he -received five different gun-shot wounds. - -The “Victoria” was now got off, but the British loss had been so heavy, -amounting to one officer and thirteen men killed, and four officers -and fifty-eight men wounded, that it was not considered advisable to -make any attempt to recover the lost boat, and the boats returned to -the “Teazer.” Scarcely had they reached her than some forty or fifty of -the natives got into the captured boat, and started as if to attack the -vessel. They paid dearly for their audacity; for a rocket fired from -the “Teazer” entered her magazine and she at once blew up. At sunset -the “Teazer” was got off with the rising tide, and anchored out of -gun-shot for the night. - -In the meantime the “Bloodhound” and the boats of her division had been -warmly engaged. At 10 a.m. Lieutenant Saumarez had been despatched with -five boats round the north-eastern point, to ascertain the strength -and position of the guns on that side of the island. A fire from four -guns strongly stockaded was immediately opened; and was returned from -the boats with such effect as to upset and turn out of its carriage one -of these guns. The object of the movement having been obtained, the -boats were recalled. - -The fire from the embankment abreast of the “Bloodhound” still -continued, and, about 2·30 p.m., it being observed that the enemy were -trying to bring several guns into position there, Lieutenant Saumarez -was sent with the boats of the “Sampson” to try and spike them. It -was found impossible for them to make their way through the hail of -missiles showered upon them, and they returned, with the loss of one -officer killed and ten men severely wounded. - -Next morning the “Teazer” got into the proper channel. A flanking fire -was opened on the western part of the enemy’s defences, and rockets -were thrown into the town. At about 11 a.m. a rocket was thrown into a -battery below the house of Tappa, Kosoko’s principal chief and adviser. -A tremendous explosion ensued, which was followed by an interval of -dead silence, then house after house caught fire, and the town was -shortly in a general blaze. The enemy’s fire at once slackened, and -then stopped; and the Commodore, being unwilling to do further damage, -ceased firing, and sent a summons to Kosoko to surrender. - -Next day, Sunday, no reply had been received; and, during the whole of -the day, canoes were observed crossing from the north-east of Lagos to -the island of Echalli, laden with furniture and household goods. This -was allowed to go on without molestation, and in the afternoon it was -learned that Kosoko and his followers had abandoned the island. - -A party was landed to spike guns and instal Akitoye as king, and it -was then found that a creek and swamp, running about two hundred -yards inland, had checked the flames and saved the eastern portion of -the town. The defences were most ingeniously planned. The beach was -strongly stockaded, with a ditch outside; and at every promontory was -an enfilading piece of ordnance. Fifty-two guns were in all captured. - -King Docemo succeeded Akitoye, and in 1861 Lagos was acquired by treaty -with that king, who handed it over to the British in return for a -pension of £1,000 a year. Badagry and Catanoo on the west, and Palma -and Leckie on the east, form integral portions of the settlement; and, -though we have no authority for so doing, jurisdiction is exercised -over the intervening sea-board; and, to a certain extent, over the -adjacent country, inhabited by tribes with whom we have made treaties. - -The town of Catanoo was acquired in January, 1880. It lies on the -sea-board, immediately opposite the independent kingdom of Porto Novo, -on the northern bank of the lagoon of the same name. The king of that -state was formerly a source of tribulation to the revenue officers of -Lagos; as, when Catanoo was independent, he could there land exciseable -articles free of duty, which were afterwards smuggled with wonderful -facility into British territory by lagoon. In addition to this, he -and his subjects were continually interfering with and molesting the -peaceable Mohammedan traders; so the inhabitants of Catanoo were -persuaded to hoist the British flag, and now the Porto Novo potentate -has to proceed as far west as Whydah to import his rum if he wishes to -avoid paying customs dues. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - Leeches--Ikorudu--A Blue-blood Negro--Badagry--Flying - Foxes--Fetishes--A Smuggler entrapped--Floating Islands--Porto - Novo--Thirsty Gods--Cruel Kindness. - - -While at Lagos I heard that there was one of those fortified Mohammedan -towns, peculiar to the interior of Western Africa, some eighteen miles -to the north-east of the island. I had never seen one of these towns, -so I hired a boat and a guide, and started early one morning for this -particular one, which was named Ikorudu. We paddled along the lagoon -for some distance, until we had passed the mouth of the river Ogu, and -then the canoe-men ran the canoe into the mud of a mangrove swamp, -and the guide said I was to disembark. I remarked that I did not see -any path, and that if I had known that I should have to wade about in -liquid mud I would have brought some stilts, but he said the road was -better after a little distance, so I got on the shoulders of one of the -men and waded ashore. - -We walked on along a track three or four inches deep with sticky mud, -through an immense swamp. Far away into the gloomy shadows of the bush -stretched shallow pools of muddy water, in which the hideous mangrove -stretched out its distorted limbs, while the mangrove fish leaped off -the roots of the trees and skipped away across the surface of the -water at our approach. Suddenly my foot slipped from under me, and I -slid along for some distance, only to be brought up violently against -a mangrove stump. I rubbed my knee, and anathematised the mud _sotto -voce_. I had hardly moved two paces further when the ground seemed to -be cut away from under my feet, and I fell into the arms of my guide. -He said-- - -“You will have to be careful where you tread here.” - -I replied:--“So it seems.” - -“Yes, there are a lot of them about this morning.” - -I asked him what he meant, and he answered by placing a foot on a -brown object in the mud and skating along over it. I examined this -object, and saw a flattened leech. The swamp was full of these things: -thousands of them clustered round the roots of the mangroves, millions -lay in the mud covered by the shallow water, and hundreds of them were -taking a morning walk over the path. I saw a canoe-man detach one from -his ankle and another from the calf of his log, so I took the hint -and tucked my trousers into my boots. There were enough leeches here -to phlebotomise the whole human race, and I thought of returning -to England at once, and starting a Company, to be called the Grand -International Leech Supply, for furnishing every household with these -domestic creatures. As it is I give the idea, gratis, to any one of a -speculative turn of mind. - -After walking two miles over and through leeches we reached Ikorudu. -The town is surrounded by a high and thick swish wall, which is -loopholed, and has flanking bastions at irregular intervals; ingress -is only obtainable by passing through doorways into swish houses, the -floors of the upper rooms of which are loopholed, so that fire can be -brought to bear upon the approach below. At one entrance I saw a kind -of machicoulis gallery; and considering that the Egbas, against whom -these defences were constructed, have no artillery, the place seemed -tolerably strong. A broad and deep ditch encircles the whole town. - -In 1865 or 1866 an army of twelve thousand Egbas besieged this place, -and threw up two entrenched camps in its neighbourhood. The Ikorudans -applied to the Government of Lagos for assistance, and the Fifth -West India regiment, with the Lagos Police, numbering in all less -than five hundred bayonets, were sent to their relief. This handful -of men gallantly stormed the entrenchments and completely routed the -enemy with heavy loss. To properly estimate this victory it must be -remembered that the Fifth West India regiment was not in reality a -West India regiment, properly trained and disciplined, but an African -regiment, raised entirely from the Yomba and Houssa tribes in and about -Lagos, and bearing a very close resemblance to the present Houssa -Constabulary. This old habit of entitling African corps West India -regiments has led to many unfortunate mistakes, from which the two -_bonâ fide_ West India regiments suffer sometimes even at the present -day. - -Shortly after this Ikorudu trip I took advantage of the sailing of -a small steamer belonging to a mercantile firm at Lagos to proceed -to Badagry, which lies to the west, up the Victoria lagoon. It is -thirty-three miles from Lagos as the crow flies, but the tortuous -nature of the only navigable channel makes the distance very much -greater for bipeds not possessed of wings. At 6 a.m. our small craft -cast off from the pier, and steamed away in the teeth of the fresh -morning breeze, which rippled the surface of the lagoon and fanned our -grateful faces. The channel which we followed was generally narrow, -though here and there the shores receded and left wide reaches of -shallow water, dotted with numerous small wooded islands. In such parts -the view was very pretty; and the numerous canoes, bound for Lagos -with native produce, paddled or poled along by brown-skinned men in -loose garbs of brilliant colours, added the requisite life and colour -to the scene. Numbers of crocodiles were seen basking on the banks of -the islets or the shores of the lagoon, frightening the white cranes -and flamingoes as they waddled with a splash into the water on the -approach of the steamer. Two would-be sportsmen on board fired several -shots at these saurians with those cheap German rifles, which are -manufactured by persons who seem to think that back-sights are merely -an ornamental appendage. Naturally they wounded nothing more vulnerable -than the water or bush. - -While we were steaming along a mulatto gentleman came up and entered -into conversation with me. He commenced by saying that he supposed I -was a stranger, and, after cross-examining me as to my business in -Lagos, expatiated upon the scenery, civilisation, and delights of that -settlement. After a little he said-- - -“You may have heard of me; my name is Pilot.” - -I replied, “Oh! indeed, you’re the pilot are you? What depth of water -have we here?” - -“No, no, my dear Sir. You are quite mistaken. I am above menial -pursuits of that nature. My name is Pilate. P-i-l-a-t-e.” - -“Ah! really. It is a pretty name.” - -He smiled a sweetly-satisfied smile, and continued. - -“Yes, pretty, but more than pretty--it is historical. You have, of -course, heard of my ancestor?” - -“N--no. I don’t remember just now.” - -“What? Never heard of Pontius Pilate?” - -“Pontius Pilate? Oh, yes--died of a skin disease, didn’t he?” - -He approached me with a proud and stately stride, and, tapping his -manly bosom with a forefinger, said, in a voice thick with emotion, or -something stronger-- - -“That man was my ancestor. I am proud of it. But for him there would -have been no sacrifice of the blood of the lamb, and no atonement. He -was the greatest benefactor that mankind ever saw, and I--I am his -descendant. I am proud of it.” - -I said: “This is very interesting--I should like to see your pedigree.” - -“Ah! I regret to say that the family records have been sadly -neglected--but I have the skin disease of which you spoke. It is -hereditary.” - -I moved a little further off. - -He continued: “Yes, I have the skin disease. It is a proof of what I -tell you. Would you like to see it?” - -“N--no thanks; I’m afraid I haven’t time just now.” - -“It is a sad infliction, but I bear it. Yes, I bear it because -it is the Lord’s will. The only thing that gives me any relief is -brandy--Have you any about you?” - -“No, I haven’t.” - -“Rum, perhaps?” - -“No, nothing of that kind.” - -“Dear, dear--Pardon this spasm, it will be over in a minute. Perhaps -the sailors have some. Will you lend me a shilling, and I will go and -inquire?” - -His spasms must have come on very badly after he left, for in about -half-an-hour’s time I saw him ardently hugging a stanchion, and -apparently trying to tie a true lover’s knot with his legs. I inquired -who he was, and learned that he was a gentleman at large. I was much -surprised; I should certainly have taken him to be a native missionary -from his manner. - -We arrived at Badagry about 10 a.m. The lagoon here is 600 yards wide -and 24 feet deep, and the sand-ridge which separates it from the sea -measures one-third of a mile in breadth. I should imagine that Badagry -is not a healthy place of residence; it is low-lying and swampy, and -sanitary considerations have evidently never been taken into account. -In fact sanitary law is a dead letter on the whole of the West Coast -of Africa, with the exception of Sierra Leone, and the most ordinary -and necessary precautions are neglected, while the natives are allowed -to indulge in the filthiest habits unchecked. Imagine an English town -with its drainage system cut off, and the inhabitants permitted to -accumulate offal and refuse of every indescribable kind around their -dwellings; then add a supply of dysenteric water, and a tropical sun to -make all the rubbish-heaps fester and grow corrupt; throw in a climate -that is unequalled for deadliness, and you will have a very fair idea -of a British settlement on the Gold Coast. Dozens of lives are yearly -sacrificed on that coast to the apathy of the Government, which will -not compel the natives to adopt more cleanly habits of life. - -The first thing that struck me on going ashore at Badagry was a stone, -which descended with some force from a tall tree; and I was looking -round for a safe object on which to vent my wrath, when one of the -sportsmen from the steamer came and made profuse apologies for the -accident. I asked him what he was throwing at, and he, being a German, -replied: - -“I drow at de grickeds.” - -This seemed so incomprehensible that I was going to give up attempting -the solution when he exclaimed:-- - -“No, no--Not grickeds--badts. I know he vas something that you plays in -de game. Dey are dere,” and he pointed up to the tree. - -I looked up and saw what at first sight appeared like a cluster of -rabbit-skins hung up to dry: they were flying foxes. I looked round, -and found almost every tree similarly adorned. But for an occasional -movement of the head, or the winking of an eye, one might have imagined -they were dead, they remained so still. The sportsman was very eager to -fire into the group, being only deterred from so doing by the fear of -their being fetish, and while he was endeavouring to satisfy himself on -this point I went away. - -The inhabitants of Badagry are apparently a very religious people, -for I do not remember ever to have seen so many fetishes of different -sorts in so small a town. Scattered generally about the streets and -courtyards are hundreds of small sheds, open in front, with thatched -roofs and bamboo walls. Each of these contains a graceful figure, -fashioned of clay into a semblance of the human form; and the faces of -these gods are fearfully and wonderfully made. The eyes are represented -by large cowries, the hair by feathers, and the gash which takes the -place of the mouth is garnished with the teeth of dogs, sharks, goats, -leopards, and men. A nose was too great a flight of genius for the -native sculptors, and they had satisfied themselves by boring two -little holes for nostrils and leaving the rest of the organ to be -understood. I noticed one deity whose head was covered with the red -tail-feathers of parrots, and the captain of the steamer said that the -people had put this up after having seen a red-haired trader who had -once paid them a visit. - -While wandering about I discovered a thick growth of trees and bushes -inclosed with a bamboo fence; this was the great fetish-ground of -Badagry, and I proceeded to pull down a piece of the fence, and look -in. I saw inside the usual heap of rubbish, broken pots, broken knives, -broken stools, and human skulls, and, in addition, spear-heads, arrows, -and bamboo shields. I thought I would like to take a few of these -things away as curios, and had begun pulling down more of the fence, -so that I might pass through, when I was disturbed by hearing somebody -shout: - -“Heigh, you there! You bess stop that.” - -I looked round and observed a negro, attired in European apparel, -rapidly coming towards me. He seemed very much alarmed, and said: - -“These people here are very partic’lar ’bout their fetish. If they was -to see you now they would kill you p’raps.” - -I said--“Bosh: this town belongs to the English.” - -“I tell you for true, Sir. Myself I’m Christian like you: I follow -the Lord; I don’t care for fetish. But these people here are very -bad people, very partic’lar. If they see you, you will catch plenty -trouble.” - -I suffered myself to be persuaded and went away to have lunch with the -Commandant. During the meal I said what a pity it was I could not get -some of those arrows and spear-heads out of the inclosure. He seemed -surprised and asked: - -“What is there to prevent you?” - -“Why, the natives would make a row.” - -“They? Why they wouldn’t care if you carted the whole lot out.” - -I thought I had been hearing rather contradictory evidence, so I told -him about my interview with the Christian negro who had hindered me -from committing sacrilege. He listened with great attention, and -finally asked: - -“Was this man tall?” - -“Yes.” - -“Was he fat?” - -“Yes.” - -“Was he very ugly?” - -“Yes.” - -“Had he got a strawberry ...? No, I don’t mean that. Had he lost some -of his front teeth?” - -“Yes.” - -Then the Commandant heaved a sigh of relief, and sent for a sergeant of -police. When that myrmidon arrived he told him that he thought that Mr. -W---- was caught at last; and directed him to take three or four men, -and go and see if he could find anything in the fetish ground. While we -were waiting to see the upshot of this search the Commandant informed -me that my Christian friend, Mr. W----, was a notorious smuggler, who -was famed for the facility with which he robbed Her Majesty’s Customs. - -In about a quarter of an hour a procession, bearing some forty or fifty -demijohns of rum, marched into the yard; and the sergeant informed us -that he had left a man in charge of as much more. All this spirit had -been smuggled from Porto Novo, and then hidden in the fetish-ground, -where no native wandering in the outer darkness of unbelief would dare -to venture; but which my Christian friend, who like all such negroes -had repudiated the fetish moral, or immoral, code without adopting any -other in its place, had no scruple about making use of. No wonder he -was anxious that I should not outrage the religious prejudices of the -Badagrans. I met him afterwards, and he called me names, and was good -enough to say that my idle curiosity had caused him to lose more money -than I had ever possessed or could dream of possessing. Such are the -usual conversational pleasantries of negro traders. - -From Badagry I went on to Porto Novo, which lies seventeen miles -further to the west, or fifty miles in all from Lagos. A curious -feature of the lagoon between Badagry and Porto Novo is the large -number of floating grass islands which one passes. Some of them have -sufficient stability to admit of persons walking about on them, and, -were they but cultivated, would be not unlike the _chinampas_ of the -Aztecs on the lake of Mexico. They impede the navigation a good deal, -as no steamer could force its way through them, and _détours_ have -to be made to avoid them, which frequently result in the repose of a -sand-bank being rudely disturbed by the stem of an erring vessel. When -disembarking from the steamer at Porto Novo I landed on one of these -islands, about two acres in extent, and walked across it, sending the -boat round to the opposite side. It seemed quite firm underfoot, except -at the edges, and was covered with soil four or five inches deep, -bearing a luxuriant crop of grass. It was kept afloat by an underlying -mass of matted rushes, canes, and succulent grass, from three to four -feet thick, but how the earth got on the top of this I do not know. -This island was larger and more substantial than most, but all break -up very rapidly in the mimic storms which occasionally vex the placid -waters of the lagoon. - -The town of Porto Novo is built on the eastern portion of the Porto -Novan lagoon, which is here two miles and a-half in breadth; and some -high ground, not elsewhere to be found for scores of miles along the -Slave Coast, lies a little to the north of it, and forms a pleasing -change in the dull level of the surrounding country. The town itself -is as dirty and irregular as most native ones, and there is nothing -to be seen worth mentioning but the _palace_ of the king, who is, on -a smaller scale, an irresponsible and bloodthirsty despot like his -friend and ally the King of Dahomey. The royal residence is surrounded -by a swish wall, loopholed for musketry and protected by a ditch: it -includes, too, buildings for the accommodation of the four or five -hundred wives, slaves, dependents, and retainers of his majesty. It -is entered by means of a gateway through a house built of sun-dried -bricks, with windows on the upper story only, looking outwards; a -massive and iron-studded door, with three or four loopholes cut in it, -seems to show that the king scarcely considers himself safe from attack -even at home. - -Opposite to the palace-gate stands a row of fetish-sheds containing -specimens of the sculptor’s high art similar to those at Badagry; but -here the natives are more attentive to the wants of their deities, -and, though they do not give them anything to eat, because food costs -money, or rather cowries, they are careful to place before each a brass -pan full of water, which is popularly believed to be a more wholesome -beverage for gods than rum, and costs nothing more than the trouble of -drawing it. Standing in the full glare of the sun, these pans naturally -become empty in the course of time through evaporation, which fact the -natives explain by saying that the fetishes drink it, and it is to them -ocular proof of the existence and material being of their deities. - -Next to the fetish huts is the shed for human sacrifices, to which -West African pastime the King of Porto Novo is as partial as the -comparatively limited number of his subjects will allow. It reeks with -blotches of black and clotted blood, covered with thousands of hungry -flies, and is furnished with headsman’s blocks made of a hard and dark -wood. A communicative Porto Novan, who was a shopman in one of the -French factories in the town, and had been showing me all these sights, -pointed to these blocks, and said in French: - -“We are always spoken of by you English at Lagos as a cruel people, but -these are a proof to the contrary.” - -I said, “I should have arrived at an exactly opposite opinion.” - -“Ah! then you have not observed closely, Monsieur. Do you not see that -each block is hollowed out, so that the man to be beheaded may rest his -chin and breast on it in comfort?” - -“Yes, I see that.” - -“Well that proves that we are considerate and kind.” - -“You are pleased to be facetious.” - -“Far from it, Monsieur, I am serious. I have to repeat that it proves -that we are considerate and kind.” - -“Does it?” - -“Yes. How do you English sacrifice?” - -“We don’t sacrifice at all,” I replied. - -“Pardon, Monsieur, you hang. And how do you hang? With the absence of -gentleness the most great. You bind hand and foot; you do not study the -comfort of the man to be put to death.” - -“No, not much.” - -“Ah! you acknowledge it. Yes, yes; only when you have provided chairs -for your people to be sacrificed will you have arrived to our high -perception of kindness.” - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - The Niger Delta--Gloomy Region--Cannibals--King - Pepple--Bonny-town--Rival Chiefs--Dignitaries of the - Church--Missions--Curlews--A Night Adventure--A Bonny _Bonne - Bouche_. - - -From Lagos I went on to the Oil Rivers, as the numerous outlets in the -Niger delta are termed. The Nun mouth is now the recognised entrance -of the Niger; its ten western openings are Benin, Escardos, Forcardos, -Ramos, Dodo, Pennington, and Middleton rivers, Blind Creek, and -Winstanley and Sengana outfalls, and its nine eastern are Brass River -or Rio Bento, San Nicolas, Santa Barbara, Sombreiro, San Bartolomeo, -New Calabar, Bonny, Antonio, and Opobo rivers. The New Calabar and the -Bonny or Obané Rivers discharge into one estuary; and some authorities -consider that the latter is not an outfall of the Niger at all. - -The trade in these rivers is almost entirely in British hands, and -regular trading stations are found at Bonny, New Calabar, Brass, Opobo, -and Benin. The natives are independent of British rule, but from time -to time treaties have been made for the regulation of trade, and for -the protection of traders. In each river or outfall the traders form a -Court of Arbitration, which settles all trade disputes arising between -themselves and the natives; and cases of moment are submitted to the -consul of the Bights of Benin and Biafra, who resides in the island of -Fernando Po. The principal exports are palm-oil, kernels, camwood, and -ivory, and it is from the immense quantities of the first commodity -annually shipped to England, and there used in the manufacture of tin, -butter, soap, and pomade, that the title of Oil Rivers is derived. - -It would be difficult to imagine a more depressing and gloomy region -than that of the delta of the Niger. On all sides, as far as the -eye can reach, one sees nothing but swamp after swamp of countless -mangroves, intersected in every direction by foul creeks of reeking -and muddy water; while, when the tide is out, vast expanses of black, -slimy mud, on which hideous crocodiles bask, are exposed to the sun. -It is indeed a horrible and loathsome tract, and it is a matter for -wonder that Europeans can be found willing to pass the best years of -their lives in such a place. Yet such is the case, and though a large -percentage of the white residents annually succumb to the pestilential -climate, and all suffer more or less from its effects, the survivors -jog along uncomplainingly, and some even seem in a measure to enjoy -their existence--one can hardly call it life. - -Wherever any dry land is found on the banks of these rivers, there -are established native towns; and opposite these are moored the hulks -in which the traders live. Some of these hulks have been fine vessels -in their day, and all are very comfortably fitted up and roofed over: -the finest is that of the African Steamship Company, the “Adriatic,” -which formerly belonged to the White Star Company, and is now moored in -Bonny river. Morning after morning the Europeans doomed to a wretched -existence in these floating prisons wake up with a feeling of weariness -and depression, and look out daily on the same muddy river with its -banks of reeking ooze and interminable mangrove swamps. At night time -the miasma creeps up from every creek and gradually enfolds all objects -in a damp white shroud; while the croaking of the bull-frogs, the cry -of a night-bird, and the lapping of the restless tide against the sides -of the hulk, are the only sounds that break the oppressive silence. -If ever a man were justified in seeking consolation from the flowing -bowl it would be in these rivers, which used to be the habitat of the -Palm Oil Ruffian, a creature that would not have been tolerated even -in Alsatia; but the _genus_ is now rapidly dying out, and soon bids -fair to be classed with the Plesiosaurus and other extinct reptiles. -Death seems ever at hand, and here he does not appear, as in some parts -of West Africa, clothed with sunlight and the beauties of tropical -vegetation, but accompanied by all the imperfections of a sewer-like -and miasmatic swamp. - -The natives of the Niger delta are, with the exception of the Boobies -of Fernando Po, the most degraded and barbarous people found on the -West Coast of Africa. They are nearly all cannibals, and devour the -prisoners whom they capture in their internecine wars. The horrible -climate influences even the aborigines, nearly every second man or -woman one sees being covered with sores, or suffering from yaws, -elephantiasis, or some equally loathsome disease; and their religious -belief and fetish customs are tinged with the gloom which seems to -settle over the whole delta. - -Very little is known of this part of Africa beyond the actual coast -line and the Niger river, up which steamers ascend for some hundreds -of miles. Between Benin and the Nun mouth the numerous western outlets -have not even been surveyed, and we find on the Admiralty Charts -“natives hostile and cannibals.” In that portion of the delta the -inhabitants will hold no friendly intercourse with white men. Even -in those rivers in which the trading hulks are moored, Europeans -are prevented by the chiefs from ascending the streams; and in the -different treaties there is generally a stipulation that the traders -shall not attempt to go beyond a certain distance. The reason of this -is that the tribes that reside near the mouths of the rivers act as -middle-men to the native oil-traders higher up, and they are afraid -that if we penetrate beyond a short distance we shall be able to -purchase the produce at first hand, and that they will thus lose their -percentage or commission. - -The chief town in the delta of the Niger is that of Bonny, of which -George Pepple is the nominal king; he has, however, no power or -influence of any kind, and the real king is old Oko Jumbo, a veteran -chief, who has a large trading establishment by the riverside and is -very rich and prosperous. - -George Pepple is like the average of Christianized negroes in West -Africa. A few years ago he was expelled from his kingdom by his -subjects, on account of the trouble he was bringing on the community by -his habit of obtaining goods from the traders and then repudiating the -debt, and went to England to spend the money with which his peculiar -method of doing business had provided him. In England he was baptized -by the Bishop of London, and made much of by undiscriminating persons. -One of his wives had accompanied him, and in London she acquired a -liking for cordial Old Tom, under the influence of which she neglected -to treat her liege lord with that deference which he considered his -due. Under these circumstances George Pepple determined to execute -her, and applied to the Lord Mayor for permission, merely as a matter -of form and to show that he knew what was due to the prejudices of -foreigners. He was much astonished and annoyed when he learned that -such an execution would be deemed a murder, and that the law of England -presumed to interfere in purely domestic episodes of this nature. -Shortly after this Pepple returned to Bonny; but before leaving England -he induced several credulous Englishmen to accompany him, promising -them high and lucrative positions about his court and person, such as -Master of the Horse, Chief Equerry, Groom in Waiting, and so on. After -having made elaborate preparations and being put to the expense of the -journey to Bonny, one can imagine the feelings of these men on finding -that the palace consisted of a mud hut and the kingdom of a few acres -of swamp, even in which limited monarchy his authority was _nil_. -In 1876 Pepple returned to England to try his old plan of obtaining -goods on credit, and was again treated as a great African potentate, -being entertained by the Lord Mayor, and his daily doings being duly -chronicled by the press. He has lately been released from the durance -vile in which his subjects had been keeping him on account of some -misdemeanour, but is still under a cloud, as his peculiarities are so -well known, and he is treated with but scant ceremony by the natives -and traders of Bonny river. As an instance of how little African -royalty is in consonance with European, I may mention that Pepple’s -eldest son was, until very recently, post-master at Accra with a salary -of some 50_l._ a year. - -Bonny-town is the worst and dirtiest to be found on the West Coast of -Africa; the houses are small “wattle and daub” structures, and there -are no streets even of the poor description that are found in towns on -the Gold Coast. The huts are scattered about in indescribable confusion -amongst pools of mud, heaps of refuse, and cess-pits; and one cannot -walk more than a few hundred yards in any given direction without -finding a bar to further progress in the shape of a muddy creek. The -Bonny traders do not often honour the town with their presence, nor is -there any inducement for them to do so. The Ju-ju house is the only -“sight” in Bonny. It is a mud hut in a ruinous condition, in which, -piled up in wattle racks, are innumerable human skulls, the remains of -persons who have been sacrificed to the Ju-ju, or fetish. A glimpse of -these, and of a number of rudely-carved wooden idols, can be obtained -by peeping through an aperture in the broken-down wall of the house; -and even this must be done by stealth, as the natives do not care to -have white men prying into the mysteries of their religion; and, being -quite an independent people, they could inflict any fine or punishment -they might think proper on an inquisitive stranger. - -The few acres on which Bonny-town is built, a sandy strip at Rough -Corner at the eastern entrance of the river, and about two acres on -Peterside, opposite Bonny-town, is all the dry land to be found within -miles; all else is interminable mangrove swamp, intersected with -creeks, to which the sharks from the river-bar come to breed. Should -a man fall overboard in Bonny river he is never seen again after the -first plunge, and it is supposed that there is a powerful under-current -which tows the body under, though others ascribe its disappearance to -the ubiquitous sharks. - -A visitor to Bonny cannot fail to notice the number of old cannon -and carronades lying about uncared-for in the town. These are simply -neglected because they are out of date, for the natives of the Niger -delta, though so behindhand in civilisation, keep up their armament -to the style of the day. There is a battery of four Armstrong guns at -Peterside, where the river is one mile and a-half wide, and there -are several of these guns in Bonny-town. When making war upon another -tribe, the natives dismount these guns and lash them upon a sort of -deck built in the bows of one of their large canoes, which can carry -from thirty to forty persons. The gun then is of course immovable, so -in action the canoe is manœuvred till the piece points in the right -direction, when it is discharged. As they aim point-blank whether the -object aimed at be distant a mile or only a few yards, they do not do -much execution, except by accident. Besides these Armstrongs there -are thousands of breech-loading rifles, Sniders, Martini-Henrys, and -Winchester repeaters, in the hands of the natives, almost every man -possessing one. These are all imported by British merchants, and are -manufactured so cheaply in Birmingham that a trader in the oil rivers -can afford to sell a Snider rifle for 2_l._ and then make a slight -profit. Directly these natives obtain such rifles they want to go and -try their effect on something, and as they are useless for purposes of -sport, except against large game, which is not found in the delta, they -go and rake up some old quarrel with an insignificant tribe, and try -the efficacy of their weapons upon its members. To this cause may be -attributed most of their wars. - -Oko Jumbo and Ja-Ja are the rival chiefs of the eastern outfalls of -the Niger; they are both natives of Bonny. Some years back a Government -of four regents, of which Oko Jumbo and Ja-Ja were members, was -established in Bonny. The two rival chiefs each wished to monopolise -the power, quarrels ensued, and finally Ja-Ja seceded and set up a -kingdom for himself. Since then each has been endeavouring to outvie -the other in the completeness of his war material. No sooner did Ja-Ja -hear that his rival at Bonny had Armstrong guns, than he also sent to -England for some. Recently a Gatling gun arrived for him, and the Bonny -natives are now devoured with rage and envy because they have not one. -Oko Jumbo has under his command some 7,000 or 8,000 men, all armed with -breech-loading rifles and well supplied with ammunition; and Ja-Ja can -put about the same number, similarly armed, into the field. The wars -between these chieftains are notorious; one has but lately come to -an end, in which several of Ja-Ja’s wives were captured and eaten by -the enemy, and judging from the past we may expect another war soon. -The bodies of the slain, and some of the prisoners taken, are always -eaten by the combatants, and the remainder of the prisoners are sold -into slavery. I asked Oko Jumbo why they did not eat all the captives, -since they seemed to like that kind of food, and he replied that a -good dinner was all very well in its way, but that it only satisfied -one for a day at the most, whereas the rum, tobacco, and cloth -purchased with the money obtained for the slaves would be a source of -gratification for some weeks. The traders always endeavour to settle -disputes between the natives, as during a war the river is closed, no -produce is brought down, and their trade is almost at a standstill; -they do not, however, seem inclined effectually to put an end to all -these petty wars by combining together to refuse to supply the natives -with arms and gunpowder. - -Bonny-town rejoices in a bishop and an archdeacon of the Church of -England, both pure negroes. Notwithstanding the presence of these high -dignitaries of the Church, however, Christianity does not flourish in -Bonny. The only members of the Mission are the semi-Christianised and -semi-civilised negroes from Sierra Leone and Lagos, who by themselves -form a small colony. The men of this community are carpenters, coopers, -&c., who are employed by the traders; and the women--well, the less -that is said about them the better. Among the natives of Bonny itself -the missionaries make no converts; some will attend the services for a -few weeks, from curiosity or from the hope of obtaining something, and -then return to their old habits. The zeal of the missionary is wasted, -for the fetish priests, who possess enormous influence, exercise all -their power to prevent any of their followers joining the Mission. -This is probably the only reason of the failure, because Christianity -amongst negroes only consists in the outward observance of the Sunday -ceremonies, and proselytes would have to give up none of their present -pleasing practices. Morality is a word which conveys no meaning -whatever to the ordinary negro mind. Fetishism is everywhere rampant; -before almost every house may be seen a wooden or clay idol, to which -offerings of food and drink are daily made, and human sacrifices are -not by any means rare. A very common sacrifice to Ju-ju is that of a -young girl, who is at low water fastened to a stake firmly imbedded in -the river mud, and then left to perish in the rising tide, or to be -devoured by sharks or crocodiles. - -All English Missions on the West Coast of Africa, of whatever -denomination, are an utter failure. Their custom is to get children to -attend their schools, and then administer doses of religion to them, -with the rudiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now, in the -first place, the advantage of these acquirements does not very much -strike the average negro parent, and, in the second place, the schools -turn out annually scores of youths who are only fitted, educationally, -to become shopmen and subordinate clerks and bookkeepers. There being -only a limited demand for such persons, it follows that the majority -of the Mission ex-pupils can obtain no employment of that kind; they -consider themselves, on account of what they call their superior -education, above work, and so, having nothing else to do, they devote -their minds and acquirements to the swindling of their more ignorant -fellow-countrymen; and some of them, establishing themselves as clerks -and advisers to the bush chiefs, do incalculable mischief. - -The German Missions follow a much better plan. To each Mission -is attached a European carpenter, blacksmith, cooper, tailor, or -shoemaker, as a sort of lay-brother, and the pupils are taught these -trades. The immense advantage of having his children taught a trade -gratuitously is patent to the most careless negro parent, and he sends -his children to the school accordingly; while in after-life they -have the means of earning an honest livelihood, and becoming useful -members of the community. Accra now supplies almost the whole of the -Gold Coast and the Niger delta with artisans, because a German Mission -has been established at Christiansborg for years, where the system of -inculcating the great fact that honest and useful labour is much more -praiseworthy than idle psalm-singing has been steadfastly pursued. I -should advise those quasi-philanthrophists, who prefer squandering -their money on the utopian negro to relieving the necessities of the -poor of their own country, to withdraw their support from the English -societies and transfer it to the Basle and Bremen Missions. - -The only recreation which Bonny affords is curlew-shooting, which I -enjoyed several times with my host of the “Adriatic.” Towards sun-set, -when the curlew began to fly down towards their feeding-ground at -Breaker Island at the mouth of the river, we used to take a boat up one -of the numerous creeks, run her on to the mud at one side, and proceed -to make a screen of mangrove branches. From behind this leafy cover we -bagged many a bird on its flight down the creek. The number of guanas -found in these channels is enormous; when keeping perfectly quiet under -our cover we could see dozens upon dozens of them, some four or five -feet in length, crawling about on the opposite bank, or leaping out of -the water in pursuit of fish. This reptile is sacred, or fetish, at -Bonny, as is the python in Dahomey and the crocodile at Accra. - -It is advisable on such shooting excursions to be accompanied by -somebody who knows the river. On my return to Bonny later on, after -visiting Old Calabar, the doctor of the steamer and I nearly came to -grief through going by ourselves. We left the ship shortly before -sunset, and steered towards a long and narrow mud-bank down the -river, where we had noticed that thousands of birds went to feed at -nightfall. We reached the bank just as the light was beginning to -fail; the cries of innumerable waterfowl rose from the mud, and we -congratulated ourselves on being about to make a good bag. To our -great annoyance we found, after following the sinuosities of the bank -for some time, that we could not get within range from the boat; but, -as we did not intend to be disappointed in that way, we got out and -waded through the slime, dragging the boat a short way with us, till -we reached what we considered a safe spot to leave it on. It was -now nearly dark, but we could see the white plumage of hundreds of -pelicans and other waterfowl a short distance off, so we both fired. -An indescribable clamour of screams and cries followed the reports, as -myriads of birds rose from the mud and wheeled and circled overhead. We -reloaded, picked up our birds, and waited. Gradually the cries became -fewer and fewer, and at last the whole flock settled down upon the -furthest end of the bank. We were not satisfied with what we had got -(what sportsman ever is?), so we gained the crest of the bank, where -the footing was firmer, and proceeded to walk towards our prey, about -three-quarters of a mile distant. We there repeated the former process -with equal success, and turned to retrace our steps to our boat. - -When we had accomplished about half the distance a horrible shiver, -or tremor, seemed to stir the whole surface of the mud, and we both -sank to our knees in slime. I never felt such fear before: I did not -need any one to tell me what that ghastly tremor prognosticated; I -knew we were on a quick-sand, or rather quick-mud, and that the tide -must be coming in, and the prospect of being sucked down and smothered -in reeking ooze was not a pleasant one. We drew our legs from the -quivering mass, and tried to run in the direction in which we had left -our boat. Worse and worse: we sank deeper and deeper at every step, -the darkness, too, grew ever denser; we feared that our boat had been -carried away by the rising tide, and we knew not which way to turn to -extricate ourselves--assistance, we well knew, there was none. As the -mud appeared a little firmer to our left we moved on to it, and waited -in silence, panting and breathless from our late exertions. The birds, -who had been the cause of our getting into this fix, came wheeling -round overhead, and their cries echoed weirdly in the deathly stillness -of the night. I said to the doctor-- - -“Let us fire off our guns together--somebody may hear us--It’s our only -chance.” - -“I don’t think it’s any use.” - -“Well, let us try anyhow.” - -We fired three or four times, but heard nothing except the lap lap of -the tide as it gradually drew nearer to us, and the screams of the -frightened birds. Presently a ripple of water came along and washed our -ancles, for our feet were buried, and almost simultaneously the doctor -sank to the armpits. I thought it was all over then, but I loaded -mechanically and fired once more. The report had scarcely died away -before my companion shouted excitedly:-- - -“I saw something white behind you, by the flash of your gun--perhaps -it’s hard sand.” - -I helped him up on to the firmer mud where I was standing, and we tried -to make our way towards what he had seen. After about two paces we both -sank to our waists, and, in trying to get out, floundered on to our -faces; but when our heads were thus raised but little above the level -of the slime we could see, dimly through the darkness, a white crest -about twenty yards off. It was a ridge of sand. How we got through -the intervening distance I do not know; but, partly swimming, partly -crawling and floundering along, we at last felt the dry sand under our -hands, and, drawing ourselves up to the top of the little bank, fell -down utterly done up. - -We neither of us said anything for some time, and then we began -complaining about the loss of our guns and hats, and wishing for -something with which to take the taste of the mud out of our mouths. -We could not see each other, it was too dark, but we must have looked -pretty objects, clothed from head to foot in a coating of black mud -which smelt--unpleasantly. Soon we began to shiver with cold, and -there was no room for exercise; the minutes dragged on their flight -as if they were leaden, and we thought the night would never come to -an end. At last, after about two hours, we heard a faint halloo in -the distance. We shouted in reply until we were quite hoarse and our -throats sore; then the cry was repeated, and we knew we were all right. -Soon we heard the creaking of rowlocks, and a boat glided up to us. We -were not sorry to see it. - -In 1879 a Member of Parliament, an extremely _rara avis_ on the West -Coast of Africa, visited Bonny in his yacht, and the traders still -narrate the following harrowing tale about him. They say that one -morning, being on shore, he strolled into old Oko Jumbo’s house about -11 a.m., and found that veteran warrior at breakfast. He was asked to -partake of the meal, and, being anxious to try the native cookery, -acquiesced. A black clay dish full of some oleaginous stew was set -before him, which he eyed askance, and finally tasted with doubt. A -little fiery perhaps, owing to the native liking for red peppers, but -otherwise not bad: so he plunged his spoon in and fell to like a -man. After a few mouthfuls he unearthed from the bottom of the dish -a curious-looking object. A cold shudder convulsed his frame, and he -looked closely. He could distinguish what seemed like five fingers and -the palm of a hand, and, seized with a violent nervous contraction of -the diaphragm, he leaped from the table and leaned out of a window. -After a little he looked back into the room with brimming eyes, a -haggard brow, and a mind full of the tales of the cannibal propensities -of the natives of Bonny. He approached the old chief with tottering -limbs, and one hand pressed upon the abdominal region, and inquired:-- - -“What’s in that dish?” - -“Me no _sabe_--no eat him dish yet.” - -“You old scoundrel, it’s ’long pig’:” and again he rushed with -exceeding swiftness to look at the prospect out of the window. - -When he had recovered, he took his hat and stick sorrowfully, and -staggered down the steps. Just as he was stepping into the boat, one of -Oko Jumbo’s slaves came running up with the identical black dish that -had been the cause of all this woe. The enraged legislator brandished -his stick and said:-- - -“What do you want? What do you mean by bringing that here?” - -“Master said he thought you wanted it.” - -“No, I don’t--take it out of my sight.” - -Just as the boy was going he thought he might as well add a little to -his stock of information, and added:-- - -“I suppose that’s one of Ja Ja’s babies, eh?” - -“Which, Master?” - -“Why that in the stew, you fool.” - -A serene smile broke out over the interesting countenance of the youth -as he replied:-- - -“Piccin? This no piccin chop. No war palaver live now. Him Guana.” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - Old Calabar--Duke Town--Capital Punishments--Moistening the - Ancestral Clay--A Surgeon’s Liabilities--Man-eaters--A Mongrel - Consul--Curious Judgments. - - -From Bonny I went on to the Old Calabar river, called by the natives -Kalaba and Oróne, which, though always included with the outfalls -of the Niger under the general title of Oil Rivers, is an entirely -distinct stream. After twenty hours’ steaming from Bonny we entered -the estuary of the river, and, crossing the bar, ascended the stream, -which, in comparison with the wide reach of Bonny river, seemed small -and contracted, though it is of fair size, and very deep. About ten -miles from the bar we passed Parrot Island, an isle in the centre -of the river, covered with a dense growth of mangrove trees, and -entered upon a narrower channel to the right of the island. The -banks were thickly wooded, and it was a strange sight to see a large -steamer pursuing its way in the midst of a dense forest, and within -a stone’s throw of the bank. The far-spreading branches brushed the -yards of the ship, and the alligators, disturbed by the stroke of the -propeller, lazily crawled out of the black mud in which they had -been wallowing. As at this part of the stream the navigable channel -follows very closely the eastern bank, it is no uncommon occurrence for -sailing-ships ascending and descending to get their rigging fouled with -the overhanging branches. - -Thirty miles from the entrance of the river we anchored off Duke-town, -where lie the hulks of the traders: the stream here is half-a-mile in -breadth, and there is sufficient draught of water for vessels of 2,000 -tons. - -Duke-town is more pleasantly situated, better built, and larger, than -Bonny-town, and the natives are of a less barbarous type. The town -stands on a hill which slopes gently towards the river, and behind it -the ground rises into a kind of plateau, a good deal of which is under -cultivation, and where there is a thriving American Mission station. -For the European traders, however, who live in hulks and very rarely -go ashore, Old Calabar is perhaps a more unpleasant place of residence -than Bonny. Opposite and below Duke-town are the same mangrove swamps, -at low water the same reeking mud, at night the same malarial fog; -while the water of the river is of a more filthy description than that -of Bonny (to bathe in it is said to cause a loathsome skin disease); -the stream is only one-third of the width of the former, and Duke-town, -being so far inland, is deprived of the sea-breeze, which at Bonny -helps one to drag out a miserable existence; the heat, therefore, is -most oppressive. - -The name of Duke-town is derived from a native family of high rank -which has adopted the European patronymic of Duke, and two principal -members of which, Prince Duke and Henshaw Duke, are among the leading -chiefs of the place. As the possession of Armstrong guns and munitions -of war is considered a sign of wealth and authority in Bonny, so here -a man’s status is fixed by the style of house he inhabits. This hobby -is carried to such a length that the chiefs have wooden houses sent out -to them from England and Germany, and keep European carpenters in their -pay to erect them and keep them in repair. Some of these houses bristle -with turrets, porticoes, verandahs, and bow-windows, and the chief -whose residence has the largest number of these appendages is the one -who makes the greatest show of wealth and influence. - -Although in this respect the natives of Old Calabar seem more amenable -to civilising influences than those of Bonny, there is not equal -superiority displayed in their customs, except in the absence of the -practice of cannibalism. Their treatment of criminals, for instance, is -marked by great cruelty. When a native is detected in the commission -of any serious offence, such as murder or theft, he is gagged, laid -across an upturned canoe, his back broken by blows from heavy clubs, -and his body thrown into the river. Sometimes they vary their _modus -operandi_, and, after gagging the culprit, they truss him like a fowl, -and fastening him to stakes driven into the mud at low water leave him -to be drowned or devoured by alligators. - -A curious local custom is that called “Feeding the Dead.” When they -bury their dead, the relatives, before the earth is filled into the -grave, place a tube, formed of bamboo, or pithy wood with the pith -extracted, and sufficiently long to protrude from the earth heaped -up over the body, into the mouth of the deceased; and down this they -pour, from time to time, palm wine, water, palm oil, &c. They appear to -imagine that dead men do not require solid food at all, and, as they -only pour the liquids down two or three times a month, are not very -thirsty souls. They believe that after death the deceased suffers from -the same bodily ailments as he did in life, and sometimes very filial -natives will go to the doctor of a steamer, and simulate the complaint -from which the paternal or maternal ancestor suffered, in order that -they may obtain the requisite medicine to pour down the grave. One day -a lad, son of a late chief, came to the resident doctor of the river -and said:-- - -“Doctor, my foot sick. Gimme some med’cine.” - -“What’s the matter with it?” inquired the doctor. - -“Him swell up--fit to burst--can’t walk no more.” - -The Galen of the river examined the foot, and, finding it perfectly -sound and healthy, and not swollen in the least, assumed an enraged -aspect, and demanded fiercely-- - -“What d’you mean by telling me these lies?” - -“Please, master, not my foot sick, my fader foot sick.” - -“Then tell him to come here himself.” - -“He can’t come--they put him ground already.” - -“D’you mean he’s dead?” - -“Yes, master--him dead now ’bout three month.” - -“Then what d’you mean by coming here? Get out of this.” - -“Master, I want the med’cine for sick foot same as I tell you. I want -to give him my fader, he no get med’cine since he put in ground. I know -him foot plenty sick now.” - -“Well, I’ll give you some if you pay for it.” - -“I no get money, master.” - -“Then you won’t get any medicine.” - -The filial affection of these people is not such that they will expend -coin of the realm in the purchase of medicine or drink for their -dead parents. They do not give them rum for instance. The ancestral -clay only gets moistened with palm wine or water, while the more -exhilarating beverage goes down their own throats. Perhaps they think -that ghosts have weak heads and cannot stand mundane spirits. - -The natives of Old Calabar extend the liabilities of a surgeon to an -extent that would be most appalling to practitioners of surgery if -it were generally adopted in Europe. A doctor on this river was once -called to a case in which a boy had had his leg crushed and fearfully -lacerated by an alligator, and, to save the boy’s life, amputated the -leg above the knee. It was a very complicated case, as there were -other injuries besides; but after much trouble and hard work his -efforts were crowned with success, and the patient was declared out -of danger. Not many days after he had ceased visiting the wounded -boy he descried, while sitting on the deck of the hulk in which he -resided, a canoe being paddled towards him; which, as it drew nearer, -he could see contained the parents, brothers, and sisters of his late -patient and the patient himself. He thought they were coming to express -their gratitude and thankfulness to him for saving the life of their -beloved relative, and with the pleased self-consciousness of having -performed a virtuous action prepared to receive them. When the family -had climbed up the ladder on to the deck they solemnly and sadly, -and in dead silence, supporting the crippled boy in their midst, -approached the doctor; and then, depositing their burden at his feet, -retired hurriedly to the ladder as if to go away again. The astonished -benefactor, wondering what this could mean, called them back and asked -for an explanation of their behaviour. Then broke forth a torrent of -woe; they lifted up their voices in lamentation, and said that he had -cut off the leg of their poor son and brother; he had crippled him for -life, so that now he could not work or be of any use to them; he had -taken all the joy out of their beloved relative’s life, and maimed him -so that he had become a bye-word and a jest, and that consequently he -must support him. They added thoughtfully that if he liked to pay a -daily sum for the boy’s subsistence they would take care of him and -not make any charge for lodging. The doctor was at first overwhelmed -by this unexpected assault, but soon recovering himself, he, in an -injured tone, taxed them with ingratitude, pointed out to them that -he had only taken off the leg to save the boy’s life, and that if he -had not done so the child would have died, and have been lost to them -altogether. Upon this the family with renewed tribulation declared that -it would have been better if the boy had died, as then they would only -have incurred the comparatively trifling expense of the funeral custom; -whereas now they would have to keep him all his life if his mutilator -did not do his duty and support him; and all this time the boy himself -lay silent on the deck, looking at his saviour with mournful and -reproachful eyes, that seemed to say “look at the condition to which -you have reduced me.” The argument was carried on until at last, -finding that the family was not amenable to reason, the doctor had the -whole of them turned out of the ship. After that he thought that the -matter was settled and that he would hear no more of it, but these -poor injured people were not going to let him off so easily. A few -days later, when he went ashore, they met him in the street, laid the -cripple at his feet, and again filled the air with cries of woe and -abuse of the doctor. He tried to escape them, but when he moved on -they followed wailing with their maimed boy; if he walked fast, so did -they; when he stopped they stopped too, and formed a lamenting circle -round him; when he went into a house they congregated on the doorstep -and made conversation impossible with their complaints; and at last he -had to fly for refuge to his hulk. Every time he went on shore this was -repeated; until at last he had to give up going out, and was confined -to the ship altogether. When the importunate parents discovered this -they came out in a canoe, and day after day paddled round the vessel, -yelling out their grievances in discordant and dismal tones. It was -too much for the unfortunate doctor, his life became a misery to him, -and at last he flung up his lucrative practice, exchanged with another -doctor, and went off to one of the Niger outfalls. Surgical operations -are not now in high favour with doctors on the Old Calabar river. - -I have said that the original cause of all this trouble was an -alligator who had been seized with an uncontrollable desire to dine -off the leg of a boy, and man-eaters of this description are not by -any means uncommon in this part of the world. Women washing clothes, -men fishing, and children dabbling about by the edge of the water, are -frequently seized and dragged into the river by alligators. Sometimes -these monsters will even attack men on shore, and, a few days before -my arrival, a watchman, who was on duty over a corrugated iron store -on the river bank, was seized in the night, some thirty yards from the -brink of the water, by an alligator, and dragged into the stream. The -cries of the man alarmed the neighbourhood, but those who hastened to -his assistance found nothing to show what had become of him but pools -of blood and the trail of the alligator in the mud. A short distance -above Duke-town are the remains of two or three old hulks, lying -rotting in the mud, which are a favourite resort of these alligators; -and any one dropping down with the tide in a boat can see scores of -these disgusting creatures, from fifteen to twenty feet long, basking -on them. They are very wary, because they are so often shot at, and at -the slightest creak of an oar in a rowlock all will stand up to their -full height, moving their heads up and down in exactly the same manner -as do lizards when alarmed; and directly they catch sight of a boat -they plunge into the water. - -I went up the river one day to get a shot at these, or any others I -might see, but it was under circumstances that made success as probable -as it would be if one went out alligator-shooting accompanied by a -brass band in full blast. I went with a youth, who, from having been a -clerk to one of the traders in the river, had, by the death of Consul -Hopkins, a man universally admired and respected in West Africa, been -suddenly thrust into the position of Acting Consul for the Bights -of Benin and Biafra. I never saw a better illustration of the old -saying about being clothed in a little brief authority. In the eyes -of this hybrid official the paraphernalia of office were of paramount -importance, and, as he had no consular uniform of his own, he had -donned, despite the unsuitableness in point of size, the garments of -the late consul. The new man was very tall, whereas his predecessor had -been short; the consequence of which difference was that there was a -woeful hiatus between the termination of the short jacket with brass -buttons and the band of the continuations, which gap exposed to view a -vast region of not very clean shirt. The gold-laced cap of office was -too small, and on the head of the gallant youth presented very much the -same appearance as would a thimble upon the top of an orange. He wore -it in and out of season; and I shall never forget the consternation and -horror which was depicted on his countenance, when, through yawning -in a moment of forgetfulness, it slipped from its perch and fell into -the river; nor how he strove to console himself, and make the best of -his loss, by rushing to the purser of the homeward-bound steamer, and -asking him to bring out three new ones for him next trip. It was in the -boat of this magnificent official that I went up the river. It was a -gorgeous gig, with an awning astern and brass fittings; he would abate -none of his glory, and took his six oarsmen, in consequence of which -the splashing of the oars and the creaking of the rowlocks awoke the -echoes of the forest, and frightened every bird, beast, and reptile -within half-a-mile. Of course we saw nothing, and did not fire a shot. - -While I was at Old Calabar this “Jack in Office” had an opportunity -of displaying his judicial authority and legal acumen. Two Kroomen on -board the mail steamer were charged by the Captain with having broken -open a bale out of the cargo, and appropriated the contents. The -accused protested their innocence, and the only evidence against them -was that of another Krooman, who said that he had found the covering of -the missing bale, which was easily known by its marks, in a part of the -hold near which he had seen the two prisoners, but to which any one in -the ship had access. This was quite enough for the Acting Consul: he -sentenced the men to three dozen lashes each, which he waited to see -administered, and then he handed them over, though they were natives -of Sierra Leone and consequently British subjects, to an independent -native chief to be kept in slavery. This was tantamount to giving an -official approval to the practice of slavery; and had it occurred in -any other part of the world more would have been heard of it, but no -one troubles himself about such things in West Africa. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - Sierra Leone--More Civility--Cobras--A Guilty Conscience--Naval - Types--Freetown Society--A Musical Critic--The Rural Districts--A - British Atrocity. - - -On January 1st, 1881, I returned once more to Sierra Leone. I found the -place and people very much improved, which improvement was, I believe, -entirely due to the action of the late Governor, Sir Samuel Rowe, who -had consequently acquired the cordial hatred of all the Sierra Leone -lower classes. Future Governors need not however lose heart; there is -still something left for them to do, and, if they are only sufficiently -energetic, they will have no difficulty in gaining that unpopularity -with the natives which is, in West Africa, more honourable than -popularity. - -Civility to Europeans is still one of the weak points of the Sierra -Leonians. Two or three days after my arrival some enterprising burglar -ransacked my quarters during my absence, and removed everything which -he considered worth taking. Suspicion fell upon the occupants of a -certain house in the town, and a search-warrant was issued. As it was -necessary that the stolen articles should be at once identified, if -found, I had to accompany the police who went to examine this den; but, -as the aroma of such dwellings is not usually pleasant, I allowed them -to go into the house, and went and sat down on a rock by the roadside -under the shade of a tree. - -While so sitting, a Sierra Leone gentleman, whom I had seen for some -distance coming along the road towards me, drew nigh, and lifted up his -voice and spake, saying:-- - -“Hullo, you white nigger--what you do here, eh?” - -I pretended to be deeply abstracted in the examination of the soil at -my feet, and made no answer; while he continued, working himself into a -passion as he proceeded-- - -“Heigh, you white nigger. You too proud to talk, eh? Dam brute.” - -A small crowd began to collect and make facetious remarks at my -expense, so I said to my annoyer:-- - -“If you don’t go away I’ll call the police.” - -“Heigh! hear dat. _You_ call de police, white nigger? _Me_ call de -police, and give you in charge for ’ssault. All dese gen’lmen here saw -you ’ssault me--dam brute.” - -At this moment, fortunately, for I was beginning to feel a little -displeased at this language, the sergeant of the police came out of -the house, and I called him. Quite a change at once came o’er the -spirit of the scene; my antagonist, crestfallen, executed a skilful -flank movement up a bye-street, covering his retreat by a continuous -and heavy fire of abuse, while his supports scattered and sought the -nearest cover. - -I could not have had this man locked up for what he had done, but the -law is a beautiful and far-reaching, if somewhat complex, machine, -and of course I could have a legal remedy. It only required the few -following little preliminaries. Firstly, I should have had to ascertain -the name of the individual; secondly, discover his place of residence; -thirdly, attend and take out a summons against him; fourthly, pay for -it; fifthly, have it served on the defendant; and sixthly, have a day -appointed for the hearing of the case. Then, after having satisfied, -if possible, these first requirements, it would be necessary for me to -go down to the town in the heat of the day, and remain in a crowded -and suffocating court for perhaps hours, subjected to the insidious -insinuations and brow-beatings of a negro lawyer, who would very -likely after all turn the tables on me by producing fifteen or twenty -witnesses, all thoroughly well schooled in what they had to say, who -would swear that I had perpetrated a vindictive and brutal assault upon -a poor black brother who had merely asked me what o’clock it was. Even -if I did succeed in obtaining a conviction, the defendant would only -be bound over to keep the peace; and he would incite his relatives and -friends to give me plenty of entertainment during my residence in the -country. - -This of course is only one side of the question, and, I am bound -to say on the other side, that the servants of the two steamship -companies, which run vessels from Liverpool to West Africa, are a -great deal too free in the violent application of their boots to the -persons of negroes who may go on board the steamers; so perhaps the -latter retaliate on those Europeans who live in the place as a kind of -compensation. - -An otherwise friendly critic thought it strange that this should be the -state of things at Sierra Leone. It is strange; but then things are -not on the West Coast of Africa as they are elsewhere. In what other -colony, for instance, could one find a Colonial official, holding a -high position and drawing a large salary, who advanced money to all -applicants on the security of jewelry and such small portable articles -of value, or in what part of the British Empire an officer, head of a -Colonial department, who uses his influence to _persuade_ his negro -subordinates to insure their lives in a company for which he is agent, -thereby pocketing a commission of twenty-five or thirty per cent. on -each policy? - -I do not think I have hitherto made any mention of the black -cobras-di-capello which are the pest of the barracks at Tower Hill. -These playful companions seem to have a particular predilection for -the sunny banks and rocks of that hill, and, during my two months’ -residence there in 1874, four were killed within five or ten yards of -the officers’ mess; but they appear to have become much more familiar -of late years, and, a few days after my arrival, one was seen, and -another killed, in a bedroom on the second story. As a bite from one of -these snakes causes certain death within three hours, one would wish to -have less dangerous domestic creatures at large. There must be hundreds -of them in the vicinity of the barracks, as I have seen eight or nine -myself at different times; and while walking up the hill one evening in -the dusk barely escaped treading on one, being only just warned in time -by a shrill hiss. These cobras usually go about in couples, and during -the breeding season they will, though totally unmolested, make direct -for any person who may happen to approach them. - -_Apropos_ of snakes,--a naval officer had rather an amusing adventure -with one at Tower Hill. He had come ashore, from a gunboat lying in the -harbour, to dine at mess; and, as is usually the case, had suddenly -discovered, after the third or fourth rubber, about 11 p.m., that he -could not get off to his ship that night, and must trespass upon -somebody’s kindness for a bed. He was assisted to a room, and the -lights were being put out in the mess when we heard a series of wild -shouts up stairs, and then a noise as of some heavy body thumping and -banging down the steps. We ran out into the passage, and discovered -the naval man lying curled up, half undressed, at the bottom of the -stair-case; so we lifted him up and asked what was the matter. He -appeared very much frightened, and gasped out:-- - -“Oh, Lord! I’ve got them at last.” - -“Got what?” we inquired. - -“Oh, Lord: I’ve got them at last--Oh, send for a doctor will you. I’ll -never touch another drop of that cursed ship’s rum, if I get over this.” - -“But what have you got?” we reiterated. - -“Got? I’ve got the jumps--that’s what I’ve got.” - -“Nonsense! go to bed! you’re all right.” - -“I tell you I’m not. I could have sworn I saw a snake in my bed just -now, and that’s one of the first signs.” - -He was so eager to see a doctor that we took him to one, and then went -up to examine his room. True enough there was a snake, coiled up in the -blanket on his bed. It was a python, which had escaped from a cage in -which several were confined in an adjoining room. Two of us seized it -by the head and two by the tail to take it back to its prison. As we -were carrying it along it drew itself up and our four heads collided -together with a crash; then it straightened itself out, and we shot off -violently towards the four corners of the room; it required the united -efforts of six men to remove that snake to his own domicile. This -adventure shows what a guilty conscience will effect; and it was the -more amusing because the naval hero had, not with the best taste, been -loudly proclaiming that he was almost a teetotaller, that all military -officers were drunkards, and that nobody ever died in West Africa -except from the effect of ardent spirits. He went away rather early -next morning without waiting to say “good-bye” to anybody. - -I wonder what has become of the jovial, open-handed, and open-hearted -naval officers that one reads about in works of fiction, and who -continually interlard their conversation with nautical expressions; -one never meets any of this description now-a-days, in fact quite the -contrary; and I am half inclined to believe that they never were more -than creatures of the imagination, but if ever they did exist the -species is now extinct. The life that naval officers lead shut up in a -floating tank on the West Coast of Africa is horrible; sometimes they -do not set foot on shore for months together, but lie day after day, -rolling fearfully, off a few mud huts and a grove of cocoanut palms. -They have hardly any work to do, and, as but few of them have any -resources of amusement or occupation, they as a natural consequence -quarrel amongst themselves; and in almost every gunboat one finds the -five or six officers divided into two or three cliques, each of which -will have nothing to say to either of the others, except on official -matters. This sort of thing is rather unpleasant for any stranger who -may happen to be on board. First of all one will come up and enter into -conversation with you, during which he is sure to say:-- - -“Do you know that man over there?” - -“No, I don’t,” you reply. - -“Ah! his name is Blank. He is the most awful ass I ever met--I -shouldn’t have anything to say to him if I were you.” - -Then he goes away, and he is barely out of sight before another -saunters up and begins talking. Presently he will say:-- - -“Do you know Smith well?” - -“No, who’s Smith?” you inquire. - -“Oh, that was Smith that was talking to you just now. He’s the most -inveterate liar I ever met--you must never believe anything he tells -you.” - -Then after he has gone away Blank will come forward, and after a few -preliminary sentences casually inform you that both Smith and your -second acquaintance are confirmed drunkards. No sooner has Blank moved -off than the confidential naval officer, who calls you “old man” and -speaks in low and thick tones, will draw nigh and tell you what the -failings of every officer on board may be; finally leaving you under -the impression that every one but himself is thoroughly incapable, -untrustworthy, and of intemperate habits, and that were it not for him -the ship would go to the dogs. - -I was once on board a man-of-war for a few days in which this -unsociability was carried to such a degree that at the gun-room mess -every officer, at breakfast and tea, used to produce, from the depths -of his bunk, a pot of jam, or a tin of potted meat, and devour it all -by himself without offering it or saying a word to his comrades. - -Then there is the naval officer, who, before you have fairly set foot -on board, rushes at you and informs you that you have omitted saluting -the quarter-deck; and who always loses his temper when you tell him -that you do not know where it is, and are looking for it; and the -self-asserting man who is perpetually telling you what his relative -rank is. I remember an individual of this latter class, who when a -guest at a military detachment mess, the senior dining member of which -was a captain, kept remarking.-- - -“You know I’m senior to all you fellows. As I’m a lieutenant of eight -years’ service I rank with a major.” - -He might have ranked with a major-general for all any one cared, but -after he had said this at intervals some nine or ten times it began to -become monotonous; so somebody said, as if to the punkah:-- - -“I’ve often heard that remark made before, but I never yet heard a -major in the army boast that he ranked with a lieutenant in the navy.” - -Society at Sierra Leone is in a very bad way; in fact from an English -point of view one may say that there is no society at all. The only -Europeans in the place are the officers of the garrison, the Colonial -officials, and a few shop-keepers, who, although they will sell -anything from three-pence worth of rum upwards, rejoice here in the -title of merchants. Ladies there are none, except on the few occasions -on which an officer’s wife may be found residing at Tower Hill, so what -little society there is consists of men alone, and is composed of the -most heterogeneous elements. Most of the so-called merchants appear -to have sprung from the lower _strata_ of English life, many of them -have black wives, and a large majority of the Colonial officers are -coloured; the Governors never seem to make the slightest attempt to -collect around themselves the more cultivated members of the Colony, -and everybody does that which seems good in his own eyes. The _élite_ -of the coloured population sometimes get up balls, similar to the one -I witnessed at Lagos, and which like it usually terminate in an orgie, -and to these Europeans are occasionally invited; but it is only those -who have no sense of the ludicrous, or who have their facial muscles -well under control, that can afford to go. The retailing of scandal -seems to be the principal occupation of the town society, and if one -were to place implicit credence in the tales and gossip which abound -one would inevitably arrive at the conclusion that there was not an -honourable man or a virtuous woman in the place. - -In by-gone years the officers of the garrison used to inaugurate -races, and a tract of ground near Kissi, on which stands a diminutive -grand-stand, is still called the race-course; but now the sole -amusement of the colony is the performance of the band of the regiment -therein stationed, on the green patch of ground known as the Battery. -This performance takes place once a week, but the majority of the -people are too lazy and apathetic to go to hear it, and, with the -exception of a few Colonial officers and some forty or fifty ragged -children, the musicians discourse to empty air. There was one Colonial -officer who was a regular attendant on band days, and whose principal -aim in life seemed to be to pose as an authority on music before the -uninitiated. As he knew nothing whatever of the science, and had -successfully picked up the phrases used in music without in the least -understanding their meaning, he frequently entangled himself in the -most irretrievable confusion, and was a source of much amusement. - -One day the band was playing Gounod’s Serenade, and during the -performance the critic walked round and round as usual, beating time -in the air with his walking-stick, and assailing every inoffensive -bystander with a hailstorm of scientific jargon. When the piece was -finished he nodded approval and said:-- - -“Ah! pretty thing--pretty thing. Fine scale of minor fifths. Let me -see; what is it called?” - -“That? Oh! it’s one of Whistler’s ‘Nocturnes,’” said somebody. - -“Yes, yes. Of course it is. Whistler’s ‘Nocturne.’ How stupid of me to -forget the name.” - -It is said that this connoisseur once remarked that the Marquois scale -was most difficult for a beginner on the flute; but that, when once -learned, it was so beautiful as to well repay all trouble. - -The peninsula of Sierra Leone is, exclusive of Freetown, divided into -various rural districts, known as the First Eastern, Second Eastern, -Western, and Mountain districts. In addition to these the outlying -territories of British Sherbro, the Isles de Los, and Ki-Konkeh at the -mouth of the Scarcies river, form integral portions of the Colony. The -Mountain district is very picturesque and affords some fine views, -especially in the neighbourhood of Regent, where the Sugar Loaf, a -densely-wooded peak about 3000 feet in height, towers over the little -village. At Leicester Park, 1990 feet high, the Government have lately -purchased a building called the Hospice, which had been constructed by -the Roman Catholic Mission, 1495 feet above the sea, and it is used as -a kind of sanitarium. Living up in these mountains takes one into an -entirely different atmosphere to that of the town, and it is decidedly -more healthy, except during the rainy season, when sometimes for days -together the mountains are shrouded in clouds, and a drenching mist -drives in at every opened door and window. These mountains all abound -in deer and other game, but the cover is so dense that they are rarely -seen; and to endeavour to beat up a ravine or valley is an expensive -operation, as fifty or sixty beaters are required, all of whom want to -be paid unreasonably highly for their services. - -The Eastern district may be described as the frontier district of the -peninsula, it being bounded by the Waterloo creek and Ribbi river, -which separate it from Timmanee country. The Timmanees periodically -commit outrages on British subjects, and small wars ensue. These wars -are, however, almost invariably bloodless; as the natives, on the -approach of a disciplined force, at once evacuate their towns and take -refuge in the forest. The towns are then destroyed and the troops and -police return to Freetown, to wait until the natives have repaired the -damage done, and begin their pillaging and murdering afresh. - -In 1880 the Timmanees, who had been quiet for some time, began making -disturbances; and the inhabitants of the village of Waterloo could not -leave their homes without being murdered, or, at all events, fired -upon. A handful of men was accordingly sent out from the garrison of -Freetown, a few Timmanee villages burned, and order restored. During -this small campaign a surgeon who accompanied the force committed a -most unheard-of outrage. The bodies of a number of friendly natives, -who had been killed by the Timmanees, had been placed in a pit, but -not covered with earth, in order that the officers who were sent to -restore order might actually see what the Timmanees had done. Upon -this pit, about a week after the corpses had been placed in it, the -surgeon chanced to light. To the astonishment and disgust of those who -were with him he immediately sprang into it, and, drawing his sword, -proceeded to hack off three or four heads from the bodies. Some of the -relatives of the murdered men came running up, and their indignation -and horror at this mutilation can be better imagined than described. -Notwithstanding all they could say the surgeon continued his work -until he had obtained sufficient specimens. He then clambered out, -put the heads in a calabash, and walked off: remarking in a jocular -manner that he had fleshed his maiden sword. On arriving at his boat -he appeared surprised and annoyed that any one should blame him for -what he had done, and when the officer in charge of the boat refused to -take his ghastly cargo on board his indignation knew no bounds. Should -a Turk impale a Bulgarian, or a Montenegrin cut the ears off a dead -Turk, the whole of England is convulsed with horror, and the entire -diplomatic machinery of the country set at work to discover and punish -the offender; but in West Africa, when a British officer wantonly -mutilates the dead, nothing is said about the matter. Can it be a -subject for surprise that the natives of this part of the world should -be barbarous, when such examples as this are set them by those whom -they consider their superiors? - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - British Sherbro--The Bargroo River Expedition--Professional - Poisoners--An African Bogey--A Secret Society--A Strange Story--A - Struggle with Sharks--Startling News from the Gold Coast. - - -To the south of the peninsula of Sierra Leone lies the tract of -low-lying country called British Sherbro, which was acquired by treaty -with the natives in 1862, though Sherbro Island has been British for a -much longer period. It is intersected by numerous rivers such as the -Valtucker, Tittibul, Bargroo, Jong, Mongray, and Boom Kittam, which -with their numberless tributaries form a complete network over the -country. - -The King of Sherbro was formerly one of the largest and most notorious -slave-dealers in this part of the world; and, on three different -occasions, the British naval squadron destroyed his town and slave -barracoons. Even to the present day, though domestic slavery is -nominally abolished, the inland traffic in slaves still flourishes in -this region. - -The Sherbros, like the Timmanees, are utter savages, and it is to -these people that the world is largely indebted for the practices of -Obeah and professional poisoning. They, however, show more aptitude -for manufactures than the Timmanees, and weave a cloth of a beautiful -texture and curious pattern, from indigenous cotton dyed with vegetable -dyes. Some travellers have professed to discover some affinity between -this tribe and the Kaffirs of South Africa, but upon what they based -their assumption I have never been able to discover. There is no -similarity in language, and but very slight resemblance in customs; -in fact no greater than might be expected between the customs of the -races inhabiting the same continent, and both equally plunged in -barbarism. Their architecture, if hut-building may be so termed, is -entirely different; and they sometimes use the bow and arrow, while -it is the absence of that implement of war that has always specially -distinguished the Kaffirs from the negro tribes living to the north, -and the Hottentots and Bushmen to the south. - -The Sherbros are a turbulent and restless people, and disturbances in -British Sherbro are of almost yearly occurrence. Beginning from 1848, -when Captain Monypenny, R.N. destroyed a stockaded fort in Sherbro -river, hardly a year has passed without an expedition of some kind -having been undertaken. The year 1875 was unusually prolific. In -October of that year some Mongray people plundered Mamaiah, a village -on the frontier, and kidnapped several British subjects. A gunboat, -with some troops and police, was accordingly sent up the Mongray -river, and scarcely had this expedition returned to Freetown when -news of another difficulty on the Bargroo river arrived. A party of -Mendis crossed the border about the middle of November and plundered -and destroyed thirteen villages in British territory, carrying off -most of the inhabitants as slaves. On receipt of this intelligence -Mr. Darnell Davis, the Civil Commandant of Sherbro, left Bonthe, the -headquarters of the local Government, accompanied by nineteen armed -policemen, and proceeded to Conconany, the scene of the outrages, to -endeavour to restore tranquillity. Hearing there that some of the -captives were at Paytaycoomar, a village about ten miles inland from -Conconany, he landed to proceed there, in company with a friendly chief -and about a hundred of his followers. On his way to Paytaycoomar Mr. -Davis and his party were attacked by a body of men lying in ambush, -and himself and several others wounded; but he nevertheless proceeded -and arrived before the village, which he found to be defended by three -strong stockades. The Mendis opened fire from their “war-fences,” and -the friendly chief and his followers at once took to flight, carrying -away with them the axes with which the Commandant had intended cutting -his way into the place. Nothing daunted, however, by this desertion, -he broke through the first and second gates of the stockades, ten -policemen, who were old soldiers, alone following him. Between the -second and third stockades they were met with a heavy fire that -killed four policemen almost at once, and wounded the Commandant -very severely; and the latter, seeing that it would be mere folly to -persevere longer, retired with the remnant of his men to Conconany; -being again attacked by an ambuscade on his way there, and wounded a -third time with several of his men. - -In consequence of this a force consisting of a detachment of the First -West India Regiment and a body of armed police left Freetown for -Sherbro with Lieutenant-Governor Rowe; a number of stockaded towns were -shelled and burned, the leaders of the invading Mendis captured, and -order restored. The defences of some of these towns were, considering -the difficult nature of the country, formidable. Ordinarily they were -surrounded by triple stockades, 20 feet high, and formed of posts about -10 inches in diameter. A space some 20 feet broad intervened between -each stockade, nor were the entrances of these opposite each other. The -town of Tyama-Woro was further fortified by two encircling mud-walls, -15 feet high and 12 feet thick at the base, inside which were two broad -and deep ditches. In some of the towns machicoulis galleries had been -constructed over the gates, and the entrance further protected by -semicircular flanking bastions. - -Expeditions such as these appear small affairs when compared with our -South African wars, but they are at least as worthy of recognition as -the numerous “Hill Tribe” wars of India, for which the troops employed -are invariably granted a medal. In West Africa the difficulties -attending such expeditions are very much greater than in India, and -there can be no comparison between the hardships experienced by both -officers and men. The country consists of dense forest, through which -the only roads are narrow paths, wide enough only for the passage of -men in single file, obstructed by fallen trees, swamps, and unbridged -streams, and where continual precautions have to be taken against -surprises and ambuscades. Everything has to be carried on the heads of -terror-stricken carriers, who bolt at the least alarm, and render the -difficulties of the transport service almost insurmountable. Supplies -are precarious, and of bad quality; while, in addition to all this, the -climate is the worst in the world, and the constitution of a European -does not for years recover from the injury caused to it by the exposure -incidental to such expeditions. Some wars, such as the Quiah war of -1861, are serious affairs; and it is difficult to understand upon what -principle of justice rewards should be granted for such services in one -part of the world and not in another. It would be a very simple matter -to establish a West African medal similar to the Indian one, the clasp -to which would show for what particular service it had been granted. - -The professional poisoners of Sherbro, Rossu, and Timmanee, are -notorious: the practice of getting rid of any objectionable individual -by secret poisoning is only too prevalent throughout the whole of -West Africa, but usually it is carried out through the agency of -fetish men, whereas in this portion of the continent it is elevated to -the dignity of a profession on its own account. These poisoners, or -necromancers, since they pretend to compound spells by means of which -they attain their ends, are acquainted with various deadly vegetable -poisons entirely unknown to the European pharmacopœia, and many persons -yearly fall victims to them, whose deaths, as the medical men are -unable to recognise any of the symptoms attributable to known poisons, -are ascribed to other causes. They are also equally well acquainted -with the antidotes for their deadly drugs; and, when an individual -has reason to suspect that he has had poison administered to him, his -sole chance of recovery is to call in one of these practitioners, if -possible the one who has been paid to make away with him, and offer -him a bribe for a counter-charm, as these people like to call it. When -any vindictive savage has a grudge against a European, or against any -one else, all he has to do to obtain revenge is to go to one of these -poisoners, and, stating his wishes, pay a small sum of money, and the -victim is then doomed to certain death, sometimes sudden and sometimes -lingering, unless, in the latter case, he succeeds in discovering what -is going on and outbids his secret enemy. Old residents in Sierra -Leone and the Gambia know of several cases on record in which member -after member of a family has wasted away and died of an unknown and -inexplicable disease, and where the survivors have only been saved from -a like doom by calling in one of these diabolical wretches. If native -accounts may be believed, these poisoners are as well versed in their -destructive study as were their kindred spirits in the age of Catherine -de Medici; and, besides drugs which are deadly when placed in food or -drink and taken into the stomach, know and use others which scattered -about a room poison the atmosphere, or, sprinkled upon wearing apparel, -cause death by absorption through the skin, and perfumes, to inhale -which is fatal. The manner of compounding and preparing these poisons -is preserved with great secrecy and mystery, and transmitted from -father to son in certain families of hereditary poisoners; but the -natives popularly believe that there is a kind of college, situated in -an impenetrable forest somewhere near the Jeba river, at which would-be -professors of this art enter themselves as students, where they learn -their nefarious calling, and finally emerge with a degree as full-blown -murderers. In Sierra Leone proper, this practice, euphoniously called -witchcraft, or laying spells or charms, is forbidden by law, and is not -now very common. - -Another custom peculiar to the three above mentioned tribes is that -of Egugu, which, however, is neither secret nor vindictive, and the -Egugu man himself might not inaptly be described as the personification -of the English “bogey” with which nurses terrify children. This -arch-impostor is supposed to have revealed to him, by unknown powers, -the name or appearance of every wife in the country who has been guilty -of infidelity; and he makes periodical visits to each town and village -for the purpose of exposing and punishing these frail fair ones, he and -his following being entertained and feasted on these occasions at the -expense of the inhabitants. When the Egugu man is approaching a village -his retainers go ahead and announce his presence by the beating of -drums, accompanied by wild howls and cries; and consternation at once -falls upon the entire feminine portion of the community, for, as they -are nearly all equally guilty, the only difference being that some -have already been detected by their husbands while others have not, -they all equally dread the threatening punishment and public exposure. -On such occasions, those fair creatures, who have hitherto been so -fortunate as to bear an unblemished reputation, generally find that -they have pressing business which requires their immediate presence in -the bush, and some thus contrive to escape the ordeal, though usually -each husband takes care that all his wives shall be present; while -those whose guilt has been already declared by the Egugu man, and -who have consequently already experienced the worst, alone prepare -themselves for the ceremony with a certain amount of indifference. - -The Egugu man enters the town, or village, wrapped in a piece of -country cloth, which entirely covers the face and head, and which -covering he never removes except when alone with his immediate -associates; while curious persons of either sex are restrained from -pulling it aside, or endeavouring to obtain a glimpse of his face, by -the belief that to look upon his countenance is certain death. He then -traverses the village and enters every house in succession; while the -female occupants, anxious to propitiate their judge, lay before him -the most _recherché_ dishes of savage African cookery, viz., the palm -oil stew, the cassava cakes and the “stink-fish,” while to wash down -this regal banquet jars of palm wine and bottles of rum are provided. -The Egugu man is cunning enough to know that the innocent, if any, -will seem most unconcerned, and he consequently regards with suspicion -those women who appear most anxious to please him, and usually picks -out those who have treated him most hospitably, and with the greatest -respect, for exposure and punishment. He is commonly very successful in -his choice: it would be difficult in any case to pick out a guiltless -woman, and, even in the remote chance of his doing so, the woman’s -protestations would not be believed; while those who have forgotten the -fidelity due to their liege lords, imagining that everything is known -and about to be proclaimed, confess at once, so that they can give -their own version of the story. The Egugu man then administers a few -stripes to the culprits himself, and leaves them to the tender mercies -of their spouses and the jeers and sarcasms of those more fortunate -females who have gone through the ordeal in safety. - -Should the village be pleasantly situated, and the people unusually -hospitable, this flimsy juggler will remain in it for several days, -examining the women in detail; and, when he has eaten up all the good -things, or when he thinks he has nearly exhausted his welcome, for -he is too wary to spoil his pleasant profession by overdoing it, he -moves off to another village and commences anew. As he is sometimes -accompanied by as many as one hundred followers, or disciples, all of -whom are fed and housed at the expense of the village, this absurd -custom must be rather a tax upon the natives; but no village is visited -more than once a year. It has always been a wonder to me that every -negro in these countries does not set up as an Egugu man, or, at all -events, become a follower of one, since it would be impossible to -conceive a mode of life more pleasing to the negro mind. He goes about -from village to village, fêted and honoured, living on the fat of the -land, with no work to do, plenty to drink, the luxury of beating women -and the satisfaction of being regarded with awe and wonder, all this -too for nothing but the trouble of a little humbug; and it is certain -that there would be an immediate rush of the male population for -similar appointments were it not that they are sufficiently credulous -to believe that there is really some sorcery or supernatural power at -the bottom of the business. - -Among the Sherbros there exists a secret society, which consists of -various families, bound together by mysterious ceremonies for offensive -and defensive purposes, and other reasons which are unknown. If my -memory serves me rightly, this society is called the Society of Bonn, -and the families composing it meet at stated periods to celebrate -their union with infamous rites; and annually, at one such meeting, -a virgin is put to death, the victim being supplied by each family -in rotation. Each member of the society is bound by diabolical oaths -to preserve the secrets of their rites, and to slay any other member -whom he may suspect of revealing them; thus all that is known about -the fraternity has been gleaned from the reports of natives who do not -belong to it, and who cannot know much about it; though some do assert -that they have been hidden eye-witnesses of the annual human sacrifice. -That such a society does exist, and that its members do put a young -girl to death every year, is, however, well authenticated; and a French -trader residing in the Sherbro on one occasion almost surprised them in -the actual commission of the murder. I will give his story in his own -words: he said-- - -“M. A---- my principal, sent me from Sherbro island to some chiefs -on the mainland who were large customers of ours. I had six or seven -Krooboys with me, and was away a little more than a week. On the -last day, when I was coming towards the coast, I was delayed by one -of my boys getting into some little trouble at a village, and, about -nightfall, found myself at eleven or twelve miles from the sea. There -was a good path through the forest, so I determined to go on and get -back to the factory that night--I was in a hurry to return to a good -bed and something fit to eat. - -“You have walked perhaps in the forest at night _mon ami_, and you know -the feeling of awe which the darkness, the silence, and the sombre -trees, with their long arms reaching towards you, awakes within one. -The night was dark, dark as a pit; not a sound was to be heard but -the rustling of our feet on the dead leaves, and the grey trunks of -the trees stood up all round in the forest like spectres. I was very -tired--I had been walking nearly all day, and we did not get along very -quickly; so that about nine o’clock we were still in the forest, and -neither the Krooboys nor myself were sure that we were in the right -path--we had passed several forks, and had taken the road that seemed -to lead towards the sea, but you know how these paths twist and wind -about. - -“Suddenly, in the midst of the dead silence, a chorus of howls and -screams, the most horrible, the most blood-curdling, rose up in the -depths of the forest, and died away in a long, low, melancholy wail. I -was startled--not frightened--for I am not more superstitious than most -men; but the cries had been so sudden, and were so strange, that we all -stopped still. All was as silent as the tomb, and we were so quiet that -I could hear the breathing of the Krooboys. While we were standing with -our ears straining to hear, the sound came again louder and louder--it -seemed to be some little distance away in the direction in which we -were going. I told the boys to go on, and I followed them. Six, seven, -and eight times this long cry--the most despairing--, it made my blood -run cold, was repeated; and then we heard the noise of the beating of -drums. We knew then that it was only some natives observing a custom, -and that there must be a village near; so we walked on. Soon the drums -stopped, and the night was again as still as the grave. - -“Suddenly, without any warning, we turned an acute corner in the path; -and I saw before me some few houses, and a crowd of people standing -together round something, in a clearing of the forest--they had with -them two or three little lamps. At the same moment that I turned the -corner and saw this, I heard a shriek, the most horrible--the shriek -of a woman in the agony which is mortal. My hair raised itself on my -head--my Krooboys stopped and muttered to themselves. I ask of them the -cause, and they tell me of some secret brotherhood of the people, who -sacrifice each year a woman. I draw my revolver: I cry to them--‘_En -avant--En avant_;’ and we all run fast to the crowd. Then, pst, pst, -out go all the lights; I hear the rustling of many feet; all again is -black darkness. - -“We reach the square of the village: there is nothing--nobody to be -seen. Nobody? Ah! _Mon Dieu_, somebody. I nearly fall over some object -which strikes my feet. I look down to see what it may be, and I see -a corpse. Yes, a corpse of a young girl, _une pucelle_; still warm. -I look for the cause of death, and I find, horrible to speak of, on -the left breast a dreadful wound, a cavity--the flesh tom away. _Mon -ami_, the heart of that poor girl had been torn out. Ah! so young, such -beautiful limbs--It is the work of the accursed fraternity.” - -“Well,” said I, when he had arrived at this point, “what did you do?” - -“Do? What could I do? Nothing at all. There was not one person left in -the village--I searched each house: all empty. Could I go and hunt in -the dark forest for the murderers? No--I went on my way and arrived at -my factory.” - -“I suppose you told the Commandant of Sherbro about this?” I inquired. - -“Yes, I told him; but he said he could do nothing, and it was not -advisable to make trouble. It is many years ago now, and Chief Manin -had just signed a treaty with your Government. They did not wish to -have any more palaver.” - -When I arrived at Sierra Leone in January 1881 everybody was talking -about an extraordinary instance of tenacity of life which had come -to light three or four days previously. It appeared that a European -madman, who, for safe keeping, had been confined in the Colonial -Hospital, escaped from custody one afternoon; and, being pursued, -jumped, about nightfall, into the sea from the harbour works. Some -boats put out after him, but as nothing was to be seen of him it was -concluded that he was drowned. About 9 p.m. on the same day, the -occupants of a boat returning from Cape Sierra Leone heard, as they -were passing King Tom Point, somebody groaning on the beach; they put -ashore, and found the escaped maniac lying on the rocks in a horrible -condition. During his swim from the harbour works to the spot in which -he was found, a distance of some half-a-mile, he had been pursued and -attacked by the sharks which swarm in the harbour, had lost an arm, and -been dreadfully lacerated about the shoulders and thighs. From his own -account they seemed to have kept up a running fight with him; and how -he contrived to reach the shore, and, in his mutilated condition, draw -himself up out of reach of his pursuers, was as great a mystery as was -his subsequent recovery from his injuries. - -About 4·30 p.m. on January 28th, just before parade, we were surprised -by the unusual spectacle of two steamers coming round the cape -together; there was a general rush for telescopes, and we saw that one -of them was the outward-bound steamer “Cameroon,” which had only left -the harbour about half-an-hour previously, and the other the mail from -the Coast. This latter had the signal “Government Despatches” flying; -it was evident that something was wrong down on the Gold Coast, and -that it was of sufficient importance for the “Cameroon” to turn back. -Imagination was at once busy as to what was up: some said it was the -long-expected mutiny of the Houssa constabulary, others a revolt of the -Accra people on account of the imprisonment of their king, Tacki, by -Mr. Ussher, the late Governor, and a third party that the Awoonahs had -risen; but while we were still deliberating, and before the steamers -had dropped anchor in the harbour, the “fall in” sounded and we had to -go on parade. - -About five, while the parade was still going on, a Colonial messenger -darted on to the parade ground, seized the commanding officer, and -thrust a voluminous despatch into his hand. The latter cast a hurried -eye over it, and instantly moved off with hasty strides towards a -hammock that was waiting for him outside; calling out to his second in -command that the parade was to be dismissed, but that no officers or -men were to leave barracks. We knew then that something serious was the -matter, and went and sat down by the fountain in front of the mess -to wait for the news. At about 6 p.m., when our patience was nearly -exhausted, an official appeared, panting and blowing up the hill. He -came towards us, and said, in gasps: - -“Gentlemen--The fact is this, gentlemen. It’s simply this, gentlemen. -Bloody wars, gentlemen--Bloody wars.” - -This was highly satisfactory, but did not enter much into detail, so -we applied for more information. We then learned that King Mensah of -Ashanti had sent the golden axe to the Lieutenant-Governor of the Gold -Coast colony at Cape Coast, to demand the surrender of a fugitive; -and, on the 24th, when the surrender was refused, had, through his -ambassadors, declared war against the British. We heard further that -the homeward-bound steamer was going direct to Madeira to telegraph -the news to England, and that troops were to go down by the S.S. -“Cameroon” next day. The Government of the Gold Coast had asked for -three hundred and fifty men, but, as the entire garrison of Sierra -Leone only consisted of four companies, that is a little over four -hundred men, the authorities had decided that it would not be wise, on -account of the Timmanees, to denude the Colony of troops to so great -an extent, and about two hundred were to be despatched with stores and -ammunition. Of course everybody wanted to be among the two hundred: -the news had spread among the men, and a tremendous cheering broke out -all over the barracks; they were delighted with the prospect of a brush -with the Ashantis, and the band volunteered _en masse_. By 7 p.m. it -was decided which companies were to go, and I found mine was one of the -lucky ones: as we were to embark at 3 p.m. next day there was plenty of -work to be done, while to make matters worse there was a dinner to be -given that very night, and the guests would have to be looked after and -entertained. - -That night the excitement rose to boiling point: we who had been -selected to go were objects of envy to all the less fortunate people -who had to remain behind, and who went about with long and melancholy -faces bewailing their ill-fortune and cursing their luck. The guests -quoted Byron, talked of “sounds of revelry by night,” and drew -comparisons, entirely in our favour, between the ball at Brussels on -the eve of Waterloo and our dinner on the eve of departure for the new -Ashanti war. They shook hands with us time after time, their voices -thick with emotion; some almost shed tears as they suddenly awoke to -the fact of their great affection for us, and thought that they might -never see us again; while others, more sanguine, prophesied all kinds -of impossible honours as our share of the coming campaign. It was out -of the question to got away from these warm-hearted partisans, and it -must have been nearly daybreak before we got to bed. - -At 2 p.m. next day, after such a morning of work as I am in no hurry -to experience again, the two companies paraded, and we marched down -the hill to the harbour, headed by the band. I never saw Freetown in -such a state of excitement; every road was crammed with men, women, and -children, shouting, cheering, laughing, and crying, and the crush was -so great that there was scarcely room for the column to march; but at -last all were safely got on board, and at 5 p.m. the “Cameroon” steamed -off direct for Cape Coast. We had on board forty-five tons of stores, -two 4-2/5-inch howitzers, and almost all the ammunition of the Colony, -the whole of which had been put on board in half-a-day. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - Ashanti Politics since 1874--The Secession of Djuabin--Diplomatic - Mistakes--The Conquest of Djuabin--The Importation of Rifles--The - Attempt on Adansi--The Salt Scare--The Mission to Gaman and - Sefwhee--Dissensions in Coomassie--The War Party. - - -While the “Cameroon” is on the way to Cape Coast Castle a short -_résumé_ of Ashanti politics from the close of the war of 1874 may, -perhaps, be considered not out of place. - -After the burning of Coomassie a bloodless revolution took place. -King Quoffi Calcalli, or, as the natives pronounce it, Karri-Karri, -was deposed, and his brother Osai Mensah reigned in his stead. The -dethroned monarch should, in accordance with Ashanti etiquette, have -committed suicide on being degraded from his position; he did not do -so, however, and was permitted to go into retirement in the country, -with a few followers. - -About the same time, Asafu Agai, King of Djuabin, the chief feudatory -of the Ashanti kingdom, seceded, taking with him the chiefs of Assuri, -Affidguassi, and Insula, and formed the independent kingdom of Djuabin. - -It was foreseen that the Ashantis, a proud and haughty race, would -not submit tamely to the establishment of a rival power on their very -border, especially when that rival had so recently been subject to -them; and, towards the end of 1874, when matters began to assume a -threatening aspect between the Ashantis and the Djuabins, Captain C. C. -Lees was despatched to Coomassie by the Government of the Gold Coast -Colony to preserve peace. Their recent defeat by the British was so -fresh in their memory that the Ashantis were amenable to reason, and -Captain Lees succeeded in persuading both Osai Mensah and Asafu Agai to -swear to refrain from hostilities. - -From that moment the Colonial Government withdrew from all active -interference in the affairs of the tribes living beyond the boundaries -of the Colony; and, although for the next four or five years the -Ashantis left no stone unturned to regain their former position and -undo the work done by Sir Garnet Wolseley, the Colonial Government -merely looked on as passive spectators and allowed them to do it. - -The policy of the Government of the Gold Coast appears to have been at -this time one of strict non-intervention, but whether dictated by the -Colonial Office or not, I cannot say. In any case it was diametrically -opposed to the policy which had inaugurated the Ashanti war, and was -most detrimental to British interests and influence. Having committed -ourselves to the war of 1873-4, it was impossible to withdraw and -say we would not interfere further. The chief military power of that -portion of Africa had received a severe blow; the Ashanti kingdom -had almost fallen to pieces; and, as the authors of the shock, we -were responsible for the consequences. What would these consequences -be? Either Ashanti would be split up into a number of insignificant -independent chieftainships or regain its ascendancy, or Djuabin would -assume the place lately held by Ashanti. It was evident that one of -these three things would happen if we decided to take no part in -occurrences beyond our frontier. - -But which was the consummation that the wire-pullers at the Colonial -Office desired? Surely not the first; for the breaking-up of Ashanti -into two or three tribes, who would be independent of each other, -would lead to constant petty wars, the closing of the roads, and the -paralysation of commerce. Surely not the second; for, if Ashanti -regained her ascendancy, the lives and treasure expended in the war of -1873-4 would be as so much waste. Surely not the third; for, if Djuabin -became the dominant military power, what guarantee had we that she -would not be equally, perhaps more, aggressive than Ashanti had been; -and with what could we keep her in check? - -Our policy at this time should clearly have been to play off Djuabin -against Ashanti, to use the one to keep the other in check, just as -might be required; if necessary, to support the one or the other by -force of arms, so that the balance of power, which had happily taken -place, should not be disturbed. Nothing could have been easier than to -do this. If Ashanti should make war upon the Colony we could employ -Djuabin to threaten Coomassie; and if the latter should menace our -possessions we could let loose the Ashantis upon the Djuabin capital. -As for preserving peace between the two rivals, our position on the -sea-board within easy striking distance of each was admirable, and -the two nations were so nearly equal in power and resources that an -intimation from the Colonial Government to either of them which might -seem disposed to provoke hostilities, that any act of aggression would -be considered a declaration of war against England, would effectually -have prevented any outbreak. This grand opportunity was unfortunately -neglected, and the consequences have still to be suffered. - -After Captain Lees’s mission to Coomassie and Djuabin the subtle -Ashantis remained quiet until about July 1875, satisfying themselves -with storing up supplies of salt, powder, and lead, and re-organizing -their army, to the chief command of which Awooah, the brother of the -late general, Amanquatia, succeeded. King Mensah also placed on record -how keenly he felt the injustice of the British in not calling upon the -king of Djuabin to pay a fair proportion of the war indemnity which had -been inflicted on the entire kingdom by Sir Garnet Wolseley, the whole -of which Ashanti, though reduced to half her former area, had now to -pay. - -In July, King Mensah addressed a letter to the European merchants of -Cape Coast Castle, complaining of the action of the king of Djuabin, -that he was kidnapping Ashantis living on the Djuabin frontier, and -closing the roads to trade. This letter was duly forwarded to the -Government, but only elicited from the Governor the reply “that he -would act with reference to the affairs of the interior as seemed to -him advisable.” - -There can be no doubt but that the head of the king of Djuabin was -turned by his sudden accession to power; he sent insulting messages to -Mensah, invited the tribes within the protectorate to come and share -the spoils of Coomassie with him; and by the middle of August 1875 the -excitement on each side had become so intense that no mere negotiation -or mediation could have averted war, whatever it might have effected if -it had been employed at an earlier period. - -Matters were further complicated by the mission to Coomassie of a -Monsieur Bonnat, who was desirous of opening trade with Salagha, a -large and populous Mohammedan town, said to be eight days’ journey to -the north-east of Coomassie. M. Bonnat visited the Ashanti capital in -company with Prince Ansah, the uncle of the king, and appears to have -mixed himself up a great deal with native politics. From Coomassie he -went to Djuabin, where he very naturally was regarded with suspicion, -on account of the circumstances under which he had visited Coomassie. -M. Bonnat was accompanied by a number of Ashantis as carriers and -servants, and some sixty of these were murdered by the Djuabins. In -extenuation of this outrage King Asafu Agai afterwards said the murder -was ordered by the Keratchi fetish, which is the great fetish of -Djuabin and of several other tribes of the interior. - -War was now inevitable, but Osai Mensah was so afraid that Great -Britain would interpose that he still delayed. Towards the end of -September a fresh _casus belli_ occurred. The inhabitants of five -villages on the borders of Djuabin notified to King Mensah their desire -to secede from the kingdom of Djuabin and to be incorporated with that -of Ashanti. Mensah accordingly sent some of his officers to these -villages, where they were attacked by the Djuabins. In the skirmish -which ensued the Djuabins were forced to retire, and the inhabitants of -the five villages migrated into Ashanti. - -When the news of this affair reached Cape Coast Castle the Government -at last awoke to the fact that something ought to be done. They -accordingly despatched an army surgeon, who was temporarily in their -employ, with instructions, first, to proceed to Eastern Akim, and warn -the king of that territory, who had been tampered with by the Djuabins, -that he was not to take part in the probable hostilities; and, -secondly, to proceed from Akim to Djuabin and Coomassie, and forbid the -war, reminding the two kings of the oaths they had sworn to Captain -Lees. - -This officer left Accra on October 23rd, 1875, but his mission had been -kept so little secret that his intended departure had been known for -some time; and, a week before he left Accra, both Djuabin and Ashanti -messengers had started from Cape Coast Castle to carry the intelligence -to their respective masters, and to inform them that if they wanted -to fight they must do so at once, “for the white man was coming to -palaver.” - -The Colonial envoy reached Kibbie in Eastern Akim on October 29th, and -next day Djuabin messengers reached him with the intelligence that the -Ashantis had invaded their country in two divisions, one of which was -encamped within a few miles of the capital. On October 31st the town -of Djuabin was attacked by the Ashantis, the conflict raged during the -next two days, and on November 3rd the Djuabins were put to flight in -every direction. - -The envoy at once proceeded to Djuabin, which town he found in the -hands of the Ashantis. Foreseeing that the prestige of this victory -would do much to restore Ashanti to her former position, and cancel -the beneficial results of the war of 1873-4, he wrote to the Governor -at Cape Coast Castle recommending that Djuabin should be occupied by -a British force. This proposal was not entertained. Indeed, it would -have been injudicious in the extreme, with the handful of troops at -the disposal of the Government, to endeavour to snatch the fruits of -victory from a warlike people in their hour of triumph. Action of this -kind should have been taken earlier, but the opportunity had been -allowed to pass, and it was now too late. - -The Djuabins, being short of munitions of war, could make but little -headway against their opponents. The importation of arms and gunpowder -was then prohibited on the Gold Coast, which embargo, while it did -not affect the Ashantis, who could obtain what they required through -the French port of Assinee, entirely prevented the Djuabins from -replenishing their stock. A large supply of powder was, however, -successfully smuggled up the Volta river by Djuabin agents and sent -into Eastern Akim. A force of Constabulary was stationed there at the -time, partly to disarm the fugitive Djuabins and prevent the Ashantis -pursuing them into the protectorate, and partly to prevent the Akims -aiding the Djuabins. The officer in command of this force somehow got -wind of the smuggled powder. To an ordinary mind it would have appeared -that, as the Djuabins were, in a measure, fighting our battles, this -would have been a good opportunity for a display of that official -blindness which is so frequently conspicuous at other times. The -Constabulary officer thought otherwise; the powder was intercepted on -the Djuabin frontier; and the Djuabins, being unable to continue the -struggle, flocked by thousands into the protectorate. The Ashantis knew -better than to follow the fugitives into our territory, and satisfied -themselves with establishing their authority in Djuabin more firmly -than ever. Some months later the Government discovered that Asafu -Agai was meditating an attempt for the recovery of his throne; he was -arrested with a promptness that is seldom displayed on the Gold Coast, -and transported to Lagos. - -The results of the victorious campaign were soon discernible in the -altered tone of Osai Mensah. The surgeon who had proceeded to Djuabin -went thence to Coomassie, where he was treated with but scant courtesy -and could effect nothing. Next by his behaviour, and the threatening -attitude of his people to the officer sent to Coomassie for the -instalment of the war indemnity then due, he, as I have related in -Chapter III., so intimidated the Colonial Government that the question -of the payment of that indemnity was allowed to drop, and has never -since been revived. Thus in less than two years from the burning of -Coomassie the Ashanti diplomacy had met with such success that Mensah -had recovered the whole of the Djuabin territory, repudiated the -payment of the war indemnity, re-established the prestige and power -of the Ashanti name, and outwitted the Colonial Government upon every -point. - -In 1876 and 1877 the Ashantis occupied themselves with the internal -administration of their newly-acquired territory, and in the purchase -of breech-loading rifles, which they obtained principally through -Assinee, though a considerable number were smuggled, viâ Danoe, the -Quittah lagoon, and the Volta river, into Djuabin. - -In 1878 the Colonial Government at last grasped the fact that the -interdiction on the importation of arms and gunpowder only crippled the -revenue of the Colony and the power of the protected tribes, without -materially affecting those for whom it was specially designed, and -consequently withdrew it. No sooner was the prohibition at an end than -the Ashantis, with an absence of disguise that was either the height of -impudence or the most consummate diplomacy, imported Snider rifles at -Cape Coast itself. On one occasion, towards the end of December 1878, -a batch of some three hundred arrived, consigned to Prince Ansah at -Cape Coast, and were duly received by Ashanti carriers who had been -waiting for them. As they were being transported to Prahou, the Fantis -of Dunquah, who seemed to be of opinion that it was not politic to -allow the Ashantis to possess such weapons, intercepted the convoy and -brought back the rifles to the District-Commissioner at Cape Coast. -To their surprise they were only reprimanded for their pains, and the -Ashantis, protected by an escort, were conducted with their purchases -in safety to Prahou. - -Being now the happy possessors of a considerable number of -breech-loaders, the Ashantis conceived the plan of forming a corps -of Houssas, who would instruct the Ashanti army in the use of the -new weapon. To induce trained men of this race to desert from the -Gold Coast Constabulary, Mensah offered pay at double the rate paid -by the Colonial Government, free rations, and some local privileges. -The percentage of desertions from the Constabulary, always alarmingly -high, at once increased: and these deserters assumed the new _rôle_ of -musketry instructors to the Ashanti army. As they knew almost nothing -themselves, they could not impart much information to their pupils. A -German, who had been wandering about the interior for some time, made -himself useful in the formation of this _corps d’élite_, and brought -down Houssas from Salagha for the King. - -There was nothing new in this endeavour to induce Houssas in British -pay to betray their trust. About September 1875, when M. Bonnat visited -Djuabin, he found some of the men of the Gold Coast Constabulary -armed, and dressed in the uniform of the force, in the service of -the King of that territory, and Asafu Agai had endeavoured by means -of them to prevent M. Bonnat returning to Coomassie. The causes that -led to the numerous desertions were not difficult to find. The Houssa -Constabulary was and is a purely mercenary body, ready to sell their -services to the highest bidder. In the days when Capt., now Sir John, -Glover, R.N., organised the nucleus of this force at Lagos, a man -enlisted for life service; he looked upon the Government henceforward -as a paternal power, which he would serve as long as his health and -strength admitted, and which, when he became old, would grant him an -annuity or gratuity on retirement. They were satisfied with this state -of things and were loyal to the backbone. In 1876, when the Houssa -Constabulary was being reorganized, by a most short-sighted policy -the term of enlistment was limited to three years. Now short service, -however excellent it may be with Europeans and in countries where -it is desirable to form rapidly a large reserve, is undoubtedly a -mistake with semi-civilized or barbarous peoples. The Houssas now saw -themselves liable to be cast adrift after three years’ service; their -engagement was no longer a life engagement, there was no gratuity or -annuity to be earned by long and faithful service; and so, if a man -had an opportunity of bettering his condition, there was nothing to -be lost by his at once taking advantage of it. At the termination of -his three years he would be discharged without any pension; why then -should he not desert and accept the higher rate of pay offered by King -Mensah? If the latter did not require his services longer than the -Colonial Government would have done, he would still be a gainer; and -the probability was that he would be retained for life. Being bound by -no consideration for their oath of fealty, they argued in this way, and -deserted. - -In the spring of 1879, the Ashantis, having perfected their military -arrangements, began to look about for some further accession of -territory. At this time, a Mr. Huydekuper, one of those semi-educated -and unscrupulous negroes with which the English system of Mission -Schools has afflicted the Gold Coast Colony, was at Coomassie. He had -been, I believe, a clerk in a Government office, and was in high favour -with, and a confidential adviser of, King Mensah. This man, using -his knowledge of official forms, drew up fictitious despatches, and, -accompanied by Mr. Nielson (the German who had rendered himself useful -in the formation of the Ashanti corps of Houssas), and a retinue of -court-criers and officials from the Ashanti court, proceeded to Gaman, -a kingdom which lies to the north-west of Ashanti, on a diplomatic -mission. This mission was arranged under the superintendence of Prince -Ansah, and its object was nothing less than to inform the king of -Gaman, in the name of the Governor of the Gold Coast Colony, “that -the Queen of England had given the whole country from Kerinkando, -near Assinee, to Dahomey, to the king of Ashanti, and that the king -of Gaman was to swear to be subject to the king of Ashanti.” Before -reaching Buntuku, the capital of Gaman, Mr. Nielson died of fever, and -the mainspring of the mission, so to speak, was lost. Nevertheless -Mr. Huydekuper proceeded and delivered his message, producing his -manufactured despatches in support of his statement. He stated that the -Queen of England had given Ashanti dominion over all inland tribes, -and that he was ordered to administer to the king of Gaman an oath of -allegiance to King Mensah. - -This intelligence, coming, as the Gamans at first believed, from a -fully-accredited ambassador of the Government, created the greatest -consternation among that section of the tribe which was hostile to -the Ashantis. The news spread like wild-fire to the Safwhees, a tribe -inhabiting the country to the west of Ashanti and to the south of -Gaman, and from them to the Denkeras. But for the death of Mr. Nielson -it is impossible to say what authority the Ashantis would not have -succeeded in gaining over these tribes. - -While this little comedy was being enacted in the north, the Ashantis -endeavoured to coerce the people of Adansi, which kingdom was formerly -the smallest feudatory state of Ashanti, into returning to their old -allegiance. A portion of the Adansis were anxious to do this, but -the king, not being by any means desirous of resigning his late-won -independence, sent messengers to the Colonial Government at Accra. -Fortunately for the maintenance of British authority on the Gold Coast, -Capt. C. C. Lees, the officer who had succeeded in averting hostilities -between Ashanti and Djuabin in 1874, was administering the Government -of the Colony. Being the exponent of the true and only effective policy -in West Africa, he took up the threads of diplomacy where they had -been dropped by the non-intervening Governor in 1875, and despatched -the acting Colonial Secretary to Adansi with full powers. The mission -was entirely successful, and the Ashantis returned to Coomassie -baffled for once. So wedded, however, were the Colonial Office to their -policy of non-intervention, that, although this was the first success -after several years of diplomatic failures, they found fault with the -Acting-Governor for what he had done. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach in his -despatch said--“the action which you took was of a character which -might possibly have placed the Local Government, and ultimately the -Imperial Government, in some embarrassment, should the Ashantis decline -to comply with the demands made upon them[1] ... Adansi is not within -the protectorate, and the question of requiring the observance of the -third article of the Treaty of Fommanagh[2] is one of external policy, -on which the Government of the Gold Coast should refrain, unless in -case of urgent necessity, from definite action until Her Majesty’s -Government had decided whether the action proposed was proper and -opportune, having regard to the general interests of the empire. I have -to request that in future you will bear this caution in mind, and that -you will take no further steps in the matter now under consideration -without the previous sanction of Her Majesty’s Government.” -Fortunately, before the receipt of this letter, Capt. Lees had taken -further energetic action, which, had it been delayed until permission -had been obtained from England, would have been too late. - -Immediately after this success on the part of the Government, Ashantis -appeared simultaneously at all the ports on the Gold Coast, and -purchased salt in immense quantities. Those who were best qualified to -judge of native questions considered that this was one of the worst -signs of the times. No salt is produced in the interior of this portion -of Africa, and in some parts of the inland plateaus it is worth almost -its weight in gold; being a necessary of life it must be had, and large -quantities are exported to the Gold Coast from Europe. Ordinarily, in -peaceable times, the Ashantis buy it as they require it, individually; -when, therefore, there seemed to be a sudden national movement for the -purchase of that commodity, it appeared as if the Ashantis feared that -the supply was about to be cut off, and were storing it up against -that contingency. As the supply could only be cut off by the Colonial -sea-board being closed against them, this action on their part seemed -to show that they premeditated coming into collision with the coast -tribes, that is, ultimately with the British; and when their late -purchases of arms and manœuvre in the north were called to mind this -became still more probable. In 1881 it transpired that an invasion of -Adansi was under consideration at this time, and was only postponed on -account of the Colonial mission to Gaman. - -While all this was going on, in April 1879 a mixed embassy of Gamans -and Sefwhees arrived at Cape Coast. These envoys had been sent by -the kings of their respective states to ascertain what truth lay -in the statements which had been made by Mr. Huydekuper. As soon -as they learned that that individual was an impostor, the Gaman -ambassadors stated that their king had made him a prisoner; while -the representatives of both tribes asserted that their countrymen -were unanimous in desiring to maintain their independence, and that -both peoples alike bore a deadly hatred to everything appertaining to -Ashanti. They asked that an officer might return to Gaman with them, as -otherwise they might not be believed in what they had to say about Mr. -Huydekuper; and the Government, following up its more recent and more -enlightened policy, acquiesced. - -Mr. John Smith was the officer selected by the Colonial Government -to proceed to Gaman. Of that country nothing was then known beyond -the fact that it had been engaged in several wars with Ashanti in the -last decade of the eighteenth century. Sir John Dalrymple Hay, indeed, -in his “Ashanti and the Gold Coast,” speaks (pp. 28 and 29) of “the -plains of Massa,” “the Gaman cavalry,” and “the Mahometan soldiery of -Gaman”; and that people was popularly believed to be an offshoot of the -Houssa tribes and to possess Houssa characteristics. It was reserved -for Mr. Smith to explode all these theories, and to make it known that -the Gaman territory was covered with forest, like that of Ashanti, and -that the people were fetish-worshippers, differing in no important -particulars from the tribes in their neighbourhood. - -Mr. Smith left Cape Coast on May 15th, 1879, and reached Jooquah, the -seat of Quasi Kaye, king of Denkera, on the 16th. He left Jooquah -on the 18th, with the king’s son, an ocrah, and a sword-bearer, and -arrived at Becquai, the first Sefwhee town of importance, on June -6th. He remained at Becquai two days, and reached Yorso, the capital -of Sefwhee, on June 10th. Here the Governor’s message, to the effect -that Mr. Huydekuper’s statements were false, was delivered, after Mr. -Smith had been detained twelve days waiting for the chiefs to assemble. -In the course of conversation the king told him that the events of -1874 had decided him and his chiefs to give up their friendship with -the Ashantis and to ally themselves with the British; but that when -Mr. Huydekuper’s message to King Ajiman of Gaman became current his -two principal chiefs had wished to return to their former friendly -relations with Ashanti. The king wished to take an oath of allegiance -to the British Government, but this was declined. - -On June 21st Mr. Smith left Yorso, and, travelling through incessant -rain and by flooded and almost impassable bush-paths, reached the -village of Appemanim, about twelve miles from Buntuku, the capital of -Gaman, on July 21st. Here a messenger from Buntuku met him, desiring -him to wait until the king had prepared for his reception. On the 24th, -having received no further information, he started for the capital, and -met on the road a messenger from the king requesting him to remain a -few days longer at Appemanin, as the king was not quite ready. He took -no notice of this message, and, continuing on his way, reached Buntuku -the same day. - -King Ajiman promised to summon his chiefs and hold a meeting within two -days, but, what with one excuse and another, eight days elapsed before -any meeting was convened, and then it was held so late in the afternoon -that, before the chiefs had gone through the preliminary hand-shaking -ceremonies, the rain came down in torrents and dispersed them. While -thus delayed, however, Mr. Smith acquired the following information:-- - -1. That Mr. Huydekuper had left Buntuku immediately after the Gaman -messengers had started for Cape Coast, and was not, nor had been at any -time, a prisoner. - -2. That the messengers sent to Cape Coast did not represent the entire -Gaman nation, as they had stated, but merely King Ajiman, Princess -Akosuah Ayansuah, the chief of Saiquah and chief Quabina Fofea of -Tackiman; and that the majority of the chiefs had declined to send -messengers, as they did not wish to break with Ashanti. - -3. That the Gaman chiefs were dissatisfied with King Ajiman, and wished -to depose him and elect his half-brother Prince Korkobo to the stool. - -4. That Prince Korkobo, who was strongly in favour of an Ashanti -alliance, was then at Banna, in Ashanti, with Mr. Huydekuper; and had -but recently plundered and burned some villages belonging to King -Ajiman. - -Mr. Smith found in Buntuku an Ashanti captain, Opoku by name, who, -having come to demand the surrender of chief Quabina Fofea of Tackiman, -was living on the most friendly terms with the chiefs of the Korkobo -faction, and domineering over King Ajiman himself. From this it will -be seen how little reliance can be placed upon the statements of West -African ambassadors. - -King Ajiman informed Mr. Smith that the chiefs would assemble on -August 7th, but, on proceeding to the place of meeting on the appointed -day, the latter found only the king himself there with the chiefs of -Tackiman and Saiquah, and one other. The king said the other chiefs -would appear shortly, and Mr. Smith waited. After waiting two hours he -was told that one chief was drunk and could not come, that another had -a sore leg which incapacitated him from attending, and that a third was -making fetish. He left the place of meeting, telling the king that if -he were again trifled with he would at once return to the coast. - -Finally, on August 8th, a palaver was held and the Governor’s message -delivered to the assembled chiefs. No enthusiasm of any kind was -displayed. The king promised to hand over Mr. Huydekuper to Mr. Smith -in thirteen days, and, in answer to a question from that gentleman, -said publicly that he had full confidence in the fidelity of his chiefs. - -Two days after this meeting King Ajiman paid Mr. Smith a private visit, -during which he said that he had told a falsehood when he had affirmed -that he had confidence in the fidelity of his chiefs, and endeavoured -to excuse it by saying that he dared not put them to shame at a public -meeting. He added that all his chiefs, with the exception of one, were -against him, and begged Mr. Smith to hold another meeting and compel -them to take an oath of allegiance to him. - -On August 15th the meeting was held. The chiefs said that they had -many grievances against their king; among others, that he had received -several chiefs into the Gaman alliance without consulting them, -and that he had received from such chiefs “alliance money” without -apportioning a share to them, as was customary. On being asked to take -an oath of allegiance to Ajiman, they replied that they would consider -about it, and let Mr. Smith know as soon as possible. - -On August 21st the chiefs re-assembled. As this was the day on which -the king had promised to hand over Mr. Huydekuper Mr. Smith asked for -him. The king replied that that individual was not in the town, but -that he would send again for him. Mr. Smith then told him that he need -not try to keep up the deception any longer, since he had known, from -the day of his arrival in Buntuku, that Mr. Huydekuper had never been a -prisoner, and that it was not now in the king’s power to make him one. -The chiefs declared that they could not come to any decision about the -oath of allegiance, because one of their number was absent. - -On the 23rd another palaver was held at which the chiefs openly -declared that King Ajiman was their enemy, and refused to take any oath -of allegiance to him. Mr. Smith returned to his house, and in a few -minutes the king followed him. He declared that he would not remain in -Buntuku after Mr. Smith had left, and begged to be allowed to accompany -him to the coast for protection; however, after some trouble, Mr. Smith -succeeded in persuading him to remain and assert his position. - -On August 24th Mr. Smith left Buntuku for Dadiasu, a village some -twenty miles from the capital, and was accompanied to that place -by the king, one chief, one captain, and the chiefs of Saiquah and -Tackiman--in fact all the king’s adherents. On the 31st, messengers -reached Mr. Smith at Awhetiaso, forty-five miles from Buntuku, -imploring him, in the name of the king, to return, as Prince Korkobo -had entered Buntuku the day after he had left, and was now trying to -oust the king from the throne, or rather from the stool. Mr. Smith -declined to interfere and proceeded on his journey to the coast. - -This mission, though entirely unsuccessful in its aim, clearly -established the fact that, in the event of hostilities with Ashanti, -the Government could not rely upon any assistance from the Gamans. -The Sefwhees, it is true, were more of one mind in the matter, yet it -seemed almost certain, considering their close connection with, and -proximity to, Gaman, that the inaction of the one would paralyse all -movement on the part of the other. - -In the latter part of the year 1879 and in 1880 Ashanti was convulsed -by internal dissensions. King Mensah was, and is, an unpopular monarch. -He is much more tyrannical and bloodthirsty than was his predecessor, -and, in defiance of the terms of the treaty of 1874, the number of -human sacrifices has largely increased during his reign. The sorest -point of all, however, with his subjects was that he despoiled them of -their gold on the shallowest pretexts, and imposed exorbitant fines -for the most trivial offences. People began to talk of the good old -times when Quoffi Calcalli was king, and that wily ex-monarch, who had -outlived the contempt with which he had at first been regarded for -outraging Ashanti prejudices by continuing to live when disgraced, -commenced to intrigue with the people of Kokofuah, the most thickly -populated district in Ashanti, and the one which supplies the largest -contingent for the army. In the meantime Mensah was not idle. He turned -his Houssa corps into a body-guard, and ensured its fidelity by gifts -and promises of future favour; he gathered round him his ocrahs and -retainers, and with this force, armed principally with breech-loading -rifles, he easily managed to stifle disaffection and maintain his -position. - -There was yet another cause of dissension in Coomassie. Not a few of -the chiefs, at the head of whom was Opokoo, chief of Becquai, and -Awooah, chief of Bantami and general of the Ashanti army, were anxious -to declare war against Adansi. They had re-conquered Djuabin, their -chief feudatory, and had nothing to fear on that side. On their western -or north-western border too there was now nothing to fear, for although -King Ajiman of Gaman had contrived to regain a portion of his kingdom, -and had fought several undecisive skirmishes with the Korkobo faction, -still the latter was quite powerful enough to neutralise any hostile -movement on the part of the former against Ashanti. Further, these -chiefs knew that they could drive the handful of Adansis across the -Prah without any trouble, and they considered that to do this would -wipe out the disgrace of the defeats of 1874. - -In fact the only thing which at this time prevented the actual invasion -of Adansi was the belief held by King Mensah and his chiefs that any -act of aggression against Adansi would be equivalent to war with Great -Britain; and they were led to this belief by the action taken by Capt. -Lees in the spring of 1879, and with which the then Secretary of State -for the Colonies had found fault. Notwithstanding this belief, the war -party in Coomassie were desirous of invading Adansi, and were quite -willing to take the risk of another war with England. Opposed to the -war party were the king, the queen-mother, and the court party. Mensah -remembered that he owed his present position to the downfall of Quoffi -Calcalli, who had lost the throne in his conflict with the British; -and, being advised by Prince Ansah at Cape Coast, he knew perfectly -well that should hostilities break out between Ashanti and Great -Britain his own ruin would be the result. - -Although Mensah was not prepared to face the Colonial Government in the -field, yet he was as desirous as any of his chiefs to recover Adansi, -which would do so much to re-establish Ashanti in her former position -of supremacy, and so he pursued the traditional policy of the country. -The new Governor of the Gold Coast Colony, Mr. Ussher, sent presents -to the king on taking up his appointment, and the latter seized the -opportunity to send messengers down to Accra, nominally to thank -Governor. Ussher for his presents, but secretly to ascertain the views -and position of the Government with regard to Adansi. These messengers -were duly received and dismissed by the Governor and returned to Cape -Coast, where they remained, collecting information and watching events -on the coast, explaining their delay in returning to their own country -by a number of frivolous excuses. - -It appears that about this time Mensah also sent a second mission to -Gaman, for in October or November, 1880, Gaman messengers came to the -Lieutenant-Governor, Mr. Griffith, who had administered the Government -since the death of Mr. Ussher, at Accra, saying that the King of -Ashanti had sent a message to the Ajiman section of the Gamans to the -effect that he, Mensah, had paid a sum of money to the Queen of England -in order that the Gaman country should be placed under his rule, and -that, the Queen having consented to it, the Gamans were now his people. - -While all this was going on, the war party in Coomassie had fast been -gaining the upper hand. The bellicose chiefs spoke of Quoffi Calcalli -as a man who, whatever might have been his other shortcomings, was, -at all events, not afraid of the white men, and recommenced their -intrigues with that individual. Matters became so serious that, in -December 1880, Mr. Buhl, the Secretary of the Basle Mission Society, -reported to the Lieutenant-Governor that there were rumours in Ashanti -that the country was going to war; and, in the same month, Chief Taboo -of Adansi informed the District Commissioner at Cape Coast that Chief -Opokoo of Becquai had publicly sworn before the king at Coomassie that -he would force Adansi to become again subject to Ashanti. Confusion -began to reign in Coomassie, and the struggle for supremacy between -the court and the war party was fast approaching a crisis, when the -events which led to the sending of the golden axe to Cape Coast in -January 1881 occurred. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] Demands that they should return to their own country. - -[2] The Treaty of Fommanagh was the one signed by Sir Garnet Wolseley -after the burning of Coomassie. The third article provided for the -independence of Adansi. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - Cape Coast--The Panic--The Golden Axe--Preparations for - Defence--Ansah--A divided Command--A second message from the - King--Native Levies--Ordered to Anamaboe. - - -At 2 p.m. on February 2nd the “Cameroon” dropped anchor off Cape Coast -Castle, and the whole reinforcement was landed in safety through the -surf by 4 p.m. - -The panic reigning on this portion of the Gold Coast would have been -amusing had it not been so disgraceful. Seven thousand men had been -asked for from England, though the last war had been brought to a -successful termination with two West India regiments and two European -battalions, for practically the 23rd Regiment took no part in the -operations. The walls of Elmina Castle, a fortress impregnable at any -time by savages, had been heightened with sand-bags, as though regular -siege approaches were anticipated; and a few days before our arrival -the advisability of abandoning that post, together with Fort St. Jago, -and withdrawing the garrison of Houssa Constabulary to Cape Coast, had -been seriously entertained. One hundred and fifteen Houssas were at -Prahsu and forty at Mansu, but no attempt was to be made to arrest the -advance of the enemy by occupying either of these places in force and -raising field-works; and on February 3rd it was decided that the whole -available force of the Colony should be employed in the defence of the -forts of Anamaboe, Cape Coast, Elmina, and Axim. In other words, the -Ashantis were to be allowed to ravage the whole country from the Prah -to the sea, and the natives were to receive no protection whatever; -while the garrisons were to be shut up in inglorious safety within -stone walls. A high Colonial official said to me:-- - -“Oh! we’re so glad you fellows have come. There has been no safe place -to go to at all, and hardly a man-of-war about to get on board of.” - -People seemed to imagine that the Ashanti army had been supplied by -some enterprising contractor with seven-leagued boots, and could move -in one spring from the northern border of Adansi to the sea-board -without our receiving any warning, or information concerning their -progress, from the inhabitants of the country. The Lieutenant-Governor, -with his principal officers, had taken refuge in the Castle, and, -although the ambassadors with the axe had only left Cape Coast Castle -on their return journey to Coomassie on January 26th, a scare had taken -place on the night of February 1st, when everybody must have been aware -that the messengers had not had time to reach their capital. Some -intelligent negro alarmed the town in the dead of night by declaring -that he had seen the advancing Ashantis on the Prah road, about three -miles from the Castle. Upon this, the garrison was got under arms, a -patrol sent out, and all the lights in the Castle extinguished. The -object of this last strategic movement is difficult of discovery, -unless it was done in the hope that the Ashantis might not see the -Castle in the dark, and so pass on and go elsewhere. - -Europeans professed to feel unsafe even in the forts, when they must -have known from past events, such as the defence of Anamaboe Fort by a -garrison of some thirty-nine men against an entire Ashanti army, that -the Ashantis could never venture seriously to attack them. In fact the -Ashanti is only dangerous in the bush, and when once he comes into -the open, or ventures to attack fortified posts, he is of but little -importance. Had an invasion really been taking place, thousands of -people from the bush villages would have been flocking into Cape Coast -for refuge; but that town remained in its usual stagnant condition, and -the natives declared that no advance of the enemy was imminent. - -What had really been said and done by the ambassadors was, moreover, -not very clear. It appeared that on January 18th a refugee from -Coomassie, who had arrived at Cape Coast a day or two previously, had -presented himself at Elmina Castle to claim protection. He stated that -he was an Ashanti prince, named Awoosoo, and that, having incurred King -Mensah’s displeasure, he had sought safety in flight. On January 19th a -messenger from the king, with the golden axe and accompanied by three -court-criers, demanded an audience of the Lieutenant-Governor. This -messenger was a son of the late Ashanti chief, Amanquah Roomah, and he -brought with him to the audience Enguie and Busumburu, the two Ashanti -messengers who had been sent to thank Governor Ussher for his presents, -and who had since been living in Cape Coast collecting information. The -former of these two had signed the Treaty of Fommanah with Sir Garnet -Wolseley, and the latter was an Ashanti captain. - -After the usual compliments the messenger stated that the king had -sent him to tell the Governor that a man named Awoosoo, a son of a -prince of Ashanti, whoso ancestors were from Gaman, had been persuaded -by an Assin trader, named Amankrah, to run away from Coomassie to the -Protectorate; and the king had sent him to ask the Governor to send -back Awoosoo. Further the envoy demanded that Amankrah should be given -up, because, although he had been regarded by the king as a friend, -and had been for many years a resident in Coomassie, it had been -reported to the king that he had lately gone to Gaman and obtained -money from the king of that country upon a promise that he would use -his best endeavours to persuade Awoosoo to go to Gaman. - -To this the Lieutenant-Governor replied that as Awoosoo had not -committed any crime, and was now under British protection, it was not -in his power to give him up to the king. Enguie then asked if the -Lieutenant-Governor would prevent Awoosoo from going to Gaman; and -was told in reply that he was free to go from British protection or -remain under it, as he pleased, no one having any right to control his -movements. - -So far all who were present at the audience were agreed as to what had -occurred, but as to what followed there was a serious difference of -opinion. Some said that Enguie then stated that the Assins were people -who always caused palavers between Ashanti and the Protectorate, and -that the king said if the Lieutenant-Governor would not give up Awoosoo -he would invade Assin. Those who held to this version further stated -that Busumburu at once got up and confirmed this statement, and that -the Lieutenant-Governor thereupon called Enguie’s attention to the -treaty of Fommanah, and pointed out to him that an invasion of Assin -meant war with England. - -Other officers who were present at the audience positively declared -that nothing of the sort had occurred, and that Enguie had at the -audience made no threat of invasion; but that, as it had been reported -that he had said to the interpreter, informally, and in the course of -conversation at the interpreter’s house, that if Awoosoo were not given -up the king would take Assin, the treaty of 1874 was shown to him. -For my part I am inclined to believe that this latter account is the -correct one; but it is a question which can never be satisfactorily -settled, as the evidence is so conflicting. - -With regard to the golden axe, people spoke of it as being a -declaration of war, and said that it had been sent down in 1873, -which was not a fact. In reality the golden axe alone is neither a -declaration of war nor a menace. It simply means that the embassy which -bears it is no ordinary one, and that the matter on which the envoys -have come is one in which, as the senders think, great interests are at -stake. In this case, however, the axe was accompanied by an additional -emblem which did threaten hostilities. This was a fac-simile in gold of -a portion of the earthen-nest of a mason-wasp, which escaped the notice -of all Colonial officials, with but one exception, or was considered -by them unworthy of notice. This emblem denoted that if the affair on -which the golden axe was sent were not settled to the satisfaction of -the Ashantis they would use their stings, or, in other words, endeavour -to attain their ends by force. So little was this symbol understood in -Colonial circles that no explanation of its presence or meaning was -ever at any time demanded from the Ashantis, not even when, later, they -were protesting that they had never threatened or wished for war. - -With reference to the report that Amankrah had induced Awoosoo to -escape from Coomassie, it seems evident that there was no truth in -it. The former stated that he met Awoosoo at Quissah near Fommanah, -and that he, Awoosoo, begged to be conducted to the Governor. Awoosoo -corroborated this, and neither of them could have any motive for -concealing the truth, if the flight had been arranged in Coomassie. - -The story that Amankrah had received a sum of money from King Ajiman of -Gaman on a promise to do his best to induce Awoosoo to go to Gaman was -a plausible one. Awoosoo was the real heir of the Gaman throne, and, -if he appeared as a claimant for it, the rival factions of Ajiman and -Korkobo would bury their differences, and the Gamanites would become a -united people. Naturally, under these circumstances, the Ashantis were -very anxious to prevent him from going to Gaman. Awoosoo’s grandmother -was a princess of Gaman, and it was through her that he derived his -right to the throne, the female branches taking precedence of the -male in conferring birthright both in Gaman and Ashanti. She married -in Coomassie, and bore a daughter who married Prince Osai Cudjo of -Ashanti. Awoosoo was the offspring of this union, and was thus a prince -of Ashanti in right of his father and a prince of Gaman in right of his -mother; but, in consequence of the native rule of precedence, he was -considered to be a Gaman, and was always spoken of as a native of that -country. - -After the departure of the messengers with the golden axe the Colonial -Government was suddenly seized with a violent craving for information -concerning the tribes of the interior, their relations with Ashanti, -and the position, in a military sense, of Ashanti itself. This was, of -course, a most praiseworthy desire, but all such information ought to -have been collected years before; and the eleventh hour, when all the -officials were more or less in a state of panic, was hardly the time at -which reliable data could be obtained or a temperate judgment formed. -The merest hearsay reports were listened with avidity, and jotted down -as most valuable evidence. Inquiries were made of Quabina Annuoah, -the linguist of King Chiboo of Yancoomassie-Fanti, who, according to -his own statement, had not been to Coomassie for sixteen years, as to -the condition of the Snider rifles which were in the possession of -the Ashantis, and which they had only obtained during the last three -or four years. Quabina promptly replied that Mensah had about three -hundred Sniders, with not many cartridges; that sometimes the rifles -were not cleaned for a week or two, and were now nearly all useless. To -show how utterly unreliable this was I may add that a few weeks later a -man named Amoo Quacoo, a blacksmith and a native of Accra, was brought -to me, and in the course of conversation stated that he had lately -returned from Coomassie, where he had been employed by the king in -looking after three hundred Snider rifles stored in the king’s house. -He said that the rifles were all in good condition, that the Ashantis -took great care of them, cleaning and oiling them daily; and that there -were about four boxes of ammunition to each rifle. Awoosoo had also -seen these three hundred rifles, and the Government at once jumped -to the conclusion that these were all the Ashantis possessed, until -the illusion was rudely dispelled by two Germans, Messrs. Buck and -Huppenbauer, who saw the king in Coomassie on February 5th, and counted -one thousand men armed with Sniders. - -The statements of Awoosoo and Quabina Annuoah, to the effect that there -were now no good captains or generals in Ashanti, were gravely written -down; when the Government must, or at all events ought to have been, -aware that both Awooah, chief of Bantama, the conqueror of Djuabin, and -Opokoo, chief of Becquai, who had opposed such a vigorous resistance -to Sir Garnet Wolseley in 1874, were still in the land of the living. -The latter made his statement still more ridiculous by saying that -they could not get any men of his size (about 5 feet 7 inches). These -two men were also questioned as to the number of men King Mensah could -put into the field. The former is stated in the official documents to -have said 20,000 and the latter 30,000. I should like to know how these -figures were arrived at, for in the Tche language there are no words -which can specifically express any such numbers. - -On January 30th Prince Ansah returned from Axim, where he had been on -some secret errand, probably superintending the transmission of the -three tons of powder, which were smuggled at Apollonia, to Coomassie; -on the next day, and on February 3rd, he had interviews with the -Lieutenant-Governor. He protested that the Ashantis had no intention -of making war, and that the Government was making a great mistake. He -further added that the golden axe did not denote hostile action, and -that both Enguie and Busumburu denied altogether having said that if -Awoosoo were not given up the king would invade Assin. He seemed much -impressed at the rapidity with which the reinforcement had arrived -from Sierra Leone. The Lieutenant-Governor, adopting a high tone, -told Ansah that he would demand 5,000 ounces of gold as compensation -for the expense to which the Colony had been put, and said that if -the king refused to pay it he would seize some of his territory. As -Ansah was not an accredited ambassador, but merely an agent, the -Lieutenant-Governor committed himself to nothing by this statement; and -probably the former knew quite well that the Imperial Government would -never allow us to take the initiative in any hostile measures. - -The advent of the two companies from Sierra Leone had raised the total -strength of regular troops on the Gold Coast to 400 men. Houssas had -also been brought up to Accra, so that there were 295 men of the Gold -Coast Constabulary available, and thus stationed:--At Elmina, 140; at -Prahsu, 115; and at Mansu, 40. H.M.S. “Flirt” had arrived at Elmina, -and fifty of her men were held in readiness to land. These sensible -additions to the local defences had somewhat quieted apprehensions, but -there was still a good deal of excitement. The officials of the colony -had plucked up courage, and some positively bristled with warlike -ardour; the ordinary duties and peaceful habits of life were discarded, -the proverbial phrase “_Cedant arma togæ_” was cast to the dogs, and -high legal functionaries busied themselves in the proposed raising of a -local volunteer corps of native clerks and shopmen. - -Earthworks were commenced at Java Hill and in the Government Garden -at Elmina, where, in June 1873, a handful of the Second West India -regiment had repulsed the main Ashanti attack with great slaughter. -This work, when completed, was to be garrisoned by the seamen and -marines from the men-of-war now lying off Elmina; but the senior -naval officer refused to land his men unless he was allowed to take -charge of the military operations. As there is a paragraph in the -Queen’s Regulations expressly stating that naval officers shall not -command troops on shore, this rather created a difficulty, which, -however, the Lieutenant-Governor met by placing, much to the disgust -of the military, the Houssa Constabulary under the orders of the naval -officer. The seamen and marines, to the number of some fifty, were then -landed, and remained in Elmina Castle for three days, at great peril to -their health, as they were not provided with helmets. - -During his short reign the senior naval officer withdrew all the -Houssas from Prahsu and Mansu, on the grounds that if they were left -there they would be defeated and cut off. He did not seem to be aware -that it was the duty of outposts to delay the advance of an enemy -without compromising their own retreat, and to fall back slowly, -sending full information to the main body. When the Houssas were -withdrawn several thousand rounds of Snider ammunition were left at -Prahsu, which the Ashantis could have taken had they so pleased; and -had the enemy advanced we should have had to depend upon the ignorant -and panic-stricken natives for intelligence, and should have had no -reliable information as to the number, line of march, and armament of -the foe. In fact, it would be difficult to imagine a more inexpedient -step than this withdrawal of our frontier post, for, in addition -to weakening our military position, it naturally disheartened the -protected tribes, and encouraged the Ashantis. - -Before, however, this division in the command was made, the Ashanti -messengers, both men of low origin, which in itself, considering the -serious state of affairs, was a slight to the Government, arrived -at Cape Coast, and had an audience with the Lieutenant-Governor on -February 8th. These messengers were Quabina Ewah, a court-crier, and -Quabina Oyentaki, a sword-bearer. They were accompanied by Enguie and -Busumburu. - -These envoys had left Coomassie before the ambassadors with the golden -axe had returned, having in fact met them one day’s journey from the -capital, and brought the following message:-- - -“The king has heard that Houssas and officers are at Prahsu, building -a bridge. As all that is past is gone and done with, he wishes to know -what this means, and why the Governor is going to fight?” - -The messengers complained that the Adansis had illtreated them on their -way through Adansi territory, and that they had seen them seize two -Ashanti traders from the Kokofuah district, and plunder them of their -goods and gunpowder. They further stated that the messengers with the -golden axe had told them that at an Adansi village, named Ansah, a -trader who had joined the retinue had been ill-treated and robbed of -his gun. They applied to the Lieutenant-Governor for redress, and were -evidently fully under the impression that Adansi was either included -in the British protectorate or that we were bound by treaty to protect -them from the Ashantis, and were consequently under the obligation of -seeing that no Ashantis were maltreated by them. - -In fact the Adansis appear to have laboured under the delusion that we -were bound to support them, and so behaved in this manner. A renegade -is always more bitter than a foe who has not changed sides, and the -Adansis, having _ratted_ from the Ashanti kingdom when they conceived -it to be falling to pieces, were now displaying their animosity by -the--in this part of the world--unheard-of insult of molesting a -person in the retinue of an ambassador. As they are numerically an -insignificant tribe, they would not have dared to do this had they not -believed that Great Britain was bound to save them from the vengeance -of Ashanti; and, now that King Mensah fully understands that they are -not a protected people, and provided that our non-intervention policy -is still persevered in, their day of reckoning is not far distant. - -One of the messengers, Quabina Eunah, having remarked that the Adansis -were clearing the roads, the Lieutenant-Governor said that they were -bound to do so by the treaty of Fommanah, and expressed a hope that the -king of Ashanti was also fulfilling his treaty obligations by keeping -the main road to his capital clear of bush, which expression elicited -nothing from the messengers but a laugh. Now whether he was annoyed at -this, or whether it was simply through ignorance of native customs (he -being quite new to the country and people), the Lieutenant-Governor -at once questioned the authenticity of the message, and asked the -messengers how he was to know that they came from the king. They -pointed to the gold plates on their breasts as being their insignia of -office, and the Lieutenant-Governor then said that the king ought to -have sent him something which he had seen before, and could therefore -recognise. Upon this Enguie sarcastically observed that hitherto the -Governor had seen nothing from the king but the golden axe, and as they -had left Coomassie before that state weapon had been returned to the -capital it was impossible that they could have brought it down; adding, -“even if his Excellency would like to see it again, which I doubt.” -Everybody felt that the Lieutenant-Governor had not got the best of -this little exchange of words, which had arisen through his groundless -suspicion. - -The ignorance of the country and mode of thought of the natives -displayed by the Lieutenant-Governor’s advisers militated very much -against the taking of vigorous measures. A combination of native tribes -against Ashanti was talked of, and men who ought to have known better -did not hesitate to include the Gamans in this confederation. The truth -was, that the fact that a Gaman embassy had visited the coast in 1879, -and had stated that the whole nation was actuated by a bitter hostility -to Ashanti, was remembered; while all the information gained by Mr. -Smith in his mission to Buntuku, which tended to show that no such -feeling of ill-will existed, was forgotten. No doubt that gentleman’s -report had long since been lost sight of in one of the pigeon-holes in -the Private Secretary’s office. Native report concerning Gaman asserted -that King Ajiman had contrived to retain possession of the throne, but -that Prince Korkobo was, in all but name, the actual ruler, and had -been nominated Ajiman’s successor. - -The only tribes in the British protectorate who could be relied upon -to furnish a certain quota of men are those of Denkera, Assin, Western -Akim, and Fanti. Wassaw, Ahanta, and Eastern Akim would not move in -1873, and do not seem to have any feeling of enmity to Ashanti; while -to utilize the men of King Blay of Apollonia away from their own -country would only be to tempt the disaffected natives surrounding his -territory to take up arms. - -That the tribes in the neighbourhood of Axim and Apollonia were -disaffected was evident from the reports of the District Commissioner -there, Mr. Firminger, a young officer who had taken the trouble to -study what is too frequently neglected by the Colonial officers on -the Gold Coast, namely, the political relations of the tribes with -which he was brought in contact. He reported that the Awooins were on -the most intimate terms with the Ashantis, and that their disregard -for English law was owing to advice from Coomassie. The king of Bayin -was also on friendly terms with King Mensah, and in January 1881 had -sent one of his cane-bearers to Coomassie to reside there, and had -received in return an Ashanti agent to reside at Bayin. Mr. Firminger -says:--“Should any trouble occur with Ashanti I am assured that the -people from Bayin to the frontier would join them.”[3] - -Under the general name of Fanti are included the petty kingdoms of -Cape Coast, Elmina, Effutu, Abrali, Dunquah, Dominassi, Anamaboe, -Mankessim, Ajimacong, and Mumford; and, generally speaking, the men of -these sub-divisions are worthless as soldiers, while Elmina and Effutu -are more than half friendly to the Ashantis. The number of men which -each chief could put into the field is enormously exaggerated; thus the -Anamaboe contingent is estimated at from 2,500 to 3,000, whereas it -would be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to raise more than -500 men from that district. By using strong measures 4,000 men might -be got together from the Fanti tribes collectively, but they would all -rather carry than fight, and it would be better so to employ them. - -On February 8th I received orders to proceed next day to Anamaboe -with 100 men and two 4-2/5-inch howitzers, and occupy the fort there, -which had hurriedly been put into a state of preparation, after having -been without a garrison for some fifty years. With some difficulty I -obtained permission to march to my destination instead of going by sea, -as fears were entertained as to the liability of my being cut off; -but I pointed out that as no enemy had yet crossed the Prah, and as -that frontier was seventy-four miles distant, there could be no danger -in a march which would only occupy a few hours. At that time war was -considered inevitable: the axe, accompanied by the wasp’s nest, was -a clear declaration of war; and Ansah’s declarations, and the second -message from the king, viewed by the light of similar protestations in -1873, were not considered of much account. - -Under such circumstances, to garrison Anamaboe with 100 men was, from -a military point of view, a grievous mistake. In the first place it -reduced the already sufficiently small force at Cape Coast; in the -second place the Ashantis had never been near Anamaboe since 1807, and -were not likely to go there in 1881, since they had considered it too -insignificant in 1814, 1824, 1863, and 1873; and in the third place, -should the presence there of troops attract them, the force, being so -small, could only act on the defensive. Held with a force sufficiently -large to permit of offensive measures being adopted, Anamaboe would -be an excellent position, as it is some miles nearer to Dunquah, and -consequently to the Prah, than Cape Coast, and the flank of an army -threatening the latter town might most effectually be harassed from it. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[3] This opinion, which is based upon unmistakeable facts, shows how -precarious would be the position of the various Goldmining Companies -now endeavouring to induce the British public to take shares in -their enterprises. I have been asked by persons connected with these -Companies to state that in the event of complications with Ashanti the -Tarquah district would be quite free from molestation. I regret that I -am unable to do so; but I believe that immediately upon the outbreak of -hostilities the mining camps would be pillaged, the “plant” destroyed, -and the persons employed only able to save their lives by instant -flight. Of course, if the Colonial Government adopt measures for the -protection of these Companies, that is another matter; but the main -road from Assinee to Coomassie passes through Awooin, and the Ashantis -would not allow their main artery for the supply of munitions of war to -be cut off without opposition. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - A Teacher of the Gospel--Anamaboe--A third Message from the - King--Affairs in Coomassie--Downfall of the War Party--False - Rumours--Arrival of the Governor--A fourth Message from the - King--Further Complications. - - -At 5 a.m. on February 9th the company paraded, and we marched off to -Anamaboe, a distance of some twelve miles. We followed the Prah road as -far as Inquabim market, that is for about four and a half miles, and -then branched off to the right by a narrow and irregular bush-path over -the Iron Hills: the track was too narrow for two men to walk abreast, -and the procession consequently was strung out to some length. The -few natives we met, astonished at the unusual spectacle of soldiers -in this part of the country, and fancying we were going to seize them -as carriers, as was done in 1874, bolted into the bush directly they -caught sight of us, dropping their pots of water or loads of plantains -in their flight. - -After three hours’ marching over vile roads and steep hills we halted -for an hour for breakfast at a small village in the bush about nine -miles from Cape Coast; the men piled arms and bivouacked under some -umbrella-trees in the centre of the village, while we, the officers, -went towards a fairly good sort of house that stood close by; The -owner and occupier of this mansion was a local preacher belonging to -some missionary society, and he at once said, like any other native -would have said, that we might make use of his house during our stay; -but added, unlike any other native, provided we paid him: we made -no difficulty about this, and proceeded to breakfast. While we were -discussing that meal the preacher came in accompanied by two young -girls, about twelve or thirteen years of age, attired in gorgeous -native cloths, with their wool distorted into the latest Fanti fashion, -and bedecked with brilliant handkerchiefs. We asked our host if he -required anything, and he said “No,” he had only come to do a little -business with us; we then inquired what that business might be, and, -after a little beating about the bush, he informed us that, as Anamaboe -was rather a dull place for Europeans, he thought we might like to buy -these two girls, and, if so, we could have them for 4_l._ a piece. -We asked him what authority he had for disposing of them in this -unceremonious fashion, and he replied that they were his servants; but, -on being pressed for further information, he confessed that they had -been given to him by their parents in payment of some debt--in fact -they were slaves. Much to his disappointment we felt ourselves obliged -to decline his generous offer, which refusal he attributed entirely -to the price, and lowered his terms first to 3_l._ 10_s._ and then to -3_l._, equally without success; while it was easy to see that the dusky -damsels considered our rejection of the proposal as a proof of our -exceedingly bad taste, and were as much disappointed and chagrined as -their master. - -A little abashed at the manner in which we had treated his offer, the -preacher sent away the two young ladies to the back of his premises, -and, beginning to have a faint idea that he had somehow not risen in -our estimation, he endeavoured to retrieve his lost ground by falling -back upon his more legitimate occupation, and asked that we should -delay our departure in order that he might preach a sermon to the men. -The hypocrisy of this proposition, coming as it did immediately after -the other, was more than we could stand, and, expressing our thoughts -in unequivocal terms, we paid him what we owed, went out, and got the -men together ready to march off. The village pastor, however, was not -going to be done out of an opportunity of showing forth before his -unsophisticated flock, and, while we were preparing to start, delivered -an exhortation in which “the sword of the Lord and of Gideon,” -“soldiers of the Lord,” “smite with the edge of the sword,” and similar -expressions, were jumbled together in a meaningless jargon; while -when we moved off he strode alongside for some distance, open-mouthed, -shouting in a discordant voice that highly-appropriate hymn called -“Hold the Fort,” the work of those itinerant vendors of religion, -Messrs. Moody and Sankey. - -Whenever I meet such creatures as this local preacher I am moved -to anger and restrain myself only with difficulty. Little children -in England stint themselves in the luxury of sweets by giving of -their scarce pence to aid the “poor missionaries,” and people who -can ill afford to be charitable contribute their mite to further the -promulgation of Christianity among heathen negroes; while scoundrels -like this preacher batten upon the subscriptions thus raised, live -in the best house in the village, acquire authority and wealth, and -lead a happy life of idleness and vice. The persons who draw up those -highly-coloured Mission Reports for the benefit of the gullible British -public have a great deal to answer for. - -We reached Anamaboe about 10 a.m., and found the fort prepared for our -reception as well as could be expected under the circumstances. Of -late years it had been occupied by two or three Fanti policemen with -their numerous wives and dependents, and consequently was not as clean -as it might have been; while no attempt had been made to make good -the damage resulting from years of neglect. As a military position, -the defects which were the cause of the surrender of the fort to the -Ashantis in 1806 had not been remedied; the loopholes in the curtain -were so made that fire could only be brought to bear on a point some -forty yards from the walls, and persons beyond or within that distance -could not be touched, while the embrasures yawned to such an extent -that it would cost many lives to work guns so exposed to the fire of -an enemy. Added to this, the native swish-houses extended on one side -to within twenty yards of the walls; and on another side stood an -immense house, built of stone, which actually overlooked the bastions -and commanded the whole fort. As neither food nor water fit to drink -were to be obtained here, these necessaries of life had to be forwarded -daily from Cape Coast in surf-boats: sometimes the water, through some -oversight, failed to appear, and we had to use the dysenteric liquid -from the neighbouring pools, or go without; the former alternative was -usually chosen, and, in spite of every precaution, such as boiling and -filtering, a very large percentage of the men were constantly on the -sick-list. As for the officers, three in number, we were always more -or less ill. The town was in a condition of indescribable filth, and -at times the stench which arose was so suffocating that, in spite of -the intense heat, we were obliged to keep the doors and windows of -our rooms closed. The streets, the yards, the bush--in fact the whole -surface of the earth within a radius of half-a-mile from the fort--was -covered with the collected refuse of half-a-century, which, under the -combined influence of sun and rain, gave forth a curious variety of -pestilential odours. Altogether, Anamaboe was an exceedingly salubrious -and, under the circumstances, useful post. - -On February 17th a third embassy arrived at Cape Coast from Coomassie, -consisting of a linguist, a sword-bearer, three court-criers, and an -old fetish priestess, the latter of whom threatened to utterly destroy -both the English and the Fantis if they did not at once abandon any -intention they might have of making war upon Ashanti. On the 18th these -ambassadors, with the exception of the old lady, had an interview with -the Lieutenant-Governor at Elmina, Enguie and Busumburu being again in -attendance. After the preliminary formalities, Bendi, the linguist, -said:-- - -“The king of Ashanti sends his compliments to his friend the Governor, -and bids me to speak to the Governor’s interpreter, and to tell him to -say to the Governor that some time ago an Assin trader, named Amankrah, -came to Coomassie to trade, and stole away the king’s son Awoosoo down -to the coast. When Prince Awoosoo ran away from Coomassie the king’s -messengers came to ask the Governor to give him up. But by the law of -England, if a man runs to the English Government for protection, he -cannot be given up. The king of Ashanti says--‘When my son ran away I -applied to the Governor to see if he could give him up to me. I have -no palaver with the Assins, but Enguie, out of his own head, said to -the Governor--‘If you do not give him up, some palaver will come.’ Your -Excellency must know that that was not the king’s message.’ - -“The Governor said--‘Give me the paper.’ He said to Enguie--‘Are you -Enguie? Are you the man who signed the treaty that Assin, Gaman, and -Denkera, should be under the English, and now do you come to me to -break the treaty?’ Enguie said--‘I do not break the treaty.’ After -this we wished to leave Elmina in order to go to Cape Coast, but next -morning a messenger came and told our messengers that they must not go, -for the Governor had still something to say. Then our messengers waited -and the Governor said he must make a book,[4] because Enguie had broken -the treaty. Our messengers replied--‘No one can read at Coomassie, but -we will take your letter to the king.’ - -“Then the letter was carried to the king, and the king said--‘Enguie -did not break the treaty. The words he spoke were his own words. He -was sent to the Governor to be kept on the coast. He is the Governor’s -servant, and it must not be said that he broke the treaty.’ For this -reason the king has sent us, his linguist and sword-bearer, to let the -Governor know that this is the case. We mean to say that Enguie himself -said these words, and not the king. He is the servant of the Governor -as well as of the king, and it was his own speech, and not the king’s -message. - -“Again we say to the Governor, the king of Adansi made a report that -the king of Ashanti is going to march upon the Adansis and fight with -them. But, in consequence of the treaty between England and Ashanti, -the Ashantis would not come down to fight with anybody. They would not -bring a single gun across the Prah to fight. As to the people under -the English Government, the king will never come to fight any one of -them. The king says so. If the Governor has heard that the Ashantis are -ready to attack any part of the protectorate, the report is not true. -The king wishes to be a friend to this Governor, as Quacoe Duah was to -Governor Maclean. If any one says that the king of Ashanti intends to -attack the protectorate it is false, and not true. He has sent us to -say that it is not true. He wishes to be friendly with the Governor. - -“As to the gold axe, it means nothing. It is not used as a symbol; -you can ask any of the chiefs about here. Amankrah Accoomah, the -axe-bearer, used to bring the axe, but it is no symbol. The king -says--‘You can tell the Governor that the axe is nothing.’ If any one -comes and reports to the Governor this and that of the king, let the -Governor send a messenger to the king, and the king will clear himself. - -“We have finished. For this reason have we come, we wish to be friends -with the Governor. As to what Enguie has said, Enguie is the Governor’s -servant, and the Governor can forgive Enguie and let that pass.” - -After this some conversation ensued, in the course of which both Enguie -and Busumburu, amid considerable confusion, denied that the former had -ever said that the king would attack Assin. The Lieutenant-Governor -thereupon called the Government interpreter, Davis, and in answer to -questions the latter said that Enguie had told him, at his house, that -if Awoosoo were not given up the Ashantis would attack Assin. It is -worthy of notice that Davis said nothing of any such threat having -been formally made during the audience with the Lieutenant-Governor; -indeed, for some inscrutable reason, the regular interpreter had not -been employed upon that occasion, and the duty of interpretation -had been left to a young clerk employed in the Colonial Office, a -fact which renders the theory of a formal threat having been made -exceedingly doubtful. - -This was all that occurred of moment, and as the Governor, Sir Samuel -Rowe, was expected to arrive soon, the Lieutenant-Governor decided to -leave things as they were, and merely returned a message to the effect -that he was glad to hear of King Mensah’s peaceable intentions, and -that so long as these were manifest he would be his friend. Yet, having -heard that Sir Samuel Rowe would arrive in a few days, he thought it -better to leave the matter in his hands, as the Governor coming direct -from the Queen would know her mind on the subject. - -Having seen what was taking place in the protectorate it may be now -interesting to know what the Ashantis had been doing in their capital, -and to ascertain the causes which led to the threatening attitude, and -to the subsequent peaceful and apologetic messages. - -As I have endeavoured to show in Chapter XI., affairs were in rather a -critical condition in Coomassie owing to the struggle for supremacy -between the war and court parties, and the escape of Awoosoo, happening -at this crisis, placed the winning card in the hands of the former. -As I have already said, it was necessary in the interests of Prince -Korkobo of Gaman, the good friend and ally of Ashanti, that Awoosoo -should be detained in Coomassie, and the unexpected escape of a -person of such importance in Ashanti politics created the greatest -consternation, which feeling, when it became known that the fugitive -had claimed British protection, was soon mingled with a longing for -revenge. Numerous influential chiefs, who had hitherto either belonged -to the court party or had equally held aloof from both sections, now -joined the war party, which carried everything before it, and at the -“palaver” which was held Mensah could do nothing but acquiesce in their -proposals: in fact any attempt on his part to stem the popular current -would only have resulted in his downfall. - -From time immemorial in Ashanti it had been the custom when any -important personage sought asylum with the British Government to send -an embassy to demand the surrender of the refugee, with instructions, -in the event of a refusal, to threaten prompt hostilities. At the -meeting of turbulent “caboceers” it was determined to follow this -haughty precedent, and the king was compelled to submit. To use the -words of an eye-witness--“The king said to the messengers who were to -start for Cape Coast--‘All black men are subject to me and I will have -my revenge for all this.’ He then took the golden axe and the golden -hoe, saying: ‘If this man should escape up a tree, here is an axe with -which to cut it down. Should he burrow into the ground, here is a hoe -with which to dig him up. Go, and bring him back.’” - -This reference to the axe and hoe meant that the ambassadors were to -hew or make their way through all obstacles; and that, if necessary, -force would be used for the accomplishment of the mission on which they -were sent. - -So far, but no further, was Mensah influenced by the powerful war -party. A number of the chiefs wished to declare war at once, without -waiting for any reply from the Government of the Gold Coast to their -demand; and Awooah, the Ashanti general, actually swore the king’s -oath, to break which is death, that he would drive the Adansis over -the Prah. He left Coomassie for Bantama, his town, to call out the -men of his district; but Mensah succeeded in persuading all the other -chiefs, except Opokoo of Becquai, to postpone actual hostilities until -the expected refusal of the Government, had been received, and Awooah, -finding only one chief ready to second him, gave up his project. As -he was too influential a person to be put to death, for in Ashanti as -elsewhere the law seems to be made rather for the poor than for the -rich, he was punished for breaking the king’s oath by the infliction of -a heavy fine. - -After the departure of the embassy with the axe, most of the opposition -“caboceers” retired to their own towns to await the issue, and Mensah -took advantage of this to gather round him all his adherents and -strengthen his position. Before, however, the ambassadors returned -to the capital with the reply of the Lieutenant-Governor, messengers -arrived there with the news that Houssas and officers were at Prahsu -building a bridge. This report, which originated in the despatch -of a few Houssas to Prahsu to watch events, while it confirmed the -worst apprehensions of the court party, seemed to the war party to -evince a disposition on the part of the Colonial Government to meet -them half-way, which they considered exceedingly suspicious. In all -their former wars with the British they had taken the initiative, and -over-run the country between the Prah and the sea with their victorious -armies. Even in the disastrous war of 1873-4 they had, for more than -six months, held entire possession of the western half of the colony, -with the exception of two or three towns on the sea-board, which were -protected by the forts and gunboats. They wished for war it is true, -but they wished to enter upon it when and where they pleased, and -were not at all prepared to have it carried into their own country. -That they expected this to be done is evident from the message sent -by the king on February 6th to Mr. Newenham, the constabulary officer -stationed at Prahsu, to the effect that he hoped to receive timely -notice before the British forces marched on Coomassie. They remembered -the advance of European troops which followed the building of a bridge -over the Prah on a former occasion, therefore when told that a bridge -was now being built, they jumped to the conclusion that the Government -must have some considerable force at hand. The more hot-headed members -of the war party wished to invade Adansi at once, so as to dispute the -passage of the Prah, but some of the more recent adherents of this -group changed sides once more, thus strengthening Mensah’s hands; and -the result of the next “palaver” was the despatch of the peaceful and -apologetic second message, which was delivered at Cape Coast Castle on -February 8th. - -The day after this second embassy had left Coomassie, the -ambassadors with the golden axe returned with the letter from the -Lieutenant-Governor, refusing to comply with the demand which had been -made for the surrender of Awoosoo, and two days later an important -“palaver” was held. The two parties were now fairly matched, and -the discussion lasted for several days, each section endeavouring, -by eloquence, taunts, threats, and promises, to win over wavering -opponents to its own side. While victory was still trembling in the -balance news arrived at Coomassie that the Government was arming the -Fantis and the Assins, and was about to invade Ashanti with these -auxiliaries. This rumour was entirely without foundation, but its -effect in Coomassie was prodigious. Neither the war nor the court party -could hear patiently that their old enemies, whom they had conquered -time after time, and whom they considered to be slaves and women, were -about to carry war into their territory; a terrible orgie broke out, -the death-drum was beaten, slaves were sacrificed, all the Assins and -Fantis in Coomassie were “put in log,” and night closed upon a wild -scene of madness and intoxication. - -Had not this report been immediately contradicted war would have -been inevitable; but next morning it was declared to be unfounded -by a messenger from Prince Ansah who opportunely arrived, and who -also brought the news of the sudden arrival of troops at Cape Coast -from Sierra Leone. The strength of the reinforcement was greatly -exaggerated, and it was said that thousands of Europeans were _en -route_ from England and daily expected. The war party then began to -think that, considering the divided state of the nation, they had -been a little too hasty in their declaration of hostilities, and that -it would be better to temporise. The queen-mother, who possessed -enormous influence, threatened to commit suicide “on the heads”[5] -of the principal chiefs of the war party if they persevered in their -intentions, and this threat sealed the fate of their party. Most of -the bellicose chiefs returned to their own towns to sulk in dignified -silence, and Mensah had things entirely his own way. To show how -pacific were his intentions he said, at a palaver which was held at -this time, “It is said that white men are coming across the Prah. We -have done nothing, we have no quarrel with them. Let us sit still; -and, if they wish to fight, let them fire the first shot.” A party of -Ashantis whom he had sent to take possession of a gold-mine situated -in Adansi territory, and the ownership of which was the subject of a -dispute, were also recalled, in order that there might be no pretext -for saying that he was interfering in the affairs of tribes who were -independent The day after the above statement of his intentions -Mensah sent his third message to the Lieutenant-Governor, explicitly -stating that he had no hostile design. This message was, as we have -seen, delivered on February 18th; thus, twenty-five days after the -declaration of war, it was known to the government of the Gold Coast -that Mensah desired peace, and that there was no prospect of an -embroilment; but by that time the first alarming telegram had already -reached England. - -After the decision of the Lieutenant-Governor to do nothing till the -arrival of his superior, the Colony was disturbed by several groundless -alarms. One of these was to the effect that the king was calling out -his army, and had posted a strong force at Ordahsu; while, according -to another, which was current on March 2nd, the Ashantis had crossed -the Prah in force, and had reached Dunquah. The author of these false -reports was never discovered, though suspicion fell upon a trader, who, -having a large supply of goods on hand, wished to keep others from -importing. This man was also suspected of sending that telegram from -St. Vincent which surprised England with the intelligence that the -Ashanti army was within three days’ march of Cape Coast. - -But, although there was little or nothing to be feared from the -tribes beyond the boundary of the Colony, there was a great deal of -dissatisfaction amongst the protected tribes. The chiefs of Accra, on -being called together to state what quota of men they would be prepared -to furnish in case of war, flatly refused to raise any men for the -defence of the protectorate until their king, Tacki, was released from -imprisonment at Elmina. This refusal was committed to writing and the -document signed by forty-eight of the most influential chiefs of the -district. I have already referred to the critical state of affairs in -the western extremity of the Colony, and to the east the Awoonahs began -to make preparations; so energetically, too, that the chiefs of Addah, -who had promised to raise some 4,000 men, now said that they could not -leave their own country, as, were they to do so, the Awoonahs would -pillage their towns and carry off the women and children. - -These facts were rude shocks to the Government. Theoretical Governors -had fondly nursed the belief, until it had grown into an article of -faith, that the years of peace which had succeeded the events of 1874 -had induced the various tribes in the protectorate,--distinct though -these were by language, traditions, and customs,--to bury their several -grievances and become a homogeneous people, and now it was only too -evident that the mere rumour of possible hostilities with Ashanti -had alone been sufficient to bring again into prominence all their -inter-tribal enmities, and make each nation suspicious and jealous -of its neighbours. The world can now judge how far any proposed -combination of the protected tribes against Ashanti would be likely to -be successful. - -On March 4th the Governor of the Gold Coast Colony, Sir Samuel Rowe, -arrived at Elmina, accompanied by some half-dozen of the Sierra Leone -armed police, a number of Kroomen, who had been engaged as carriers, -and several officers temporarily in Colonial employ. By the 12th the -Chief Justice had arrived from Accra, and the Governor was sworn in. - -After this ceremony had been performed everybody expected him to say or -do something to re-open communications with the king, to whose peaceful -message of February 18th no answer had yet been returned; but, instead, -nothing was talked of but meetings of friendly chiefs and the raising -of native levies. A demonstration to the Prah was mooted, which, had it -been undertaken, would have been quite useless, for the now independent -kingdom of Adansi intervenes between that river and Ashanti; while the -dreadful mortality of the war of 1863 should have taught that no body -of men ought to be encamped at Prahsu, if any other equally suitable -locality could be found. As the king had said he desired peace, there -did not seem any necessity for a demonstration at all; though, if one -were undertaken, the Adansi hills, being at once comparatively healthy -and on the southern frontier of Ashanti, would be the proper point at -which to make it. - -The old rumours of preparations in Ashanti were revived. It was -reported that a messenger from the king of Adansi had brought -intelligence that the army was being called out, and a letter from a -German agent at Addah, one of the last places for obtaining authentic -information from Coomassie, was gravely quoted in support of the theory -that, in spite of all peaceable protestations, Mensah still meant war. -Many people began seriously to think that the Governor intended to -force on a war, while others, who were more behind the scenes, surmised -that Sir Samuel Rowe was merely raising the Ashanti bugbear in order -that he might obtain more credit for laying it. - -It was evident that the Home Government thought we were fighting for -dear life, for on March 13th the hired transport “Ararat,” with sick -and wounded from Natal, put in to Cape Coast, _en route_ for England, -to pick up our wounded. Happily we had not prepared any, and the ship -went away as it had come. - -Earlier than this, however, namely on March 6th, the Governor had an -interview with Enguie and Busumburu, who had remained at Cape Coast -since the beginning of the complication. He addressed them to the -effect that the British Government did not wish to conquer Ashanti, -but rather that the Fantis and Ashantis should live in peace together, -and was as ambiguous and encouraging as he could well be. The Ashantis -replied that they had brought their message to Prince Ansah, and they -wished to give it to the Governor through him. - -Accordingly, on March 8th, Prince Ansah came to Elmina, and the -ambassadors through him proposed that a portion of the embassy might -be allowed to return to Coomassie, to carry a special message to the -king. The Governor replied that he considered this request should be -made by the ambassadors in person. This was done on the 11th, when -the ambassadors stated that they were very anxious to send a message -to the king, and requested permission to send three of their number -to Coomassie. The Governor said that he had no objection as long as -it was clearly understood that the message which they carried was a -private one from themselves, and not from him, and that they made that -matter perfectly clear to the king. Next day the messengers left for -Coomassie, their departure and the final settlement of the Ashanti -difficulty having by the above diplomatic subterfuges been delayed for -six days. - -In the meantime, King Mensah at Coomassie could not at all understand -what was taking place. He had sent to Cape Coast to say he had no -intention of making war, and, instead of any reply being vouchsafed, he -had been told that he must wait for an answer until the arrival of the -Governor. That event had been duly communicated to him by his agent at -Cape Coast, but still no message came, and his pacific declaration was -treated with contemptuous silence. To say that he was not pleased at -this would but feebly express his feelings on the subject. Never before -had a message from an Ashanti king been received in such a contumelious -manner; the majority of the chiefs were of opinion that it was a -premeditated insult, and some went so far as to urge him to soothe his -wounded dignity by an appeal to arms. In fact had the Government been -desirous of war they could hardly have adopted a line of policy more -likely to have produced that result. Mensah, however, was sincerely -desirous of peace, and he despatched fresh messengers to Cape Coast, -who, as an appeal to the Government was thought to be useless, were -instructed to solicit the good offices of the traders, both European -and native, to place matters on a friendly footing between the colony -and Ashanti. - -These messengers left Coomassie before the news of the Governor’s -arrival had reached there, and arrived at Cape Coast on March 10th. -They were four in number, and were named Osai Bruni, Yow Ewoah, -Quarmin Insia, and Dantando. Their arrival, and the object of -their mission, concerning which they made no secret, were at once -communicated to the Governor by the District-Commissioner, but they -were allowed to remain in the town unnoticed until the 13th, when they -of their own accord went over to Elmina. There they asked permission -to submit to the Governor the message that they intended to deliver to -the merchants. After further unnecessary delays they were allowed to -do so on March 16th, and were then informed that the Government had no -objection to their delivering such a message, but they must clearly -understand that this permission could not in any way affect any action -which the Government might afterwards think proper to take. - -On March the 18th a meeting of traders was held at Cape Coast, and -the following was the message delivered--“The king sent us to come to -Prince Ansah and say ‘Let our family differences be at an end.’ He sent -us to Prince Ansah for him to take us to the merchants of Cape Coast -Castle for them to help the king, and say to the Governor that if he, -the king, had done anything wrong in the matter of the message with -the axe, that he, the king, asked that the Governor should pardon his -mistake.” They further declared that Mensah was willing to do anything -to maintain peace, and asked that a European officer might be sent -to Coomassie to see for himself that no preparations, either overt or -secret, for war were going on. - -After this meeting of the mercantile classes the Ashanti messengers -again had an interview with the Governor, who told them that he had -nothing to do with the message they brought, that what the merchants -might have said was their own business, and that the words of the Queen -could only be sent to the king through the Governor. He then added that -they were to remember that the difficulty between the king and the -British Government had not yet been settled or cleared up in any way, -and dismissed them with the customary formalities. - -The messengers started on the return journey on March 20th, and no -understanding between the Government and the king had been arrived at. -In fact matters had become further complicated, for the manner in which -these friendly overtures had been received could not be regarded in any -other light than as a rebuff, and the Governor’s concluding words could -only be construed as a thinly-veiled threat. European residents in the -Colony now began to regard the state of affairs as really serious, and -for the first time held the opinion of the departing envoys, that the -Governor, for some reason of his own, was bent upon forcing on a war. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[4] _i.e._ write a letter. - -[5] To commit suicide “on the head” of a person means that the -intending suicide invokes the name of that person before putting an -end to his own life. The person whose name is thus invoked occupies, -according to local custom, exactly the same position as if he had -killed the suicide with his own hand, and is liable to be mulcted in -damages and subjected to all the extortions of a family “palaver.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - Arrival of Reinforcements--Sanitary condition of Cape - Coast--Culpable neglect--Meeting of Chiefs--The Messengers from - Sefwhee--Expedition to the Bush--Its effect upon the Ashantis. - - -Upon the same day as that upon which the Ashanti messengers had their -interview with the traders of Cape Coast the hired-transport “Humber” -arrived with the Second West India regiment from the West Indies; so -that, in addition to the intelligence that their mission had been a -failure, the envoys were enabled to communicate to King Mensah the -unpleasant news of the arrival of fresh troops, which fact, of course, -could only tend to confirm him in the opinion he had formed, that an -invasion of Ashanti territory was intended. With the Second West India -regiment came Colonel W. C. Justice, who assumed command of the troops -in West Africa, and the advent of this reinforcement raised the total -force available for active service to about 1,200 men, consisting -of some 950 disciplined West India soldiers and 250 men of the -semi-disciplined Houssa Constabulary. - -As there was no room for the new arrivals from the West Indies, either -in the Castle or in the huts at Connor’s Hill, they were quartered, -partly under canvas on the drill-ground to the west of the town and -partly in hired buildings in the town itself. In 1873 no troops were -put on shore until their services were actually required, and, when -so landed, great care was taken to provide them with camping-grounds, -or huts, far removed from the neighbourhood of native towns; and it -is much to be regretted that it was not possible to adopt similar -precautions on this occasion, for the amount of sickness which ensued -amongst the officers and men of the Second West India regiment -quartered in the town was appalling. - -The town of Cape Coast is one of the most filthy and unhealthy known to -the civilized world. In 1872 we find Governor Hennessy thus writing of -it--“It was my disagreeable duty to tell the late Administrator that I -found the town of Cape Coast ... to be the most filthy and apparently -neglected place that I had ever seen under anything like a civilized -Government.” That description answers perfectly even at the present -day. After the Ashanti war of 1873-4 some attempts at improvement were -commenced during the administration of Governor Strahan; but on the -removal of the seat of government to Accra these were discontinued, -and the condition of the town is now as bad as ever. With a population -of some nine or ten thousand native inhabitants, addicted to the most -repulsive habits, Cape Coast does not possess any system of drainage, -or even the most primitive requirements of sanitation. Festering heaps -of pollution, and stagnant pools of foul water, lie among and around -the houses; while every by-street, passage, and open space, is used -by the natives as a place in which to deposit their offal and refuse. -The town can indeed boast of one surface-drain, built of masonry and -about a foot in breadth, which was originally intended to carry away -the water of a contaminated brook, and drain some plague-breeding -pools in the lower part of the town; but the genius of a colonial -engineer who constructed this colossal work in 1875 so planned it that -it stands some two feet above the level of the surrounding earth like -a wall; and as water in this part of the world has not yet acquired -the art of climbing up a vertical height it runs anywhere but where -it was intended to. Besides, after rain, this insignificant rivulet -becomes a stream three or four feet deep and several yards broad. The -fringe of bush all round the town is defiled to such an extent as to be -almost impassable, while to the east of the castle, and only 450 yards -distant from it, is a rock on which has been deposited the accumulated -corruption of years, and which, by local regulation, is still put to -the same use. With such surroundings it can be imagined that it avails -but little to keep the Castle, and buildings in actual occupation by -Europeans, in a proper sanitary condition. - -In addition to all the foregoing increments to the natural healthiness -of the climate, droves of swine and goats wander about the town at -will, and at night share the interiors of the houses with the natives -and their fowls; and although an ordinance has been passed to put a -stop to this, and could easily be put in force, it is not so enforced, -upon the extraordinary ground that it would not be pleasing to the -natives. Either we govern the Gold Coast or we do not: if the latter -let us at once acknowledge the fact; but if the former, it is the -first duty of a Government to put a stop to practices prejudicial to -the common weal, irrespective of any consideration as to the result of -their action in gain or loss of popularity. - -The following is an instance of how we manage matters in this part of -the world. In January 1879, while I was at Accra, an ordinance was put -into my hands, entitled the Towns, Police, and Health Ordinance, one -clause of which provided for the seizure and destruction of all pigs -and goats found at large, and for the punishment of their owners. I was -told it would come into force on February 1st of the same year, and -was desired to take all necessary measures. Accordingly I sent for the -principal chiefs and told them that from February 1st any such animals -found in the streets would be impounded and the owners fined; and that, -consequently, they must build styes or make enclosures, or adopt some -plan for keeping them confined. They did not like it, of course, for -your Gold Coast barbarian is the most conservative creature in the -world and would rather do almost anything than change old habits; but -they saw it had to be done, and on February 1st not a pig or goat was -to be seen at large. This happy state of things continued till February -3rd, when a high Colonial official came in from Christiansborg, and, in -the course of conversation, said that this ordinance, commonly known -as the Pig Ordinance, was not to be put in force. I asked why not; and -was told that the Government thought it would not do, that the people -would not like it, and there might be a disturbance. I replied that -it had actually been in force for three days, and that there had been -no difficulty at all; but it was of no use, and I had to send for the -chiefs and tell them that they could let their animals run loose again, -and of course the nuisance became as great as ever. - -Thus at Cape Coast, as at Accra, a ridiculous fear of offending native -prejudices and losing popularity has prevented the Government from -enforcing sanitary regulations. The consequences of such a state of -things would be deplorable in a temperate and healthy climate; what -then must they be in a climate which is notoriously the worst in the -world? An instance of how this climate, when sanitary arrangements -are not made, affects Europeans, may be found in the case of the 104 -Marines who were sent to the Gold Coast in 1873. Soon after their -arrival 63 per cent. were on the sick-list, and on July 31st the whole -detachment had to be sent home, having lost 18 out of their number, -or at the rate of 17·30 per cent. per six months. It is the opinion -of medical men, well qualified to judge, that nearly half the deaths -on the Gold Coast are caused by the shameful neglect of even the -most elementary sanitary principles, and if this be the fact, when -one remembers the hundreds of valuable lives that have there been -sacrificed, it must be acknowledged that successive Governors, who have -permitted this state of things to continue, have much to answer for. -Colonial officials endeavour to explain away this strange apathy on the -part of administrators by saying that the Colonial Office is so tired -of hearing the very name of the Gold Coast that that Governor is most -praiseworthy in its eyes who allows things to jog along quietly without -bother; and that, as the attempt to enforce sanitary measures would -cause trouble and expense, no one cares to make it. If this be the -true interpretation of the enigma then indeed the Colony is in a bad -case, as it is not sufficiently inviting to induce Governors who may, -through the possession of private means or influential position, be -independent of the office, to go out, and so the present condition of -affairs will continue. For my part, however, I am inclined to attribute -this policy of _laissez faire_ partly to the craving for popularity so -often exhibited by Governors, and partly to the fact that many of them -have risen to that position from subordinate posts on the Gold Coast, -and that their residence there, and years of use, have dulled the sense -of strangeness and disgust which a newcomer at once experiences. - -On March 20th I was relieved from my command at Anamaboe, returning -to Cape Coast to take up some new duties, and next day I went over to -Elmina, where a meeting of the Executive Council was to be held, and -where Colonel Justice was to take the oaths and his seat as officer -commanding the troops. - -From what occurred at that meeting it was evident that the Governor was -fully alive to the evil consequences that might ensue from his combined -policy of “masterly inaction” and ambiguous warnings, and that he was -also determined to continue in the same path. After the events that had -occurred had been recapitulated, a conversation took place amongst the -members of the Council, in the course of which the Lieutenant-Governor -exactly described the position by saying that the Ashantis had sent -a formal message and were awaiting a reply, but that the Governor -had thought it right to wait a little before giving his answers. He -then added that, in his opinion, the Governor was acting wisely. This -expression of opinion was, perhaps, what was to be expected from a -subordinate under the circumstances; but if it was his _bonâ fide_ -opinion it is difficult to understand by what process of reasoning he -arrived at it. The longer the Governor delayed sending his reply the -longer the Colony would remain in an alarmed and unsettled state, and -the longer trade would remain at a standstill. Besides this there was -the danger of all communication between the king and the Government -ceasing, and of the Ashantis being driven into war through fear of our -aggression. These dangers were understood and pressed by the members of -the Council; Captain Hope asking if it would not now be better to send -a message up and conclude the matter; and Colonel Justice inquiring if -European officers might not be sent up to negociate. The Chief Justice -was of opinion that the Ashantis were thoroughly frightened, and wished -to do all in their power to avert war; that they seemed to believe that -we intended to take Coomassie, and that great care would have to be -taken to prevent them declaring war with a view to prevent an invasion. -All these sound reasonings and suggestions were, however, over-ruled -by the Governor, and the Council adjourned _sine die_, leaving the -conduct of negociations entirely in his hands. - -Everybody well knew by this time that there was no prospect of a war -unless we took the initiative, and the well-known peace proclivities -of the political party then in office at home put that out of the -question. Universal astonishment, therefore, was felt when it was known -that on March 23rd the Governor had interviewed representatives from -different tribes and chiefs in the protectorate, and had asked what -contingent of fighting-men or carriers each could furnish. Apollonia, -Axim, Akim, Assin, Anamaboe, and Elmina, were represented, and the -delegates unanimously replied that all their men were fighting-men, and -that some consultation would be necessary before they could say how -many carriers they could furnish. - -Two days after this meeting it was generally known that the Governor -intended visiting Accroful and Mansu, and an officer started for the -latter town with 145 Kroomen to prepare huts. Daily, after March 25th, -quantities of stores and materials were forwarded to Mansu, _viâ_ -Effutu, a route which was chosen because it avoided the town of Cape -Coast, though it was longer than the ordinary one through that place; -and it was evident that a small expedition of some kind was being -prepared, concerning which the military were, for some unintelligible -reason, to be kept in the dark. In fact, when at this time Colonel -Justice informed the Governor that he proposed going, without an escort -and accompanied by only two officers, as far as Mansu to examine the -road, the latter wrote that the Ashantis knew everything that was going -on, that they fully understood the difference between civilians and -military, and that, in his opinion, such a visit as that proposed would -at once put the settlement of the difficulty beyond the possibility of -any other than a settlement to be brought about by a resort to military -force; yet all the time men and stores were being sent up country, -under the conduct of military officers, thinly disguised as civilians, -because they were temporarily in Colonial employ. - -As, if the matter were finally to be settled peaceably, a palaver -would have to be held with the Ashantis either at Elmina, Cape Coast, -or Accra, it seemed an extraordinary proceeding for the Governor, -under existing circumstances, to go up country at all. As the -Ashantis knew everything that was going on they would know all about -the concentration of supplies, carriers, and Houssas at Mansu; and, -naturally inferring from this, and from the fact that no answer had -been returned to two peaceable messages, that the Government intended -to go to war and endeavour to crush them, they would sink all their -political differences in the face of a great national calamity, and -become once more a united people. Some said that the Governor was -going to meet the envoys, whom rumour said were coming down, but -such speakers forgot that that would be a most derogatory proceeding -on the part of an individual representing Her Majesty: others even -asserted that he intended, despite the well-known pacific tendencies -of the Home Government, to bring on a war for some purpose of his own. -Those, however, who had had the benefit of a former experience of the -Governor, knew that he was possessed of an uncontrollable mania for -playing at soldiers and commanding small expeditionary forces composed -of policemen and carriers, and that this was the real reason of the -proposed movement. So inopportune was the time he now selected for this -pastime that only by the merest chance, as we shall see later, did he -escape from rendering a peaceable solution of the Ashanti difficulty -impossible. - -On March 27th forty Sefwhee messengers, with two state-swords, who -had arrived at Cape Coast on the previous day, had an interview with -the Governor at Elmina. It was said they asked for powder, lead, and -muskets, as they feared an immediate attack of the Ashantis; and two -of them afterwards informed us that a large Ashanti force had appeared -on their frontier near the point where the Ashanti territory abuts on -both that of Gaman and Sefwhee. - -On April 4th the Governor left Elmina for Mansu, taking with him two -of the Elmina chiefs, Prince Ansah, and the Ashanti envoys, Enguie and -Busumburu, who had remained at Cape Coast ever since the commencement -of the palaver. On the 8th news reached Cape Coast privately that -an Ashanti embassy, the principal member of which was Prince Buaki, -husband of the queen-mother, had left Coomassie to sue for peace; but -the messenger who brought this intelligence added, that, on account of -news received from the coast, the embassy had suddenly stopped before -reaching the northern frontier of Adansi. This report, coming so soon -after that of the Sefwhees, seemed to foreshadow a new departure on the -part of the king, and many people began to think that we should have a -war after all. - -What was really occurring in Coomassie may now be told. We have seen -that Mensah, despairing of receiving any consideration at the hands -of, or an answer from, the Government, had despatched messengers to -solicit the intervention of the traders; that these had not succeeded -in effecting anything, but had witnessed the arrival of the Second -West India regiment from the West Indies. When these men returned to -Coomassie with their intelligence, Mensah was thrown into a condition -of extreme perplexity: both his peaceable message to the Government -and his appeal to the traders had been alike ineffectual, and, -notwithstanding his repeated pacific overtures, he heard of nothing but -the landing of troops and preparations for war. With Ansah, Enguie, -and Busumburu at Cape Coast, he was kept fully informed concerning -everything that was occurring, and messengers passed backwards and -forwards between the sea-board and Coomassie almost daily. The news -of the meeting of his ancient foes at Elmina on March 23rd, and the -purpose for which this meeting was convened, was at once conveyed to -him; next he heard of the departure of Houssas and carriers with stores -for Mansu, of the preparations going on at that place, and of the depôt -being formed there; and there seemed a consecutiveness in all that -had happened since the arrival of the Governor, beginning with the -contemptuous silence with which his message was treated, which could -only point to the one conclusion that the British had fully made up -their minds to invade Ashanti and overthrow the kingdom. An important -palaver was accordingly held at Coomassie, at which every chief of note -in the nation was present; and the result was that every difference -of opinion amongst themselves was at once put aside, and it was -unanimously agreed to defend every foot of Ashanti soil from invasion. -Mensah was desirous of making one more effort in the cause of peace, -and after some discussion it was decided, not without much opposition, -to send an embassy, consisting of deputies from every district of -Ashanti, with Prince Buaki at their head, to endeavour to arrange -matters with the Colonial Government; while, in accordance with the -decision at which they had arrived not to tamely submit to invasion, -from 12 to 15,000 men of the Bantama district were called out and sent -to Amoaful to watch the approaches to the capital, and arrangements -were made for the immediate calling-out of the whole army in case of -emergency. Thus we see that the first mobilisation took place long -after the downfall of the war-party, that it was intended solely for -defence, and was caused by the very natural construction which the king -and his chiefs placed upon the events occurring in the Colony. - -Prince Buaki and the deputies left Coomassie on April 3rd, and had -arrived at the village of Akankuassi when a messenger overtook them -with instructions from the king to stop. What was the cause of this -sudden change in the original plan decided upon by the entire nation -in council? News had been brought to Coomassie that the men and -stores, which had been collected at Mansu by the Colonial Government, -were beginning to be moved on to Prahsu. The king, conceiving that the -Government was fully determined on war, thought that the next move -would be from Prahsu to the Adansi territory, perhaps to the Adansi -hills; and, concluding that it would be useless to make any further -overtures for peace, he stopped the embassy, so as to spare his dignity -as much as possible, and prepared to exhaust all the resources of the -kingdom in a struggle which he foresaw would be for very existence. - -So far this was the result of the Governor’s bush expedition, and it -was a result which had been very generally expected. Captain Hope -in a letter to the Admiralty, dated Elmina, April 3rd, said:--“The -expedition of the Governor is, in the opinion of some people, -calculated to arouse their suspicion of us, as, although of course -strictly within our territory, it is on the road to Coomassie, and -might be looked on as an advanced guard.... Active precautionary -measures have by no means ceased, in fact a general feeling of -uneasiness is springing up, probably due to the protracted negociations -going on.” The Home Government too were not quite easy in their minds -as to what the consequences of their agent’s action might be, for -in a despatch from Lord Kimberley, dated April 29th, we find these -words:--“The remarks of the Chief Justice, that he had heard at Accra -that the Ashantis seemed to believe that the white men intended to take -Coomassie, and that great care should be taken to prevent them from -being driven into war through fear of our aggression, appear to me to -deserve careful attention. It would be lamentable if a collision were -to arise from any misunderstanding of this kind, and I have no doubt -that you will take every means to remove from the mind of the Ashanti -king any apprehension which he may entertain of an aggressive movement -on our part.” - -At the time of writing that despatch Lord Kimberley little knew how -very nearly his worst fears had been realised, and that the Governor, -instead of taking every means to remove apprehension from the mind of -the king, had done everything calculated to increase it. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - - A Trip to Prahsu--Mansu--A Fiendish _Réveille_--Bush - Travelling--Prahsu--The King of Adansi--Masquerading Costumes--The - Camp--Strength of the Expedition. - - -On April 11th Colonel Justice, Lieutenant D. M. Allen (Acting -Engineer), a Commissariat officer, and myself, started from Cape Coast -about 5 a.m. in hammocks for Mansu, where we had heard the Governor -was. Shortly after noon we reached Accroful, 13¾ miles from Cape Coast, -where the road from Effutu joins the main road; and there we found -Captain Lonsdale, the late Commandant of the Lonsdale’s Horse of the -Zulu war, holding a palaver with the king of Abrah, from Abracampa. His -object was to obtain five hundred carriers to transport a frame-house -from Elmina to Mansu for the accommodation of the Governor, and we -inferred from this that the latter intended making a lengthened sojourn -in the bush. We halted for an hour at the house of the local mission -preacher, which was, as usual, the best in the village, and then pushed -on to Dunquah, where we stayed for the night. - -Next morning we were off again at daybreak, and, after a three hours’ -halt at Inkrau during the hottest part of the day, reached Mansu, -35½ miles from Cape Coast, at 4·30 p.m. On our arrival we found that -the Governor with all his following had gone on to Prahsu, to which -place it was decided we should follow, and the village would have -been entirely deserted but for an officer of the constabulary, who -had arrived the day before from Elmina _viâ_ Effutu, with some 70 -Houssas, and who was waiting to rest his men. The native inhabitants -had all been ejected from their dwellings, which, after a little -preliminary cleaning, had been appropriated by the officers who formed -the Governor’s retinue; traces of whose stay were still existing -in the piles of beer and brandy bottles, and in the ridiculous and -inappropriate names, such as “Rose Villa,” which were daubed on the -swish-walls of the houses. In the centre of the town was a large shed, -built of bamboo and palm-leaves, and open at the sides: this was called -the Palaver House, and had been erected in the anticipation of the -Governor here meeting the Ashanti envoys; but, as they had not arrived, -it seemed that no palaver would be held here after all, and the rows of -bamboo seats for the retinue, with a bamboo throne for His Excellency, -flanked by more lowly seats for his immediate satellites, were doomed -to waste their sweetness unused. We had the honour of occupying the -gubernatorial residence, which was an ordinary swish-hut, to one side -of which an appendage like a gigantic birdcage had been added, which, -while it kept the vulgar herd at a respectful distance, permitted of -their gazing through the bars at royalty within, in much the same -manner as the British public would gaze at a new and strange beast in -the gardens of the Zoological Society at Regent’s Park. - -Next morning, shortly after 4 a.m., we were wakened from a sound sleep -by the roll of drums and the shrieking of half-a-dozen fifes: it was -the Houssa “band” playing an untimely _réveille_. They were supposed -to be playing that old point of war which begins “Old Father Paul came -from the Holy Land,” but their acquaintance with it was limited to the -first two bars, which they repeated over and over again. As the sound -first penetrated our half-awakened senses we tried to keep it out and -go to sleep again; then, finding that that was useless, we waited in -expectancy for them to go on with the rest of the tune, and after -the first two bars had been played over and over again for about ten -minutes we were in a very fair state of nervous excitement. Soon the -effect of this began to grow irritating; we commenced saying “Tum tumti -tumti, tumti tumti tum,” to ourselves time after time; then we tried -to shake that off and count; but we counted the thing ten, fifteen, -twenty, thirty times, and still the infernal tum tumti tum went on in -the same endless monotony, while we dressed by fits and starts in the -dark, hoping and praying that the Houssas would either go on to the -next bar or leave off altogether. The torture rapidly grew worse and -worse: it seemed to rake up all our nerves, and every repetition went -through us like a galvanic shock, while we could not go and implore -the Constabulary officer to put a stop to it because we knew that it -was as balm and consolation to his wounded military spirit. We tried -to give our minds to other subjects, but it was out of the question, -and conversation was impossible; our eyes became wild, our brows -haggard, and we were rapidly approaching a state of frenzy, when, after -half-an-hour’s torture, we fled from the demoniacal sounds. We passed -the Houssas, marching up and down outside our habitation, blowing away -vigorously with their cheeks distended to their utmost capacity, with -our fingers in our ears, and rushed off into the damp forest path. What -a universal sigh of relief we gave when we were out of hearing, but the -diabolic rhythm went on in our minds long after that, and by 10 a.m. -one of our number was down with fever. If any one should think that -our nerves were unduly sensitive, let him get somebody to play on the -piano, for half-an-hour without a single pause, - -[Illustration: Music] - -and then see how he feels at the end of the performance. - -We crossed the Oki river by a felled silk-cotton tree, and stopped -at Sutah, or, as the natives call it, Fittah, in the middle of the -day for breakfast; after which epicurean meal Colonel Justice and the -Commissariat officer went on, while I waited for the invalid, who, as -he knew how to treat himself, would be able to go on as soon as the sun -lost its force. About 4·30 p.m. he was pretty well and we started off; -the sunlight faded imperceptibly into moonlight, and with no casualties -worse than occasionally staking ourselves on the stumps of trees left -standing from three to four feet high in the middle of the path, we -reached Yancoomassie Assin about 9 p.m. - -Through our delay at Sutah I made a discovery as to which portion -of the twenty-four hours is the most suitable for travelling in the -bush. As travelling during the heat of the day renders one liable to -“touches” of the sun and heat apoplexy, most Europeans in West Africa -who have to go anywhere start at an unearthly hour in the morning, -before it is light, and then go on until ten or eleven o’clock, when -they breakfast. In my opinion this is a mistake. All night long a heavy -dew has been falling, and as you walk, or are carried along, showers -of dew-drops fall upon you from the overhanging trees, sufficiently -heavy to make you wet and give you a chill; then, as the sun begins -to gain power, all kinds of exhalations and noisome vapours rise from -the rank and wet vegetation, and various overpowering stenches salute -the olfactory nerves, while for the last two hours of your journey you -are baked in your hammock. Now none of these things are conducive to -health in such a climate as that of West Africa, and they might all be -avoided by travelling, say from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., when the sun has been -drying the forest all day and drawing up the miasma, while no dew to -speak of has begun to fall. Should there be no moon, a native torch, -made of dry palm-stems, can be manufactured anywhere in a few minutes; -and the only objection I have ever heard urged against choosing this -time for journeying is that it is not pleasant to enter a village, -and have to choose a hut to sleep in and prepare the evening meal, so -late; but this is easily reduced to a _minimum_ by sending on your -boys an hour ahead of you to prepare for your arrival. It is not as -if there was anything to be seen during a trip to the bush, for few -people, who have not experienced it, can understand the loathing with -which one regards the endless monotony of the forest, through the dense -rank vegetation of which one moves on day after day, as if between two -lofty walls of foliage, without seeing a single glade or break in the -sameness. Of course I refer here to the feeling of those accustomed to -the country, for to a newcomer there is a certain amount of novelty, -and consequently interest, in such scenes. - -The number of villages which have sprung up along the Prah road -since the close of the last war is surprising, and evinces a feeling -of security on the part of the natives of which their minds would -have been sadly disabused had the Ashantis followed up their hostile -declaration by vigorous action. All these might, from a negro point of -view, be described as thriving, as a few acres of ground round each -had been cultivated, and some of them could boast of considerable -plantations of plantains; but of course very little more is grown than -is actually required for the inhabitants themselves. Passing through -a village one is again immediately swallowed up in the mantle of the -forest for an hour or so, until another group of huts relieves the -eye like an oasis in a vast vegetable desert. Water abounds, and the -fertility of the soil is marvellous; inhabited by any other race of -man this country would surpass the whole world in agricultural wealth, -but, as it is, it is lost to mankind, and there is every probability of -its remaining so, as it is hopeless to endeavour to induce a negro to -work. If some energetic Governor would only introduce sanitary reform -and Chinese labour, the Gold Coast would soon become very different to -what it now is; but the motto of all previous administrators, except -perhaps Governor Maclean, seems to have been “_Apres moi le déluge_.” - -We left Yancoomassie Assin about five in the morning of the 14th, and, -breakfasting at Barraco at noon, approached Prahsu about 4 p.m. As we -drew near we could hear the “boom boom” of trade muskets keeping a -straggling fusillade ahead of us, and the hammock-men began to grow -nervous, while our servants commenced complaining because we had not -allowed them to bring rifles with them. We had not the remotest idea -of what was taking place, but as no reports of rifles were heard in -reply we concluded it was nothing of hostile import, although a Houssa -sergeant whom we met informed us that it was Ashantis who were firing. - -Passing through a gap in the fence which inclosed the camp we found -the men of the Houssa Constabulary drawn up in two lines, facing each -other, as if waiting as a guard of honour for somebody; though as there -were very few men, only about ninety in all, an interval of five or six -yards had been left between every two men, so that they might take up -more ground and make a more imposing show. We thought at first that it -was a polite attention on the part of the Governor, and that these men -were drawn up to receive the officer commanding the troops, but we -soon found out our mistake; they were paraded for the reception of that -omnipotent African potentate the king of Adansi, who was now crossing -the river, and the reports of whose retainers’ muskets we had been -hearing. - -About an hour after our arrival the king and his followers crossed the -river in safety, and, entering the camp, proceeded between the two -so-called lines of Houssas towards a bamboo and palm-leaf palaver-shed -which had been erected in the centre of the camp. Altogether there -were one hundred and fifty of them, consisting of the king, chiefs, -and dependents, fifty of the latter carrying muskets, and the rest the -usual barbaric state utensils, viz., swords, umbrellas, pipes, stools, -fans, fly-whisks, and chairs covered with brass nails. There was not so -much native goldsmiths’ work exhibited as is usual on such occasions, -and the silk of the tent-like state umbrella was very dirty and much -torn, which seemed to denote that his majesty’s exchequer was not in a -flourishing condition. - -I thought I might as well hear what would be said, so I walked towards -the shed, where I found the Governor’s retinue sitting placidly upon -rum-kegs, which were standing on end, placed in rows behind a Madeira -chair intended to support His Excellency’s frame. The Adansi rabble -faced this at a little distance, while to the left were Enguie, -Busumburu, and the Elmina chiefs, who had come up from the coast -to swell the official following. I shook hands with a few friends, -appropriated a rum-keg, and sat down too. Presently a whisper ran -through the retinue, and all stood up with blanched faces and uncovered -heads, and gazed with an aspect of the most profound respect towards a -little dwelling of sticks to which our backs had been turned. I looked -round to see what was the cause of all this apprehension, and perceived -the Governor coming slowly towards us, supported by his favourite -disciples. - -These, two in number, and the Governor himself, were attired in -eccentric costumes, which formed a curious contrast to the ordinary -garments of civilisation worn by the rest of the Europeans present; -and they somehow reminded me, first, of the three tutelary deities -of pantomime, Messrs. clown, harlequin, and pantaloon, and then, on -further reflection, of the three Graces. His Excellency wore a blue -Norfolk jacket, garnished with a medal and star, and immense scarlet -trousers, tucked into long yellow boots, reaching nearly to the knee, -and furnished with large brass spurs, which are, in West Africa, so -exceedingly useful for goading the stubborn hammocks to increased -speed. Wound round his helmet was a fragment of a gaudy Cashmere shawl, -and one obsequious attendant held an umbrella over the august head, -while another flourished a horse-tail to drive away the impertinent -radical flies. On the right hand, but at a respectful distance from -his chief, marched the principal satellite, attired in an eccentric -costume of grey, adorned with much braid, which reminded me forcibly -of those grotesque uniforms in which, in the early days of the -volunteer movement, martial men-milliners astonished the public and -gave full scope to their genius. On the left hand stalked the secondary -satellite, clothed in an antique scarlet patrol-jacket, upon which gold -lace had been scattered with a wild and lavish hand; while the tight -blue trousers, also embellished with gold lace, came to a tasteful and -appropriate termination in the recesses of long Wellington boots. - -I looked at the two Ashanti envoys, Enguie and Busumburu, who, having -resided at Cape Coast for some weeks, would know that Europeans did not -usually attire themselves in such gorgeous apparel, to see what they -thought of this masquerade. The courteous Busumburu in vain tried to -conceal a smile under a well-dissembled cough, while the sneer which -disfigured the countenance of the truculent Enguie made it appear more -repellent than ever. As for the Elminas, they smiled at each other but -said nothing, for such vagaries as this had caused the Governor to be -known at Elmina by the appellation of the Bush Chief; but with the -Adansis the magnificent display seemed to go down pretty well, though -of course they would be set right, after the palaver, by those who knew -all about such things. - -Waving his majestic hand condescendingly to the crowd of cringing -and awe-stricken courtiers, His Excellency took his seat, and, in -case any malign spirit of evil should direct a waning sunbeam at the -gubernatorial head through the thick roof of palm-leaves, the umbrella -was still kept in requisition, while the fly-whisk was plied more -energetically than ever. To my great disappointment, after all this -preparation and excitement, there was no palaver at all; the usual -salutations, hand-shakings, and compliments, were gone through, and -then the Governor told the Adansi king that as it was getting rather -late he would hear next day what he had to say. - -The camp at Prahsu occupied exactly the same site as did the old one -of 1873; there was a rough fence, or rather hedge, like what is known -in some colonies as a stump hedge, bounding three sides of it, while -the fourth was bordered by the river. The inclosed space, about 300 -yards by 120 yards, was covered with a number of wretched huts made -of bamboo and palm-leaves, the flimsy roofs of which afforded no -protection either from rain or sun, while the walls afforded about as -much concealment and privacy to the inmates as does a birdcage to its -tenant. The larger sheds were for the accommodation of the European -officers, though better shelter was to be found in the poorest village -on the road, and scores of little “lean-to” habitations, made of -brushwood and palm, were dotted about for the use of the labourers, -Kroomen, Crepes, and Fantis, some eight hundred of whom were in -camp. The Acting-Engineer and I fortunately obtained possession of a -bell-tent (which had evidently been pitched by an amateur), and so had -a better protection overhead than that afforded by the gridiron-like -roofs of the huts; some Houssas knocked up a bed of palm-sticks in a -few minutes, and we made ourselves as comfortable as circumstances -would permit. - -Strange to say, although the Colonial officer still pretended that -hostilities were possible, if not probable, no measures had been taken -for defending the camp in the event of an attack; there was not even -a shelter-trench along the river bank, and, as for the stump-hedge on -the other sides, that formed no obstacle, and could be passed through -at any point that one chose. The further bank of the river had not -been occupied by us, yet no attempt had been made to clear the bush -immediately opposite the camp; and, as dense forest grew down to the -edge of the water, an enemy could easily line the bank unseen, and, -the river being only 189 feet broad, bring such a fire to bear upon the -camp as would make it perfectly untenable. It was easy to see that the -expedition was under the management of an amateur in military matters, -and it was an exceedingly fortunate thing for all composing it that the -Ashantis were so peaceably inclined. - -In the evening I sought for relics of the last expedition. There were -not many left. The bridge had totally disappeared, and a dilapidated -pontoon, with the inclosed grave of Captain Huyshe, were the only -vestiges of our former occupation of this site. - -The total force of the expedition in the camp, I learned, was 899, -consisting of 13 European officers, 107 Houssas, 59 clerks and -servants, 9 Sierra Leone police, 173 native chiefs and followers, and -the remainder carriers. Taken as a whole it formed an imposing display, -and was quite sufficient to confirm the Ashantis in their impression -that it was the advanced guard of some large expeditionary force. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - - Regulating the Sun--Arrival of the Ashanti Embassy--The - Palaver--Ciceronian Eloquence--A Diplomatic Fiction--A beautiful - simile--Physiognomies--Unhealthiness of the Camp. - - -Next morning I was awakened by a loud detonation, the echoes of which -had scarcely died away when I heard a voice shout “His Excellency -has arisen.” This important declaration was at once followed by the -_réveille_, played by four separate bugles in different parts of the -camp; and, as I knew that there were not four corps in the encampment -over night, I thought troops must have unexpectedly arrived, and -so went hurriedly out of my tent to ascertain. I found that we had -received no sudden accession to our strength: one bugler was blowing on -behalf of the Houssa Constabulary, another for the half-dozen Sierra -Leone policemen whom the Governor had brought with him, a third for the -three or four Fanti police who were at Prahsu, and a fourth for the -Kroo labourers. As the area of the camp was rather circumscribed of -course one bugle would have been quite sufficient, but then how much -glowing military ardour would have been lost for want of use. - -I next proceeded to find out the cause of the explosion and the -shouting which I had heard. I learned that every morning, directly -His Excellency stepped out of bed, a small cohorn mortar, which stood -in front of his residence, was fired, an attendant exclaimed for the -benefit of the uninitiated, “His Excellency has arisen,” the hour was -made five o’clock, and everybody set their watches right. Thus, in -addition to his many multifarious duties, the Governor daily undertook -the arduous and god-like task of regulating the sun. - -At noon the Governor, followed by the Adansi chiefs, went out into the -bush, from which they returned about half-past three, and at four the -promised palaver took place in the palaver-shed. It consisted merely of -the exchange of a few complimentary sentences, and was in fact a dummy -palaver, held for the benefit of the public, as His Excellency had had -two hours of conversation with the Adansi king in the bush, and had -transacted all the real business there. - -At about seven o’clock on the morning of the 16th Ashanti messengers -arrived on the further bank of the Prah, and, shortly after noon, the -Ashanti embassy, consisting of Prince Buaki-tchin-tchin, and delegates -from some of the principal districts of the Ashanti kingdom, crossed -the river amid great beating of drums and blowing of elephant-tusk -horns. Shortly before five the Ashantis, some two hundred and sixty -in number, came in procession through the camp, where the Houssas were -drawn up for their reception, in the same way as on the occasion of the -entry of the king of Adansi, only, as those that we had met at Mansu -had since come up, there were now more of them; while to swell the -martial pageant all the six hundred labourers were drawn up in line -near the palaver-shed with their various implements, those who had old -cutlasses for cutting bush being placed in the front, and those with -spades and pick-axes more in the rear. Each Ashanti chief or deputy -walked under his umbrella, or was carried in his chair on the heads -of his slaves, and was followed by his own retainers parading their -different insignia; and the whole body proceeded to the palaver-shed -and sat down. - -At five the Governor made his appearance, attired in the same singular -manner as before, and walked to his seat through a lane of obsequious -and bowing officials, supported by his two satellites of grotesque -appearance. One of the retinue said to me in a stage whisper:-- - -“His Excellency is a remarkably fine speaker. Listen carefully now, for -you will hear some wonderful oratory.” - -I said--“Oh! really.” - -“Yes--the political leaders at home might well learn a thing or two -from him. He especially prides himself upon his manner of addressing -natives, who, as of course you know, are themselves excellent orators, -and avoid tautology and all such errors.” - -I accordingly took out my note-book and put down every word that fell -from the august lips. The following is what I wrote: it did not seem to -impress the natives much, but then no doubt it was like casting pearls -before swine; the retinue listened to each word with rapt attention, -and subdued and respectful murmurs of applause greeted each fresh -exhibition of rhetorical eloquence, which they considered worthy of a -combined Cicero and Demosthenes. - -Prince Buaki rose and said:-- - -“I give my compliments to His Excellency.” - -_Rowe._ “I am glad to see you here. It is always a pleasure for the -Government of the Gold Coast to receive an envoy from the king of -Ashanti. You do not meet me at home, but out here in the bush; but as -you meet me here on your journey you are welcome. I hope your journey -has been fairly comfortable.” - -_Buaki._ “Yes, it was comfortable.” - -_Rowe._ “I hope you have not had rain on the way.” - -_Buaki._ “No.” - -_Rowe._ “I am glad to hear that, for rain makes the roads bad in this -country. I don’t think we can hope to have fine weather long. What do -you think?” - -_Buaki._ “I think so too.” - -_Rowe._ “I hope it will not come on for a few days more; it is not -nice to have rain. I hope you found your people well that were left -behind.”[6] - -_Buaki._ “Yes, they are well.” - -_Rowe._ “They have come here from Cape Coast. They travel in the bush -more comfortably than I do.” - -_Buaki._ “Just so.” - -_Rowe._ “We may look for rain in about three months I suppose. How many -months? Two, or three?” - -_Buaki._ “Yes.” - -_Rowe._ “During that time any one who has a house stops in it.” - -_Buaki._ “Yes.” - -_Rowe._ “I don’t like to be caught by rain in the bush. I don’t mind -being here in the bush when it is fine. I’m afraid I can’t do much here -to make you comfortable.” - -_Buaki._ “I quite understand that.” - -_Rowe._ “Still I am glad to see you, and, as far as I can, I will do my -best for you.” - -(A pause, and Buaki asks permission to speak.) - -_Buaki._ “Your Excellency’s friend, the king of Ashanti, sent me to -see you. While on the road I and my followers were taken sick, so that -I had to delay coming down till we were well. I met the sword-bearer, -Yow Mensah, at Yan Compene, who told me that you were waiting for me, -and I sent him back to say I was coming. I am sorry I did not meet you -at home, but I was ill by the way. I wish to know what time you will -appoint for the business on which I have come.” - -_Rowe._ “With regard to that I must see how long it will be necessary -to remain here, and then I shall have an opportunity of seeing about -the matter we have to talk over.” - -_Buaki._ “Very good.” - -_Rowe._ “It is always a pleasure, and has been as I know for many -years, to the English Government of the Gold Coast to receive -messengers from the king of Ashanti when they are sent. What I am now -going to say has no bearing on the point, but, as you have come to me -as a special messenger from your king, and as I have already said that -I am glad to meet you with a message from your king, I am going to say -to you what I said to the former ambassadors, before your arrival. That -is: the message I bring with me from the Queen of England is a message -of peace, that I am to govern her people, and whilst I am to govern -them I am to defend them, and take care of them, and have authority -over them. I am also to live on friendly terms with her people.” (To -this the interpreter added:--“The Queen is ready for peace or war, -whichever you like.”) - -_Buaki._ “I have come down to stop all those small leaks in the roof -which have been giving trouble of late. If I cannot do this, we must -have a new roof.” (The interpreter rendered this--“I also have come for -peace.”) - -_Rowe._ “I will think over the business I have to do in this part, and -then I will arrange when and where I can assemble the officers of the -Government who are fitting to be present when this matter is discussed. -As I said before, the rain is coming. I hope you did not suffer from -the rain.” - -_Buaki._ “I did not.” - -_Rowe._ “I hope all your people are well.” - -_Buaki._ “They are all well. I thank you for the care you have taken of -my people.” - -_Rowe._ “I am glad they gave me a good name to you. I hope you found -the road fairly comfortable?” - -_Buaki._ “I was very comfortable on the road. I am sorry that my -sickness prevented my meeting you at home.” - -_Rowe._ “I hope you will be well soon, and I hope you are not in a -hurry to go home. You may feel a little tired after your journey and -may want rest.” - -The palaver then terminated. - -The sickness of which Buaki spoke was only a diplomatic fiction, and -in speaking of the sword-bearer, Yow Mensah, he unwittingly let a cat -out of the bag which the Governor would have much preferred keeping -in confinement. As we have seen, the embassy left Coomassie on April -6th, but only arrived at Prahsu on the 16th. Now Buaki well knew -that no one would believe that eleven days were required to traverse -the seventy-three miles of actual distance from the capital to the -river, and not wishing, in the interests of his mission, to inform the -Governor of what had really taken place, and let him know how nearly -he had made war inevitable, he started the story of having been ill to -account for the delay, which, as I have already shown, was caused by -Mensah’s order. The Governor had somehow gained an inkling of what was -really happening in Ashanti, and, to use the words of a high Colonial -official of much experience, seeing that it was no time for further -buffoonery, and that peace and war were trembling in the balance, -he gave up his supposed dignified attitude of reserve, and, taking -the initiative himself, sent Yow Mensah to the envoys to say he was -waiting for them.[7] Of course they then came on at once, just as -another embassy would have come in response, if at any time after the -Governor’s arrival in the Colony a similar message had been sent. Since -the Governor had after all to re-open communications himself, it is a -pity that he did not do so earlier, instead of keeping the whole Colony -in suspense; and if he had not been so fortunate as to hear of what was -taking place, and so had not sent the sword-bearer on, it is impossible -to say where the mischief would have ended. This narrow escape from -hostilities only shows how exceedingly dangerous it is to indulge in -any ambiguous action where barbarous races are concerned. - -At the termination of the palaver, Buaki and his followers rose and -walked round the shed, shaking hands in turn with every European -present. As Buaki repeated this ceremony with the Governor, the latter -said, through the medium of the interpreter:-- - -“You see I am not a mud-fish.” - -One of the retinue immediately nudged me and said:-- - -“There! Did you hear that?” - -I replied “Yes.” - -“Ah! it’s a beautiful simile, now, isn’t it?” - -I said “I don’t quite see how.” - -“What? You don’t see it?” - -“No.” - -“That’s strange. You’ve been acquainted with the Coast a long time, -too. Well, the mud-fish is a stupid kind of fish, that, instead of -trying to escape, buries itself in the mud, and allows itself to be -easily caught by the hand. The Governor used the expression to mean -that he wasn’t a fool.” - -About ten minutes afterwards one of the innumerable secretaries -remarked to me:-- - -“Did you catch that wonderful simile of His Excellency’s about the -mud-fish?” - -“Oh! yes,” I replied. - -“You know what it means, of course?” - -“Yes; the mud-fish is a stupid kind of fish that, instead of trying to -escape, buries itself in the mud and allows itself to be easily caught -by the hand. The Governor used the illustration to mean that he wasn’t -a fool.” - -“Oh dear no. You’re quite wrong. I’ll tell you what it is. The mud-fish -is a cunning kind of fish which, when pursued, stirs up the mud all -round, to make the water thick, so that it can’t be seen. The Governor -said that he wasn’t a mud-fish, meaning that he had no necessity for -hiding his whereabouts.” - -This man had hardly moved away before another came up to me, and said:-- - -“What did you think of His Excellency’s simile of the mud-fish?” - -“Oh! I didn’t think much of it.” - -“What!! You didn’t think much of that marvellous simile? Why not?” - -“Because nobody seems to know what it means.” - -“Well, I know, and I will tell you what it means--it is most ingenious. -The mud-fish is a fish covered with venomous spines, which cause nasty -wounds if you happen to touch them. The Governor said he was not a -mud-fish, to re-assure Buaki, and let him know that he was not going to -hurt him.” - -In the evening a high Colonial official said to me:-- - -“A pretty simile that of the Governor’s about the mud-fish, wasn’t it?” - -“Yes; but its meaning doesn’t seem very clear.” - -“Doesn’t seem very clear? Why, my dear fellow, it is patent to the -meanest intellect. The mud-fish is a worthless kind of fish that nobody -would take the trouble to catch: the Governor used the comparison to -mean that he was somebody of importance.” - -I have not made up my mind which of these interpretations to adopt; the -reader can take any one he likes, but it seems to me that there is a -good deal of haze about the subject. - -The Ashantis, like the Adansis who had arrived on the 14th, were -accommodated with exceedingly airy sheds in the camp, and this -accession to our numbers brought up the sum-total of occupants to -something over a thousand. The envoys had brought with them two or -three small, but apparently heavy, boxes, and these were supposed -to contain gold dust, which the king had sent as an earnest of his -desire for peace. Prince Buaki was a fine-looking man over six feet in -height; I had known beforehand that he must be a handsome man, since -the ladies of the blood-royal in Ashanti are only allowed to form -connections with strikingly presentable men, so that, as the female -branches take precedence of the male in furnishing heirs to the throne, -the comeliness of their kings may be, as far as possible, assured; but -I was not prepared to see such an unusually good specimen of the negro -race. I was much struck too with the wonderful difference between the -physiognomies of the chiefs and those of their followers and slaves, a -difference which is barely perceptible among the tribes who have long -been subject to us, such as the Fanti; but which, among the independent -inland races, the most careless observer cannot help noticing. The -chiefs have almost invariably a look of intelligence, and are generally -of a fine physique; but the retainers and slaves possess features and -characteristics of a very low type indeed. This of course is chiefly -due to the principle of selection, as, for generations past, the -chiefs, who are able to pick and choose, have selected the best-looking -women for their wives, while the vulgar herd have had to take what -they can get. On the sea-board this has been done also, but there the -formation of an intermediate trading-class of natives, between the -chiefs and the lower orders, has blended by imperceptible gradations -the distinguishing characteristics of the two extremes. It is worthy of -notice that the women whom the chiefs choose are those who, according -to European ideas, possess the largest share of good looks; which goes -far to prove that we have a common ideal of beauty, and that, in spite -of the popular belief, negroes do not regard mountainous cheek bones, -flattened noses, uptilted nostrils, and blubber lips, as the true types -of loveliness. - -The following Ashantis of note were in the suite of Prince Buaki. Yow -Badoo, personal attendant of the king, Yeboa, representative of the -royal family of Ashanti, two sons of the late King Quaco Duah, and -the brother and son of Prince Buaki. The chiefs of Becquai, Mampon, -Kokofuah, and Insuta, each sent a representative, as did Awooah, chief -of Bantama, the Ashanti general; the remainder of the embassy consisted -of the usual personal attendants, with a sword-bearer and four -courtiers. The districts of Archwa, Assomyah, Denyasi, Inquantansi, -and Inquaransah, were unrepresented: the last-named is one of the most -important in the Ashanti kingdom, and, next to Kokofuah, furnishes the -largest contingent for the army. A representative from the Amoaful -district arrived in the camp next day. - -As the kingdom of Ashanti is divided into ten large districts, it is -clear that the embassy represented only half the nation, which in fact -was to be expected, and as at least three of the districts represented, -namely, Becquai, Bantama, and Amoaful, had originally been amongst the -foremost of those forming the war-party, and had only been persuaded to -remain passive through the king’s personal influence, the prevailing -state of feeling in Ashanti could be very fairly guaged. Indeed, -looking at the vast preponderance of the “war” over the “court” party -it is a matter for surprise that Mensah should have been able to bring -the difficulty to an amicable settlement, and this difficulty was by -no means lessened by the fact that Prince Buaki himself was strongly -in favour of hostilities. That the king’s task was further made more -onerous by the extraordinary action of the Colonial Government I have -already shown. - -The day after the meeting between Sir Samuel Rowe and the Ashanti -envoys it was made known that in a few days the camp would be broken -up, and that all its occupants,--officers, labourers, carriers, -police, Adansis, and Ashantis,--would proceed to Elmina, where a final -palaver was to be held to settle the Ashanti question. As the Governor -now said that he had all along intended settling the matter on the -sea-board, either at Acra, Cape Coast, or Elmina, his bush expedition -only seemed the more extraordinary; as, apart from the political evil -consequences that resulted from it, and the great expense to which the -Colony had been put to no purpose, by being compelled to provide for -an army of labourers and hammock-men, and to defray the extra cost -of bush-life, he had, as it seemed, without any reasonable cause, -imperilled the healths, if not the lives, of a number of European -officers, by encamping them, without proper shelter or comforts, on the -banks of the miasmatic Prah. - -Fortunately the rains had not set in as early as usual, but Prahsu was -quite sufficiently unhealthy for all ordinary purposes: after dark, a -cold, wet, white mist shrouded every object, and to venture outside -one’s tent at night was to become saturated with moisture and chilled -to the bone. Had the rains set in the consequences would have been most -disastrous, as, if the river had overflown its banks ever so slightly, -the camp would have been inundated, while the wretched habitations that -had been provided would not have kept out a smart shower, much less a -heavy tropical downpour. Sometimes the mist was so dense that, standing -on one bank, one could not see across the river, and the muddy flood -rolled on under its mantle of vapour, as under a shroud through the -rifts of which the moonbeams faintly struggled in a deathly silence, -broken only now and then by the weird cries of the tree-sloth, which, -to a fanciful mind, might sound like the wailing of a spirit of one of -the many scores of Europeans whose lives have been sacrificed to the -spectral stream. The approach to the camp, on the side where the main -road came in, was in an indescribable condition of filth, which might -easily have been prevented had proper precautions been only taken at -first; and on the other sides, where the forest had been cleared, the -rank vegetation had been allowed to lie where it fell, putrefying and -poisoning the air. - -Had there been much mortality at Prahsu a storm of indignation would -have burst out in England at a camp having again been established there -in spite of the warnings of history; but, because no deaths occurred -actually on the spot, the breaking of the West African golden rule was -not the less-advised; this rule forbids, except in cases of urgent -necessity, the removal of Europeans from the health-giving sea-breezes -and from such poor comforts as the wretched Colony affords. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[6] Meaning Enguie and Busumburu. - -[7] This man had arrived from Coomassie on March 30th and informed the -Governor that Prince Buaki was to come down. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - - Another Interview--Atassi--An Importunate Investigation--A - Shocking Accident--Yancoomassie Assin--Draggled Plumes--An - Unintentional Insult--A Scientific Experiment--The Palaver at - Elmina--Our future Policy--Recent Explorations on the River Volta. - - -On the morning of the 17th of April the Governor had a chair and a -table taken out into the forest and had a private interview with Prince -Buaki. At this private interview, after a few preliminary compliments, -Buaki said that the whole of the difficulty had arisen from the -ignorance of the Lieutenant-Governor, and that had Governor Ussher been -living there would have been no trouble of any kind. He asserted that -Enguie was not instructed to make any threat, such as the threatened -invasion of Assin, that in making it he had made a mistake, but that -the Lieutenant-Governor had also made a mistake in not sending to -Coomassie to know the meaning of the message he had received, before -writing to England that the king of Ashanti meant war. - -Buaki added--“As for the axe, I am old enough to know the meaning of -every symbol in my country, and I know that on no occasion has the -golden axe been used by the Ashantis as the sign of a declaration -of war. We have in Ashanti two symbols, both of which are used when -we declare war. One of these is a sword. When that sword is sent to -another people by the king of Ashanti, that is a declaration of war by -Ashanti. The other is a certain cap. If a messenger were charged to -declare war in the event of his ‘palaver’ being unsuccessful he would -be entrusted with that cap by the king, and if he did declare war he -would put on that cap, and that would be a proof that the declaration -came from the king. The true meaning of the axe is this. It is a -fetish. When the axe has been sent on any mission, that mission has -always been successful, and we believe that it has some mysterious -power which causes any request, that is supported by its presence, -to be granted. The Lieutenant-Governor did not know the meaning of -the axe, or the ways of our country; neither do the Fantis, yet the -Lieutenant-Governor accepted the word of the Fantis before that of our -people.” - -In conclusion he said he had come to make submission in the name of the -king.[8] - -About a mile up stream from Prahsu is the village of Atassi, where -there is another ford by which one of the divisions of the Ashanti army -crossed in the invasion of 1873. Atassi itself consists of a group of -some twelve huts, and there is a road, which would, for the country, -be very good were it not slightly swampy in parts, leading to Assampah -Neyeh, the first village on the road to the coast. The banks of the -river are at Atassi of equal height, and for this reason, and because -there are several large silk-cotton trees on either bank on which -hawsers might be stretched to work subsidiary raft-bridges, it seems a -more suitable spot for moving a force across the river than Prahsu; it -is besides nearer. - -I was amused one day at hearing an individual of that ubiquitous genus -which goes about asking questions at the most unseasonable times, -set down by a native. An Ashanti youth had been drowned while the -embassy was crossing the river, and the father of the lad was sitting -by the riverside mourning for his dead son, when this individual -went up to him, and began, through the medium of his Fanti servant, -cross-examining him, with a view to ascertaining what ideas the natives -have of a future state of existence. He poked the chief in the ribs -with his walking-stick and said, airily: - -“So your son was drowned this morning, eh?” - -The Ashanti disdained to answer in words, and gave him a look which -would have pierced the epidermis of a rhinoceros, but which failed to -make any impression on this man. He continued: - -“Let me know your ideas of a future state. Do you believe that there is -a new life for the soul after death?” - -Still no answer, only an angry glitter began to appear in the chief’s -eyes. - -“Now, do you expect to meet that boy of yours in Hades, eh?” - -A muttered curse from the Ashanti. - -“Look here, don’t get sulky now. Tell me what your religious belief is.” - -No answer. - -“Oh! very well. Don’t say anything if you don’t want to. I expect your -son is having a nice time of it now. Pretty hot down where he is now, -eh?” - -Then the chief rose, and, majestically throwing his cloth around him, -said to the Fanti: - -“Why do the English allow idiots like this to be at large?” and went -away to try and find some place where he could brood over his loss in -peace. - -One morning the whole camp was convulsed with horror by an accident, -which, had it been followed by serious consequences, would have been -too awful to contemplate. One of the retinue was playing in his hut -with a new toy, to wit a loaded revolver, when he accidentally -discharged it. Some malignant demon at once directed the bullet towards -the exact spot where would have been the august head of His Excellency, -had he been at breakfast; but fortunately he was not there, and the -missile sped harmlessly on through a tent, scattering the four or five -Fanti clerks who were writing inside. Everybody turned out in alarm and -shuddered to think of what would have been the fate of the expedition -and the Colony if the gigantic intellect which directed all these -stupendous operations had suddenly ceased to be. For future security -a guard was at once placed over the Governor’s hut, His Excellency -held a _levée_ to assure his well-wishers that he was unharmed, and -a deputation of native Colonial officials waited upon him to read an -address congratulating him upon his narrow escape, and pointing out, -from the fate of the late Czar and the recent accident, that crowned -heads, alike in Europe and Africa, were in these days menaced by -insidious perils. I do not know what was done to the culprit, but the -Queen’s Advocate said that an action for high treason would not lie, -and so I believe he was only found guilty of culpable negligence. - -Early on the morning of April 19th we thankfully bade adieu to Prahsu -and started for the coast. The Ashantis and the Adansis were to leave -on the same day, and the Governor, who was down with fever, and -his retinue, in a few days’ time. Halting for a couple of hours at -Inyaso, we reached Yancoomassie Assin about half-past one, where, -as the Commissariat officer had an attack of fever, we stopped. -Half-an-hour after our arrival a heavy tornado, accompanied by thunder -and lightning, passed over the village, the violent gusts of wind -tearing the thatch off the houses, limbs off trees, and levelling -whole groves of bamboo, while the rain fell in continuous sheets. -While the storm was still raging the Adansis came in, being met by -the chief of the place with the usual drumming, dancing, shouting, -and horn-blowing, while some of his ultra-loyal followers brandished -union-jack pocket-handkerchiefs fastened to sticks. As the rain ceased -the Ashantis appeared on the scene, and the Assin chief seated himself -in his state-chair, supported by his retainers with the state-swords, -while each Ashanti chief, or delegate, with his followers, filed -before him shaking hands and then passing on. When this was over a -tremendous drumming commenced, and the Assin potentate performed a -grotesque _pas seul_ in the centre of a circle of gaping admirers; -being followed, when he had finished, by the king of Adansi, who threw -in some complicated steps, to cut out his predecessor, which positively -made the unsophisticated Assins gasp for breath. This mighty monarch at -last sank back exhausted into a chair, and some of the Ashantis came -out and skipped round; Buaki, however, seemed to be above this sort of -thing, and, instead of cutting insane capers, contented himself with -walking round the circle and waving his hand affably to the lookers-on. - -I left this gay and festive scene, and was going back to the house -which we had appropriated for our use, when I saw one of the -masquerading costumes, which had at Prahsu made its wearer the cynosure -of all eyes, hanging up wet and draggled on a tree. Alas! alas! what a -wreck was there! The rain had soaked the garments through and through, -and little puddles of brilliant dyes were forming on the ground -underneath, while the glory of the lace and braid was destroyed for -ever. I found the unhappy owner trying to dry himself in an adjoining -house; he had come down in charge of the Ashanti embassy and had been -caught in the tornado in the forest; everything he possessed had been -saturated with water, and he had had two narrow escapes of being -crushed by immense dead silk-cotton trees which had fallen across the -road. I felt sorry to see him in such a pitiable condition, but somehow -I could not help mentally comparing him, in his then garb, with a -magnificent peacock that had lost its tail. - -When the natives had finished their demonstration outside, Buaki came -with two or three of his supporters to pay us a visit in our hut. He -drank our sole remaining bottle of beer with much gusto, although it -was his first experience of malt liquor; and we were getting along very -nicely when a slight _contretemps_ occurred which entirely destroyed -the harmony of the meeting, and shows how necessary it is that everyone -who has anything to do with natives should have some knowledge of their -prejudices and modes of thought. Prince Ansah was interpreting, and -Buaki had just affably said, in compliment to us, that he was very fond -of soldiers, when some one asked:-- - -“Do you shoot much in Ashanti?” - -This was duly interpreted, and Buaki drew himself up and said:-- - -“How? What do you mean?” - -“Do you go out into the bush much to shoot birds and deer?” - -This being explained to him, he said to Ansah:-- - -“Does this white man think that I am a common fellow to have to work -for my living?” and got up and went out in great dudgeon. - -It is needless to say that the Ashantis have no idea of sport. - -We left Yancoomassi Assin early next morning and reached Mansu about 5 -p.m. There we found Lieutenant Swinburne, R.M.A., one of the Governor’s -retinue, who, while the others had been looking after squads of -Kroomen, had come across country from Accra by unknown paths on foot, -a feat never before performed by a European. As the maps of the tract -that he had crossed had been compiled from imagination and native -reports, he was able to rectify many startling errors. - -We were off again early next morning, reaching Dunquah about 4·30 p.m. -The sun had been exceedingly powerful, and as the forest terminates a -short distance out of Mansu, giving place to the shadowless bush, we -had had our heads well roasted, for it is impossible to wear a helmet -in a hammock, and the awning, formed of a single piece of thin calico, -affords no real protection. The water at Dunquah, which is obtained -from shallow wells, is notoriously bad even for the Gold Coast, being -of the colour of weak coffee, and filtering has no visible effect on -it. On our upward journey we had experienced some of the ill effects -resulting from drinking this beverage; but now we had with us a -scientific surgeon who assured us that he knew how to purify it, and, -while dinner was being prepared, he set to work at an earthen-pot -full of muddy water. When we sat down to our meal we were agreeably -surprised to find our tumblers full of clear water, and it was such an -unusual luxury that we each seized a glass and raised it to our lips. -The result was startling: the Commissariat officer jumped up, ejecting -the fluid from his mouth and exclaimed:-- - -“Good heavens--I’m poisoned.” - -I had a most horrible taste in my mouth, and tried to say, “What’s the -matter?” but found I could only make a sound like “mum--mum--mum”; -while the others demanded an immediate explanation and an antidote from -the man of science. - -He said it was nothing: it was only something he had put in the water -to purify it: it was quite harmless. - -That was all very well, but it had made us all feel ill, and what he -had used was such a violent astringent that I could not partake of any -of the dinner except the soup, and that I had to take through a straw. -The surgeon appeared very proud of his achievement, though it seemed to -me that it was not of much use to purify water for drinking purposes -if it was made undrinkable in the process. I have no liking for such -theoretical scientists. - -We reached Cape Coast next day at noon, where we found that during our -short absence seven officers had been invalided to England, all but one -of whom had been living in the hired houses in the town. - -On April 28th there was a formal meeting at Elmina between the Ashanti -embassy, the Adansis, and some of the chiefs of the protectorate, -among the latter being the King of Abrah, King Blay of Apollonia, and -the local chiefs of Elmina; and on the 29th the final palaver between -the Government and the Ashantis was held at the same place for the -settlement of the Ashanti question. Every European who could be pressed -into service was summoned to swell the Governor’s following; even a -number of officers being asked for from Cape Coast, in full dress, to -make a more gorgeous display. - -After the usual preliminaries, Buaki rose and said:-- - -“I have brought a message from the king of Ashanti. News has come to -the king that the Queen of England thinks he is going to make war -against the Government of the Gold Coast. Whoever told the Governor -this is quite wrong. He has no cause of quarrel with the Government of -the Gold Coast, and, if he has no quarrel, why should he make war? The -king wishes to remain at peace with the English, whom he has found to -be his good friends; and he has sent me therefore with this message. -As he found that through somebody’s foolishness, or mistake, the -Government of the Gold Coast had thought that he wanted to make war, -which was quite wrong, and as he knew that they must have spent much -money, he sent down a sum, not to pay for the expenses which they had -incurred, but as a proof of his friendship with his good friends the -English. The king says he desires peace only and never meant war, and -that if he had meant war he should have given the Government of the -Gold Coast notice, as he hopes the Government of the Gold Coast would -do to him. I bring a thousand bendas[9] for the Government.” - -(Prince Ansah here began talking to Buaki.) - -_Rowe_ (_to the Interpreter_). “What is Ansah saying to Buaki?” - -_Ansah._ “Buaki has left out part of the message, and a most important -part.” - -_Rowe._ “Does not Buaki come direct from the king with a message to me?” - -_Ansah._ “Yes.” - -_Rowe._ “How then do you know his message better than he does himself? -I think your interruption is very unseemly.” - -_Ansah._ “Buaki told me his message when he first arrived at Prahsu. He -has now omitted something he then told me.” - -_Buaki._ “It is true what Prince Ansah says. I have, through my old -age, forgotten a part of my message. It is about the golden axe. The -axe belongs to the fetish: it is a sign of the fetish. In the time of -Governor Maclean there was a dispute concerning a man: the axe was -sent, and the end was peace. Under Colonel Torrane a difference arose -and the axe was again sent. The matter was settled amicably. To two -other Governors the axe was sent, and the end was peace. In the present -case the axe was sent as belonging to the fetish, to obtain our desires -peaceably. It is in fact a sign of an extraordinary embassy. There are -those who have said the axe means war: so the king has heard. It was -not so. It is not so. Take no heed of this; the king of Ashanti only -wishes for peace.” - -The representative of Awooah, chief of Bantama and general of the -Ashanti army, said:-- - -“My master is the greatest captain of the king’s army. If we had been -going to war would not my master have known before others? But he knew -no such thing. Let it be known to the Government of the Gold Coast that -the king of Ashanti has many enemies near home, and it is they who have -endeavoured to embroil him with the English, so that they might seize -their opportunities. Why should we fight with the English? They are our -good friends. I, my master, and my king, only wish for peace.” - -The representative of the Kokofuah district then rose and said:-- - -“Why should we quarrel with our good friends the English? If we want -salt, we get it from Europe; if we want cloth, we get it from Europe; -and if we want powder to fire at a custom, where do we get it from? -Why, from Europe. I and my master only wish for peace. Why should we -fight the Government of the Gold Coast, so far off, when we have many -enemies close at hand ever ready to fight?” - -The representatives of the dukes of Ashanti, and of various chiefs and -districts, all then spoke in succession to the same effect. - -_Rowe._ “I have listened carefully to what you have to say. Even a -little thing between the Government and the Ashantis, though in itself -small, soon becomes serious. This is a most serious matter, and I shall -have to think over it, and will appoint a day on which I shall give my -answer.” - -_Buaki._ “I assure Your Excellency that what I say is true.” - -_Rowe._ “Had I not thought so I would not have listened so carefully.” -(_To the Interpreter_). “Ask him if he has the gold with him.” - -_Buaki._ “No, but while I am here the gold will come.” - -On May 3rd a review of the troops and Constabulary was held for the -benefit of the Ashantis, after which the Governor informed Buaki, that, -if he would hand over the two thousand ounces of gold-dust, the whole -question would be referred to the Home Government for settlement. -About twelve hundred ounces were accordingly paid on May 23rd and the -remainder on June 8th, Buaki, at his own request, remaining at Elmina -as a hostage for the payment; and the whole sum is now in the hands -of the Government. On July 16th Awoosoo, the Gaman refugee, committed -suicide by leaping from the walls of Elmina Castle, for which act the -Ashantis are no doubt much obliged to him; and, had they known that -he was going to make away with himself so conveniently, they probably -would not have troubled to send the embassy with the golden axe to -demand his surrender. - -The Ashanti question of 1881 is now at an end, but war with Ashanti -has, however, only been postponed, and is, sooner or later, inevitable, -unless we make a new departure in our Gold Coast policy, and, instead -of regarding the Ashantis with suspicion as probable foes, enter into -close and friendly relations with them. By establishing a British -resident at Coomassie we should place matters on quite a different -footing; and if we were to appoint a port to which the Ashantis might -resort for trade, without having to employ the despised Fantis as -middlemen, there would be no further friction. One of the members of -the Buaki embassy said to me, on this subject:-- - -“Give us a town on the coast, say Moree.[10] Let it be ours; let us -have a road of our own to it. If you say it is to be half-a-mile broad -we will make it so. Then we can come there to trade without having -anything to say to those women, the Assins and Fantis, who are really -our slaves, and only saved from destruction by you English. Do this, -and there will be no more trouble.” - -Of course the Ashantis are really desirous of avoiding the payment -of customs dues on imported goods, partly on account of the duties -themselves, but principally because they consider that, being an -independent people, they ought to have a port of their own. This -non-payment does not seem to present any insuperable obstacles; goods -thus landed duty-free would have to traverse the protectorate by a -prescribed route, and a Colonial officer stationed at the point at -which they would cross the frontier could examine the permits and -see that everything was intact, thus smuggling would be made almost -impossible. Were we to make this concession, a European resident would -willingly be received in Coomassie, and the presence of such an officer -would be the most effectual check upon human sacrifices that could be -devised. It is difficult to see by what principle of equity we arrogate -to ourselves the right of levying upon goods, intended for the use of -an independent nation living beyond our borders, the same duty as is -levied upon goods which are to be offered for sale in the Colony. It -is just as if France should impose her tariff upon goods consigned to -Switzerland, and merely passing through French territory. - -By adopting such a policy I am convinced a lasting peace with Ashanti -would be assured; and it certainly appears easier to found a peace upon -the good-will and interest of the Ashantis themselves than to endeavour -to keep them in check by forming a precarious combination of inferior -native tribes, each one of which is jealous of the others, and the most -powerful of whom, probably the Gamans, would, in the event of Ashanti -being totally crushed, assume the position now held by that nation in -West Africa, and necessitate the formation of a new combination against -them. Should we, as is most probable, pursue our present policy, the -end is not difficult to see. Continued friction and a species of -armed neutrality cannot be kept up with a haughty and warlike race of -savages with impunity; the Ashantis will continue arming themselves -with improved weapons, and on the death of King Mensah, should he not -first be dethroned, a monarch less peaceably disposed will ascend the -throne, some pretext of quarrel will soon be found, and another Ashanti -war will take place. Of course the Ashantis will be crushed, though -not without much expenditure of blood and money, but what shall we do -then? Shall we annex their territory or again retire? If the former, -we shall find ourselves face to face with the warlike Mohammedan tribes -of the inland plateau; and if the latter, the present state of affairs -will continue, if not with Ashanti as the dominant power, with some -other tribe that has stepped into its place. - -In the much-to-be-deplored event of future hostilities with Ashanti, -recent explorations made by Mr. McLaren, of the firm of Messrs. Alex. -Miller Brothers, seem to show that the Volta river is the proper base -of operations. That gentleman, in October 1879, crossed the rapids on -the Volta, between Medica and Aquamoo, in the steam-launch “Agnes,” -which was the first European-built craft that had ever reached the -latter town. Prior to this the rapids had been considered impassable, -but it is now known that in ordinary seasons they can be passed by -steamers of sufficient power, drawing six feet of water, from the -beginning of September to the middle or end of November. - -The Volta itself has been found to be navigable to the falls of -Klatchie, from 300 to 350 miles from Addah; but it is by its principal -confluent, the Afram, that Coomassie should be approached. The Afram -discharges into the Volta at the town of Ourahei on the western bank -of the latter, about 130 miles from the sea, and to this town, prior -to the invasion of Crepe by the Ashanti general Adu Buffo in 1869, -great numbers of Ashantis used to resort for purposes of trade, Ourahei -itself being only six days’ journey from Coomassie through an open -grassy country. The Afram is both wide and deep, though a good deal -obstructed by snags and fallen timber, and flows through Kwâow, at a -distance of six hours’ journey to the north of Abeliffi, which place -is only four days’ easy journey from Coomassie. Further than Kwâow the -Afram has not yet been explored, but natives report that it has its -source in a lake. If this be the case the lake must be either the Busum -Echuy near Djuabin, or lake Burro to the west of the desert of Ghofan, -far to the north-east of Coomassie. Its general direction from Kwâow is -north-west. Even should the Afram be navigable no further than Kwâow -troops could there be disembarked, where there would be only four days’ -marching, as against ten or twelve from Cape Coast to Coomassie, and -that too through open country in which the Ashanti never appears to -advantage as a soldier. - -In the present year, 1882, signs have not been wanting to show that -the Ashantis are still pursuing their astute and unscrupulous policy -with that unwearying tenacity of purpose which has ever distinguished -them. A war with the Gaman party which supported King Ajiman was one -of the first important events of the year, and now at the time of -writing it is reported from Cape Coast that the Adansis are flocking in -large numbers across the Prah, complaining that, in their own country, -neither their lives nor property are safe from Ashanti aggression. In -fact, the Ashantis, having learned for the first time during the scare -in 1881 that we were not bound by any treaty obligations to defend -Adansi, are now beginning to feel their way, with a view to recovering -their dominion over that territory: this done, the last vestige of the -treaty of Fommanah will have disappeared. They will undoubtedly compass -their ends before long unless checked by us in some way; which, as -the doctrine of non-intervention still prevails, is not probable. The -prestige the Ashantis will gain will be great, British influence beyond -our borders must proportionately decline, and we shall find ourselves -in exactly the same position as we were in 1873; with this difference, -that the Ashantis will be better armed, and, having learnt wisdom from -past reverses, will know better how to cope with us should we again -attempt to advance on their capital. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[8] It is worthy of note that Buaki was very careful not to allude in -any way to the wasp’s nest that had accompanied the axe, and which was -the more important symbol of the two. - -[9] A benda is two ounces. - -[10] A village about five miles to the east of Cape Coast. - - -THE END. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LAND OF FETISH *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Land of Fetish</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Alfred Burdon Ellis</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: August 5, 2021 [eBook #65997]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: deaurider, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LAND OF FETISH ***</div> - -<div class="mynote"><p class="center">Transcriber’s Note:<br /><br /> -Obvious typographic errors have been corrected.<br /></p></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p> - -<h1>THE LAND OF FETISH. </h1> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/front.jpg" alt="front" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold">THE</p> - -<p class="bold2">LAND OF FETISH</p> - -<p class="bold space-above">BY</p> - -<p class="bold2">A. B. ELLIS,</p> - -<p class="bold">CAPTAIN FIRST WEST INDIA REGIMENT.</p> - -<p class="bold">AUTHOR OF “WEST AFRICAN SKETCHES.”</p> - -<p class="bold space-above"><span class="smcap">London</span>: CHAPMAN AND HALL,<br />LIMITED,<br /> -11, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN.<br />1883.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[Pg iv]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center">WESTMINSTER:<br />NICHOLS AND SONS, PRINTERS,<br />25, PARLIAMENT STREET.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CONTENTS.</h2> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<table summary="CONTENTS"> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td><span class="smaller">PAGE</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER I.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">The Gambia—Bathurst—Jolloffs—Novel Advertisements—A<br /> -Neglected Highway—False Economy—History of the Gambia—Musical<br /> -Instruments—Burial Custom—Yahassu—St. James Island</td> - <td><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER II.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">British Combo—An interesting Conversation—Bakko—A small<br /> -Account—Sabbajee—Peculiar Governors—The Gambia<br /> -Militia—A new Field for Sportsmen</td> - <td><a href="#Page_19">19</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER III.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">The Slave Coast—Whydah—The Dahoman Palaver of 1876—The<br /> -Dahoman Army—An Unpleasant Bedfellow—The Snake<br /> -House—Dahoman Fetishism—Various Gods—A Curious<br /> -Ceremony—Importunate Relatives—The Dahoman Priesthood</td> - <td><a href="#Page_35">35</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span>CHAPTER IV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">The Amazons—Trying Drill—System of Espionage—The<br /> -Annual Customs—Human Sacrifices—The Dahoman Repulse<br /> -at Abbeokuta—Natural Features of Dahomey—Agriculture—The<br /> -Whydah Bunting</td> - <td><a href="#Page_54">54</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER V.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Lagos—Small Change—A Ball—A Cheerful Companion—An<br /> -Anomalous Sight—History of the Settlement—The Naval Attack of 1851</td> - <td><a href="#Page_73">73</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Leeches—Ikorudu—A Blue-blood Negro—Badagry—Flying<br /> -Foxes—Fetishes—A Smuggler entrapped—Floating Islands—Porto<br /> -Novo—Thirsty Gods—Cruel Kindness</td> - <td><a href="#Page_95">95</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">The Niger Delta—Gloomy Region—Cannibals—King Pepple—Bonny-town—Rival<br /> -Chiefs—Dignitaries of the Church—Missions—Curlews—A -Night<br />Adventure—A Bonny <i>Bonne Bouche</i></td> - <td><a href="#Page_111">111</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Old Calabar—Duke Town—Capital Punishments—Moistening<br /> -the Ancestral Clay—A surgeon’s Liabilities—Man-eaters—A -Mongrel<br />Consul—Curious Judgments</td> - <td><a href="#Page_131">131</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span>CHAPTER IX.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">British Sherbro—The Bargroo River Expedition—Professional<br /> -Poisoners—An African Bogey—A Secret Society—A -Strange Story—A<br />Struggle with Sharks—Startling News from the Gold Coast</td> - <td><a href="#Page_158">158</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER X.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Sierra Leone—More Civility—Cobras—A Guilty Conscience—Naval<br /> -Types—Freetown Society—A Musical Critic—The -Rural<br />Districts—A British Atrocity</td> - <td><a href="#Page_143">143</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Ashanti Politics since 1874—The Secession of Djuabin—Diplomatic<br /> -Mistakes—The Conquest of Djuabin—The Importation<br /> -of Rifles—The Attempt on Adansi—The Salt Scare—The -Mission to<br />Gaman and Sefwhee—Dissensions in Coomassie—The War Party</td> - <td><a href="#Page_178">178</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Cape Coast—The Panic—The Golden Axe—Preparations for<br /> -Defence—Ansah—A Divided Command—A Second Message<br /> -from the King—Native Levies—Ordered to Anamaboe</td> - <td><a href="#Page_207">207</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">A Teacher of the Gospel—Anamaboe—A Third Message from<br /> -the King—Affairs in Coomassie—Downfall of the War<br /> -Party—False Rumours—Arrival of the Governor—A Fourth<br /> -Message from the King—Further Complications</td> - <td><a href="#Page_227">227</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</a></span>CHAPTER XIV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Arrival of Reinforcements—Sanitary Condition of Cape<br /> -Coast—Culpable Neglect—Meeting of Chiefs—The Messengers<br /> -from Sefwhee—Expedition to the Bush—Its Effect<br /> -upon the Ashantis</td> - <td><a href="#Page_251">251</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">A Trip to Prahsu—Mansu—A Fiendish Réveille—Bush<br /> -Travelling—Prahsu—The King of Adansi—Masquerading<br /> -Costumes—The Camp—Strength of the Expedition</td> - <td><a href="#Page_267">267</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XVI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Regulating the Sun—Arrival of the Ashanti Embassy—The<br /> -Palaver—Ciceronian Eloquence—A Diplomatic Fiction—A<br /> -Beautiful Simile—Physiognomies—Unhealthiness of the Camp</td> - <td><a href="#Page_281">281</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XVII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Another Interview—Atassi—An Importunate Investigation—A<br /> -Shocking Accident—Yancoomassie Assin—Draggled<br /> -Plumes—An Unintentional Insult—A Scientific Experiment—The<br /> -Palaver at Elmina—Our future Policy—Recent Explorations<br /> -on the River Volta</td> - <td><a href="#Page_297">297</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<div class="box"> -<p><span class="smcap">Tower Hill Barracks,<br /> -<span class="s3"> </span>Sierra Leone</span>,<br /> -<span class="s6"> </span><i>November, 1882</i>.</p></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - -<h2>THE LAND OF FETISH.</h2> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<h2>CHAPTER I.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">The Gambia—Bathurst—Jolloffs—Novel Advertisements—A -Neglected Highway—False Economy—History of the Gambia—Musical -Instruments—Burial Custom—Yahassu—St. James’ Island.</p></blockquote> - -<p>My first visit to the Gambia took place in March 1877, from Sierra -Leone. After two days’ steaming from the latter place we passed Cape -Bald, with the two queer little Bijjals Islands in front of it, and -sighted Cape St. Mary at the entrance of the river. On the high ground, -at the point, could be seen the long low white building of the deserted -barracks, and the tops of mangrove trees could be faintly distinguished -above the level of the sea in the distance to the right and left as we -entered the estuary; while, making a long sweep of two or three miles, -we reached the Fairway buoy, picked up a pilot, and steamed up the -river.</p> - -<p>Bathurst, St. Mary’s Island, does not appear to advantage from the -anchorage. The island is low-lying and flat; in front is a row of -staring white houses, with a few stunted silk-cotton trees and -hearse-plume <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span>like cocoa-nut palms mounting guard over them, and—and -that is all. The prospect was not inviting, but, hoping that it -might prove better than it looked, I hailed a boat, and was pulled -to the shore. On the way several curious Shiriree canoes, fashioned -like crocodiles, and full of men, passed down the river. The bows -were filled with wooden idols, and in each canoe was a man beating a -tom-tom, and howling some monotonous ditty in a minor key.</p> - -<p>The island of St. Mary is a mere sandbank, barely raised above the -level of the river, (in fact a considerable portion of it is below -high-water mark,) and is separated from the mainland by a narrow -mangrove swamp, dignified by the name of Oyster Creek, which is -fordable at low water. The centre of the isle can boast of a little -solidity, as a ridge of rock, covering about twenty square yards, -there crops up through the sand, and is pointed out to strangers by -the inhabitants with much pride, as a proof that their <i>demesne</i> has a -stable foundation. The island has apparently been formed of the sand -thrown up by the meeting of the inflowing tide with the current of the -river. A bar, or sandbank, is now in course of formation to the south -of the island from the same causes, and in a few centuries the British -possessions in the Gambia will receive a considerable accession of -territory in that direction. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> - -<p>The town of Bathurst is small and insignificant: there is a row of -habitable buildings, principally stores, built of brick and stone, -facing the river, and behind this lies the remainder of the town, which -consists of native huts built of palm-leaves, old boards, and matting. -There are no made roads, and every street is ankle-deep in sand. To one -side of an open space in the centre of the town stand the old barracks, -in which the West India troops were formerly quartered, and this, with -Government House, which though small is perhaps the most comfortable -in West Africa, are the only two buildings in Bathurst worth a second -glance.</p> - -<p>The natives of the country north of the Gambia are Jolloffs, an -entirely distinct race of negroes, and, as far as my experience goes, -the only really black people to be found in West Africa. The colour of -the ordinary negro is a deep brown, but the skin of the Jolloffs is -of a dead dull black. Their features differ from those of other races -on the coast: the eyes are slightly oblique and almond-shaped, the -nose long and inclined to be aquiline, and the lower part of the face -less prognathous than is usual amongst Africans. There is a tradition -amongst them that they were once white, and it may be a fact that in -the dim past their ancestors were of Arab blood, and that their colour -may be accounted for by a succession of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> marriages with the aboriginal -women of the country. Many of them are remarkably like Arabs in every -other respect, and both sexes wear the Arab costume. The women dress -their wool, which they suffer to grow long, into innumerable ringlets, -each about a foot in length and of the thickness of a pencil, which -hang down in a mass on their necks; some of them are rather handsome, -and have regular features.</p> - -<p>There is a colony of Jolloffs in Bathurst, but the majority of the -people of that race that one sees in the town are traders from the -interior, who bring down their ground-nuts to exchange for powder, -muskets, and Kola nuts. In the one street of stores, of which I have -spoken, long lithe Jolloffs may be seen coming out of the shops with -trade muskets, the stocks of which are painted a brilliant red, and -the barrels made of renovated pieces of old gas-pipe. Into these -unquestionably deadly weapons they pour two or three handfuls of -powder, and then fire them off in the road to test them. The test -frequently leaves nothing remaining but a fragment of barrel and stock, -and the practice is one that is rather startling to strangers who may -happen to be passing by. The Kola nuts (<i>Sterculia acuminata</i>) are -eaten by the natives habitually, as sailors chew tobacco. They are said -to be particularly useful to travellers, as they prevent all sensations -of hunger, thirst, or weariness. I ate two or three as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> an experiment, -but I did not find that I was any the less ready for my dinner at -the usual hour. They are imported from the Timmanee country, near -Sierra Leone, principally in the neighbourhood of the Great and Little -Scarcies rivers, to which part, though distant three hundred miles from -the Gambia, large canoes and boats resort solely for the purpose of -obtaining them.</p> - -<p>The English-speaking and Christianized negroes in Bathurst, most of -whom are emigrants from Sierra Leone, are a vast improvement upon their -compatriots in that negro paradise. They positively do a little work -occasionally, and some few of them might even be called industrious. -I could not discover the cause of the improvement. Perhaps it is -owing to the good example of the Jolloffs, or to there not being such -a redundancy of missionaries in the Gambia; but I think it is more -probably due to the fact that the island is so small that there is no -spare land on which they can squat and do nothing (even if there were -any soil to produce anything), so that they are obliged to work or -starve. They build cutters of from twenty-five to sixty tons’ burden, -which are used by the French merchants for bringing produce down the -river from their outlying factories, and for carrying cargo between -Bathurst and Goree or Dacar.</p> - -<p>In the one street of Bathurst there is a fairly good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> market-shed for -native vendors of fruit and green-stuff, and I was going to look round -and see what there was to buy when I caught sight of a large slab of -marble let in to the rubble wall of the gateway. It bore the following -legend:—</p> - -<p>“This market was erected by Colonel Luke S. O’Connor during his -Governorship, <span class="smaller">A.D.</span> ——.”</p> - -<p>I said to myself, “Oh! indeed,” and passed on.</p> - -<p>Thirty yards further down the road I saw a tablet attached to an old -swish wall. I walked up to it and read:—</p> - -<p>“This wall was repaired during the Administration of Colonel Luke S. -O’Connor, Governor, <span class="smaller">A.D.</span> ——.”</p> - -<p>It did not appear to me that this was such a stupendous feat as to need -commemoration, so I turned down a side-street and walked on. In a few -minutes I met a pump standing in the middle of the road. I saw there -was an inscription on this too, and tried to avoid it, but a fatal -fascination drew me on, and I read:—</p> - -<p>“This pump was erected for the benefit of the thirsty wayfarer during -the Governorship of Colonel Luke S. O’Connor, <span class="smaller">A.D.</span> ——.”</p> - -<p>I began to get rather tired of this, and turned towards the country, -where I thought there could not be any more advertisements of this -kind. I passed a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> dilapidated battery, which bore testimony in letters -of stone to the worth of the departed monarch, Colonel Luke S. O’Connor -the First, and approached the Colonial Hospital. From afar off I -perceived a slab of darker stone let into the masonry of the wall, and -I turned my head the other way. It was no use, I could not pass it, and -I groaned in spirit as I read:—</p> - -<p>“This building was enlarged during the Administration of Colonel S. -Luke O’Connor, Governor, <span class="smaller">A.D.</span> ——.”</p> - -<p>I staggered away and wandered into a neglected grave-yard by the side -of the path to Oyster Creek. I was in hopes that I might be able to -sooth my mind by finding the grave of this departed potentate; but, -alas! after a long search I only found a tomb which bore the following -remarkable epitaph:</p> - -<p>“Sacred to the memory of the bodies of three sailors, which were washed -on shore on March ——, <span class="smaller">A.D.</span> ——. This monument was erected -during the Administration of Colonel Luke S. O’Connor, Governor.”</p> - -<p>I left hastily. That man was not going to let his fame languish and die -for want of a few monumental inscriptions.</p> - -<p>The Gambia river is a magnificent highway to the interior of this -portion of Africa. Its estuary<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> measures twenty-seven miles in breadth -from Bald Cape to Punshavel, and though it is only two miles across -from Bathurst to Barra Point, directly opposite, it widens out to -a breadth of seven miles immediately above St. Mary’s Island. At -Macarthy’s Island, one hundred and forty-seven miles up the stream, -the river is four hundred yards broad; and vessels drawing ten feet of -water can ascend even up to some seventy miles above Yahlahlenda. Here, -as in our other West African possessions, we have been retrograding -of late years. Only some twelve years ago, Macarthy’s Island was -garrisoned by troops, European traders had factories there, and small -steamers went up the river as far as the falls of Barraconda; while the -British name was respected, and the British power dreaded, far and wide -among the warlike tribes dwelling upon the river banks. Now the troops -have been withdrawn from the Gambia, Macarthy’s Island is deserted, -and the natives laugh at the idea of England being a powerful kingdom, -since her might is only represented in Bathurst by a miserable force of -one hundred policemen. In fact the colony is quite at the mercy of the -native chiefs, and but for their internecine squabbles and jealousies -would have already fallen a prey to them.</p> - -<p>In 1869 the Third West India Regiment, then stationed in the Gambia, -was, as a measure of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> economy, disbanded by the Liberal Government -then in power, the Minister for War stating that £20,000 a year would -be saved by the transaction. The immediate result of this measure was, -that when, in the same year, Bathurst was threatened by hostile tribes -from the mainland, the Administrator had no garrison for the protection -of the lives and property of British subjects, and was compelled to -apply for assistance to the French at Goree. Two French men-of-war were -at once sent, and the colony was saved. The effect of this incident was -that the British Government, without consulting the inhabitants of the -Gambia, or mooting the subject in Parliament, offered the colony to -France; and, in spite of the protests of the people, who represented -that they were Protestants and did not wish to be subject to a Roman -Catholic power, the transfer would have been completed but for the -outbreak of the Franco-German war. In 1874-5 the subject again cropped -up, and, as a Conservative ministry was then in office, the French -offered their settlements at Grand Bassam, Assinee, and Gaboon, in -exchange for the Gambia. It is probable that this exchange, which would -have been most advantageous for England, as through the acquisition -of Assinee we should be able to control the importation of arms to -Ashanti, would have been effected, had not the matter become entangled -with the religious question. The Exeter Hall<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> party brought all their -influence into play, and the French offer was declined.</p> - -<p>A more serious result of the disbandment of the Third West India -Regiment was the Ashanti war of 1873-4. When the Ashanti invading -army crossed the Prah, the Administrator of the Gold Coast had only -two hundred soldiers with which to defend a colony of more than two -hundred miles in extent. Had the Third West India Regiment been then in -existence, and been sent to the Gold Coast with the same promptitude -that characterized the despatch of the Second West India Regiment in -1881, the war of 1873 would equally have been nipped in the bud. As it -turned out, the interest of the money expended in that war would have -more than sufficed to keep up the Third West India Regiment; so that no -saving was effected after all.</p> - -<p>Our possessions in the Gambia consist of St. Mary’s Island, a strip -of land one mile in breadth on the river bank opposite, called “the -<i>ceded</i> mile,” about three square miles of unoccupied bush and swamp -higher up on the western bank of the river known as Albreda, Macarthy’s -Island, and British Combo. Bathurst alone is inhabited by Europeans, -nearly all of whom are French. The trade is entirely in French hands, -the exports consisting principally of ground-nuts, hides, and beeswax, -of which the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> first are shipped to France and used in the manufacture -of olive oil. From a commercial point of view we have nothing to lose -by exchanging the Gambia; and should France again broach the subject, -as the present Government is now, 1881, almost identical with that -which offered the settlement unconditionally in 1869, it could now -hardly refuse to part with it without stultifying its former action. -At present we are playing the part of the fabled dog in the manger: we -will not make use of the Gambia as a means of opening up the interior, -nor expend any money on the colony; and, although it is of no value -to us as it is, we will not give it up to another nation, to which -it would prove exceedingly useful, and which is willing to make the -necessary outlay for unclosing this long-closed artery.</p> - -<p>Our connection with the Gambia dates from 1588, in which year Queen -Elizabeth granted a patent to some Exeter merchants to trade there. -Thirty years later a company was formed for the purpose of carrying on -this trade, which almost entirely consisted of “trafficking in black -ivory,” as slave-dealing was euphonically termed. After the abolition -of the slave-trade this settlement, in common with the others in West -Africa, declined, and the colony was almost abandoned, until in 1816 -a new mercantile company was formed by British traders from Senegal. -A<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> dependency of the Gambia is Bulama Island, which lies to the east -at the mouth of the river Jeba, and where Captain Beaver established a -settlement in 1791 at Dalrymple Bay. There used to be a small garrison -kept up here under a subaltern officer, but after nine officers, in -succession, had died at their post from the effects of the climate, the -Government seemed to think the experiment had had a fair trial, and -the troops were withdrawn. The Jeba river is unapproachable from the -Gambia by land, as between the two lies the Casamanza river with its -dense forests and swamps, and the inhabitants of that cheerful region -are ferocious savages and cannibals. The Administrator of the Gambia -exercises no jurisdiction of any description over the tribes dwelling -in the vicinity of the British settlements.</p> - -<p>The Jolloffs are a musical race. Besides being the happy possessors of -the tom-tom, or native drum, the six-stringed native banjo, and the -long reed-instrument which seems universal in West Africa, they are -the inventors of various musical machines peculiar to themselves. The -most curious of these is one formed of slabs of a dark, heavy, and -close-grained wood, which when struck emits musical sounds, varying -in depth of tone according to the size and thickness of the piece -of wood, the larger pieces giving forth bass notes and the smaller -treble.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> These are arranged in regular order so as to form a complete -gamut, and fastened above the halves of calabashes. It is in fact a -native dulcimer, in which wood takes the place of glass. They have also -a kind of kettledrum, in which the skin is stretched across half an -enormous calabash, highly polished and sometimes elaborately carved. -Another instrument is a species of zither, having ten strings, all -of which are made of some vegetable fibre, though I have somewhere -read that it is considered impossible to obtain strings suitable for -stringed instruments from such a source. Some of their tunes are -rather pleasing, though perhaps monotonous; but if, as some musicians -assert, repetition may be considered a beauty, the Jolloffs may be well -satisfied with their national music.</p> - -<p>The Jolloffs have a curious burial custom. The body of the deceased -is laid out in the inclosure, or yard, which surrounds every Jolloff -house, where the ladies of the family prepare the kous-kous, and their -lord and master prays at morning and evening; and, when it is about to -be carried out for sepulture, the funeral party, instead of taking it -through the gate, proceed to demolish the whole fence. They consider -that it would be fatal to the deceased’s hopes of future bliss if his -body passed through any gate before he crossed the bridge of Al Sirat -and knocked at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> door of paradise. Expectoration seems to be the -commonest form in which grief is exhibited by Jolloffs. Of course the -men never show even this sign of weakness; but the women at funeral -customs, or when they are grieved about anything, fill up the pauses of -their dirge, or complaint, with vigorous discharges of saliva. Any fly -within a radius of ten feet has but small chance of escape.</p> - -<p>The Jolloff country extends from the Gambia to the French possessions -on the Senegal river, and is divided into three independent kingdoms, -viz. Senaar or Senegal, Saulaem, and Ballah. A late king of Senaar, -Jumail by name, was a source of considerable anxiety to the French, and -kept up a standing army of ten or twelve thousand cavalry, with which -he made frequent raids on the settlements. The religion of these people -is purely Mohammedan.</p> - -<p>During one of my visits to the Gambia I crossed the river to look at -the country of the “ceded mile,” opposite Bathurst. At the extremity of -a promontory, where the visitor is usually landed, are the remains of -a small fort, called Fort Bullen, which has fallen into disuse since -the withdrawal of the troops; and from the summit of its walls one can -enjoy the pleasing prospect of miles upon miles of dwarf mangrove, -bounded on the horizon inland by a mass of tall cocoanut palms and -silk-cotton trees. To the east of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> the ceded mile lies the Mandingo -state of Barra, and to the west the country of the Shirirees, who are -idolaters.</p> - -<p>The principal town in the British territory on this side of the river -is Yahassu; and the ride to it from Fort Bullen after the mangrove -strip is traversed is rather picturesque. The path throughout is shaded -by stately silk-cotton, teak, caoutchouc, and cedar trees; while -plantations of Indian corn and ground-nuts extend on either side. -Yahassu stands in the centre of an immense plantation of bananas, and, -like all Mandingo towns, is surrounded by a strong stockade, made of -the trunks of trees of different lengths, and consequently somewhat -irregular. The entrance is at a re-entering angle, and is defended by -a small brass cannon, the sole piece of artillery appertaining to the -town. The houses are all circular, and consist of a swish wall, about -four feet in height, with a conical thatched roof, the rafters of which -rest on an inner circular wall reaching to the apex, and forming an -inner apartment. The door of this second chamber is in a point of the -circumference of the inner circle diametrically opposite to the side -and into the outer circle, so that ingress to it is only obtainable -by traversing the first apartment, which is usually occupied by the -slaves, dependents, and household utensils of the proprietor. Each -house stands in a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> rectangular yard; and the streets of the town, -which are about six feet wide, are completely walled in by the plaited -palm-leaf fences of these yards. In the centre of the town is a square, -where stands a mosque, and a school in which the male children are -taught to read the Koran, which is written on wooden tablets whitened -with lime. In the neighbourhood of Yahassu, the last elephant seen in -this part of Africa was slain some twenty years ago.</p> - -<p>After visiting one of these towns, one cannot help being struck with -the difference of manner between Christian and Mohammedan negroes. -The latter are courteous and dignified, never try to elbow a white -man out of the path, or shove against him, or pick a quarrel; and the -salutation, “Dam white nigger,” is replaced by the oriental “Salaam -Aleykoum,” “Peace be with you;” while the idleness, improvidence, -drunkenness, and ignorance of the former is replaced by industry, -frugality, temperance, and a certain amount of learning. Yet not -satisfied with looking after the converts they have already gained -or striving to obtain others from among the idolatrous pagans, -missionaries actually endeavour to reduce Mohammedans to the debased -condition of their Christian compatriots: fortunately they do not meet -with much success. However moralists may endeavour to explain the -cause, the fact remains that Christianity does not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> produce such good -results among negroes as do the tenets of Mohammed. Probably I shall -bring down a storm of indignation on my head by saying that I consider -the former is not a religion adapted to races barely emerging from -barbarism. At all events this is what my experience of South and West -Africa tells me.</p> - -<p>About an hour’s row up the river from Bathurst is the island of St. -James, which was the site of the first British settlement established -in the Gambia. This isle, now so silent and deserted, was, towards the -end of the seventeenth century, the scene of much bloodshed. During -our numerous local wars with the French on this coast it was captured -by them, and re-captured by us, no less than three times. On the last -occasion a French naval force under the Count de Genes, in 1703, -destroyed all the houses and devastated the entire settlement; and it -was after this that the building of the town of Bathurst was commenced. -Why the new colonists did not re-occupy James Island it is difficult -to say, as it is fertile, well wooded, and fairly healthy, while St. -Mary’s is barren, treeless, and pestilential. The ruins of the old -fort, built in 1669, can still be distinguished from the river, covered -with brushwood and shrouded in trees. The island is now entirely -uninhabited, and its silence is never disturbed except by the advent of -an occasional<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> fisherman from the neighbouring Mandingo town of Sikka.</p> - -<p>It is from the Mandingo tribes, who inhabit the country bordering on -the river, that the supply of ground-nuts is principally obtained, and -in the swampy districts a good deal of rice is grown; they also trade -in beeswax and small quantities of gold. They are an industrious and, -generally speaking, harmless people, and a European, speaking Arabic, -might traverse the entire country alone and unarmed. To eat kola-nut -with, or present some kola-nuts to, a Mandingo or Jolloff, places a -stranger on the same footing as the tasting of salt does with an Arab; -and after such a ceremony one is entitled to protection and assistance. -A kola-nut is a good kind of passport and <i>viséd</i> for any Mohammedan -town.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER II.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">British Combo—An interesting Conversation—Bakko—A small -Account—Sabbajee—Peculiar Governors—The Gambia Militia—A new -Field for Sportsmen.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Until I had visited British Combo I never could understand why it -was that old officers always spoke of the withdrawal of troops from -the Gambia with regret, and talked of that colony fondly as the best -station in West Africa; but after I had seen it, though shorn of its -former glories, it was quite comprehensible. Having borrowed from a -friend one of those diminutive but thoroughbred Arab horses common to -the country, I started from Bathurst one morning soon after daybreak on -my expedition. Passing the disgraceful burial-ground, and leaving to -the right Jolah town, which is inhabited by a race of outcasts supposed -to have no moral or religious code of any kind, and to possess their -women in common, I crossed a level tract of cultivated country, and -halted for a few minutes in the grove of palms at Oyster Creek. This -creek used to be the resort of the sporting members of the garrison, -who would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> supplement the somewhat scanty food supply of the colony -with green pigeons, wild ducks, curlew, and snipe from this place; but -now the report of a gun but rarely awakes its echoes.</p> - -<p>On the other side of the creek I entered upon a swampy region, -consisting of stretches of sand and small lagoons surrounded by dwarf -mangroves; and after splashing through the last of these I found myself -in front of a dense growth of grass, eight or nine feet high. I thought -that if all the open country of which I had heard were like this I -should not care much about it, and rode into the narrow path which -lay before me. The grass closed overhead, and I could see nothing in -front but a long green tunnel, with occasional flecks of gold on the -sand where the sunlight broke through. The grass was heavy with dew; a -continual shower-bath of drops fell on me from above, and the long wet -stems brushed my legs on either side. I should have enjoyed it very -much if I had been unprovided with clothes, but I had not anticipated -this bath, and was consequently dressed.</p> - -<p>After a couple of miles of this I emerged into an open plain, as -thoroughly wet through as if I had been towed behind a boat for a -quarter of an hour; but the view compensated for any little discomfort. -The country was of a dead level, covered with waving grass of a most -brilliant green, and dotted with clumps<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> of palm and monkey-bread -trees; plantations of corn and ground-nuts appeared here and there; -the deserted barracks of Cape St. Mary glistened white in the sun from -a sand-ridge in the front; while to the left was the dense vegetation -and rich colouring of a tropical forest. In the foreground were several -of those peculiar trees which bear no leaves when in blossom, covered -with their scarlet tulip-like flowers, while herds of cattle in the -distance gave the scene almost a pastoral aspect. There may not seem -very much in this to cause ecstasy, but nobody who has not sojourned -for some months on the Gold Coast, surrounded by its interminable and -depressing bush, can understand the delight with which a little open -country may be greeted. The monkey-bread is not a handsome tree, and -might be compared to a distorted semaphore or a corpulent sign-post. -The trunks of these trees are sometimes immense, measuring from twenty -to twenty-five feet in circumference, but they only throw out two or -three stunted limbs, which can boast of but few twigs, and produce no -leaves to speak of.</p> - -<p>I had reined in my horse near a conical ant-heap to look at a flock -of green parrots that were screaming round a crimson flowering shrub -when I observed two gorgeously-appareled Mandingos approaching me. One -wore a most elaborate turban, and his robe<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> and sandals were highly -embroidered. He was apparently a chief, as the other, who was not much -behind-hand in the matter of brilliancy, was carrying, in addition to -his own spear, the curved sword and leather purse-bag of the former. -Both, it is needless to say, wore strings of leather-covered grisgris, -or amulets. I was anxious to air the little Arabic I knew, so as they -drew nigh I said,</p> - -<p>“Salaam Aleykoum.”</p> - -<p>They replied as one man, “Haira bi, haira bi,” and then stopped, -evidently waiting for more, while the spearman stirred up the sand with -the shaft of his weapon.</p> - -<p>I was non-plussed, and thought that they were taking an unfair -advantage of me; but, as they both remained gazing upon me in an -attitude of earnest expectancy, I let off at them again my solitary -phrase, “Salaam Aleykoum.”</p> - -<p>“Jam-diddi toh-chow haira-slocum-doodledum,” said the chief, or -something that sounded like it.</p> - -<p>“Quite so,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Kara noona chi dodgemaroo,” he continued, excitedly.</p> - -<p>“C’est vrai,” I responded, breaking out into another language in my -agony.</p> - -<p>“Hanu sah daday,” he shouted, advancing towards me. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Verbum sap,” I yelled, in despair.</p> - -<p>“Ri-tiddi, to tolli, soh gamma,” they both shouted, and, bowing almost -to the earth, extended their hands deferentially towards me.</p> - -<p>I shook them with unction, and they both passed on, highly gratified -with our interesting conversation, and pleased with the information -that I had given them. Really the Mandingos are a most intelligent -race, and how well these two understood what I had been telling them.</p> - -<p>Riding on, I shortly arrived at a small village surrounded by a fence -made of palm-sticks, and further fortified on the exterior by hedges of -thorned acacia and prickly pear. This was the Mandingo town of Bakko, -and here the individual in whose honour the stone advertisements of -which I have spoken were erected was, during one of his numerous petty -expeditions, defeated with considerable loss by the natives under Hadji -Ismail, the black prophet. On that occasion a portion of the colonial -force was cut off and annihilated, while the remainder fell back -with considerable difficulty upon Bathurst, where, as the victorious -Mandingos followed up their success, and received large accessions to -their number from their warlike neighbours, the governor was obliged -ingloriously to apply to the French to save him and the colony. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span></p> - -<p>I dismounted here, and was immediately surrounded by a crowd of naked -and grisgris-covered children, while three or four men lounging about -suspended their yawning and regarded me with stoical indifference. I -did not discharge my sentence at these, because I had learnt all the -news from the two with whom I had already conversed; and, besides, I -was rather fatigued with the previous conversation. After a few moments -a negro, clothed in the remnants of European garments, and whom in -consequence I inferred was not a Mohammedan, came up to me and said, -“Good morning.” He asked me what was my name, address, and occupation, -whether I was married or revelling in single bliss, if I had any rum -with me, and why I had come to Bakko; and in return vouchsafed the -information that he was a farmer. He said he would show me round the -town if I liked, so I left my horse in charge of a Mandingo and went -inside the fence.</p> - -<p>The interior was a perfect labyrinth, and the houses similar to those -in the town of Yahassu, on the Barra side of the river, but smaller and -dirty. My guide pointed out to me several small edifices of palm-sticks -and bamboo, like miniature houses, raised upon piles inside the village -gate, and informed me that these were where the people kept their -corn. The doors to these granaries were merely bolted, and a piece of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> -paper, inscribed with a verse from the Koran in Arabic characters, was -fastened to each as a protection from thieves. My cicerone said,</p> - -<p>“These are very foolish people, sar.”</p> - -<p>“Are they? How?”</p> - -<p>“They put dem writings on the bolts, and then think nobody can open the -doors.”</p> - -<p>“Oh!”</p> - -<p>“Yes; and them Mandingos won’t touch them when they’re leff so—they -’fraid to.”</p> - -<p>“You’re not afraid, I suppose?”</p> - -<p>“Me? No, I don’t care for grisgris. By’mby I show you my farm; when -these foolish people sleep on dark night, I take as much corn as I want -for planting time. They think it must be devil,” and he chuckled at the -joke.</p> - -<p>“What religion are you then?”</p> - -<p>“Oh! I b’long to the Wesleyans.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! I thought so.”</p> - -<p>My co-religionist informed me that the deer usually devoured half his -crops, and that leopards, and animals “that howled like drunken men at -night,” by which graphic description he meant hyenas, were so numerous -and bold in their raids on the poultry and dogs that the thorn hedges, -which I had noticed surrounding the village, were erected for their -special behoof. Beguiling the time with such artless <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span>conversation, -he led me round the village, and finally halted before a hut, which -he asked me to enter, saying it was his. As I thought he had been -unusually civil and obliging for an English-speaking negro, I did not -like to refuse, though I do not care to invade the sanctity of such -houses and inhale the odour thereof. I saw some six or seven women -suckling babies and pounding kous-kous, whom I learned were the wives -of my host, and sat down as far from them and as near to the door as -possible; while their lord and master produced a dirty-white piece of -paper and a lead pencil, and began writing away most laboriously.</p> - -<p>After waiting a few minutes, and finding that my obliging friend was -still hard at work, I got up and said I was going. He added a few -finishing touches to his manuscript, came forward, and handed it to me. -I read as follows:—</p> - -<p>Thomas Henry, services to European stranger from steamer.</p> - -<table summary="Bill"> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"></td> - <td>£ <i>s.</i> <i>d.</i></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>1. </td> - <td class="left">To showing city of Bakko and houses</td> - <td>0 15 0</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>2. </td> - <td class="left">To hunting information given as to deer</td> - <td>0 2 6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>3. </td> - <td class="left">Use of house for purpose of resting</td> - <td>0 10 6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>4. </td> - <td class="left">To loss of time in performing above services </td> - <td>0 1 0</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"></td> - <td>———</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"></td> - <td>£1 9 0</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"></td> - <td>———</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p> - -<p>I said: “What does this mean? You don’t think I’m going to pay this, do -you?”</p> - -<p>All the civility dropped from my guide’s manner like a mask, and he -said, jeeringly—</p> - -<p>“I ’spose you call yourself a gen’leman.”</p> - -<p>“I shall pay nothing of the sort,” I continued. “Do you think I’m a -fool?”</p> - -<p>“Yes!”</p> - -<p>I looked about for some implement of castigation, more weighty than my -light riding-whip, and said—</p> - -<p>“What d’you say?”</p> - -<p>He moved off to a safe distance, and replied:</p> - -<p>“If you not a fool, I like to know what you come to this town for -nuffin for. You must be a fool, man.”</p> - -<p>I saw there was nothing to be gained by following up this branch of -the discussion, so I returned to the original subject, and said, -decisively—</p> - -<p>“I shall not pay you anything, for your impertinence.”</p> - -<p>“’Spose you no pay, I keep the horse.”</p> - -<p>The thought of what my friend’s face would be like if I returned to -Bathurst without his steed, was quite enough, and I hurried out of the -village to the spot where I had left the animal. He was nowhere to be -seen. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p> - -<p>I felt then that I was up a tree of considerable altitude. If I went -back to Bathurst for police, the thief would decamp in my absence; and, -even if he obligingly remained to be caught, the delay of the law is -such that I should miss my passage by the steamer, which was to sail -next day. When I thought of my stupidity in leaving my horse, I began -to have an uncomfortable conviction that my guide’s estimate of my -character was correct; and I thought I should have to submit to his -extortion after all. While still deliberating on the probable results -of a violent assault on this amiable negro, a happy idea occurred to -me. I knew that in every Mohammedan town there was a head-man, or -alcaid, who, in those that were independent, was magistrate, governor, -and arbitrator in general, and answerable for the preservation of order -to the Mandingo king; while in those nominally subject to the British, -such as Bakko, he settled disputes between the natives, and regulated -the charges made against strangers for food and lodging; so I said to -my extortioner, who had followed me out of the village—</p> - -<p>“I shall go to the head-man.”</p> - -<p>My forlorn hope told; his countenance fell almost to zero; and without -waiting to consider that I did not know the alcaid, or where to find -him, and that if I did succeed in finding him I could not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> make him -understand my complaint, as I could not speak his language, he said, -sulkily,</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t want to make trouble, you can pay half.”</p> - -<p>“I shall do nothing of the sort.”</p> - -<p>“Give me five shillings, and the palaver’s set.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly not.”</p> - -<p>“Master, dash me two shillings for the boy that hold the horse, and I -go fetch him.”</p> - -<p>I thought it would not do to push my advantage too far, so I agreed to -these terms, and in a few minutes this scoundrel brought out, from the -penetralia of some hovel in the village—my missing steed.</p> - -<p>I climbed into the saddle, threw the money at the man’s head, and then, -with my whip—but no, I won’t say what I did, or I shall have the “poor -black brother society” of Exeter Hall down on me. It is sufficient to -say that I rode off in a more happy frame of mind, though still annoyed -to think that after the many years during which I had been acquainted -with the negro I should have been such an idiot as to imagine that a -Christianized and English-speaking low-class specimen of the species -could be polite and obliging without having some ulterior scheme of -insult or extortion in view.</p> - -<p>On my return to Bathurst I learned that Bakko<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> enjoyed anything but -an enviable reputation. It appeared that its inhabitants were outcast -Mandingos, who had found it advisable to leave their native country, -and who, while thoroughly grasping the full meaning of <i>meum</i>, had but -hazy and unsatisfactory notions as to the interpretation of <i>tuum</i>, -in consequence of which their society was rather avoided, and they -were rarely seen in the haunts of civilisation, except on those few -occasions on which the intelligent police might be observed escorting -them towards a public building yclept the jail.</p> - -<p>From Bakko I rode on over open country, adorned with herds of -short-horned cattle and solitary pie-bald sheep with long tails, and -where occasionally the wild ostrich may be seen, to Josswang, close to -Cape St. Mary. There are a few houses here, which, in the palmy days -of the colony, were the country residences of the Bathurst merchants, -but which now are affected by the universal blight which has fallen -upon the settlement and fast becoming ruinous. Ten miles from Cape -St. Mary is the Mandingo town of Sabbajee, now belonging to British -Combo, which was the scene of one of the glorious exploits of the great -advertiser Colonel Luke S. O’Connor, who commanded a force which took -the town, stockaded like all such, by assault. That individual’s mania -for self-laudatory memorials was so great that on this occasion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> he, as -Governor, took away two large kettledrums which had been captured by -a West India Regiment, and, after a short interval, returned them to -the regiment, embellished with two silver plates, which set forth that -he, during his administration of the government, had presented these -drums to it for gallantry in the field; and then sent in a bill for the -plates.</p> - -<p>He is not the only peculiar governor with which the Gambia has been -afflicted; one in particular I can remember who was notorious for his -parsimony throughout West Africa. I had known this potentate when -he revolved in a more humble sphere, and during one of my visits to -Bathurst (I shall not say in what year) I allowed myself the honour -of calling on him. At about 1 p.m. I presented myself at the door of -Government House and knocked; not a soul was to be seen anywhere, and -the place might have been deserted. I kept on knocking louder and -louder for some minutes, and then as nobody answered and the door was -wide open I walked in. I traversed one room, and, turning round the -corner of a screen, discovered a person attired in very seedy garments -employed in cutting mouthfuls off a slab of mahogany-coloured meat -which lay in a plate on a chair. This was the governor, but I should -never have recognised him in that position had it not been for the suit -of clothes he was wearing and which I remembered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> having seen on him -some years before. He received me with great affability, asked me to -sit down, and conversed about mutual acquaintances. He did not ask me -to join him in his lunch, for which I was not sorry, but he did ask me -to have a glass of wine. He said:</p> - -<p>“Can I offer you a glass of pam wine?”</p> - -<p>“I beg your pardon, I didn’t quite catch....”</p> - -<p>“Will you take a glass of pam wine?”</p> - -<p>I said, “I don’t quite know what you mean.”</p> - -<p>“You don’t know pam wine? It is the sap of the pam tree; the natives -bring it round to sell. It is very refreshing.”</p> - -<p>He meant that horrible emetic known as palm wine, and I declined with -thanks.</p> - -<p>The subjects of this monarch said that he kept no servants, and made a -police orderly do all the housework. I saw nobody at all. They added -that he gave a small dinner once a quarter, and that everybody ate a -good square meal before going to it, because they knew that they would -not get enough to satisfy hunger at his table. All these West African -Governors neglect their duty in the matter of entertaining, though they -receive a special table allowance of £500 a year for that purpose. -A circular from the Colonial Office pointing out that that money is -intended for entertainment, and not for the defraying<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> of ordinary -household expenses, would not be out of place.</p> - -<p>The Gambia boasts of a local corps of militia. It is not often called -out, principally because there is no particular uniform for it, no -officers, except two unmilitary Colonial officials, and no arms, except -old trade muskets, for the men. As the latter are mostly decrepid old -pensioners and discharged men, all Africans, from the disbanded West -India regiments, it is not a very formidable body. It is a curious -fact that Africans cannot, as a rule, be taught to shoot straight: the -practice of the Houssa Constabulary on the Gold Coast is deplorable, -and it is well known that it is the bad shooting of the few Africans -who still remain in the existing West Indian Regiments that pulls down -the figure of merit in those corps. There is no such difficulty with -West Indian negroes, for the average recruit from the West Indies is -as good a shot as the British recruit, and this almost seems to show -that a certain amount of cultivation and civilisation is necessary for -making a marksman. In these days of long-range firing it is fortunate -that recruiting in Africa has ceased.</p> - -<p>Should any of my readers feel tempted to visit the Gambia, I believe -that they would find a hitherto unopened field for sport at the -upper waters of that river. Certain it is that elephants abound -some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> distance above the falls of Barraconda, the river is full of -hippopotami and crocodiles; while leopards, hyænas, antelopes, and -civet-cats are easily found, by any one who knows how and where to -look, in the vicinity of Bathurst itself. Of the feathered tribes, -quail, curlew, snipe, duck, and the usual varieties of cranes and -parrots, are common; while the valuable marabout bird and the ostrich -are frequently bagged by the badly-armed and worse-shooting Mandingos -and Jolloffs.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER III.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">The Slave Coast—Whydah—The Dahoman Palaver of 1876—The -Dahoman Army—An Unpleasant Bedfellow—The Snake House—Dahoman -Fetishism—Various Gods—A Curious Ceremony—Importunate -Relatives—The Dahoman Priesthood.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Towards the end of the year 1879 I visited Whydah, the seaport of -Dahomey, on the Slave Coast. Between Whydah and the boundary of the -Gold Coast Colony, now advanced to Flohow, about two miles beyond the -old smuggling port of Danoe, are the ancient slave stations of Porto -Seguro, Bageida, Little Popo, and Grand Popo; and the lagoon system, -which commences with the Quittah Lagoon to the east of the river Volta, -extends along the whole of this coast as far as Lagos. These lagoons -are however gradually silting up, and this movement is proceeding so -rapidly that already canoes can only pass from Elmina Chica to Porto -Seguro during the rainy season, the old bed of the lagoon being a vast -arid plain during the summer.</p> - -<p>Passing the clump of trees three miles east of Grand Popo known as -Mount Pulloy, and which is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> one of the principal landmarks of this -lowlying coast, we anchor off the town of Whydah, eleven miles from -Grand Popo. The landing here is very bad, the surf being worse than at -any other port in West Africa, and sharks abound. In fact in the spring -of 1879 the canoemen employed by the different trades at this place -struck work, so many of their number having been devoured by these -denizens of the deep.</p> - -<p>The lagoon at Whydah is a quarter of a mile in breadth and from four to -five feet deep; it is separated from the sea by a sand-ridge, 880 yards -broad. On this sand-bank stand the stores and sheds of the different -mercantile firms, French, English, and German; but the traders are not -allowed by the Dahomans to live there, and after business hours they -have to cross over to the town of Whydah, which lies a mile and a half -inland on the northern shore of the lagoon.</p> - -<p>The king of Dahomey is the only absolute monarch known in West Africa, -the power of all the other negro potentates being limited by the -influence and authority of the principal chiefs and captains, as that -of the king of Ashanti is limited by the dukes of Ashanti, but he of -Dahomey knows no other law than that of his own sweet will. Even the -European traders who reside at Whydah are to a considerable extent -subject to the native laws, or in other words<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> to the king’s pleasure, -and none of them would be allowed to leave the country without -permission.</p> - -<p>The king has some knowledge of European methods of raising a revenue, -and an <i>ad valorem</i> duty is imposed on imported goods, while each -vessel on entering the port has to pay a certain quantity of goods, -assessed according to the number of her masts, to the king. To the -east and west of Whydah stake and wattle fences extend across the -lagoon, closing all passage except through small openings, where are -stationed his Majesty’s revenue officers, who stop and examine all -canoes passing through, and frequently help themselves to anything that -takes their fancy. Little Popo and Grand Popo are both claimed by the -king of Dahomey, but are really independent. As the natives of these -towns will not acknowledge him as suzerain he periodically makes raids -upon villages lying on the northern side of the lagoon. The two towns -themselves being situated on the sand-bank are safe from attack, as, -since the Dahomans attacked Grand Popo by water and were defeated, it -is a law that no Dahoman warrior shall enter a canoe.</p> - -<p>In 1876 we had a difference with the king of Dahomey. In the early part -of that year Messrs. F. and A. Swanzy’s agent at Whydah, an English -gentleman, was maltreated by order of the caboceer of the town, and -subsequently sent to Abomey, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> capital, as a prisoner. There he was -treated with every indignity, compelled to dance before the king’s -wives, and was daily dragged out, bareheaded, to be present at the -execution of criminals or sacrifice of human victims, hints not being -spared that he might shortly prepare himself for a similar fate. -Eventually, after being mulcted of money and goods, he was suffered to -escape.</p> - -<p>As a compensation for this outrage on a British subject, Commodore -Hewett, who commanded the West African squadron, demanded a fine of one -thousand puncheons of palm-oil, and threatened to blockade the coast -from Adaffia to Lagos if it were not forthcoming. The king refused -to pay the fine, and the coast was blockaded from July 1st. Both the -Dahomans and the British residents in West Africa anticipated that war -would ensue. The king had impediments placed in the lagoon at Whydah -and collected bodies of Amazons in the vicinity of that town. On our -side the system of lagoons between Lagos and Dahomey was surveyed by -naval officers, and it was found that small steamers could ascend to -within thirty miles of Abomey. In September 1876 the Dahoman troops -advanced towards Little Popo, and destroyed several villages in that -neighbourhood; an attack on the British settlement at Quittah was also -threatened. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> - -<p>The blockade continued till 1877, when a French firm at Whydah, rather -than suffer their trade to remain at a standstill, paid, in the name -of the king, a first instalment of two hundred puncheons of palm-oil. -The whole of this was lost in the SS. Gambia, which was wrecked on the -Athol Rock off Cape Palmas. This was the first and last instalment -ever paid by, or for, the King of Dahomey; and in 1878 and 1879, when -a second instalment was demanded, the King flatly refused to pay -anything. The blockade, however, was not renewed.</p> - -<p>Thus affairs remain at the present day. For an outrage on a British -subject we demand compensation, a portion of the sum demanded is paid -by a French house, and the matter is allowed to drop. This is almost a -repetition of what occurred with regard to the Ashanti war indemnity. -The Ashanti envoys who signed the conditions of peace paid to Sir -Garnet Wolseley 2,000 ounces out of the 50,000 demanded, and promised -to pay the rest by quarterly instalments. When the first became due -an officer was sent to Coomassie with an escort of constabulary to -receive it, and it was obtained without trouble; on the third occasion, -when the same officer, Captain Baker, was sent, the King said the gold -was not ready. Captain Baker replied that he would leave next day at -noon whether the gold was forthcoming<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> or not. On the day following he -paraded his men and marched out amid hootings and derisive laughter, -but when he had reached the Ordah river runners overtook him with the -gold dust. The Colonial Government, however, thought it would not be -advisable to send for any more instalments, and no more have been paid. -West African natives are now beginning to regard Great Britain as a -power which is satisfied with threatening punishment, and one that -would not go to any trouble to obtain actual redress, especially where -the offending state was powerful.</p> - -<p>It was indeed whispered in official circles on the Gold Coast that an -expedition to Abomey would have been undertaken but for the opposition -of the French Government. There is no doubt that the French are a -little sore at the withdrawal of our offer to give them our possessions -on the Gambia river, and this has been shown by their endeavouring to -intimidate the people of Catanoo into hoisting the French flag, and, -later, by their occupation of the island of Matacong near Sierra Leone; -but as far as regards Whydah neither France nor any other European -power has any claim to any portion of its soil.</p> - -<p>The annexation of Whydah would not be a difficult matter, and that is -the only real obstacle to our possessing a compact colony extending -from Assinee to Lagos. We should find allies in the Egbas<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> of -Abbeokuta, the people of Grand and Little Popo, and in the inhabitants -of Whydah itself, who, in the last century, were an independent people, -and who still bear no goodwill to their conquerors. The Amazons are -the <i>élite</i> of the Dahoman army, and they have shown at Abbeokuta and -elsewhere that they can fight with a ferocity that more resembles -the blind rage of beasts of prey than human courage. Their number is -variously estimated at from 15,000 to 20,000, and their warlike spirit -is kept alive by a yearly war which commences every April. Numbers of -the male prisoners made in these periodical wars are drafted into the -Dahoman army, so that it may reasonably be supposed that a considerable -portion of the male army corps is but luke-warm in its fealty. The -whole Dahoman army is estimated at 60,000 soldiers, all of whom carry -fire-arms, and a great number breach-loaders, the importation of which -has of late years been carried on extensively at all parts of the West -Coast.</p> - -<p>In 1876 it was proposed that a flotilla should ascend the lagoons -from Lagos to within thirty miles of Abomey and there disembark -troops. As however all that we should require would be the possession -of Whydah it seems objectless to proceed to Abomey, where we should -have to attack the enemy in the midst of his resources, and where, if -we did suffer a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> reverse, it would be irretrievable and none could -escape. A much less dangerous plan would be to land, unexpectedly, -at Grand Popo (the Whydah surf making the disembarcation of troops -there out of the question), a small force of from 800 to 1,000 men. -These men, proceeding by lagoon, would be in Whydah in two hours: -there are no Dahoman troops there, and there would be no resistance. -As Abomey is sixty miles from Whydah, a day and a-half would elapse -before intelligence of this occupation could reach the King, two days -at least would be occupied in mustering the army and performing the -fetish ceremonies necessary before commencing a war; and the army would -be another day and a-half on the march downwards, so that five days -would elapse between the entry of British troops into the town and -the arrival of the enemy. It is not at all improbable that if Whydah -were occupied in force the King, who is not by any means ignorant of -the power of Great Britain, would make the best of a bad business and -cede it to us with what grace he could. In any case by seizing his -solitary port we should make him entirely dependent upon us for the -African necessaries of life, viz., rum, tobacco, and gunpowder, and by -cutting off his supplies could soon bring him to terms. Our territorial -possessions in West Africa will surely increase, and as they do so and -fresh tribes are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> brought under our rule, some scheme of disarmament -similar to that carried out in South Africa will have to be enforced. -By occupying the Slave Coast we should be able to anticipate events by -prohibiting the importation of arms now, and at the same time we should -consolidate our West African possessions.</p> - -<p>In Whydah are the remains of several so-called forts, some of which -are still inhabited, though the majority have fallen into disuse. The -principal are the English, French, and Portuguese forts, and consist -of swish buildings surrounded by loop-holed walls. They were built -early in the last century, when the King of Whydah, which was then an -independent state, allotted portions of ground to each nationality for -trading purposes. These old buildings, like all similar ones in West -Africa, are garnished with dozens of obsolete and useless guns.</p> - -<p>Three out of the five districts into which the town of Whydah is -divided derive their names from these forts, being called English -Town, French Town, and Portuguese Town. The two remaining districts -are called Viceroy’s Town and Charchar Town. Each district is under -the superintendence of a yavogau or caboceer, who is responsible for -everything that occurs in his district.</p> - -<p>While at Whydah I stayed at the French factory, and there I had a -rather unpleasant adventure on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> the night of my arrival. It was a very -close night, and I was sleeping in a grass hammock slung from the -joists of the roof, when I was awakened by something pressing heavily -on my chest. I put out my hand and felt a clammy object. It was a -snake. I sprang out of the hammock with more agility than I have ever -exhibited before or since, and turned up the lamp that was burning on -the table. I then discovered that my visitor was a python, from nine to -ten feet in length, who was making himself quite at home, and curling -himself up under the blanket in the hammock. I thought it was the most -sociable snake I had ever met, and I like snakes to be friendly when -they are in the same room with me, because then I can kill them the -more easily; so I went and called one of my French friends to borrow -a stick or cutlass with which to slay the intruder. When I told him -what I purposed doing he appeared exceedingly alarmed, and asked me -anxiously if I had yet injured the reptile in any way. I replied that -I had not, but that I was going to. He seemed very much relieved, -and said it was without doubt one of the fetish snakes from the -snake-house, and must on no account be harmed, and that he would send -and tell the priests, who would come and take it away in the morning. -He told me that a short time back the master of a merchant-vessel had -killed a python that had come<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> into his room at night, thinking he was -only doing what was natural, and knowing nothing of the prejudices of -the natives, and had in consequence got into a good deal of trouble, -having been imprisoned for four or five days and made to pay a heavy -fine.</p> - -<p>Next morning I went to see the snake-house. It is a circular hut, with -a conical roof made of palm-branches, and contained at that time from -200 to 250 snakes. They were all pythons, and of all sizes and ages; -the joists and sticks supporting the roof were completely covered -with them, and looking upwards one saw a vast writhing and undulating -mass of serpents. Several in a state of torpor, digesting their last -meal, were lying on the ground; and all seemed perfectly tame, as they -permitted the officiating priest to pull them about with very little -ceremony.</p> - -<p>Ophiolotry takes precedence of all other forms of Dahoman religion, and -its priests and followers are most numerous. The python is regarded as -the emblem of bliss and prosperity, and to kill one of these sacred -boas is, strictly speaking, a capital offence, though now the full -penalty of the crime is seldom inflicted, and the sacrilegious culprit -is allowed to escape after being mulcted of his worldly goods, and -having “run-a-muck” through a crowd of snake-worshippers armed with -sticks and fire-brands. Any child who chances<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> to touch, or to be -touched by, one of these holy reptiles, must be kept for the space of -one year at the fetish house under the charge of the priests, and at -the expense of the parents, to learn the various rites of ophiolotry -and the accompanying dancing and singing.</p> - -<p>Fetishism in Dahomey is entirely different to fetishism on the Gold -Coast, and more nearly approaches idolatry, as the unsubstantial -shadows and apocryphal demons, which are worshipped and dreaded by the -Fantis and Ashantis, are on the Slave Coast replaced by images and -tangible objects. Before every house in Whydah one may perceive a cone -of baked clay, sometimes large and sometimes small, the apex of which -is discoloured with libations of palm-wine, palm-oil, &c. This is the -fetish Azoon, who protects streets, houses, and buildings of every -description.</p> - -<p>By the side of each road leading from the town grotesque clay images, -roughly fashioned into the human shape in a crouching position, may be -perceived, protected from atmospheric influences by a rough shed. This -is Legba, who is sometimes represented of the sterner and sometimes of -the softer sex, and propitiatory offerings to this fetish are supposed -to remove barrenness. Somewhat similar to Legba is Bo, who is the -special guardian of soldiers. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p> - -<p>The ocean is very generally worshipped, and has a chief fetish man -of high rank dedicated to its use, besides a large train of ordinary -fetish men. This high official at certain seasons descends to the -beach, shouts forth a series of incantations, and requests the sea to -calm itself, throwing at the same time offerings of corn, cowries, -or palm-oil into it. Sometimes, too, the King of Dahomey sends an -ambassador, arrayed in the proper insignia, with a gorgeous umbrella -and a rich dress, to his good friend the ocean. This ambassador is -taken far out to sea in a canoe, and is then thrown overboard and left -to drown or to be devoured by sharks. The honour of this diplomatic -post is not much coveted by Dahomans.</p> - -<p>Perhaps the fetish most dreaded is So, the God of thunder and -lightning, as what are considered to be the effects of his anger -are frequently both seen and felt; So being supposed to strike with -lightning those who disbelieve in his power or presume to scoff at him. -It is unlawful for any person who has been killed by lightning to be -buried, and it is commonly believed on the Slave Coast that the bodies -of those who have met their death in this manner are cut up and eaten -by the priests of So.</p> - -<p>A minor fetish is Ho-ho, who protects twins, who in Dahomey are always -named Ho-ho, as on the Gold Coast they are called Attah; and, in -addition to those<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> I have already enumerated, and which are the most -commonly worshipped, the Dahomans worship the sun, the moon, fire, the -leopard, and the crocodile.</p> - -<p>The Dahomans place around the house a country rope, <i>i.e.</i> one made of -grass, festooned with dead leaves, which is a fetish to prevent the -building taking fire. When a large fire occurs they frequently kill the -owner of the habitation in which it first broke out, considering that -it originated through some sacrilege or omission of fetish worship. -They also place a ridiculous caricature of the human form, made of -grass, old calabashes, or any rubbish, on the doorposts of their houses -and on the gates of inclosures, to keep evil spirits from entering -therein; and a fowl nailed to a post, with its head downwards, is -considered a charm to prevent an unfavourable wind.</p> - -<p>The reverence which is paid to unusually tall and fine trees forms a -curious contrast to the foregoing barbarous beliefs. The silk-cotton -tree (<i>bombax</i>) and the well-known poison-tree of West Africa are those -most commonly selected. Libations in honour of these trees are poured -into perforated calabashes placed round their roots.</p> - -<p>One morning I saw a Dahoman, arrayed in spotless white raiment, seated -on a mat in an open space opposite the factory, and surrounded by -a small crowd of enraptured lookers-on. My thirst for <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span>information -is so insatiable that I never can see a crowd without wanting to -ascertain what is the matter, so I put on my helmet and went out. I -found the individual in white surrounded by small calabashes; one -of which contained water, a second rum, a third kola-nuts, and a -fourth a live fowl; and an old fetish lady sat opposite to him on the -edge of the mat, swaying backwards and forwards, and singing some -excruciating ditty in a low voice. Presently she dipped her fingers -into the calabash full of water, and annointed the crown, forehead, -chin, and neck of the patient with the fluid; then she sang another -verse, and repeated the process with the rum. The man seemed decidedly -refreshed after this, and I thought it was perhaps some native kind of -shampooing. After a short interval the old woman selected a kola-nut, -hurled it violently to the ground, examined all the broken pieces, and -then, picking up one fragment that seemed to satisfy her, proceeded -to chew it. When it was sufficiently masticated, she removed it from -her mouth, and touched up the sufferer with it as before; then she -decapitated the fowl, and, taking the bleeding head, went over the same -ground, for the fourth time, with it. After that she, and as many of -the bystanders as had a chance, fell violently upon the calabash of rum -and drank it, and the meeting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> broke up. I was confident in my own mind -that the man who had been operated on was sick, and that what I had -seen was a fetish cure; but one of my French friends told me that it -was a ceremony of common occurrence, and that the man was worshipping -his head in order to obtain good fortune. I had noticed that he had -seemed relieved when it was all over, as if he had been glad to be able -to get out of his clean raiment, but his head did not appear to be any -better than it was before.</p> - -<p>When a Dahoman falls ill he immediately fancies that the departed -spirit of one of his ancestors or relatives wishes to see him and -requires his presence below, and is undermining his health so that -the interview may be hastened by his death. To avoid this unwelcome -friendship he consults a fetish man, and begs him to use his influence -with the unquiet spirit, so that he may be excused paying the -unpleasant visit for the present; at the same time he deposits cowries -in the hands of the priest by way of fee. The latter, if he thinks -that the invalid is likely to recover, soon relieves his apprehensions -by telling him that he has obtained him permission to postpone the -interview indefinitely. If, on the other hand, the patient’s case be -doubtful, the fetish man procrastinates till more decided symptoms -set in; and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> then, if the disease be likely to terminate fatally, he -dolefully informs the sick man that he has used every means in his -power to conciliate the unquiet spirit, but without effect. This, -adding to the fears of the invalid, generally hastens the end.</p> - -<p>A resident in Whydah told me that he once heard the following -conversation between a sick man and a priest. The sick man said:—</p> - -<p>“Who is it that wants to see me, and is troubling me now?”</p> - -<p>“Oh! it is the ghost of your brother Gele. He is anxious to have some -conversation.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! it’s only him, is it? You’re sure there’s nobody else?”</p> - -<p>“Oh! no—there’s nobody else.”</p> - -<p>“Well just remind him, will you, how I used to thrash him when he was -alive; and tell him if he doesn’t leave off bothering me now I’ll make -him have a bad time of it when I go below.”</p> - -<p>The future habitation of the Dahoman soul is supposed to be a gloomy -region situated under the earth, and like the world, but deprived of -most of its beauties and pleasures. A Dahoman, like the inhabitants of -the Gold Coast, believes in no future state of rewards and punishments, -and he is firmly persuaded that the social position which he holds in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> -life will be identically the same with that which he will hold in the -regions of the dead. A chief in life will be a chief after death, and a -slave will be a slave.</p> - -<p>In Dahomey the fetish men are divided into distinct sects, according -to the deity for which they officiate—the priests of the snake-house, -for instance, having nothing to do with those of Legba, and so on. -The rancour, however, which is exhibited between the various sects of -Christianity is here wanting. When a Dahoman wishes to devote himself -to the service of the gods he is not permitted to choose any deity -he pleases. He has to work himself up into a state of frenzy, during -which an old priest places round him images of the different deities, -and the one with which he first comes in contact is the one which he -is destined to serve. These neophytes usually preserve some kind of -method in their madness, and take care to touch the representative of -that form of worship to which they are most inclined, though sometimes -accidents do happen and a wrong one is touched. The fetish men speak -a language peculiar to themselves, and unknown to the common people, -which they learn in the fetish schools, and call “the holy fetish -word.” They have likewise many privileges, and can wear any dress they -please; whereas<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> the laity are obliged to clothe themselves according -to the positions which they hold in Dahoman society. When the fetish -fit, or frenzy, overtakes a priest, he can do anything he pleases -without being held accountable for it; ordinary people, therefore, do -not care to make enemies of priests.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER IV.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">The Amazons—Trying Drill—System of Espionage—The -Annual Customs—Human Sacrifices—The Dahoman Repulse at -Abbeokuta—Natural Features of Dahomey—Agriculture—The Whydah -Bunting.</p></blockquote> - -<p>I was wandering one day with one of my hosts, up the main road that -leads from Whydah to Kana, the second town of the kingdom, when we -heard the tinkle of a bell in front of us, momentarily drawing nearer. -Several Dahomans who were passing at once put down their loads and -rushed into the tall grass which bordered the road on either side, -while my companion stepped off the path and turned his back to it. I -said—</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter?”</p> - -<p>“The King’s wives are coming, and no man is allowed to look at them. -You must do as I do.”</p> - -<p>“All right!”</p> - -<p>I said “All right,” but I had not the remotest intention of losing such -a sight, so I stood behind him where he could not see what I was doing, -and, as the galaxy of beauty approached, I covered my face with my -hands and—looked through my fingers. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span></p> - -<p>First came a young lady bearing in one hand a small bell, which she -rang incessantly, and in the other a whip, with which to drive male -loiterers into the bush. Her arms from the wrist to the elbow were -covered with amulets of silver, the distinguishing mark of officers -of Amazons, and she was further attired in a short tunic of blue and -white. She looked at me in a hesitating manner, as if she could not -make up her mind whether to use her whip on me or not, but, thinking -that I looked innocent and harmless, she grinned affably and passed -on. After her came fifteen or twenty more women, likewise attired in -blue and white tunics, and all armed. They were Amazons. The leader, or -captain, was not a bad-looking young woman, and carried a Winchester -repeating-rifle slung across her back: the rest were like the average -women of the country, that is to say, plain, and were armed some with -Enfield rifles and some with muskets. All wore cartridge-belts and -pouches, and carried long knives or <i>machetes</i>, with which it is said -they mutilate the wounded in a horrible manner. Several of them were -disfigured with the scars of long gashes on the cheeks and forehead, -the usual West African sign of slavery; all of them looked wiry and -muscular, and were covered with the cicatrices of old wounds. They soon -passed by, and their bell was heard tinkling in the distance. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span></p> - -<p>When my companion found out what I had done, he was very angry. He -said that very serious consequences might have ensued, and that, as he -was a resident and I only a visitor, all the trouble would have fallen -on him. There was a good deal of truth in this, and I said I was very -sorry, but I had some difficulty in making my peace.</p> - -<p>The institution of the armed body of Amazons dates from 1728, when the -then King of Dahomey, having had his forces greatly reduced by sickness -and the casualties of war, hit upon the happy expedient of arming a -number of women to recruit his forces.</p> - -<p>These were trained as soldiers, and officers were selected from those -among them who showed the greatest aptitude. With these novel troops -the King obtained a signal victory over the people of Whydah.</p> - -<p>The Amazons are sworn to strict celibacy, and the King alone has the -<i>privilege</i> of choosing wives from their ranks. They are known in -Dahomey by the names of “The King’s Wives” and “Our Mothers,” live -in the King’s palace and there perform their fetish ceremonies with -great mystery. At the gate of the habitation, or barracks, of these -soldieresses, a curious fetish is hung, which is supposed to ensure the -certain exposure of any Amazon who has broken her vow of continence; -and the very fear of this fetish often causes the woman who has erred -to confess her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> fault, and doom both her lover and herself to a -horrible death. The stature and physique of the women of Dahomey, as -is the case in many other parts of Africa, are quite equal to that of -the men, and as all the labour falls to their share, their muscular -strength is perhaps more developed than that of the lords of creation.</p> - -<p>The Amazon ranks are recruited by girls of from thirteen to fifteen -years of age, who are trained in military exercises, but not allowed to -bear arms till they have attained a more mature age; and women who have -committed capital offences are frequently allowed to escape punishment -by enlisting in this female body-guard. The training to which these -recruits are subjected inures them to hardship and to physical pain. -They are made to sleep out in inclement weather, to suffer blows -without a murmur, to fast and bear all privations.</p> - -<p>Their drill is peculiarly unpleasant: one variety, which is supposed -to make them <i>au fait</i> at scaling walls, consists of a succession of -rushes to, and clamberings to the top of, a tall hut covered with -prickly pear, the thorns of which lacerate them terribly. Drill of -this description was the cause of the numerous scars I had observed -on the bodies of the Amazons. I wonder how many recruits we should -obtain for the British army if, amongst other things, the recruit -had to precipitate himself upon <i>chevaux-de-frise</i>, or clamber<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> over -walls adorned with pieces of broken glass. In battle, the Amazons -fire rapidly for a few minutes, then throw down their fire-arms, and, -uttering terrific screams and shouts, charge on the foe with their -knives. With these they do terrible execution, and even when shot down -and trampled under foot will fight on to the last gasp, making blind -stabs at the enemy above, and biting and tearing the feet and legs of -those standing over them. It would be difficult to prophesy how British -troops would meet these soldier-women at first, but experience would -soon teach them that they need have no compunction in shooting them -down.</p> - -<p>The party of Amazons that I encountered had come down to Whydah to -take some caboceer, who had incurred the king’s displeasure, up to -Abomey. Everything that is done in Whydah is known to the king, for -a most complete system of espionage there prevails; every man, from -the yavogau, or chief caboceer, downwards, being watched by two or -more spies, who are themselves under surveillance. To have authentic -information of what goes on in the bosoms of the families of the -caboceers, the king sends them occasionally one or more of his wives, -who are no longer in the first blush of youth, as a present. This -honour cannot be declined, and the chiefs have to admit to their -families women whom they must treat with kindness, and whom they well -know are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> only sent to report upon their most secret conversations -and actions. By this system the king has made every man in Whydah -distrustful of every other, and, consequently, any conspiracy or revolt -against his authority impossible. Even such minute things as the number -of yards in each piece of print paid on a ship being entered at the -port are reported to him, and the unfortunate caboceer who had been -sent for was accused of having appropriated to his own use a small -piece of cloth, the trade value of which was at the most three or four -shillings, and for which he would now have to pay probably with his -head.</p> - -<p>The “Customs” of Dahomey are three in number, viz.: The carrying -goods to market, the “Water Sprinkling,” and the Ahtoh. At the Water -Sprinkling custom, which means, in the Dahoman sense of the word, blood -sprinkling, the king sacrifices one or two slaves and pours their blood -upon the graves of his ancestors. This is done as a mark of respect, -and moreover is considered as necessary for the welfare of the deceased -by Dahomans, as masses for the souls of the dead are by the Roman -Catholic variety of Christians.</p> - -<p>The great annual custom, which takes place towards the middle of the -month of May, and lasts for six weeks, is the most interesting. To this -custom all the subjects of the king are invited, and all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> travellers -or strangers in the kingdom are ordered to the capital. The first day -is taken up by levées, a review of the Amazons, and the usual dancing, -singing, and firing of guns; all of which takes place in the large -square, or market-place, of Abomey. The victims to be sacrificed are -confined in a wattle hut, called the victim-house, situated in this -square; each prisoner being bound to the stool on which he sits, and -further prevented from attempting to escape by long ropes fastened -securely to his limbs and stretched tightly to the beams forming the -shed. They are attired in long red caps adorned with festoons of -ribbons, and wear white shirts ornamented at the neck and sleeves with -scarlet, and with a large scarlet patch sewn on over the region of the -heart.</p> - -<p>The second day of the custom is called “<i>Ekbah tong ekbeh</i>,” or -“Carrying goods to market,” and is really a display of all the more -portable wealth of the king. The performance opens with the exhibition -of the relics of the late king in a shed in the market-place; and all -present pay devout obeisance to them, believing that the spirit of the -departed despot is present, and that he would terribly resent any want -of respect. After this various dances symbolical of battle, such as the -charge, mélée, and the slaughter of prisoners, are performed by the -Amazons, the king himself sometimes taking part in them. The march-past -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span>of the king’s worldly goods then takes place, and continues till -dark. The most extraordinary and incongruous exhibitions take place. A -procession of slaves bearing state-swords, gold and silver ornaments, -and articles of great intrinsic value, may be preceded or followed by -a band bearing vessels of crockery of the commonest and most homely -description. Articles of earthenware that are not usually exhibited in -public are here paraded in large numbers, mixed up in the strangest -confusion with silks, satins, umbrellas, Manchester prints, clocks, -bottles, pipes, tea-pots, cups, saucers, knives, forks, European -clothes, and all the miscellaneous rubbish which has been collecting -for years in the curiosity shop known as the Royal Treasury. Articles -of apparel of the seventeenth century are not uncommonly seen at this -custom, and there are many objects of <i>vertu</i> which would delight -the heart of a Wardour Street connoisseur, and which were, probably, -originally presents to the king from the slave-traders of a century and -a-half ago.</p> - -<p>The third day of the custom is known as “<i>Ek-gai nu Ahtoh</i>,” or “The -throwing of cowries from Ahtoh”; Ahtoh being an immense raised platform -which is built in the market-place specially for this ceremony. The -platform is hung with banners and flags and covered with cloth of every -conceivable hue, while over it spread the large canopies of the state -umbrellas,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> made of strips of brilliant-hued silks and satins. To one -side of this “Ahtoh” is an inclosure in which are the victims for -sacrifice, bound hand and foot, and fastened into small canoes, or long -baskets of stout wicker-work.</p> - -<p>The king, accompanied by his wives and principal chiefs, occupies the -summit of Ahtoh, and from time to time throws into the crowd handfuls -of cowries and pieces of cloth, to be scrambled for. It is usually -supposed that the Dahoman public is admitted to this scramble, but it -is not so, and the whole ceremony is a fraud and a mere affectation -of generosity. Soldiers alone are allowed to scramble, and the goods -and cowries are their pay; for the Dahoman soldier, whether male or -female, receives no regular stipend. They are fed and clothed at the -king’s expense, and a moderate sum, the amount of which depends upon -the success that has attended the royal arms during the past year, is -set aside to be thrown from “Ahtoh.” The officers of the army generally -contrive in this scramble to obtain all the cloth, leaving the rank and -file to fight and struggle for the cowries; and in the wild confusion -that ensues men are not unfrequently maimed or trodden to death.</p> - -<p>After the goods that have been set aside for this purpose have all been -thrown into the panting and perspiring crowd, the victims for sacrifice -are brought<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> up on to Ahtoh, carried on men’s heads, and taken to the -edge of the platform to be shown to the mob. They are greeted with wild -yells and cries, the executioners thronging to the foot of the platform -and brandishing their knives, while the crowd arm themselves with clubs -and branches, calling on the king to feed them for they are hungry. -After a short speech from the monarch the first victim is brought to -the edge of the platform, and placed upright in his basket: the king -then pushes the upper portion of the bound mass, the man falls over -into the crowd in a second, and before the unfortunate wretch has time -to recover from the shock of the fall the head is severed from the -body; and the latter, after having been beaten into a shapeless mass by -the shrieking and frenzied mob, is dragged by the heels to a pit at a -little distance, and there left to be devoured by crows and buzzards.</p> - -<p>The number of men sacrificed in public is about fourteen, of whom the -first three or four only are thrown down by the king; but, in addition -to the public sacrifices, a certain number of victims are allotted to -the Amazons, and are put to death by them within the precincts of the -palace, where no man may be present to inquire too inquisitively into -their peculiar rites.</p> - -<p>In Dahomey we have none of those wholesale<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> massacres in which hundreds -of human beings are sacrificed, such as occur from time to time in -Ashanti. In the latter country dozens of slaves are immolated at the -death of even a very minor chief, but in Dahomey only one slave is -allowed to be executed at the demise of the person next in authority -to the king himself, and the number annually put to death in the whole -kingdom is said not to exceed eighty.</p> - -<p>The following is an instance of how horrors of this kind are -exaggerated. A few years ago England was convulsed with horror at -reading in the daily papers of hetacombs of slaves having been bled -to death in a broad and shallow pit at Abomey, so that the king might -enjoy the novelty of paddling about in a canoe in a sea of blood. What -really occurred was that at the grand custom, which always takes place -at the death of a king, the blood of the victims, about thirty in -number, was collected into shallow pools about three feet square, and -miniature canoes from six to nine inches long were set afloat in them.</p> - -<p>The practice of human sacrifices is, however, gradually dying out -in Dahomey; and, year by year, the number of persons sacrificed -becomes smaller and smaller. The walls of the king’s palace, and -those surrounding the residences of some of the principal chiefs, are -generally crowned with human skulls, placed side by side throughout the -entire length.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> Not many years ago it was considered a sign of poverty -or of great neglect if any of these ghastly ornaments, which had become -destroyed from exposure to wind, sun, and rain, were not at once -replaced by fresh skulls. Now, however, they are suffered to decay, and -no one thinks it necessary to sacrifice a slave in order to keep the -coping of the wall of his yard in good condition.</p> - -<p>No doubt the diminution in the number of sacrifices is in a great -measure due to the fact that there are no longer any small independent -tribes on the borders of Dahomey on whom war could be made, and from -whom a constant supply of victims could be obtained. This source was -exhausted in the early part of the present century; and the only people -against whom “slave hunts” can be organized are the Egbas, and these -have usually terminated so unfortunately for the Dahomans that they -seem lately to have lost all taste for the amusement. The persons -now commonly sacrificed at the “Customs” are criminals, and their -crimes would be punished capitally in even far more civilised kingdoms -than that of Dahomey, though scarcely with the same surroundings and -barbarity.</p> - -<p>Abbeokuta, the capital of the Egbas, a town with a population of over -fifty thousand, is the usual point of attack of the Dahomans. It is -situated on the left bank of the Ogu river, and is inclosed with -thick<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> mud walls some twenty-five feet high, loop-holed for musketry, -strengthened with flanking bastions, and further protected by a broad -and deep ditch.</p> - -<p>The King of Dahomey suffered a rather severe repulse at his attack on -this town in 1851. For some months he had been threatening to destroy -Abbeokuta, being only restrained by the remonstrances of the British -consul; and, though at last diplomacy was found to be of no avail, -the Egbas had benefited by the respite which had been obtained for -them, and had been enabled to prepare for a vigorous defence. The van -of the Dahoman army, consisting of Amazons, arrived at the ford on -the river Ogu on the morning of March 3rd, 1851. The Egbas, who had -received ample intelligence concerning the movements of the Dahomans, -had mustered in force to dispute the passage of the river, and the -Amazons found themselves confronted by a body of some 12,000 or 15,000 -men. Forming up in a dense column, they crossed the river with a rush, -cutting the Egba line in two and scattering the enemy like chaff. Had -they then followed up their first success it is probable that they -would have succeeded in entering the town with the rabble of fugitives, -but the male corps of the Dahoman army was some miles behind, having -been out-marched by the Amazons, and the commander of the latter did -not consider it advisable to enter a town<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> containing 50,000 enemies -with a force of but 3,000 disciplined troops. The Amazons consequently -extended beyond the ford and remained halted until the male corps was -close at hand, when they advanced to the attack.</p> - -<p>In the meantime every man, woman, and child in the town capable of -holding a musket had crowded to the walls, which were, in the words of -an eye-witness, “black with people, swarming like ants.” The Amazons -advanced across the plain, which was utterly destitute of cover, in a -species of column of companies; and, under a most furious discharge -of musketry, deployed into line; then, after firing rapidly for a few -moments, rushed madly on to the assault. Such a merciless shower of -balls and slugs met them from the walls that, notwithstanding the most -conspicuous gallantry and a wonderful contempt of death, they were -repulsed with considerable loss, and, retiring beyond musket-shot, -formed up in line facing the town. The Egbas did not venture to leave -their fortifications in pursuit.</p> - -<p>By this time the male Dahoman army corps had crossed the ford, and, -advancing across the plain, extended to the right of the Amazons, so as -partly to encircle the town, and, if possible, embarrass the defence. -The whole force then advanced within musket-shot, and a furious -discharge took place on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> both sides. That portion of the plain which -was occupied by the right of the Dahoman attack was still covered with -dried and yellow grass reaching to the waist; the left being bare, -through the grass having been burned some days before. An American -missionary, who chanced to be in Abbeokuta, observing this, directed -those Egbas near him to fire the grass; and, a strong wind blowing at -the time towards the advancing Dahomans, in a few minutes a vast sheet -of flame bore down upon them. To conceive the rapidity with which a -fire will under favourable circumstances sweep across a plain of dried -grass, it is necessary to have witnessed such a sight. The male Dahoman -army corps, finding itself suddenly confronted by a roaring, crackling -pyramid of flame, fairly turned and fled. They had come out to fight, -not to be roasted, and they bolted for their lives. The king, as soon -as he saw the course affairs were taking, hastily recrossed the river -with some 200 followers, leaving orders for the Amazons to cover the -retreat and hold the ford till nightfall.</p> - -<p>The victorious Egbas sallied out in thousands, and threw themselves -upon the devoted band of Amazons, who were extended in three lines, -with the flanks drawn back. In this order they kept at bay the whole -Egba force, the first line firing, retiring through the second and -third line, and then forming up again<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> in rear to reload, and the whole -thus retreating slowly upon the river. Arrived at the ford, they formed -up in a compact mass; and, in spite of the repeated furious charges of -the Egbas, held their ground until nightfall, when the enemy drew off -and retired within their walls.</p> - -<p>Early next morning the Amazons picked up such of their wounded as the -Egbas had not murdered, and retired in excellent order across the river -to the village of Johaga, about fifteen miles from Abbeokuta, the Egbas -hovering round them during their retrograde movement, but taking care -to keep at a safe distance. At Johaga a sharp skirmish took place, -resulting in the repulse of the Egbas; and from that point the retreat -of the Dahomans was not further molested.</p> - -<p>The Dahoman force employed in this expedition consisted of some 3,000 -Amazons and 5,000 male Dahomans. The Amazons lost very heavily, -nearly 1,800 dead women-soldiers being counted by the missionaries -of Abbeokuta at the ford and under the walls of the town. The men -being little engaged did not suffer much. The Egbas engaged outside -the town, both before and after the assault, were estimated at over -20,000, and quite 40,000 persons bore arms during the defence of the -fortifications. Very few Dahoman prisoners were taken: the Amazons even -when disarmed refused to surrender, fighting on, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> biting their -foes, and were consequently hacked to pieces.</p> - -<p>Since this repulse the king of Dahomey has been satisfied with making -mere demonstrations of force in the neighbourhood of Abbeokuta, burning -the outlying villages and destroying the plantations of plantains and -yams, and the fields of corn, without venturing to make any serious -attack upon the town itself. The Egbas had several wall-pieces and -heavy guns engaged during the assault, and these had done so much -execution, badly served as they were, that they at once, through the -medium of the missionaries, had a fresh supply of ordnance sent out -from England. The missionaries also, who were not at all desirous of -seeing their comfortable mission-houses burned and their vocation -destroyed, implored the Government to send discharged gunners from -West India regiments to Abbeokuta; and there was soon a small body of -trained artillerists in readiness for the next assault.</p> - -<p>The natural features of Dahomey offer a remarkable contrast to those of -the Gold Coast. In place of the succession of ridges covered with dense -bush and forest, the monotony of which wearies the eye in the latter -country, one finds an open park-like country, nearly flat, and with a -sandy soil bearing clumps of trees, tall grass, and but very little -bush. The banks of streams and the hollows of water-courses are of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> -course densely wooded, and fine timber-trees are common. The country is -one specially adapted for agriculture, but only a very small portion -of the soil is under cultivation, for the Dahomans, having for years -indulged in the exciting and profitable amusement of “slave-hunting,” -cannot, now that the slave-trade has been suppressed, fall at once -into peaceable pursuits. Palm-oil and ground-nuts are however exported -in considerable quantities from Whydah, and, as soon as legitimate -commerce is found by the Dahomans to be as paying as the illegitimate -bartering of human beings, cotton, sugar, tobacco, and cocoa will in -all probability be grown in sufficient quantities for exportation.</p> - -<p>Dahomey does not appear to be rich in minerals. In fact it is probable -that the territory now known by that name was once a vast lagoon, -similar to that of Quittah, only much more extensive, and that the -kingdom now owes its existence to that slow process of upheaval of -which I have already spoken as silting up the lagoons of the Slave -Coast. This theory is partly borne out by an immense and shallow -depression extending from the back of Whydah almost to Abomey, and -reaching its greatest depth about fifty miles from the former town. -At that point there is still a considerable swamp in the bed of the -ancient lagoon, and indications of coal deposits have been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> there -discovered. Throughout the whole distance between Whydah and Abomey the -shells of fresh-water molluscs, similar to those found at the present -day in the existing lagoons, are found in large quantities a few inches -below the surface of the ground.</p> - -<p>To the north of Abomey a geological change takes place. Instead of the -flat sandy expanse, the ground is broken up into valleys and undulating -hills, gradually rising until they merge in the distant Dabadab -Mountains, about forty miles from the capital. Here, as elsewhere in -the hilly countries of West Africa, the soil consists of volcanic mud -or laterite, interspersed with ironstone and granite.</p> - -<p>I do not think I have anything more to say about Dahomey except that -Whydah is the habitat of the Whydah bunting (<i>Emberiza Paradisea</i>), -the male of which is in the habit of changing its plumage five times a -year, so as to look like a different bird each time. It is sometimes -called the widow bird, and for many years troubled the minds and vexed -the spirits of naturalists.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER V.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">Lagos—Small Change—A Ball—A Cheerful Companion—An Anomalous -Sight—History of the Settlement—The Naval Attack of 1851.</p></blockquote> - -<p>In the spring of 1880 I found myself at Lagos, a town which has been -called the Liverpool of West Africa, and which, next to Freetown, -Sierra Leone, is the largest and best built in our possessions in that -quarter of the globe. The first breach in the lagoon system occurs -here, where the river Ogu, or Ogun, from Abbeokuta, discharges itself -into the sea; and the bar, on which at high water there is 16 feet of -water, is crossed by small steamers, which convey passengers, mails, -and cargo to and from the mail-steamers lying outside. The island -of Lagos is about four miles in length, and averages half a mile in -breadth. The town is situated up the lagoon about three-quarters of a -mile from the bar, and from the water presents quite a business-like -appearance. Numerous wooden piers, alongside which are vessels -discharging and receiving cargo, extend into the lagoon; steamers of -light draught come and go, while on the shore the Marina, or parade, -with its trees and white<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> houses, covers a frontage of some two miles. -The native inhabitants of Lagos and the surrounding country, with -the exception of the Porto Novans, who are pagans, are Mohammedans, -belonging principally to the Yoruba tribe, which appears to be an -offshoot of the Houssa race. They are a quiet, orderly, and industrious -people, and form a pleasing contrast to the idle and insolent, -so-called Christians, of Sierra Leone, and the lazy tribes of the Gold -Coast.</p> - -<p>As cowries form the small coinage of the country, and are in universal -use, I thought I might as well obtain a few for small purchases; so, -as soon as I was settled down, I gave my boy a couple of sovereigns -and sent him out to get change. Half-an-hour afterwards, as I was -smoking in the verandah, I saw him coming along the Marina followed by -a procession of some twenty men and women, each of whom carried a small -sack on his, or her, head. The whole crowd turned into the yard, and -disappeared from my view. Presently I heard the trampling of feet and a -rattling sound in my room, and, on going to see what was the matter, I -found it full of natives, with an immense heap of cowries piled up in -the centre of the floor. I thought that I should be ruined, and said to -my boy,</p> - -<p>“What’s all this? What do all these people want?”</p> - -<p>He replied. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p> - -<p>“They’ve brought the cowries, Master.”</p> - -<p>“Well! I didn’t tell you to buy £1000 worth—I haven’t brought a bank -in my pocket. Clear it all away except what I gave you the money for.”</p> - -<p>He said there was only two pounds worth there.</p> - -<p>I never felt so rich in my life: as Dr. Johnson would say, I revelled -in wealth beyond the potentiality of dreams of avarice. A solitary -cowry is not of much value: 20,000 of them are equivalent to twelve -shillings and sixpence, so I had more than 60,000. I told the carriers -to take a few in payment, filled my pockets with some more, and went -out with a light heart to buy up the whole market; taking care, -however, to lock up the place, as I thought that so much unguarded -wealth might be a temptation to the evilly disposed. My boy suggested -that I ought to count my change to see if it was correct; but I decided -not to.</p> - -<p>A few days after my arrival there was a ball given by a club which -rejoices in the name of “The Flower of Lagos.” The members of this Club -are all negroes, principally haughty aristocrats from Sierra Leone, -Liberia, and the Gold Coast, and I believe that they do not admit any -of the Mohammedan <i>canaille</i> to membership.</p> - -<p>I never was at such an amusing ball in my life, and, as I suppose -such entertainments are given for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> the purpose of amusement, it may -be considered a most complete success. The gorgeous-coloured satin -waistcoats, the rainbow cravats, and gigantic buttonhole bouquets of -the men, were sufficiently trying to the eyes; but when one turned -towards the softer, one cannot in this case say the fairer, sex, who, -as usual before the ice was broken, sat all together at one end of the -room, I had positively to turn away, and wished for a green shade or -a pair of blue glass spectacles. Scarlet, blue, pink, purple, yellow, -orange, green, white—every known brilliant colour was there, and I had -to follow the example of the other Europeans who were present, and view -this brilliant spectacle through the medium of an inverted tumbler. -The band was that of the Gold Coast Constabulary, and perhaps the less -one says of it the better, unless it is now “the thing” in music to -introduce crushing discords and heart-rending shrieks that are not in -the original score of the composition.</p> - -<p>Before the dancing commenced one could walk about and breathe without -any extraordinary discomfort, but after that the <i>bouquet d’Afrique</i> -really became quite too, too. I have always held very much the same -opinion about dancing as that expressed by the pacha in Salmagundi, and -I should have liked then to have been seated afar off on some eminence -with a good telescope. It was pitiful to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> observe the struggles of -the <i>belles</i> to appear cool (these poor creatures cannot, of course, -like their European sisters, use powder, unless indeed, they used -gunpowder or coal-dust), and how at last they gave it up as hopeless, -and used their handkerchiefs energetically. A new Administrator had -arrived at Lagos a few days previously, and he had to open the ball -with the leading Lagos lady. Poor man, he did not seem at all at home, -and was evidently unaccustomed to move in such high society. After the -ceremony was over he kept going about like one dazed, rubbing his hands -together, and bowing and asking what would be the next article. Some -people said that the infliction had been too much for his brain, and -that he was thinking of his earlier days, but I don’t know.</p> - -<p>I noticed that the negro gentlemen were scrupulously polite and -dignified, and talked, so to speak, on conversational stilts; the -ladies tried hard to do the same, but the high pressure was too much -for them. One sable beau went up to a charming creature in pink and -yellow, and, bowing by a succession of jerks, said:—</p> - -<p>“May I, Miss, enjoy the unparalleled gratification of your hand for the -next polka?”</p> - -<p>The giddy young thing replied:—</p> - -<p>“Oh I yes, Mr. Smith—I’m orful fond of polking—Good Lard! what a fine -coat you’ve got. I ’spect<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> that cloth cost quite two dollars a yard -now, didn’t it?”</p> - -<p>Later on, when the fumes of the gooseberry wine, brandy, and rum began -to mount to the heads of the assembly, a good deal of the veneering -came off the manners and morals, and violent embracings took place in -the more retired spots. Then one or two personal encounters occurred -between jealous swains, while others, under the influence of ardent -spirits, came and tried to pick quarrels with the few Europeans who -were present, so I went away just as the orgie was beginning.</p> - -<p>Horses thrive very well at Lagos, and every merchant keeps his -horse and trap; not that there is anywhere much to drive to, except -the Marina, as all the streets through the native town consist of -ankle-deep sand, and the eastern portion of the island, where there -are no houses, is a mere sandbank. The horses are small, being all -of Arab blood, and are brought down from the interior by Mohammedan -traders; they cost from £15 to £30 a-piece. In the matter of horses -and food Lagos has a great advantage over other towns in West Africa. -On the Gold Coast, for instance, one has to live almost entirely on -those particularly nauseating preserved meats, the tins of which may -bear different labels and names, but which all taste alike; for the -country produces<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> nothing but an emaciated fowl; but at Lagos one can -revel in oysters, land-crabs, beef, mutton, and all the luxuries of the -table. In the matter of salubrity, however, Lagos does not appear to -advantage, and its epidemics periodically decimate the white population.</p> - -<p>One morning, when I was walking along the Marina, I met a man who had -been a fellow-passenger with me from England, and who had come out -to Lagos to take home a coffin-ship that belonged to the Colonial -Government, so that she might be broken up and sold for fire-wood. This -individual had occupied the same cabin with me on the voyage out, and -had kept me quite lively and exercised my mind a good deal during the -trip. One night, when everybody on board, except the watch, was buried -in sleep, I was awakened by hearing somebody cursing and swearing in -a loud voice close at hand. I looked over the side of my bunk, and, -by the faint light of a lamp that was burning in the saloon, I saw my -cabin companion, stark naked, foaming at the mouth, and stropping one -of my razors upon his fore-arm amid torrents of oaths. Presently he -said:—</p> - -<p>“I’ll have some d——d fellow’s blood to-night. I’ll have some blood.” -And he rolled his frenzied eye round the cabin.</p> - -<p>I did not make any remark. I did not want to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> remind him that my blood -was pretty handy, because I had no weapon with me in my bunk more -formidable than a pillow; so I lay quiet. He kept on stropping the -razor, cursing to himself, and repeating that what his soul craved for -was gore, for about ten minutes, then he suddenly hurled his weapon -across the cabin, and rushed out just as he was. I skipped out of my -berth with some alacrity, picked up my razor and locked it up; after -which I felt rather safer, as I knew he had none of his own. Then I -put on some clothes and went to look after the maniac; but, after -searching all over the ship without success, I consoled myself with the -thought that he had probably jumped overboard, and went to bed again. -Next morning, when I awoke, I found my friend clothed and in his right -mind, and thought I must have been suffering from night-mare; so I said -nothing to him about what had occurred.</p> - -<p>Ten or twelve days after this I was awakened in the middle of the night -by some one clutching at my throat. I sprang up with a yell and struck -out, fortunately hitting my assailant somewhere, and, as the ship -happened to be rolling heavily, he lost his equilibrium and tumbled -over. He was up again in a moment, and came at me brandishing a water -bottle.</p> - -<p>He said:—</p> - -<p>“Give me my ship’s papers.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p> - -<p>I seized my pillow, and replied:—</p> - -<p>“I haven’t got your papers. Stew-a-a-rd.”</p> - -<p>“Give me my papers, or I’ll do for you.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t be a fool—I don’t know anything about your papers. STEWARD.”</p> - -<p>He threw the bottle at me, fortunately, instead of hitting me with -it; and tried to do the throttling business again. Then a very pretty -little struggle commenced up and down the cabin, we being thrown from -side to side with every lurch, while boxes, tumblers, boots, clothes, -and all kinds of loose furniture, went flying around. At last some -of the other passengers appeared to have a dim consciousness that -something was occurring, and appeared rubbing their eyes; and when -they grasped the situation we soon had our friend tied up, biting and -scratching like a wild cat. I told the captain next day I would prefer -to sleep in some other cabin.</p> - -<p>For the rest of the voyage this man appeared quite sane, and when I met -him, as I have said, on the Marina, he came up to me, shook hands, and -conversed like any rational being. He had brought his vessel alongside -a wharf, and was tilting her over to try and get at some of the worst -leaks and stop them up. Some of the guys he had out were very much -worn, and I said that if he did not take care he would capsize his -ship. This innocent remark set<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> him off at once; he became purple in -the face, foamed at the mouth, gesticulated violently, cursed at me, -and was only prevented from proceeding to further extremities by my -rapid exit. Next day his ship did capsize. He sailed from Lagos soon -after, and I have been told that neither he nor his vessel have ever -been heard of since. In any other part of the world but West Africa -such a man as this would have been kept under restraint. His fits of -mania were, I believe, the result of sun-stroke.</p> - -<p>I was out driving round the town with a German friend one day when he -pulled up at an inclosure, and said he would show me something that -I would not see anywhere else on the coast. He took me in and showed -me a merry-go-round, and I was sufficiently surprised to gratify him. -What could have induced any one to bring such a thing out to West -Africa? It was one of the old kind, worked by hand; an organ stood by, -and I could almost imagine I smelt the sawdust and gingerbread, and -heard the shouts and cries with which such machines were associated -in my memory. I believe the speculation did not pay, the natives all -wanted to ride for nothing, and the Europeans did not want to ride at -all. The yard was full of Yoruba women, looking with wistful eyes at -the wooden horses and triumphal cars, so we hired the whole coach of -the proprietor for half-an-hour, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span>and told all the women to get up on -it. It was a most anomalous sight to see all these Mohammedan women, -with their shawled heads, floating cloths, and long slim limbs, going -round and round to the tune of Champagne Charlie. They seemed to enjoy -it very much, and their bright eyes sparkled with fun; they were so -grateful that I believe they would have done anything for us, even -kiss us, if we had wanted them to. Some of them were by no means bad -looking, and the custom they have of touching up the eyes with <i>kohl</i> -gives them a rather languishing appearance.</p> - -<p>The British first became mixed up in the affairs of Lagos after the -repulse of the Dahoman army from Abbeokuta, which I have narrated -in a former chapter. After that event the King of Dahomey commenced -intrigues with the kings of Porto Novo and of Lagos with a view to -cutting off the Abbeokutans from all communication with the sea, he -believing that they received assistance there, both in money and -weapons, from the British. These two potentates fell the more readily -into his plans because they were both interested in the maintenance -of the slave-trade, while the Egbas were anxious for its suppression. -The river Ogu is navigable for canoes to within a mile of Abbeokuta, -and, as it discharges itself into the sea at Lagos, that town may be -said to be the natural<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> port of Abbeokuta. Owing to differences however -with Kosoko, the king of Lagos, a bloodthirsty despot who had dethroned -his uncle Akitoye and murdered some two thousand of his friends and -adherents in cold blood, the Egbas of Abbeokuta had been obliged to -use Badagry, a small independent township some thirty-five miles to -the west of Lagos, as their port; doing so at great inconvenience to -themselves, as communication between Abbeokuta and Badagry could only -be carried on by means of difficult roads, over which all goods and -produce had to be carried upon the heads of men and women.</p> - -<p>In June, 1851, Kosoko, in accordance with instructions received from -the king of Dahomey, sent up a number of men to attack Badagry, at -which town Akitoye the ex-king of Lagos was residing, and where there -were also several British residents. The enemy were repulsed, and -returned to Lagos, destroying on their way back an out-lying village -of Badagry, named Susu. During the rest of the month of June, Kosoko’s -people kept Badagry in a state of blockade, and occasionally landed -marauding parties at night. During one of these night-alarms a Mr. Gee, -an Englishman, was killed, and several Kroomen employed by the British -traders were kidnapped. Things went on thus until July, early in which -month a number of Lagos people came up to Badagry, under<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> the pretence -of trading or visiting their friends, and were suffered to land. On -going ashore they proceeded to the market, which was crowded, the day -being market-day, and at once picking a quarrel with some of Akitoye’s -followers they threw off the mask and a fight commenced. The town of -Badagry was burned to the ground, and a great deal of British property -was destroyed.</p> - -<p>The senior naval officer on the station being informed of this outrage -felt it his duty to endeavour to obtain redress from Kosoko, and terms -were dictated to him. After much delay and duplicity on the part of the -king, it became evident that he had no intention of yielding except to -force, and it was finally determined to bombard his town.</p> - -<p>The naval force, consisting of Her Majesty’s sloops “Philomel,” -“Harlequin,” “Niger,” and “Waterwitch,” and the gun-vessels -“Bloodhound” and “Volcano,” assembled off Lagos bar in November 1851; -and at daybreak on the 25th of that month the ships’ boats, manned and -armed, and towed by the “Bloodhound,” entered the river and proceeded -towards Lagos. As the consul still had some hope of the king submitting -to a display of force, the flags of truce were kept flying; and, -although, on rounding the first point, the enemy opened a harassing -fire of musketry along the right bank of the river, the fire<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> was not -returned, and the boats kept steadily on, with the flags flying, until -they arrived at about a mile from the town.</p> - -<p>There the “Bloodhound” got aground in the mud, and the enemy’s fire -increased, the shot falling fast and thick among the boats. The boom of -heavy ordnance showed that Kosoko was much better prepared for defence -than had been supposed; the flags of truce were hauled down, and the -British, for the first time, opened fire.</p> - -<p>The enemy were mustered in great force, and, being armed with good -muskets, kept up an incessant fire from behind stockades and mud-walls -upon the boats. They even endeavoured to send a body of men across the -river in canoes so as to take the British in rear, but this movement -was at once intercepted.</p> - -<p>The fire from the boats producing but little effect, it was determined -to land a party. The boats accordingly pulled in simultaneously for one -spot, and about 160 men were landed, the remainder guarding the boats.</p> - -<p>The natives made a most determined resistance and an exceedingly -skilful use of the advantages of their position. The town, or at least -that part of it where the seamen landed, consisted of narrow streets -intersecting each other in every direction. The British were thus -exposed to a flanking fire down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> every street which debouched on the -line of advance; and the natives, when driven from one post, ran by -back-alleys to take up a new position further on. After advancing some -three hundred yards, and finding the resistance by no means diminished, -but, on the contrary, that the number of opponents increased at every -turning, and having already suffered a loss of two officers killed and -seven men wounded, it was determined that to continue the advance would -be imprudent. All the neighbouring houses were therefore set on fire, -and the force returned to the boats, and thence to the “Bloodhound.” -The fire continued to burn with great fury for some hours, and two -heavy explosions were heard; but there was no wind, and the houses -destroyed formed but a very small portion of the whole town.</p> - -<p>In consequence of this repulse the attack of Lagos in force was -ordered, and it was determined to dethrone Kosoko and to replace -Akitoye on the throne. A naval force was concentrated, consisting of -the “Sampson,” “Penelope,” “Bloodhound,” and “Teazer,” the whole being -under the command of Commodore H. W. Bruce. On December 24th, 1851, the -boats crossed the bar, and the “Bloodhound” dropped up the river with -the tide to reconnoitre. Three guns from the south end of the island -opened on her but did no damage, for the fire, though exceedingly well -directed, was faulty in elevation. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p> - -<p>The plan of attack arranged was that the boats should pass the lines -of defence as quickly as possible, go round the northern point of -the island, and there make the bombardment, where Kosoko and the -principal slave-dealers resided. The line of sea-defence extended from -the southern point of the island to the northern, along the western -front, a distance of nearly two miles. In parts, where the water was -sufficiently deep for boats to land, stakes in double rows had been -planted in six feet of water, and along the whole of the distance -an embankment and ditch for the protection of infantry had been -constructed; while at special points exceedingly strong stockades, made -of stout cocoa-nut trees, were erected for guns.</p> - -<p>On the 26th at daybreak the “Bloodhound” proceeded up the river -with the boats of the “Sampson” in two divisions, the one in front -the other following. The “Teazer” followed with the boats of the -“Penelope” similarly arranged, and accompanied by the consul’s iron -boat “Victoria,” fitted for rockets. The enemy immediately opened a -heavy fire of guns and musketry, the whole line of the embankment being -filled with men, of whom nothing was visible but the muzzles of their -muskets. The fire was returned from the British guns, but produced -little effect, as the shot could not do much injury to the green wood -of the stockades. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p> - -<p>In trying to get round the northern point of the island with her -division of boats the “Bloodhound” grounded. As the tide was falling -it was impossible to get her off; but her guns, opening fire, silenced -a battery of the enemy which was abreast of her, though nothing could -silence the furious fusilade of musketry. A slight breeze springing up -at this time it was seen from the “Bloodhound” that the “Teazer” was -also aground, nearly in the same position as the former vessel was at -the attack of November 25th.</p> - -<p>Abreast of the “Teazer” was a battery, which her solitary 32-pounder -contrived for some time to keep in check; but it was not long before -two other guns were brought to a stockade, and opened fire from a -position which was quite unassailable from the “Teazer.” These guns -were admirably served, and Captain Lyster of the “Penelope,” who was -in command of the “Teazer” and her division of boats, seeing that the -vessel would be inevitably destroyed before she could be got off at -high tide if the enemy’s fire were not silenced, determined to land and -carry the guns. The eight boats which had accompanied the “Teazer” were -formed in line, and pulled in directly for the stockade, which appeared -to be the best spot for landing. As the boats touched the shore a -tremendous discharge was poured into them; but the men formed up on the -beach, and entered the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> stockade, from which the enemy retreated into -the bush, which was close in rear. Lieutenant Corbett rushed ahead and -spiked the guns.</p> - -<p>The object of the landing being thus accomplished, the party retired to -re-embark, when it was discovered that during the confusion which had -naturally taken place, on landing under a severe fire, one of the boats -had been taken by the enemy, a party of whom were seen at a little -distance taking her towards the guns which had first opened fire on the -“Teazer.” As it was necessary to re-take her, the men hurriedly ran to -the other boats to go in pursuit. The crew of the captured boat, sixty -in number, having nothing in which to embark, crowded round the other -boats, which became overloaded, and some delay and confusion ensued in -consequence. No sooner did the natives perceive this than they came -down from the bush in swarms, pouring in a most destructive fire at a -distance of a few yards. Two seamen who were unable to find room in the -boats were seized and dragged up the beach, their heads being instantly -lopped off under the very eyes of their comrades, and their bodies, -horribly mutilated, thrown down again to the water’s edge.</p> - -<p>The boats at last shoved off, and it was then seen that there was -something wrong with the “Victoria,” which was close to the shore. -On pulling back it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> discovered that the anchor had been let go -without orders. It was impossible to slip the cable, as it was of chain -and clinched to the bottom of the boat, and there seemed to be no -alternative but to leave her in the hands of the natives, when suddenly -Lieutenant Corbett, who had received a severe wound on shore which -rendered his right arm almost useless, ran to the stern, and, under a -heavy fire, cut the chain-cable with a cold chisel. While so doing he -received five different gun-shot wounds.</p> - -<p>The “Victoria” was now got off, but the British loss had been so heavy, -amounting to one officer and thirteen men killed, and four officers -and fifty-eight men wounded, that it was not considered advisable to -make any attempt to recover the lost boat, and the boats returned to -the “Teazer.” Scarcely had they reached her than some forty or fifty of -the natives got into the captured boat, and started as if to attack the -vessel. They paid dearly for their audacity; for a rocket fired from -the “Teazer” entered her magazine and she at once blew up. At sunset -the “Teazer” was got off with the rising tide, and anchored out of -gun-shot for the night.</p> - -<p>In the meantime the “Bloodhound” and the boats of her division had been -warmly engaged. At 10 a.m. Lieutenant Saumarez had been despatched with -five boats round the north-eastern point, to ascertain<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> the strength -and position of the guns on that side of the island. A fire from four -guns strongly stockaded was immediately opened; and was returned from -the boats with such effect as to upset and turn out of its carriage one -of these guns. The object of the movement having been obtained, the -boats were recalled.</p> - -<p>The fire from the embankment abreast of the “Bloodhound” still -continued, and, about 2·30 p.m., it being observed that the enemy were -trying to bring several guns into position there, Lieutenant Saumarez -was sent with the boats of the “Sampson” to try and spike them. It -was found impossible for them to make their way through the hail of -missiles showered upon them, and they returned, with the loss of one -officer killed and ten men severely wounded.</p> - -<p>Next morning the “Teazer” got into the proper channel. A flanking fire -was opened on the western part of the enemy’s defences, and rockets -were thrown into the town. At about 11 a.m. a rocket was thrown into a -battery below the house of Tappa, Kosoko’s principal chief and adviser. -A tremendous explosion ensued, which was followed by an interval of -dead silence, then house after house caught fire, and the town was -shortly in a general blaze. The enemy’s fire at once slackened, and -then stopped; and the Commodore, being unwilling to do further damage, -ceased firing, and sent a summons to Kosoko to surrender. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span></p> - -<p>Next day, Sunday, no reply had been received; and, during the whole of -the day, canoes were observed crossing from the north-east of Lagos to -the island of Echalli, laden with furniture and household goods. This -was allowed to go on without molestation, and in the afternoon it was -learned that Kosoko and his followers had abandoned the island.</p> - -<p>A party was landed to spike guns and instal Akitoye as king, and it -was then found that a creek and swamp, running about two hundred -yards inland, had checked the flames and saved the eastern portion of -the town. The defences were most ingeniously planned. The beach was -strongly stockaded, with a ditch outside; and at every promontory was -an enfilading piece of ordnance. Fifty-two guns were in all captured.</p> - -<p>King Docemo succeeded Akitoye, and in 1861 Lagos was acquired by treaty -with that king, who handed it over to the British in return for a -pension of £1,000 a year. Badagry and Catanoo on the west, and Palma -and Leckie on the east, form integral portions of the settlement; and, -though we have no authority for so doing, jurisdiction is exercised -over the intervening sea-board; and, to a certain extent, over the -adjacent country, inhabited by tribes with whom we have made treaties.</p> - -<p>The town of Catanoo was acquired in January,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> 1880. It lies on the -sea-board, immediately opposite the independent kingdom of Porto Novo, -on the northern bank of the lagoon of the same name. The king of that -state was formerly a source of tribulation to the revenue officers of -Lagos; as, when Catanoo was independent, he could there land exciseable -articles free of duty, which were afterwards smuggled with wonderful -facility into British territory by lagoon. In addition to this, he -and his subjects were continually interfering with and molesting the -peaceable Mohammedan traders; so the inhabitants of Catanoo were -persuaded to hoist the British flag, and now the Porto Novo potentate -has to proceed as far west as Whydah to import his rum if he wishes to -avoid paying customs dues.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VI.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">Leeches—Ikorudu—A Blue-blood Negro—Badagry—Flying -Foxes—Fetishes—A Smuggler entrapped—Floating Islands—Porto -Novo—Thirsty Gods—Cruel Kindness.</p></blockquote> - -<p>While at Lagos I heard that there was one of those fortified Mohammedan -towns, peculiar to the interior of Western Africa, some eighteen miles -to the north-east of the island. I had never seen one of these towns, -so I hired a boat and a guide, and started early one morning for this -particular one, which was named Ikorudu. We paddled along the lagoon -for some distance, until we had passed the mouth of the river Ogu, and -then the canoe-men ran the canoe into the mud of a mangrove swamp, -and the guide said I was to disembark. I remarked that I did not see -any path, and that if I had known that I should have to wade about in -liquid mud I would have brought some stilts, but he said the road was -better after a little distance, so I got on the shoulders of one of the -men and waded ashore.</p> - -<p>We walked on along a track three or four inches deep with sticky mud, -through an immense swamp. Far away into the gloomy shadows of the bush<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> -stretched shallow pools of muddy water, in which the hideous mangrove -stretched out its distorted limbs, while the mangrove fish leaped off -the roots of the trees and skipped away across the surface of the -water at our approach. Suddenly my foot slipped from under me, and I -slid along for some distance, only to be brought up violently against -a mangrove stump. I rubbed my knee, and anathematised the mud <i>sotto -voce</i>. I had hardly moved two paces further when the ground seemed to -be cut away from under my feet, and I fell into the arms of my guide. -He said—</p> - -<p>“You will have to be careful where you tread here.”</p> - -<p>I replied:—“So it seems.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, there are a lot of them about this morning.”</p> - -<p>I asked him what he meant, and he answered by placing a foot on a -brown object in the mud and skating along over it. I examined this -object, and saw a flattened leech. The swamp was full of these things: -thousands of them clustered round the roots of the mangroves, millions -lay in the mud covered by the shallow water, and hundreds of them were -taking a morning walk over the path. I saw a canoe-man detach one from -his ankle and another from the calf of his log, so I took the hint -and tucked my trousers into my boots. There were enough leeches here -to phlebotomise the whole human race, and I thought<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> of returning -to England at once, and starting a Company, to be called the Grand -International Leech Supply, for furnishing every household with these -domestic creatures. As it is I give the idea, gratis, to any one of a -speculative turn of mind.</p> - -<p>After walking two miles over and through leeches we reached Ikorudu. -The town is surrounded by a high and thick swish wall, which is -loopholed, and has flanking bastions at irregular intervals; ingress -is only obtainable by passing through doorways into swish houses, the -floors of the upper rooms of which are loopholed, so that fire can be -brought to bear upon the approach below. At one entrance I saw a kind -of machicoulis gallery; and considering that the Egbas, against whom -these defences were constructed, have no artillery, the place seemed -tolerably strong. A broad and deep ditch encircles the whole town.</p> - -<p>In 1865 or 1866 an army of twelve thousand Egbas besieged this place, -and threw up two entrenched camps in its neighbourhood. The Ikorudans -applied to the Government of Lagos for assistance, and the Fifth -West India regiment, with the Lagos Police, numbering in all less -than five hundred bayonets, were sent to their relief. This handful -of men gallantly stormed the entrenchments and completely routed the -enemy with heavy loss.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> To properly estimate this victory it must be -remembered that the Fifth West India regiment was not in reality a -West India regiment, properly trained and disciplined, but an African -regiment, raised entirely from the Yomba and Houssa tribes in and about -Lagos, and bearing a very close resemblance to the present Houssa -Constabulary. This old habit of entitling African corps West India -regiments has led to many unfortunate mistakes, from which the two -<i>bonâ fide</i> West India regiments suffer sometimes even at the present -day.</p> - -<p>Shortly after this Ikorudu trip I took advantage of the sailing of -a small steamer belonging to a mercantile firm at Lagos to proceed -to Badagry, which lies to the west, up the Victoria lagoon. It is -thirty-three miles from Lagos as the crow flies, but the tortuous -nature of the only navigable channel makes the distance very much -greater for bipeds not possessed of wings. At 6 a.m. our small craft -cast off from the pier, and steamed away in the teeth of the fresh -morning breeze, which rippled the surface of the lagoon and fanned our -grateful faces. The channel which we followed was generally narrow, -though here and there the shores receded and left wide reaches of -shallow water, dotted with numerous small wooded islands. In such parts -the view was very pretty; and the numerous canoes, bound for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> Lagos -with native produce, paddled or poled along by brown-skinned men in -loose garbs of brilliant colours, added the requisite life and colour -to the scene. Numbers of crocodiles were seen basking on the banks of -the islets or the shores of the lagoon, frightening the white cranes -and flamingoes as they waddled with a splash into the water on the -approach of the steamer. Two would-be sportsmen on board fired several -shots at these saurians with those cheap German rifles, which are -manufactured by persons who seem to think that back-sights are merely -an ornamental appendage. Naturally they wounded nothing more vulnerable -than the water or bush.</p> - -<p>While we were steaming along a mulatto gentleman came up and entered -into conversation with me. He commenced by saying that he supposed I -was a stranger, and, after cross-examining me as to my business in -Lagos, expatiated upon the scenery, civilisation, and delights of that -settlement. After a little he said—</p> - -<p>“You may have heard of me; my name is Pilot.”</p> - -<p>I replied, “Oh! indeed, you’re the pilot are you? What depth of water -have we here?”</p> - -<p>“No, no, my dear Sir. You are quite mistaken. I am above menial -pursuits of that nature. My name is Pilate. P-i-l-a-t-e.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! really. It is a pretty name.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span></p> - -<p>He smiled a sweetly-satisfied smile, and continued.</p> - -<p>“Yes, pretty, but more than pretty—it is historical. You have, of -course, heard of my ancestor?”</p> - -<p>“N—no. I don’t remember just now.”</p> - -<p>“What? Never heard of Pontius Pilate?”</p> - -<p>“Pontius Pilate? Oh, yes—died of a skin disease, didn’t he?”</p> - -<p>He approached me with a proud and stately stride, and, tapping his -manly bosom with a forefinger, said, in a voice thick with emotion, or -something stronger—</p> - -<p>“That man was my ancestor. I am proud of it. But for him there would -have been no sacrifice of the blood of the lamb, and no atonement. He -was the greatest benefactor that mankind ever saw, and I—I am his -descendant. I am proud of it.”</p> - -<p>I said: “This is very interesting—I should like to see your pedigree.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! I regret to say that the family records have been sadly -neglected—but I have the skin disease of which you spoke. It is -hereditary.”</p> - -<p>I moved a little further off.</p> - -<p>He continued: “Yes, I have the skin disease. It is a proof of what I -tell you. Would you like to see it?”</p> - -<p>“N—no thanks; I’m afraid I haven’t time just now.”</p> - -<p>“It is a sad infliction, but I bear it. Yes, I bear<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> it because -it is the Lord’s will. The only thing that gives me any relief is -brandy—Have you any about you?”</p> - -<p>“No, I haven’t.”</p> - -<p>“Rum, perhaps?”</p> - -<p>“No, nothing of that kind.”</p> - -<p>“Dear, dear—Pardon this spasm, it will be over in a minute. Perhaps -the sailors have some. Will you lend me a shilling, and I will go and -inquire?”</p> - -<p>His spasms must have come on very badly after he left, for in about -half-an-hour’s time I saw him ardently hugging a stanchion, and -apparently trying to tie a true lover’s knot with his legs. I inquired -who he was, and learned that he was a gentleman at large. I was much -surprised; I should certainly have taken him to be a native missionary -from his manner.</p> - -<p>We arrived at Badagry about 10 a.m. The lagoon here is 600 yards wide -and 24 feet deep, and the sand-ridge which separates it from the sea -measures one-third of a mile in breadth. I should imagine that Badagry -is not a healthy place of residence; it is low-lying and swampy, and -sanitary considerations have evidently never been taken into account. -In fact sanitary law is a dead letter on the whole of the West Coast -of Africa, with the exception of Sierra Leone, and the most ordinary -and necessary precautions are neglected, while the natives are allowed -to indulge in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> the filthiest habits unchecked. Imagine an English town -with its drainage system cut off, and the inhabitants permitted to -accumulate offal and refuse of every indescribable kind around their -dwellings; then add a supply of dysenteric water, and a tropical sun to -make all the rubbish-heaps fester and grow corrupt; throw in a climate -that is unequalled for deadliness, and you will have a very fair idea -of a British settlement on the Gold Coast. Dozens of lives are yearly -sacrificed on that coast to the apathy of the Government, which will -not compel the natives to adopt more cleanly habits of life.</p> - -<p>The first thing that struck me on going ashore at Badagry was a stone, -which descended with some force from a tall tree; and I was looking -round for a safe object on which to vent my wrath, when one of the -sportsmen from the steamer came and made profuse apologies for the -accident. I asked him what he was throwing at, and he, being a German, -replied:</p> - -<p>“I drow at de grickeds.”</p> - -<p>This seemed so incomprehensible that I was going to give up attempting -the solution when he exclaimed:—</p> - -<p>“No, no—Not grickeds—badts. I know he vas something that you plays in -de game. Dey are dere,” and he pointed up to the tree.</p> - -<p>I looked up and saw what at first sight appeared<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> like a cluster of -rabbit-skins hung up to dry: they were flying foxes. I looked round, -and found almost every tree similarly adorned. But for an occasional -movement of the head, or the winking of an eye, one might have imagined -they were dead, they remained so still. The sportsman was very eager to -fire into the group, being only deterred from so doing by the fear of -their being fetish, and while he was endeavouring to satisfy himself on -this point I went away.</p> - -<p>The inhabitants of Badagry are apparently a very religious people, -for I do not remember ever to have seen so many fetishes of different -sorts in so small a town. Scattered generally about the streets and -courtyards are hundreds of small sheds, open in front, with thatched -roofs and bamboo walls. Each of these contains a graceful figure, -fashioned of clay into a semblance of the human form; and the faces of -these gods are fearfully and wonderfully made. The eyes are represented -by large cowries, the hair by feathers, and the gash which takes the -place of the mouth is garnished with the teeth of dogs, sharks, goats, -leopards, and men. A nose was too great a flight of genius for the -native sculptors, and they had satisfied themselves by boring two -little holes for nostrils and leaving the rest of the organ to be -understood. I noticed one deity whose head was covered with the red -tail-feathers <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span>of parrots, and the captain of the steamer said that the -people had put this up after having seen a red-haired trader who had -once paid them a visit.</p> - -<p>While wandering about I discovered a thick growth of trees and bushes -inclosed with a bamboo fence; this was the great fetish-ground of -Badagry, and I proceeded to pull down a piece of the fence, and look -in. I saw inside the usual heap of rubbish, broken pots, broken knives, -broken stools, and human skulls, and, in addition, spear-heads, arrows, -and bamboo shields. I thought I would like to take a few of these -things away as curios, and had begun pulling down more of the fence, -so that I might pass through, when I was disturbed by hearing somebody -shout:</p> - -<p>“Heigh, you there! You bess stop that.”</p> - -<p>I looked round and observed a negro, attired in European apparel, -rapidly coming towards me. He seemed very much alarmed, and said:</p> - -<p>“These people here are very partic’lar ’bout their fetish. If they was -to see you now they would kill you p’raps.”</p> - -<p>I said—“Bosh: this town belongs to the English.”</p> - -<p>“I tell you for true, Sir. Myself I’m Christian like you: I follow -the Lord; I don’t care for fetish. But these people here are very -bad people, very partic’lar. If they see you, you will catch plenty -trouble.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span></p> - -<p>I suffered myself to be persuaded and went away to have lunch with the -Commandant. During the meal I said what a pity it was I could not get -some of those arrows and spear-heads out of the inclosure. He seemed -surprised and asked:</p> - -<p>“What is there to prevent you?”</p> - -<p>“Why, the natives would make a row.”</p> - -<p>“They? Why they wouldn’t care if you carted the whole lot out.”</p> - -<p>I thought I had been hearing rather contradictory evidence, so I told -him about my interview with the Christian negro who had hindered me -from committing sacrilege. He listened with great attention, and -finally asked:</p> - -<p>“Was this man tall?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Was he fat?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Was he very ugly?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Had he got a strawberry ...? No, I don’t mean that. Had he lost some -of his front teeth?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>Then the Commandant heaved a sigh of relief, and sent for a sergeant of -police. When that myrmidon arrived he told him that he thought that Mr. -W—— was caught at last; and directed him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> to take three or four men, -and go and see if he could find anything in the fetish ground. While we -were waiting to see the upshot of this search the Commandant informed -me that my Christian friend, Mr. W——, was a notorious smuggler, who -was famed for the facility with which he robbed Her Majesty’s Customs.</p> - -<p>In about a quarter of an hour a procession, bearing some forty or fifty -demijohns of rum, marched into the yard; and the sergeant informed us -that he had left a man in charge of as much more. All this spirit had -been smuggled from Porto Novo, and then hidden in the fetish-ground, -where no native wandering in the outer darkness of unbelief would dare -to venture; but which my Christian friend, who like all such negroes -had repudiated the fetish moral, or immoral, code without adopting any -other in its place, had no scruple about making use of. No wonder he -was anxious that I should not outrage the religious prejudices of the -Badagrans. I met him afterwards, and he called me names, and was good -enough to say that my idle curiosity had caused him to lose more money -than I had ever possessed or could dream of possessing. Such are the -usual conversational pleasantries of negro traders.</p> - -<p>From Badagry I went on to Porto Novo, which lies seventeen miles -further to the west, or fifty<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> miles in all from Lagos. A curious -feature of the lagoon between Badagry and Porto Novo is the large -number of floating grass islands which one passes. Some of them have -sufficient stability to admit of persons walking about on them, and, -were they but cultivated, would be not unlike the <i>chinampas</i> of the -Aztecs on the lake of Mexico. They impede the navigation a good deal, -as no steamer could force its way through them, and <i>détours</i> have -to be made to avoid them, which frequently result in the repose of a -sand-bank being rudely disturbed by the stem of an erring vessel. When -disembarking from the steamer at Porto Novo I landed on one of these -islands, about two acres in extent, and walked across it, sending the -boat round to the opposite side. It seemed quite firm underfoot, except -at the edges, and was covered with soil four or five inches deep, -bearing a luxuriant crop of grass. It was kept afloat by an underlying -mass of matted rushes, canes, and succulent grass, from three to four -feet thick, but how the earth got on the top of this I do not know. -This island was larger and more substantial than most, but all break -up very rapidly in the mimic storms which occasionally vex the placid -waters of the lagoon.</p> - -<p>The town of Porto Novo is built on the eastern portion of the Porto -Novan lagoon, which is here two miles and a-half in breadth; and some -high ground,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> not elsewhere to be found for scores of miles along the -Slave Coast, lies a little to the north of it, and forms a pleasing -change in the dull level of the surrounding country. The town itself -is as dirty and irregular as most native ones, and there is nothing -to be seen worth mentioning but the <i>palace</i> of the king, who is, on -a smaller scale, an irresponsible and bloodthirsty despot like his -friend and ally the King of Dahomey. The royal residence is surrounded -by a swish wall, loopholed for musketry and protected by a ditch: it -includes, too, buildings for the accommodation of the four or five -hundred wives, slaves, dependents, and retainers of his majesty. It -is entered by means of a gateway through a house built of sun-dried -bricks, with windows on the upper story only, looking outwards; a -massive and iron-studded door, with three or four loopholes cut in it, -seems to show that the king scarcely considers himself safe from attack -even at home.</p> - -<p>Opposite to the palace-gate stands a row of fetish-sheds containing -specimens of the sculptor’s high art similar to those at Badagry; but -here the natives are more attentive to the wants of their deities, -and, though they do not give them anything to eat, because food costs -money, or rather cowries, they are careful to place before each a brass -pan full of water, which is popularly believed to be a more wholesome<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> -beverage for gods than rum, and costs nothing more than the trouble of -drawing it. Standing in the full glare of the sun, these pans naturally -become empty in the course of time through evaporation, which fact the -natives explain by saying that the fetishes drink it, and it is to them -ocular proof of the existence and material being of their deities.</p> - -<p>Next to the fetish huts is the shed for human sacrifices, to which -West African pastime the King of Porto Novo is as partial as the -comparatively limited number of his subjects will allow. It reeks with -blotches of black and clotted blood, covered with thousands of hungry -flies, and is furnished with headsman’s blocks made of a hard and dark -wood. A communicative Porto Novan, who was a shopman in one of the -French factories in the town, and had been showing me all these sights, -pointed to these blocks, and said in French:</p> - -<p>“We are always spoken of by you English at Lagos as a cruel people, but -these are a proof to the contrary.”</p> - -<p>I said, “I should have arrived at an exactly opposite opinion.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! then you have not observed closely, Monsieur. Do you not see that -each block is hollowed out, so that the man to be beheaded may rest his -chin and breast on it in comfort?” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Yes, I see that.”</p> - -<p>“Well that proves that we are considerate and kind.”</p> - -<p>“You are pleased to be facetious.”</p> - -<p>“Far from it, Monsieur, I am serious. I have to repeat that it proves -that we are considerate and kind.”</p> - -<p>“Does it?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. How do you English sacrifice?”</p> - -<p>“We don’t sacrifice at all,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Pardon, Monsieur, you hang. And how do you hang? With the absence of -gentleness the most great. You bind hand and foot; you do not study the -comfort of the man to be put to death.”</p> - -<p>“No, not much.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! you acknowledge it. Yes, yes; only when you have provided chairs -for your people to be sacrificed will you have arrived to our high -perception of kindness.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VII.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">The Niger Delta—Gloomy Region—Cannibals—King -Pepple—Bonny-town—Rival Chiefs—Dignitaries of the -Church—Missions—Curlews—A Night Adventure—A Bonny <i>Bonne -Bouche</i>.</p></blockquote> - -<p>From Lagos I went on to the Oil Rivers, as the numerous outlets in the -Niger delta are termed. The Nun mouth is now the recognised entrance -of the Niger; its ten western openings are Benin, Escardos, Forcardos, -Ramos, Dodo, Pennington, and Middleton rivers, Blind Creek, and -Winstanley and Sengana outfalls, and its nine eastern are Brass River -or Rio Bento, San Nicolas, Santa Barbara, Sombreiro, San Bartolomeo, -New Calabar, Bonny, Antonio, and Opobo rivers. The New Calabar and the -Bonny or Obané Rivers discharge into one estuary; and some authorities -consider that the latter is not an outfall of the Niger at all.</p> - -<p>The trade in these rivers is almost entirely in British hands, and -regular trading stations are found at Bonny, New Calabar, Brass, Opobo, -and Benin. The natives are independent of British rule, but from time -to time treaties have been made for the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span>regulation of trade, and for -the protection of traders. In each river or outfall the traders form a -Court of Arbitration, which settles all trade disputes arising between -themselves and the natives; and cases of moment are submitted to the -consul of the Bights of Benin and Biafra, who resides in the island of -Fernando Po. The principal exports are palm-oil, kernels, camwood, and -ivory, and it is from the immense quantities of the first commodity -annually shipped to England, and there used in the manufacture of tin, -butter, soap, and pomade, that the title of Oil Rivers is derived.</p> - -<p>It would be difficult to imagine a more depressing and gloomy region -than that of the delta of the Niger. On all sides, as far as the -eye can reach, one sees nothing but swamp after swamp of countless -mangroves, intersected in every direction by foul creeks of reeking -and muddy water; while, when the tide is out, vast expanses of black, -slimy mud, on which hideous crocodiles bask, are exposed to the sun. -It is indeed a horrible and loathsome tract, and it is a matter for -wonder that Europeans can be found willing to pass the best years of -their lives in such a place. Yet such is the case, and though a large -percentage of the white residents annually succumb to the pestilential -climate, and all suffer more or less from its effects, the survivors -jog along uncomplainingly, and some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> even seem in a measure to enjoy -their existence—one can hardly call it life.</p> - -<p>Wherever any dry land is found on the banks of these rivers, there -are established native towns; and opposite these are moored the hulks -in which the traders live. Some of these hulks have been fine vessels -in their day, and all are very comfortably fitted up and roofed over: -the finest is that of the African Steamship Company, the “Adriatic,” -which formerly belonged to the White Star Company, and is now moored in -Bonny river. Morning after morning the Europeans doomed to a wretched -existence in these floating prisons wake up with a feeling of weariness -and depression, and look out daily on the same muddy river with its -banks of reeking ooze and interminable mangrove swamps. At night time -the miasma creeps up from every creek and gradually enfolds all objects -in a damp white shroud; while the croaking of the bull-frogs, the cry -of a night-bird, and the lapping of the restless tide against the sides -of the hulk, are the only sounds that break the oppressive silence. -If ever a man were justified in seeking consolation from the flowing -bowl it would be in these rivers, which used to be the habitat of the -Palm Oil Ruffian, a creature that would not have been tolerated even -in Alsatia; but the <i>genus</i> is now rapidly dying out, and soon bids -fair to be classed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> with the Plesiosaurus and other extinct reptiles. -Death seems ever at hand, and here he does not appear, as in some parts -of West Africa, clothed with sunlight and the beauties of tropical -vegetation, but accompanied by all the imperfections of a sewer-like -and miasmatic swamp.</p> - -<p>The natives of the Niger delta are, with the exception of the Boobies -of Fernando Po, the most degraded and barbarous people found on the -West Coast of Africa. They are nearly all cannibals, and devour the -prisoners whom they capture in their internecine wars. The horrible -climate influences even the aborigines, nearly every second man or -woman one sees being covered with sores, or suffering from yaws, -elephantiasis, or some equally loathsome disease; and their religious -belief and fetish customs are tinged with the gloom which seems to -settle over the whole delta.</p> - -<p>Very little is known of this part of Africa beyond the actual coast -line and the Niger river, up which steamers ascend for some hundreds -of miles. Between Benin and the Nun mouth the numerous western outlets -have not even been surveyed, and we find on the Admiralty Charts -“natives hostile and cannibals.” In that portion of the delta the -inhabitants will hold no friendly intercourse with white men. Even -in those rivers in which the trading hulks are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> moored, Europeans -are prevented by the chiefs from ascending the streams; and in the -different treaties there is generally a stipulation that the traders -shall not attempt to go beyond a certain distance. The reason of this -is that the tribes that reside near the mouths of the rivers act as -middle-men to the native oil-traders higher up, and they are afraid -that if we penetrate beyond a short distance we shall be able to -purchase the produce at first hand, and that they will thus lose their -percentage or commission.</p> - -<p>The chief town in the delta of the Niger is that of Bonny, of which -George Pepple is the nominal king; he has, however, no power or -influence of any kind, and the real king is old Oko Jumbo, a veteran -chief, who has a large trading establishment by the riverside and is -very rich and prosperous.</p> - -<p>George Pepple is like the average of Christianized negroes in West -Africa. A few years ago he was expelled from his kingdom by his -subjects, on account of the trouble he was bringing on the community by -his habit of obtaining goods from the traders and then repudiating the -debt, and went to England to spend the money with which his peculiar -method of doing business had provided him. In England he was baptized -by the Bishop of London, and made much of by undiscriminating persons. -One of his wives had accompanied him, and in London she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> acquired a -liking for cordial Old Tom, under the influence of which she neglected -to treat her liege lord with that deference which he considered his -due. Under these circumstances George Pepple determined to execute -her, and applied to the Lord Mayor for permission, merely as a matter -of form and to show that he knew what was due to the prejudices of -foreigners. He was much astonished and annoyed when he learned that -such an execution would be deemed a murder, and that the law of England -presumed to interfere in purely domestic episodes of this nature. -Shortly after this Pepple returned to Bonny; but before leaving England -he induced several credulous Englishmen to accompany him, promising -them high and lucrative positions about his court and person, such as -Master of the Horse, Chief Equerry, Groom in Waiting, and so on. After -having made elaborate preparations and being put to the expense of the -journey to Bonny, one can imagine the feelings of these men on finding -that the palace consisted of a mud hut and the kingdom of a few acres -of swamp, even in which limited monarchy his authority was <i>nil</i>. -In 1876 Pepple returned to England to try his old plan of obtaining -goods on credit, and was again treated as a great African potentate, -being entertained by the Lord Mayor, and his daily doings being duly -chronicled by the press.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> He has lately been released from the durance -vile in which his subjects had been keeping him on account of some -misdemeanour, but is still under a cloud, as his peculiarities are so -well known, and he is treated with but scant ceremony by the natives -and traders of Bonny river. As an instance of how little African -royalty is in consonance with European, I may mention that Pepple’s -eldest son was, until very recently, post-master at Accra with a salary -of some 50<i>l.</i> a year.</p> - -<p>Bonny-town is the worst and dirtiest to be found on the West Coast of -Africa; the houses are small “wattle and daub” structures, and there -are no streets even of the poor description that are found in towns on -the Gold Coast. The huts are scattered about in indescribable confusion -amongst pools of mud, heaps of refuse, and cess-pits; and one cannot -walk more than a few hundred yards in any given direction without -finding a bar to further progress in the shape of a muddy creek. The -Bonny traders do not often honour the town with their presence, nor is -there any inducement for them to do so. The Ju-ju house is the only -“sight” in Bonny. It is a mud hut in a ruinous condition, in which, -piled up in wattle racks, are innumerable human skulls, the remains of -persons who have been sacrificed to the Ju-ju, or fetish. A glimpse of -these, and of a number<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> of rudely-carved wooden idols, can be obtained -by peeping through an aperture in the broken-down wall of the house; -and even this must be done by stealth, as the natives do not care to -have white men prying into the mysteries of their religion; and, being -quite an independent people, they could inflict any fine or punishment -they might think proper on an inquisitive stranger.</p> - -<p>The few acres on which Bonny-town is built, a sandy strip at Rough -Corner at the eastern entrance of the river, and about two acres on -Peterside, opposite Bonny-town, is all the dry land to be found within -miles; all else is interminable mangrove swamp, intersected with -creeks, to which the sharks from the river-bar come to breed. Should -a man fall overboard in Bonny river he is never seen again after the -first plunge, and it is supposed that there is a powerful under-current -which tows the body under, though others ascribe its disappearance to -the ubiquitous sharks.</p> - -<p>A visitor to Bonny cannot fail to notice the number of old cannon -and carronades lying about uncared-for in the town. These are simply -neglected because they are out of date, for the natives of the Niger -delta, though so behindhand in civilisation, keep up their armament -to the style of the day. There is a battery of four Armstrong guns at -Peterside, where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> the river is one mile and a-half wide, and there -are several of these guns in Bonny-town. When making war upon another -tribe, the natives dismount these guns and lash them upon a sort of -deck built in the bows of one of their large canoes, which can carry -from thirty to forty persons. The gun then is of course immovable, so -in action the canoe is manœuvred till the piece points in the right -direction, when it is discharged. As they aim point-blank whether the -object aimed at be distant a mile or only a few yards, they do not do -much execution, except by accident. Besides these Armstrongs there -are thousands of breech-loading rifles, Sniders, Martini-Henrys, and -Winchester repeaters, in the hands of the natives, almost every man -possessing one. These are all imported by British merchants, and are -manufactured so cheaply in Birmingham that a trader in the oil rivers -can afford to sell a Snider rifle for 2<i>l.</i> and then make a slight -profit. Directly these natives obtain such rifles they want to go and -try their effect on something, and as they are useless for purposes of -sport, except against large game, which is not found in the delta, they -go and rake up some old quarrel with an insignificant tribe, and try -the efficacy of their weapons upon its members. To this cause may be -attributed most of their wars.</p> - -<p>Oko Jumbo and Ja-Ja are the rival chiefs of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> eastern outfalls of -the Niger; they are both natives of Bonny. Some years back a Government -of four regents, of which Oko Jumbo and Ja-Ja were members, was -established in Bonny. The two rival chiefs each wished to monopolise -the power, quarrels ensued, and finally Ja-Ja seceded and set up a -kingdom for himself. Since then each has been endeavouring to outvie -the other in the completeness of his war material. No sooner did Ja-Ja -hear that his rival at Bonny had Armstrong guns, than he also sent to -England for some. Recently a Gatling gun arrived for him, and the Bonny -natives are now devoured with rage and envy because they have not one. -Oko Jumbo has under his command some 7,000 or 8,000 men, all armed with -breech-loading rifles and well supplied with ammunition; and Ja-Ja can -put about the same number, similarly armed, into the field. The wars -between these chieftains are notorious; one has but lately come to -an end, in which several of Ja-Ja’s wives were captured and eaten by -the enemy, and judging from the past we may expect another war soon. -The bodies of the slain, and some of the prisoners taken, are always -eaten by the combatants, and the remainder of the prisoners are sold -into slavery. I asked Oko Jumbo why they did not eat all the captives, -since they seemed to like that kind of food, and he replied that a -good dinner was all very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> well in its way, but that it only satisfied -one for a day at the most, whereas the rum, tobacco, and cloth -purchased with the money obtained for the slaves would be a source of -gratification for some weeks. The traders always endeavour to settle -disputes between the natives, as during a war the river is closed, no -produce is brought down, and their trade is almost at a standstill; -they do not, however, seem inclined effectually to put an end to all -these petty wars by combining together to refuse to supply the natives -with arms and gunpowder.</p> - -<p>Bonny-town rejoices in a bishop and an archdeacon of the Church of -England, both pure negroes. Notwithstanding the presence of these high -dignitaries of the Church, however, Christianity does not flourish in -Bonny. The only members of the Mission are the semi-Christianised and -semi-civilised negroes from Sierra Leone and Lagos, who by themselves -form a small colony. The men of this community are carpenters, coopers, -&c., who are employed by the traders; and the women—well, the less -that is said about them the better. Among the natives of Bonny itself -the missionaries make no converts; some will attend the services for a -few weeks, from curiosity or from the hope of obtaining something, and -then return to their old habits. The zeal of the missionary is wasted, -for the fetish priests, who possess enormous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> influence, exercise all -their power to prevent any of their followers joining the Mission. -This is probably the only reason of the failure, because Christianity -amongst negroes only consists in the outward observance of the Sunday -ceremonies, and proselytes would have to give up none of their present -pleasing practices. Morality is a word which conveys no meaning -whatever to the ordinary negro mind. Fetishism is everywhere rampant; -before almost every house may be seen a wooden or clay idol, to which -offerings of food and drink are daily made, and human sacrifices are -not by any means rare. A very common sacrifice to Ju-ju is that of a -young girl, who is at low water fastened to a stake firmly imbedded in -the river mud, and then left to perish in the rising tide, or to be -devoured by sharks or crocodiles.</p> - -<p>All English Missions on the West Coast of Africa, of whatever -denomination, are an utter failure. Their custom is to get children to -attend their schools, and then administer doses of religion to them, -with the rudiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now, in the -first place, the advantage of these acquirements does not very much -strike the average negro parent, and, in the second place, the schools -turn out annually scores of youths who are only fitted, educationally, -to become shopmen and subordinate clerks and bookkeepers. There being -only a limited demand for such<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> persons, it follows that the majority -of the Mission ex-pupils can obtain no employment of that kind; they -consider themselves, on account of what they call their superior -education, above work, and so, having nothing else to do, they devote -their minds and acquirements to the swindling of their more ignorant -fellow-countrymen; and some of them, establishing themselves as clerks -and advisers to the bush chiefs, do incalculable mischief.</p> - -<p>The German Missions follow a much better plan. To each Mission -is attached a European carpenter, blacksmith, cooper, tailor, or -shoemaker, as a sort of lay-brother, and the pupils are taught these -trades. The immense advantage of having his children taught a trade -gratuitously is patent to the most careless negro parent, and he sends -his children to the school accordingly; while in after-life they -have the means of earning an honest livelihood, and becoming useful -members of the community. Accra now supplies almost the whole of the -Gold Coast and the Niger delta with artisans, because a German Mission -has been established at Christiansborg for years, where the system of -inculcating the great fact that honest and useful labour is much more -praiseworthy than idle psalm-singing has been steadfastly pursued. I -should advise those quasi-philanthrophists, who prefer squandering -their money on the utopian negro to relieving<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> the necessities of the -poor of their own country, to withdraw their support from the English -societies and transfer it to the Basle and Bremen Missions.</p> - -<p>The only recreation which Bonny affords is curlew-shooting, which I -enjoyed several times with my host of the “Adriatic.” Towards sun-set, -when the curlew began to fly down towards their feeding-ground at -Breaker Island at the mouth of the river, we used to take a boat up one -of the numerous creeks, run her on to the mud at one side, and proceed -to make a screen of mangrove branches. From behind this leafy cover we -bagged many a bird on its flight down the creek. The number of guanas -found in these channels is enormous; when keeping perfectly quiet under -our cover we could see dozens upon dozens of them, some four or five -feet in length, crawling about on the opposite bank, or leaping out of -the water in pursuit of fish. This reptile is sacred, or fetish, at -Bonny, as is the python in Dahomey and the crocodile at Accra.</p> - -<p>It is advisable on such shooting excursions to be accompanied by -somebody who knows the river. On my return to Bonny later on, after -visiting Old Calabar, the doctor of the steamer and I nearly came to -grief through going by ourselves. We left the ship shortly before -sunset, and steered towards a long and narrow mud-bank down the -river, where we had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> noticed that thousands of birds went to feed at -nightfall. We reached the bank just as the light was beginning to -fail; the cries of innumerable waterfowl rose from the mud, and we -congratulated ourselves on being about to make a good bag. To our -great annoyance we found, after following the sinuosities of the bank -for some time, that we could not get within range from the boat; but, -as we did not intend to be disappointed in that way, we got out and -waded through the slime, dragging the boat a short way with us, till -we reached what we considered a safe spot to leave it on. It was -now nearly dark, but we could see the white plumage of hundreds of -pelicans and other waterfowl a short distance off, so we both fired. -An indescribable clamour of screams and cries followed the reports, as -myriads of birds rose from the mud and wheeled and circled overhead. We -reloaded, picked up our birds, and waited. Gradually the cries became -fewer and fewer, and at last the whole flock settled down upon the -furthest end of the bank. We were not satisfied with what we had got -(what sportsman ever is?), so we gained the crest of the bank, where -the footing was firmer, and proceeded to walk towards our prey, about -three-quarters of a mile distant. We there repeated the former process -with equal success, and turned to retrace our steps to our boat. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span></p> - -<p>When we had accomplished about half the distance a horrible shiver, -or tremor, seemed to stir the whole surface of the mud, and we both -sank to our knees in slime. I never felt such fear before: I did not -need any one to tell me what that ghastly tremor prognosticated; I -knew we were on a quick-sand, or rather quick-mud, and that the tide -must be coming in, and the prospect of being sucked down and smothered -in reeking ooze was not a pleasant one. We drew our legs from the -quivering mass, and tried to run in the direction in which we had left -our boat. Worse and worse: we sank deeper and deeper at every step, -the darkness, too, grew ever denser; we feared that our boat had been -carried away by the rising tide, and we knew not which way to turn to -extricate ourselves—assistance, we well knew, there was none. As the -mud appeared a little firmer to our left we moved on to it, and waited -in silence, panting and breathless from our late exertions. The birds, -who had been the cause of our getting into this fix, came wheeling -round overhead, and their cries echoed weirdly in the deathly stillness -of the night. I said to the doctor—</p> - -<p>“Let us fire off our guns together—somebody may hear us—It’s our only -chance.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think it’s any use.”</p> - -<p>“Well, let us try anyhow.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span></p> - -<p>We fired three or four times, but heard nothing except the lap lap of -the tide as it gradually drew nearer to us, and the screams of the -frightened birds. Presently a ripple of water came along and washed our -ancles, for our feet were buried, and almost simultaneously the doctor -sank to the armpits. I thought it was all over then, but I loaded -mechanically and fired once more. The report had scarcely died away -before my companion shouted excitedly:—</p> - -<p>“I saw something white behind you, by the flash of your gun—perhaps -it’s hard sand.”</p> - -<p>I helped him up on to the firmer mud where I was standing, and we tried -to make our way towards what he had seen. After about two paces we both -sank to our waists, and, in trying to get out, floundered on to our -faces; but when our heads were thus raised but little above the level -of the slime we could see, dimly through the darkness, a white crest -about twenty yards off. It was a ridge of sand. How we got through -the intervening distance I do not know; but, partly swimming, partly -crawling and floundering along, we at last felt the dry sand under our -hands, and, drawing ourselves up to the top of the little bank, fell -down utterly done up.</p> - -<p>We neither of us said anything for some time, and then we began -complaining about the loss of our guns and hats, and wishing for -something with which to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> take the taste of the mud out of our mouths. -We could not see each other, it was too dark, but we must have looked -pretty objects, clothed from head to foot in a coating of black mud -which smelt—unpleasantly. Soon we began to shiver with cold, and -there was no room for exercise; the minutes dragged on their flight -as if they were leaden, and we thought the night would never come to -an end. At last, after about two hours, we heard a faint halloo in -the distance. We shouted in reply until we were quite hoarse and our -throats sore; then the cry was repeated, and we knew we were all right. -Soon we heard the creaking of rowlocks, and a boat glided up to us. We -were not sorry to see it.</p> - -<p>In 1879 a Member of Parliament, an extremely <i>rara avis</i> on the West -Coast of Africa, visited Bonny in his yacht, and the traders still -narrate the following harrowing tale about him. They say that one -morning, being on shore, he strolled into old Oko Jumbo’s house about -11 a.m., and found that veteran warrior at breakfast. He was asked to -partake of the meal, and, being anxious to try the native cookery, -acquiesced. A black clay dish full of some oleaginous stew was set -before him, which he eyed askance, and finally tasted with doubt. A -little fiery perhaps, owing to the native liking for red peppers, but -otherwise not bad: so he plunged his spoon in and fell to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> like a -man. After a few mouthfuls he unearthed from the bottom of the dish -a curious-looking object. A cold shudder convulsed his frame, and he -looked closely. He could distinguish what seemed like five fingers and -the palm of a hand, and, seized with a violent nervous contraction of -the diaphragm, he leaped from the table and leaned out of a window. -After a little he looked back into the room with brimming eyes, a -haggard brow, and a mind full of the tales of the cannibal propensities -of the natives of Bonny. He approached the old chief with tottering -limbs, and one hand pressed upon the abdominal region, and inquired:—</p> - -<p>“What’s in that dish?”</p> - -<p>“Me no <i>sabe</i>—no eat him dish yet.”</p> - -<p>“You old scoundrel, it’s ’long pig’:” and again he rushed with -exceeding swiftness to look at the prospect out of the window.</p> - -<p>When he had recovered, he took his hat and stick sorrowfully, and -staggered down the steps. Just as he was stepping into the boat, one of -Oko Jumbo’s slaves came running up with the identical black dish that -had been the cause of all this woe. The enraged legislator brandished -his stick and said:—</p> - -<p>“What do you want? What do you mean by bringing that here?”</p> - -<p>“Master said he thought you wanted it.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span></p> - -<p>“No, I don’t—take it out of my sight.”</p> - -<p>Just as the boy was going he thought he might as well add a little to -his stock of information, and added:—</p> - -<p>“I suppose that’s one of Ja Ja’s babies, eh?”</p> - -<p>“Which, Master?”</p> - -<p>“Why that in the stew, you fool.”</p> - -<p>A serene smile broke out over the interesting countenance of the youth -as he replied:—</p> - -<p>“Piccin? This no piccin chop. No war palaver live now. Him Guana.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">Old Calabar—Duke Town—Capital Punishments—Moistening the -Ancestral Clay—A Surgeon’s Liabilities—Man-eaters—A Mongrel -Consul—Curious Judgments.</p></blockquote> - -<p>From Bonny I went on to the Old Calabar river, called by the natives -Kalaba and Oróne, which, though always included with the outfalls -of the Niger under the general title of Oil Rivers, is an entirely -distinct stream. After twenty hours’ steaming from Bonny we entered -the estuary of the river, and, crossing the bar, ascended the stream, -which, in comparison with the wide reach of Bonny river, seemed small -and contracted, though it is of fair size, and very deep. About ten -miles from the bar we passed Parrot Island, an isle in the centre -of the river, covered with a dense growth of mangrove trees, and -entered upon a narrower channel to the right of the island. The -banks were thickly wooded, and it was a strange sight to see a large -steamer pursuing its way in the midst of a dense forest, and within -a stone’s throw of the bank. The far-spreading branches brushed the -yards of the ship, and the alligators, disturbed by the stroke of the -propeller, lazily crawled out of the black<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> mud in which they had -been wallowing. As at this part of the stream the navigable channel -follows very closely the eastern bank, it is no uncommon occurrence for -sailing-ships ascending and descending to get their rigging fouled with -the overhanging branches.</p> - -<p>Thirty miles from the entrance of the river we anchored off Duke-town, -where lie the hulks of the traders: the stream here is half-a-mile in -breadth, and there is sufficient draught of water for vessels of 2,000 -tons.</p> - -<p>Duke-town is more pleasantly situated, better built, and larger, than -Bonny-town, and the natives are of a less barbarous type. The town -stands on a hill which slopes gently towards the river, and behind it -the ground rises into a kind of plateau, a good deal of which is under -cultivation, and where there is a thriving American Mission station. -For the European traders, however, who live in hulks and very rarely -go ashore, Old Calabar is perhaps a more unpleasant place of residence -than Bonny. Opposite and below Duke-town are the same mangrove swamps, -at low water the same reeking mud, at night the same malarial fog; -while the water of the river is of a more filthy description than that -of Bonny (to bathe in it is said to cause a loathsome skin disease); -the stream is only one-third of the width of the former, and Duke-town, -being so far inland, is deprived of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> the sea-breeze, which at Bonny -helps one to drag out a miserable existence; the heat, therefore, is -most oppressive.</p> - -<p>The name of Duke-town is derived from a native family of high rank -which has adopted the European patronymic of Duke, and two principal -members of which, Prince Duke and Henshaw Duke, are among the leading -chiefs of the place. As the possession of Armstrong guns and munitions -of war is considered a sign of wealth and authority in Bonny, so here -a man’s status is fixed by the style of house he inhabits. This hobby -is carried to such a length that the chiefs have wooden houses sent out -to them from England and Germany, and keep European carpenters in their -pay to erect them and keep them in repair. Some of these houses bristle -with turrets, porticoes, verandahs, and bow-windows, and the chief -whose residence has the largest number of these appendages is the one -who makes the greatest show of wealth and influence.</p> - -<p>Although in this respect the natives of Old Calabar seem more amenable -to civilising influences than those of Bonny, there is not equal -superiority displayed in their customs, except in the absence of the -practice of cannibalism. Their treatment of criminals, for instance, is -marked by great cruelty. When a native is detected in the commission -of any serious offence, such as murder or theft, he is gagged, laid<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> -across an upturned canoe, his back broken by blows from heavy clubs, -and his body thrown into the river. Sometimes they vary their <i>modus -operandi</i>, and, after gagging the culprit, they truss him like a fowl, -and fastening him to stakes driven into the mud at low water leave him -to be drowned or devoured by alligators.</p> - -<p>A curious local custom is that called “Feeding the Dead.” When they -bury their dead, the relatives, before the earth is filled into the -grave, place a tube, formed of bamboo, or pithy wood with the pith -extracted, and sufficiently long to protrude from the earth heaped -up over the body, into the mouth of the deceased; and down this they -pour, from time to time, palm wine, water, palm oil, &c. They appear to -imagine that dead men do not require solid food at all, and, as they -only pour the liquids down two or three times a month, are not very -thirsty souls. They believe that after death the deceased suffers from -the same bodily ailments as he did in life, and sometimes very filial -natives will go to the doctor of a steamer, and simulate the complaint -from which the paternal or maternal ancestor suffered, in order that -they may obtain the requisite medicine to pour down the grave. One day -a lad, son of a late chief, came to the resident doctor of the river -and said:—</p> - -<p>“Doctor, my foot sick. Gimme some med’cine.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What’s the matter with it?” inquired the doctor.</p> - -<p>“Him swell up—fit to burst—can’t walk no more.”</p> - -<p>The Galen of the river examined the foot, and, finding it perfectly -sound and healthy, and not swollen in the least, assumed an enraged -aspect, and demanded fiercely—</p> - -<p>“What d’you mean by telling me these lies?”</p> - -<p>“Please, master, not my foot sick, my fader foot sick.”</p> - -<p>“Then tell him to come here himself.”</p> - -<p>“He can’t come—they put him ground already.”</p> - -<p>“D’you mean he’s dead?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, master—him dead now ’bout three month.”</p> - -<p>“Then what d’you mean by coming here? Get out of this.”</p> - -<p>“Master, I want the med’cine for sick foot same as I tell you. I want -to give him my fader, he no get med’cine since he put in ground. I know -him foot plenty sick now.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I’ll give you some if you pay for it.”</p> - -<p>“I no get money, master.”</p> - -<p>“Then you won’t get any medicine.”</p> - -<p>The filial affection of these people is not such that they will expend -coin of the realm in the purchase of medicine or drink for their -dead parents. They do not give them rum for instance. The ancestral -clay<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> only gets moistened with palm wine or water, while the more -exhilarating beverage goes down their own throats. Perhaps they think -that ghosts have weak heads and cannot stand mundane spirits.</p> - -<p>The natives of Old Calabar extend the liabilities of a surgeon to an -extent that would be most appalling to practitioners of surgery if -it were generally adopted in Europe. A doctor on this river was once -called to a case in which a boy had had his leg crushed and fearfully -lacerated by an alligator, and, to save the boy’s life, amputated the -leg above the knee. It was a very complicated case, as there were -other injuries besides; but after much trouble and hard work his -efforts were crowned with success, and the patient was declared out -of danger. Not many days after he had ceased visiting the wounded -boy he descried, while sitting on the deck of the hulk in which he -resided, a canoe being paddled towards him; which, as it drew nearer, -he could see contained the parents, brothers, and sisters of his late -patient and the patient himself. He thought they were coming to express -their gratitude and thankfulness to him for saving the life of their -beloved relative, and with the pleased self-consciousness of having -performed a virtuous action prepared to receive them. When the family -had climbed up the ladder on to the deck they solemnly and sadly, -and in dead silence, supporting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> the crippled boy in their midst, -approached the doctor; and then, depositing their burden at his feet, -retired hurriedly to the ladder as if to go away again. The astonished -benefactor, wondering what this could mean, called them back and asked -for an explanation of their behaviour. Then broke forth a torrent of -woe; they lifted up their voices in lamentation, and said that he had -cut off the leg of their poor son and brother; he had crippled him for -life, so that now he could not work or be of any use to them; he had -taken all the joy out of their beloved relative’s life, and maimed him -so that he had become a bye-word and a jest, and that consequently he -must support him. They added thoughtfully that if he liked to pay a -daily sum for the boy’s subsistence they would take care of him and -not make any charge for lodging. The doctor was at first overwhelmed -by this unexpected assault, but soon recovering himself, he, in an -injured tone, taxed them with ingratitude, pointed out to them that -he had only taken off the leg to save the boy’s life, and that if he -had not done so the child would have died, and have been lost to them -altogether. Upon this the family with renewed tribulation declared that -it would have been better if the boy had died, as then they would only -have incurred the comparatively trifling expense of the funeral custom; -whereas now they would have to keep him all his life if his mutilator<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> -did not do his duty and support him; and all this time the boy himself -lay silent on the deck, looking at his saviour with mournful and -reproachful eyes, that seemed to say “look at the condition to which -you have reduced me.” The argument was carried on until at last, -finding that the family was not amenable to reason, the doctor had the -whole of them turned out of the ship. After that he thought that the -matter was settled and that he would hear no more of it, but these -poor injured people were not going to let him off so easily. A few -days later, when he went ashore, they met him in the street, laid the -cripple at his feet, and again filled the air with cries of woe and -abuse of the doctor. He tried to escape them, but when he moved on -they followed wailing with their maimed boy; if he walked fast, so did -they; when he stopped they stopped too, and formed a lamenting circle -round him; when he went into a house they congregated on the doorstep -and made conversation impossible with their complaints; and at last he -had to fly for refuge to his hulk. Every time he went on shore this was -repeated; until at last he had to give up going out, and was confined -to the ship altogether. When the importunate parents discovered this -they came out in a canoe, and day after day paddled round the vessel, -yelling out their grievances in discordant and dismal tones. It was -too much for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> unfortunate doctor, his life became a misery to him, -and at last he flung up his lucrative practice, exchanged with another -doctor, and went off to one of the Niger outfalls. Surgical operations -are not now in high favour with doctors on the Old Calabar river.</p> - -<p>I have said that the original cause of all this trouble was an -alligator who had been seized with an uncontrollable desire to dine -off the leg of a boy, and man-eaters of this description are not by -any means uncommon in this part of the world. Women washing clothes, -men fishing, and children dabbling about by the edge of the water, are -frequently seized and dragged into the river by alligators. Sometimes -these monsters will even attack men on shore, and, a few days before -my arrival, a watchman, who was on duty over a corrugated iron store -on the river bank, was seized in the night, some thirty yards from the -brink of the water, by an alligator, and dragged into the stream. The -cries of the man alarmed the neighbourhood, but those who hastened to -his assistance found nothing to show what had become of him but pools -of blood and the trail of the alligator in the mud. A short distance -above Duke-town are the remains of two or three old hulks, lying -rotting in the mud, which are a favourite resort of these alligators; -and any one dropping down with the tide in a boat can see scores of -these disgusting creatures, from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> fifteen to twenty feet long, basking -on them. They are very wary, because they are so often shot at, and at -the slightest creak of an oar in a rowlock all will stand up to their -full height, moving their heads up and down in exactly the same manner -as do lizards when alarmed; and directly they catch sight of a boat -they plunge into the water.</p> - -<p>I went up the river one day to get a shot at these, or any others I -might see, but it was under circumstances that made success as probable -as it would be if one went out alligator-shooting accompanied by a -brass band in full blast. I went with a youth, who, from having been a -clerk to one of the traders in the river, had, by the death of Consul -Hopkins, a man universally admired and respected in West Africa, been -suddenly thrust into the position of Acting Consul for the Bights -of Benin and Biafra. I never saw a better illustration of the old -saying about being clothed in a little brief authority. In the eyes -of this hybrid official the paraphernalia of office were of paramount -importance, and, as he had no consular uniform of his own, he had -donned, despite the unsuitableness in point of size, the garments of -the late consul. The new man was very tall, whereas his predecessor had -been short; the consequence of which difference was that there was a -woeful hiatus between the termination of the short jacket with brass -buttons<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> and the band of the continuations, which gap exposed to view a -vast region of not very clean shirt. The gold-laced cap of office was -too small, and on the head of the gallant youth presented very much the -same appearance as would a thimble upon the top of an orange. He wore -it in and out of season; and I shall never forget the consternation and -horror which was depicted on his countenance, when, through yawning -in a moment of forgetfulness, it slipped from its perch and fell into -the river; nor how he strove to console himself, and make the best of -his loss, by rushing to the purser of the homeward-bound steamer, and -asking him to bring out three new ones for him next trip. It was in the -boat of this magnificent official that I went up the river. It was a -gorgeous gig, with an awning astern and brass fittings; he would abate -none of his glory, and took his six oarsmen, in consequence of which -the splashing of the oars and the creaking of the rowlocks awoke the -echoes of the forest, and frightened every bird, beast, and reptile -within half-a-mile. Of course we saw nothing, and did not fire a shot.</p> - -<p>While I was at Old Calabar this “Jack in Office” had an opportunity -of displaying his judicial authority and legal acumen. Two Kroomen on -board the mail steamer were charged by the Captain with having broken -open a bale out of the cargo, and appropriated<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> the contents. The -accused protested their innocence, and the only evidence against them -was that of another Krooman, who said that he had found the covering of -the missing bale, which was easily known by its marks, in a part of the -hold near which he had seen the two prisoners, but to which any one in -the ship had access. This was quite enough for the Acting Consul: he -sentenced the men to three dozen lashes each, which he waited to see -administered, and then he handed them over, though they were natives -of Sierra Leone and consequently British subjects, to an independent -native chief to be kept in slavery. This was tantamount to giving an -official approval to the practice of slavery; and had it occurred in -any other part of the world more would have been heard of it, but no -one troubles himself about such things in West Africa.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER IX.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">Sierra Leone—More Civility—Cobras—A Guilty Conscience—Naval -Types—Freetown Society—A Musical Critic—The Rural Districts—A -British Atrocity.</p></blockquote> - -<p>On January 1st, 1881, I returned once more to Sierra Leone. I found the -place and people very much improved, which improvement was, I believe, -entirely due to the action of the late Governor, Sir Samuel Rowe, who -had consequently acquired the cordial hatred of all the Sierra Leone -lower classes. Future Governors need not however lose heart; there is -still something left for them to do, and, if they are only sufficiently -energetic, they will have no difficulty in gaining that unpopularity -with the natives which is, in West Africa, more honourable than -popularity.</p> - -<p>Civility to Europeans is still one of the weak points of the Sierra -Leonians. Two or three days after my arrival some enterprising burglar -ransacked my quarters during my absence, and removed everything which -he considered worth taking. Suspicion fell upon the occupants of a -certain house in the town, and a search-warrant was issued. As it was -necessary that the stolen articles should be at once identified,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> if -found, I had to accompany the police who went to examine this den; but, -as the aroma of such dwellings is not usually pleasant, I allowed them -to go into the house, and went and sat down on a rock by the roadside -under the shade of a tree.</p> - -<p>While so sitting, a Sierra Leone gentleman, whom I had seen for some -distance coming along the road towards me, drew nigh, and lifted up his -voice and spake, saying:—</p> - -<p>“Hullo, you white nigger—what you do here, eh?”</p> - -<p>I pretended to be deeply abstracted in the examination of the soil at -my feet, and made no answer; while he continued, working himself into a -passion as he proceeded—</p> - -<p>“Heigh, you white nigger. You too proud to talk, eh? Dam brute.”</p> - -<p>A small crowd began to collect and make facetious remarks at my -expense, so I said to my annoyer:—</p> - -<p>“If you don’t go away I’ll call the police.”</p> - -<p>“Heigh! hear dat. <i>You</i> call de police, white nigger? <i>Me</i> call de -police, and give you in charge for ’ssault. All dese gen’lmen here saw -you ’ssault me—dam brute.”</p> - -<p>At this moment, fortunately, for I was beginning to feel a little -displeased at this language, the sergeant of the police came out of -the house, and I called him. Quite a change at once came o’er the -spirit of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> scene; my antagonist, crestfallen, executed a skilful -flank movement up a bye-street, covering his retreat by a continuous -and heavy fire of abuse, while his supports scattered and sought the -nearest cover.</p> - -<p>I could not have had this man locked up for what he had done, but the -law is a beautiful and far-reaching, if somewhat complex, machine, -and of course I could have a legal remedy. It only required the few -following little preliminaries. Firstly, I should have had to ascertain -the name of the individual; secondly, discover his place of residence; -thirdly, attend and take out a summons against him; fourthly, pay for -it; fifthly, have it served on the defendant; and sixthly, have a day -appointed for the hearing of the case. Then, after having satisfied, -if possible, these first requirements, it would be necessary for me to -go down to the town in the heat of the day, and remain in a crowded -and suffocating court for perhaps hours, subjected to the insidious -insinuations and brow-beatings of a negro lawyer, who would very -likely after all turn the tables on me by producing fifteen or twenty -witnesses, all thoroughly well schooled in what they had to say, who -would swear that I had perpetrated a vindictive and brutal assault upon -a poor black brother who had merely asked me what o’clock it was. Even -if I did succeed in obtaining a conviction, the defendant would only -be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> bound over to keep the peace; and he would incite his relatives and -friends to give me plenty of entertainment during my residence in the -country.</p> - -<p>This of course is only one side of the question, and, I am bound -to say on the other side, that the servants of the two steamship -companies, which run vessels from Liverpool to West Africa, are a -great deal too free in the violent application of their boots to the -persons of negroes who may go on board the steamers; so perhaps the -latter retaliate on those Europeans who live in the place as a kind of -compensation.</p> - -<p>An otherwise friendly critic thought it strange that this should be the -state of things at Sierra Leone. It is strange; but then things are -not on the West Coast of Africa as they are elsewhere. In what other -colony, for instance, could one find a Colonial official, holding a -high position and drawing a large salary, who advanced money to all -applicants on the security of jewelry and such small portable articles -of value, or in what part of the British Empire an officer, head of a -Colonial department, who uses his influence to <i>persuade</i> his negro -subordinates to insure their lives in a company for which he is agent, -thereby pocketing a commission of twenty-five or thirty per cent. on -each policy?</p> - -<p>I do not think I have hitherto made any mention<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> of the black -cobras-di-capello which are the pest of the barracks at Tower Hill. -These playful companions seem to have a particular predilection for -the sunny banks and rocks of that hill, and, during my two months’ -residence there in 1874, four were killed within five or ten yards of -the officers’ mess; but they appear to have become much more familiar -of late years, and, a few days after my arrival, one was seen, and -another killed, in a bedroom on the second story. As a bite from one of -these snakes causes certain death within three hours, one would wish to -have less dangerous domestic creatures at large. There must be hundreds -of them in the vicinity of the barracks, as I have seen eight or nine -myself at different times; and while walking up the hill one evening in -the dusk barely escaped treading on one, being only just warned in time -by a shrill hiss. These cobras usually go about in couples, and during -the breeding season they will, though totally unmolested, make direct -for any person who may happen to approach them.</p> - -<p><i>Apropos</i> of snakes,—a naval officer had rather an amusing adventure -with one at Tower Hill. He had come ashore, from a gunboat lying in the -harbour, to dine at mess; and, as is usually the case, had suddenly -discovered, after the third or fourth rubber, about 11 p.m., that he -could not get off to his ship that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> night, and must trespass upon -somebody’s kindness for a bed. He was assisted to a room, and the -lights were being put out in the mess when we heard a series of wild -shouts up stairs, and then a noise as of some heavy body thumping and -banging down the steps. We ran out into the passage, and discovered -the naval man lying curled up, half undressed, at the bottom of the -stair-case; so we lifted him up and asked what was the matter. He -appeared very much frightened, and gasped out:—</p> - -<p>“Oh, Lord! I’ve got them at last.”</p> - -<p>“Got what?” we inquired.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Lord: I’ve got them at last—Oh, send for a doctor will you. I’ll -never touch another drop of that cursed ship’s rum, if I get over this.”</p> - -<p>“But what have you got?” we reiterated.</p> - -<p>“Got? I’ve got the jumps—that’s what I’ve got.”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense! go to bed! you’re all right.”</p> - -<p>“I tell you I’m not. I could have sworn I saw a snake in my bed just -now, and that’s one of the first signs.”</p> - -<p>He was so eager to see a doctor that we took him to one, and then went -up to examine his room. True enough there was a snake, coiled up in the -blanket on his bed. It was a python, which had escaped from a cage in -which several were confined in an adjoining<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> room. Two of us seized it -by the head and two by the tail to take it back to its prison. As we -were carrying it along it drew itself up and our four heads collided -together with a crash; then it straightened itself out, and we shot off -violently towards the four corners of the room; it required the united -efforts of six men to remove that snake to his own domicile. This -adventure shows what a guilty conscience will effect; and it was the -more amusing because the naval hero had, not with the best taste, been -loudly proclaiming that he was almost a teetotaller, that all military -officers were drunkards, and that nobody ever died in West Africa -except from the effect of ardent spirits. He went away rather early -next morning without waiting to say “good-bye” to anybody.</p> - -<p>I wonder what has become of the jovial, open-handed, and open-hearted -naval officers that one reads about in works of fiction, and who -continually interlard their conversation with nautical expressions; -one never meets any of this description now-a-days, in fact quite the -contrary; and I am half inclined to believe that they never were more -than creatures of the imagination, but if ever they did exist the -species is now extinct. The life that naval officers lead shut up in a -floating tank on the West Coast of Africa is horrible; sometimes they -do not set foot on shore for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> months together, but lie day after day, -rolling fearfully, off a few mud huts and a grove of cocoanut palms. -They have hardly any work to do, and, as but few of them have any -resources of amusement or occupation, they as a natural consequence -quarrel amongst themselves; and in almost every gunboat one finds the -five or six officers divided into two or three cliques, each of which -will have nothing to say to either of the others, except on official -matters. This sort of thing is rather unpleasant for any stranger who -may happen to be on board. First of all one will come up and enter into -conversation with you, during which he is sure to say:—</p> - -<p>“Do you know that man over there?”</p> - -<p>“No, I don’t,” you reply.</p> - -<p>“Ah! his name is Blank. He is the most awful ass I ever met—I -shouldn’t have anything to say to him if I were you.”</p> - -<p>Then he goes away, and he is barely out of sight before another -saunters up and begins talking. Presently he will say:—</p> - -<p>“Do you know Smith well?”</p> - -<p>“No, who’s Smith?” you inquire.</p> - -<p>“Oh, that was Smith that was talking to you just now. He’s the most -inveterate liar I ever met—you must never believe anything he tells -you.”</p> - -<p>Then after he has gone away Blank will come<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> forward, and after a few -preliminary sentences casually inform you that both Smith and your -second acquaintance are confirmed drunkards. No sooner has Blank moved -off than the confidential naval officer, who calls you “old man” and -speaks in low and thick tones, will draw nigh and tell you what the -failings of every officer on board may be; finally leaving you under -the impression that every one but himself is thoroughly incapable, -untrustworthy, and of intemperate habits, and that were it not for him -the ship would go to the dogs.</p> - -<p>I was once on board a man-of-war for a few days in which this -unsociability was carried to such a degree that at the gun-room mess -every officer, at breakfast and tea, used to produce, from the depths -of his bunk, a pot of jam, or a tin of potted meat, and devour it all -by himself without offering it or saying a word to his comrades.</p> - -<p>Then there is the naval officer, who, before you have fairly set foot -on board, rushes at you and informs you that you have omitted saluting -the quarter-deck; and who always loses his temper when you tell him -that you do not know where it is, and are looking for it; and the -self-asserting man who is perpetually telling you what his relative -rank is. I remember an individual of this latter class, who when a -guest at a military detachment mess, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> senior dining member of which -was a captain, kept remarking.—</p> - -<p>“You know I’m senior to all you fellows. As I’m a lieutenant of eight -years’ service I rank with a major.”</p> - -<p>He might have ranked with a major-general for all any one cared, but -after he had said this at intervals some nine or ten times it began to -become monotonous; so somebody said, as if to the punkah:—</p> - -<p>“I’ve often heard that remark made before, but I never yet heard a -major in the army boast that he ranked with a lieutenant in the navy.”</p> - -<p>Society at Sierra Leone is in a very bad way; in fact from an English -point of view one may say that there is no society at all. The only -Europeans in the place are the officers of the garrison, the Colonial -officials, and a few shop-keepers, who, although they will sell -anything from three-pence worth of rum upwards, rejoice here in the -title of merchants. Ladies there are none, except on the few occasions -on which an officer’s wife may be found residing at Tower Hill, so what -little society there is consists of men alone, and is composed of the -most heterogeneous elements. Most of the so-called merchants appear -to have sprung from the lower <i>strata</i> of English life, many of them -have black wives, and a large majority of the Colonial officers are -coloured;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> the Governors never seem to make the slightest attempt to -collect around themselves the more cultivated members of the Colony, -and everybody does that which seems good in his own eyes. The <i>élite</i> -of the coloured population sometimes get up balls, similar to the one -I witnessed at Lagos, and which like it usually terminate in an orgie, -and to these Europeans are occasionally invited; but it is only those -who have no sense of the ludicrous, or who have their facial muscles -well under control, that can afford to go. The retailing of scandal -seems to be the principal occupation of the town society, and if one -were to place implicit credence in the tales and gossip which abound -one would inevitably arrive at the conclusion that there was not an -honourable man or a virtuous woman in the place.</p> - -<p>In by-gone years the officers of the garrison used to inaugurate -races, and a tract of ground near Kissi, on which stands a diminutive -grand-stand, is still called the race-course; but now the sole -amusement of the colony is the performance of the band of the regiment -therein stationed, on the green patch of ground known as the Battery. -This performance takes place once a week, but the majority of the -people are too lazy and apathetic to go to hear it, and, with the -exception of a few Colonial officers and some forty or fifty ragged -children, the musicians discourse<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> to empty air. There was one Colonial -officer who was a regular attendant on band days, and whose principal -aim in life seemed to be to pose as an authority on music before the -uninitiated. As he knew nothing whatever of the science, and had -successfully picked up the phrases used in music without in the least -understanding their meaning, he frequently entangled himself in the -most irretrievable confusion, and was a source of much amusement.</p> - -<p>One day the band was playing Gounod’s Serenade, and during the -performance the critic walked round and round as usual, beating time -in the air with his walking-stick, and assailing every inoffensive -bystander with a hailstorm of scientific jargon. When the piece was -finished he nodded approval and said:—</p> - -<p>“Ah! pretty thing—pretty thing. Fine scale of minor fifths. Let me -see; what is it called?”</p> - -<p>“That? Oh! it’s one of Whistler’s ‘Nocturnes,’” said somebody.</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes. Of course it is. Whistler’s ‘Nocturne.’ How stupid of me to -forget the name.”</p> - -<p>It is said that this connoisseur once remarked that the Marquois scale -was most difficult for a beginner on the flute; but that, when once -learned, it was so beautiful as to well repay all trouble.</p> - -<p>The peninsula of Sierra Leone is, exclusive of Freetown, divided into -various rural districts, known<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> as the First Eastern, Second Eastern, -Western, and Mountain districts. In addition to these the outlying -territories of British Sherbro, the Isles de Los, and Ki-Konkeh at the -mouth of the Scarcies river, form integral portions of the Colony. The -Mountain district is very picturesque and affords some fine views, -especially in the neighbourhood of Regent, where the Sugar Loaf, a -densely-wooded peak about 3000 feet in height, towers over the little -village. At Leicester Park, 1990 feet high, the Government have lately -purchased a building called the Hospice, which had been constructed by -the Roman Catholic Mission, 1495 feet above the sea, and it is used as -a kind of sanitarium. Living up in these mountains takes one into an -entirely different atmosphere to that of the town, and it is decidedly -more healthy, except during the rainy season, when sometimes for days -together the mountains are shrouded in clouds, and a drenching mist -drives in at every opened door and window. These mountains all abound -in deer and other game, but the cover is so dense that they are rarely -seen; and to endeavour to beat up a ravine or valley is an expensive -operation, as fifty or sixty beaters are required, all of whom want to -be paid unreasonably highly for their services.</p> - -<p>The Eastern district may be described as the frontier district of the -peninsula, it being bounded by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> the Waterloo creek and Ribbi river, -which separate it from Timmanee country. The Timmanees periodically -commit outrages on British subjects, and small wars ensue. These wars -are, however, almost invariably bloodless; as the natives, on the -approach of a disciplined force, at once evacuate their towns and take -refuge in the forest. The towns are then destroyed and the troops and -police return to Freetown, to wait until the natives have repaired the -damage done, and begin their pillaging and murdering afresh.</p> - -<p>In 1880 the Timmanees, who had been quiet for some time, began making -disturbances; and the inhabitants of the village of Waterloo could not -leave their homes without being murdered, or, at all events, fired -upon. A handful of men was accordingly sent out from the garrison of -Freetown, a few Timmanee villages burned, and order restored. During -this small campaign a surgeon who accompanied the force committed a -most unheard-of outrage. The bodies of a number of friendly natives, -who had been killed by the Timmanees, had been placed in a pit, but -not covered with earth, in order that the officers who were sent to -restore order might actually see what the Timmanees had done. Upon -this pit, about a week after the corpses had been placed in it, the -surgeon chanced to light. To the astonishment and disgust of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> those who -were with him he immediately sprang into it, and, drawing his sword, -proceeded to hack off three or four heads from the bodies. Some of the -relatives of the murdered men came running up, and their indignation -and horror at this mutilation can be better imagined than described. -Notwithstanding all they could say the surgeon continued his work -until he had obtained sufficient specimens. He then clambered out, -put the heads in a calabash, and walked off: remarking in a jocular -manner that he had fleshed his maiden sword. On arriving at his boat -he appeared surprised and annoyed that any one should blame him for -what he had done, and when the officer in charge of the boat refused to -take his ghastly cargo on board his indignation knew no bounds. Should -a Turk impale a Bulgarian, or a Montenegrin cut the ears off a dead -Turk, the whole of England is convulsed with horror, and the entire -diplomatic machinery of the country set at work to discover and punish -the offender; but in West Africa, when a British officer wantonly -mutilates the dead, nothing is said about the matter. Can it be a -subject for surprise that the natives of this part of the world should -be barbarous, when such examples as this are set them by those whom -they consider their superiors?</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER X.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">British Sherbro—The Bargroo River Expedition—Professional -Poisoners—An African Bogey—A Secret Society—A Strange Story—A -Struggle with Sharks—Startling News from the Gold Coast.</p></blockquote> - -<p>To the south of the peninsula of Sierra Leone lies the tract of -low-lying country called British Sherbro, which was acquired by treaty -with the natives in 1862, though Sherbro Island has been British for a -much longer period. It is intersected by numerous rivers such as the -Valtucker, Tittibul, Bargroo, Jong, Mongray, and Boom Kittam, which -with their numberless tributaries form a complete network over the -country.</p> - -<p>The King of Sherbro was formerly one of the largest and most notorious -slave-dealers in this part of the world; and, on three different -occasions, the British naval squadron destroyed his town and slave -barracoons. Even to the present day, though domestic slavery is -nominally abolished, the inland traffic in slaves still flourishes in -this region.</p> - -<p>The Sherbros, like the Timmanees, are utter savages, and it is to -these people that the world is largely indebted for the practices of -Obeah and <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>professional poisoning. They, however, show more aptitude -for manufactures than the Timmanees, and weave a cloth of a beautiful -texture and curious pattern, from indigenous cotton dyed with vegetable -dyes. Some travellers have professed to discover some affinity between -this tribe and the Kaffirs of South Africa, but upon what they based -their assumption I have never been able to discover. There is no -similarity in language, and but very slight resemblance in customs; -in fact no greater than might be expected between the customs of the -races inhabiting the same continent, and both equally plunged in -barbarism. Their architecture, if hut-building may be so termed, is -entirely different; and they sometimes use the bow and arrow, while -it is the absence of that implement of war that has always specially -distinguished the Kaffirs from the negro tribes living to the north, -and the Hottentots and Bushmen to the south.</p> - -<p>The Sherbros are a turbulent and restless people, and disturbances in -British Sherbro are of almost yearly occurrence. Beginning from 1848, -when Captain Monypenny, R.N. destroyed a stockaded fort in Sherbro -river, hardly a year has passed without an expedition of some kind -having been undertaken. The year 1875 was unusually prolific. In -October of that year some Mongray people plundered Mamaiah, a village -on the frontier, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> kidnapped several British subjects. A gunboat, -with some troops and police, was accordingly sent up the Mongray -river, and scarcely had this expedition returned to Freetown when -news of another difficulty on the Bargroo river arrived. A party of -Mendis crossed the border about the middle of November and plundered -and destroyed thirteen villages in British territory, carrying off -most of the inhabitants as slaves. On receipt of this intelligence -Mr. Darnell Davis, the Civil Commandant of Sherbro, left Bonthe, the -headquarters of the local Government, accompanied by nineteen armed -policemen, and proceeded to Conconany, the scene of the outrages, to -endeavour to restore tranquillity. Hearing there that some of the -captives were at Paytaycoomar, a village about ten miles inland from -Conconany, he landed to proceed there, in company with a friendly chief -and about a hundred of his followers. On his way to Paytaycoomar Mr. -Davis and his party were attacked by a body of men lying in ambush, -and himself and several others wounded; but he nevertheless proceeded -and arrived before the village, which he found to be defended by three -strong stockades. The Mendis opened fire from their “war-fences,” and -the friendly chief and his followers at once took to flight, carrying -away with them the axes with which the Commandant had intended cutting -his way into the place. Nothing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> daunted, however, by this desertion, -he broke through the first and second gates of the stockades, ten -policemen, who were old soldiers, alone following him. Between the -second and third stockades they were met with a heavy fire that -killed four policemen almost at once, and wounded the Commandant -very severely; and the latter, seeing that it would be mere folly to -persevere longer, retired with the remnant of his men to Conconany; -being again attacked by an ambuscade on his way there, and wounded a -third time with several of his men.</p> - -<p>In consequence of this a force consisting of a detachment of the First -West India Regiment and a body of armed police left Freetown for -Sherbro with Lieutenant-Governor Rowe; a number of stockaded towns were -shelled and burned, the leaders of the invading Mendis captured, and -order restored. The defences of some of these towns were, considering -the difficult nature of the country, formidable. Ordinarily they were -surrounded by triple stockades, 20 feet high, and formed of posts about -10 inches in diameter. A space some 20 feet broad intervened between -each stockade, nor were the entrances of these opposite each other. The -town of Tyama-Woro was further fortified by two encircling mud-walls, -15 feet high and 12 feet thick at the base, inside which were two broad -and deep ditches. In some of the towns<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> machicoulis galleries had been -constructed over the gates, and the entrance further protected by -semicircular flanking bastions.</p> - -<p>Expeditions such as these appear small affairs when compared with our -South African wars, but they are at least as worthy of recognition as -the numerous “Hill Tribe” wars of India, for which the troops employed -are invariably granted a medal. In West Africa the difficulties -attending such expeditions are very much greater than in India, and -there can be no comparison between the hardships experienced by both -officers and men. The country consists of dense forest, through which -the only roads are narrow paths, wide enough only for the passage of -men in single file, obstructed by fallen trees, swamps, and unbridged -streams, and where continual precautions have to be taken against -surprises and ambuscades. Everything has to be carried on the heads of -terror-stricken carriers, who bolt at the least alarm, and render the -difficulties of the transport service almost insurmountable. Supplies -are precarious, and of bad quality; while, in addition to all this, the -climate is the worst in the world, and the constitution of a European -does not for years recover from the injury caused to it by the exposure -incidental to such expeditions. Some wars, such as the Quiah war of -1861, are serious affairs; and it is difficult to understand upon what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> -principle of justice rewards should be granted for such services in one -part of the world and not in another. It would be a very simple matter -to establish a West African medal similar to the Indian one, the clasp -to which would show for what particular service it had been granted.</p> - -<p>The professional poisoners of Sherbro, Rossu, and Timmanee, are -notorious: the practice of getting rid of any objectionable individual -by secret poisoning is only too prevalent throughout the whole of -West Africa, but usually it is carried out through the agency of -fetish men, whereas in this portion of the continent it is elevated to -the dignity of a profession on its own account. These poisoners, or -necromancers, since they pretend to compound spells by means of which -they attain their ends, are acquainted with various deadly vegetable -poisons entirely unknown to the European pharmacopœia, and many persons -yearly fall victims to them, whose deaths, as the medical men are -unable to recognise any of the symptoms attributable to known poisons, -are ascribed to other causes. They are also equally well acquainted -with the antidotes for their deadly drugs; and, when an individual -has reason to suspect that he has had poison administered to him, his -sole chance of recovery is to call in one of these practitioners, if -possible the one who has been paid to make away<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> with him, and offer -him a bribe for a counter-charm, as these people like to call it. When -any vindictive savage has a grudge against a European, or against any -one else, all he has to do to obtain revenge is to go to one of these -poisoners, and, stating his wishes, pay a small sum of money, and the -victim is then doomed to certain death, sometimes sudden and sometimes -lingering, unless, in the latter case, he succeeds in discovering what -is going on and outbids his secret enemy. Old residents in Sierra -Leone and the Gambia know of several cases on record in which member -after member of a family has wasted away and died of an unknown and -inexplicable disease, and where the survivors have only been saved from -a like doom by calling in one of these diabolical wretches. If native -accounts may be believed, these poisoners are as well versed in their -destructive study as were their kindred spirits in the age of Catherine -de Medici; and, besides drugs which are deadly when placed in food or -drink and taken into the stomach, know and use others which scattered -about a room poison the atmosphere, or, sprinkled upon wearing apparel, -cause death by absorption through the skin, and perfumes, to inhale -which is fatal. The manner of compounding and preparing these poisons -is preserved with great secrecy and mystery, and transmitted from -father to son in certain families of hereditary poisoners; but the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> -natives popularly believe that there is a kind of college, situated in -an impenetrable forest somewhere near the Jeba river, at which would-be -professors of this art enter themselves as students, where they learn -their nefarious calling, and finally emerge with a degree as full-blown -murderers. In Sierra Leone proper, this practice, euphoniously called -witchcraft, or laying spells or charms, is forbidden by law, and is not -now very common.</p> - -<p>Another custom peculiar to the three above mentioned tribes is that -of Egugu, which, however, is neither secret nor vindictive, and the -Egugu man himself might not inaptly be described as the personification -of the English “bogey” with which nurses terrify children. This -arch-impostor is supposed to have revealed to him, by unknown powers, -the name or appearance of every wife in the country who has been guilty -of infidelity; and he makes periodical visits to each town and village -for the purpose of exposing and punishing these frail fair ones, he and -his following being entertained and feasted on these occasions at the -expense of the inhabitants. When the Egugu man is approaching a village -his retainers go ahead and announce his presence by the beating of -drums, accompanied by wild howls and cries; and consternation at once -falls upon the entire feminine portion of the community, for, as they -are nearly all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> equally guilty, the only difference being that some -have already been detected by their husbands while others have not, -they all equally dread the threatening punishment and public exposure. -On such occasions, those fair creatures, who have hitherto been so -fortunate as to bear an unblemished reputation, generally find that -they have pressing business which requires their immediate presence in -the bush, and some thus contrive to escape the ordeal, though usually -each husband takes care that all his wives shall be present; while -those whose guilt has been already declared by the Egugu man, and -who have consequently already experienced the worst, alone prepare -themselves for the ceremony with a certain amount of indifference.</p> - -<p>The Egugu man enters the town, or village, wrapped in a piece of -country cloth, which entirely covers the face and head, and which -covering he never removes except when alone with his immediate -associates; while curious persons of either sex are restrained from -pulling it aside, or endeavouring to obtain a glimpse of his face, by -the belief that to look upon his countenance is certain death. He then -traverses the village and enters every house in succession; while the -female occupants, anxious to propitiate their judge, lay before him -the most <i>recherché</i> dishes of savage African cookery, viz., the palm -oil stew, the cassava cakes and the “stink-fish,” while to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> wash down -this regal banquet jars of palm wine and bottles of rum are provided. -The Egugu man is cunning enough to know that the innocent, if any, -will seem most unconcerned, and he consequently regards with suspicion -those women who appear most anxious to please him, and usually picks -out those who have treated him most hospitably, and with the greatest -respect, for exposure and punishment. He is commonly very successful in -his choice: it would be difficult in any case to pick out a guiltless -woman, and, even in the remote chance of his doing so, the woman’s -protestations would not be believed; while those who have forgotten the -fidelity due to their liege lords, imagining that everything is known -and about to be proclaimed, confess at once, so that they can give -their own version of the story. The Egugu man then administers a few -stripes to the culprits himself, and leaves them to the tender mercies -of their spouses and the jeers and sarcasms of those more fortunate -females who have gone through the ordeal in safety.</p> - -<p>Should the village be pleasantly situated, and the people unusually -hospitable, this flimsy juggler will remain in it for several days, -examining the women in detail; and, when he has eaten up all the good -things, or when he thinks he has nearly exhausted his welcome, for -he is too wary to spoil his pleasant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> profession by overdoing it, he -moves off to another village and commences anew. As he is sometimes -accompanied by as many as one hundred followers, or disciples, all of -whom are fed and housed at the expense of the village, this absurd -custom must be rather a tax upon the natives; but no village is visited -more than once a year. It has always been a wonder to me that every -negro in these countries does not set up as an Egugu man, or, at all -events, become a follower of one, since it would be impossible to -conceive a mode of life more pleasing to the negro mind. He goes about -from village to village, fêted and honoured, living on the fat of the -land, with no work to do, plenty to drink, the luxury of beating women -and the satisfaction of being regarded with awe and wonder, all this -too for nothing but the trouble of a little humbug; and it is certain -that there would be an immediate rush of the male population for -similar appointments were it not that they are sufficiently credulous -to believe that there is really some sorcery or supernatural power at -the bottom of the business.</p> - -<p>Among the Sherbros there exists a secret society, which consists of -various families, bound together by mysterious ceremonies for offensive -and defensive purposes, and other reasons which are unknown. If my -memory serves me rightly, this society is called the Society of Bonn, -and the families composing it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> meet at stated periods to celebrate -their union with infamous rites; and annually, at one such meeting, -a virgin is put to death, the victim being supplied by each family -in rotation. Each member of the society is bound by diabolical oaths -to preserve the secrets of their rites, and to slay any other member -whom he may suspect of revealing them; thus all that is known about -the fraternity has been gleaned from the reports of natives who do not -belong to it, and who cannot know much about it; though some do assert -that they have been hidden eye-witnesses of the annual human sacrifice. -That such a society does exist, and that its members do put a young -girl to death every year, is, however, well authenticated; and a French -trader residing in the Sherbro on one occasion almost surprised them in -the actual commission of the murder. I will give his story in his own -words: he said—</p> - -<p>“M. A—— my principal, sent me from Sherbro island to some chiefs -on the mainland who were large customers of ours. I had six or seven -Krooboys with me, and was away a little more than a week. On the -last day, when I was coming towards the coast, I was delayed by one -of my boys getting into some little trouble at a village, and, about -nightfall, found myself at eleven or twelve miles from the sea. There -was a good path through the forest, so I determined to go on and get -back to the factory that night—I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> was in a hurry to return to a good -bed and something fit to eat.</p> - -<p>“You have walked perhaps in the forest at night <i>mon ami</i>, and you know -the feeling of awe which the darkness, the silence, and the sombre -trees, with their long arms reaching towards you, awakes within one. -The night was dark, dark as a pit; not a sound was to be heard but -the rustling of our feet on the dead leaves, and the grey trunks of -the trees stood up all round in the forest like spectres. I was very -tired—I had been walking nearly all day, and we did not get along very -quickly; so that about nine o’clock we were still in the forest, and -neither the Krooboys nor myself were sure that we were in the right -path—we had passed several forks, and had taken the road that seemed -to lead towards the sea, but you know how these paths twist and wind -about.</p> - -<p>“Suddenly, in the midst of the dead silence, a chorus of howls and -screams, the most horrible, the most blood-curdling, rose up in the -depths of the forest, and died away in a long, low, melancholy wail. I -was startled—not frightened—for I am not more superstitious than most -men; but the cries had been so sudden, and were so strange, that we all -stopped still. All was as silent as the tomb, and we were so quiet that -I could hear the breathing of the Krooboys. While we were standing with -our ears<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> straining to hear, the sound came again louder and louder—it -seemed to be some little distance away in the direction in which we -were going. I told the boys to go on, and I followed them. Six, seven, -and eight times this long cry—the most despairing—, it made my blood -run cold, was repeated; and then we heard the noise of the beating of -drums. We knew then that it was only some natives observing a custom, -and that there must be a village near; so we walked on. Soon the drums -stopped, and the night was again as still as the grave.</p> - -<p>“Suddenly, without any warning, we turned an acute corner in the path; -and I saw before me some few houses, and a crowd of people standing -together round something, in a clearing of the forest—they had with -them two or three little lamps. At the same moment that I turned the -corner and saw this, I heard a shriek, the most horrible—the shriek -of a woman in the agony which is mortal. My hair raised itself on my -head—my Krooboys stopped and muttered to themselves. I ask of them the -cause, and they tell me of some secret brotherhood of the people, who -sacrifice each year a woman. I draw my revolver: I cry to them—‘<i>En -avant—En avant</i>;’ and we all run fast to the crowd. Then, pst, pst, -out go all the lights; I hear the rustling of many feet; all again is -black darkness. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> - -<p>“We reach the square of the village: there is nothing—nobody to be -seen. Nobody? Ah! <i>Mon Dieu</i>, somebody. I nearly fall over some object -which strikes my feet. I look down to see what it may be, and I see -a corpse. Yes, a corpse of a young girl, <i>une pucelle</i>; still warm. -I look for the cause of death, and I find, horrible to speak of, on -the left breast a dreadful wound, a cavity—the flesh tom away. <i>Mon -ami</i>, the heart of that poor girl had been torn out. Ah! so young, such -beautiful limbs—It is the work of the accursed fraternity.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” said I, when he had arrived at this point, “what did you do?”</p> - -<p>“Do? What could I do? Nothing at all. There was not one person left in -the village—I searched each house: all empty. Could I go and hunt in -the dark forest for the murderers? No—I went on my way and arrived at -my factory.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose you told the Commandant of Sherbro about this?” I inquired.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I told him; but he said he could do nothing, and it was not -advisable to make trouble. It is many years ago now, and Chief Manin -had just signed a treaty with your Government. They did not wish to -have any more palaver.”</p> - -<p>When I arrived at Sierra Leone in January 1881 everybody was talking -about an extraordinary instance<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> of tenacity of life which had come -to light three or four days previously. It appeared that a European -madman, who, for safe keeping, had been confined in the Colonial -Hospital, escaped from custody one afternoon; and, being pursued, -jumped, about nightfall, into the sea from the harbour works. Some -boats put out after him, but as nothing was to be seen of him it was -concluded that he was drowned. About 9 p.m. on the same day, the -occupants of a boat returning from Cape Sierra Leone heard, as they -were passing King Tom Point, somebody groaning on the beach; they put -ashore, and found the escaped maniac lying on the rocks in a horrible -condition. During his swim from the harbour works to the spot in which -he was found, a distance of some half-a-mile, he had been pursued and -attacked by the sharks which swarm in the harbour, had lost an arm, and -been dreadfully lacerated about the shoulders and thighs. From his own -account they seemed to have kept up a running fight with him; and how -he contrived to reach the shore, and, in his mutilated condition, draw -himself up out of reach of his pursuers, was as great a mystery as was -his subsequent recovery from his injuries.</p> - -<p>About 4·30 p.m. on January 28th, just before parade, we were surprised -by the unusual spectacle of two steamers coming round the cape -together;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> there was a general rush for telescopes, and we saw that one -of them was the outward-bound steamer “Cameroon,” which had only left -the harbour about half-an-hour previously, and the other the mail from -the Coast. This latter had the signal “Government Despatches” flying; -it was evident that something was wrong down on the Gold Coast, and -that it was of sufficient importance for the “Cameroon” to turn back. -Imagination was at once busy as to what was up: some said it was the -long-expected mutiny of the Houssa constabulary, others a revolt of the -Accra people on account of the imprisonment of their king, Tacki, by -Mr. Ussher, the late Governor, and a third party that the Awoonahs had -risen; but while we were still deliberating, and before the steamers -had dropped anchor in the harbour, the “fall in” sounded and we had to -go on parade.</p> - -<p>About five, while the parade was still going on, a Colonial messenger -darted on to the parade ground, seized the commanding officer, and -thrust a voluminous despatch into his hand. The latter cast a hurried -eye over it, and instantly moved off with hasty strides towards a -hammock that was waiting for him outside; calling out to his second in -command that the parade was to be dismissed, but that no officers or -men were to leave barracks. We knew then that something serious was the -matter, and went and sat down by the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> fountain in front of the mess -to wait for the news. At about 6 p.m., when our patience was nearly -exhausted, an official appeared, panting and blowing up the hill. He -came towards us, and said, in gasps:</p> - -<p>“Gentlemen—The fact is this, gentlemen. It’s simply this, gentlemen. -Bloody wars, gentlemen—Bloody wars.”</p> - -<p>This was highly satisfactory, but did not enter much into detail, so -we applied for more information. We then learned that King Mensah of -Ashanti had sent the golden axe to the Lieutenant-Governor of the Gold -Coast colony at Cape Coast, to demand the surrender of a fugitive; -and, on the 24th, when the surrender was refused, had, through his -ambassadors, declared war against the British. We heard further that -the homeward-bound steamer was going direct to Madeira to telegraph the -news to England, and that troops were to go down by the <span class="smaller">S.S.</span> -“Cameroon” next day. The Government of the Gold Coast had asked for -three hundred and fifty men, but, as the entire garrison of Sierra -Leone only consisted of four companies, that is a little over four -hundred men, the authorities had decided that it would not be wise, on -account of the Timmanees, to denude the Colony of troops to so great -an extent, and about two hundred were to be despatched with stores and -ammunition. Of course everybody wanted to be among the two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> hundred: -the news had spread among the men, and a tremendous cheering broke out -all over the barracks; they were delighted with the prospect of a brush -with the Ashantis, and the band volunteered <i>en masse</i>. By 7 p.m. it -was decided which companies were to go, and I found mine was one of the -lucky ones: as we were to embark at 3 p.m. next day there was plenty of -work to be done, while to make matters worse there was a dinner to be -given that very night, and the guests would have to be looked after and -entertained.</p> - -<p>That night the excitement rose to boiling point: we who had been -selected to go were objects of envy to all the less fortunate people -who had to remain behind, and who went about with long and melancholy -faces bewailing their ill-fortune and cursing their luck. The guests -quoted Byron, talked of “sounds of revelry by night,” and drew -comparisons, entirely in our favour, between the ball at Brussels on -the eve of Waterloo and our dinner on the eve of departure for the new -Ashanti war. They shook hands with us time after time, their voices -thick with emotion; some almost shed tears as they suddenly awoke to -the fact of their great affection for us, and thought that they might -never see us again; while others, more sanguine, prophesied all kinds -of impossible honours as our share of the coming campaign. It was out -of the question<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> to got away from these warm-hearted partisans, and it -must have been nearly daybreak before we got to bed.</p> - -<p>At 2 p.m. next day, after such a morning of work as I am in no hurry -to experience again, the two companies paraded, and we marched down -the hill to the harbour, headed by the band. I never saw Freetown in -such a state of excitement; every road was crammed with men, women, and -children, shouting, cheering, laughing, and crying, and the crush was -so great that there was scarcely room for the column to march; but at -last all were safely got on board, and at 5 p.m. the “Cameroon” steamed -off direct for Cape Coast. We had on board forty-five tons of stores, -two 4-2/5-inch howitzers, and almost all the ammunition of the Colony, -the whole of which had been put on board in half-a-day.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XI.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">Ashanti Politics since 1874—The Secession of Djuabin—Diplomatic -Mistakes—The Conquest of Djuabin—The Importation of Rifles—The -Attempt on Adansi—The Salt Scare—The Mission to Gaman and -Sefwhee—Dissensions in Coomassie—The War Party.</p></blockquote> - -<p>While the “Cameroon” is on the way to Cape Coast Castle a short -<i>résumé</i> of Ashanti politics from the close of the war of 1874 may, -perhaps, be considered not out of place.</p> - -<p>After the burning of Coomassie a bloodless revolution took place. -King Quoffi Calcalli, or, as the natives pronounce it, Karri-Karri, -was deposed, and his brother Osai Mensah reigned in his stead. The -dethroned monarch should, in accordance with Ashanti etiquette, have -committed suicide on being degraded from his position; he did not do -so, however, and was permitted to go into retirement in the country, -with a few followers.</p> - -<p>About the same time, Asafu Agai, King of Djuabin, the chief feudatory -of the Ashanti kingdom, seceded, taking with him the chiefs of Assuri, -Affidguassi, and Insula, and formed the independent kingdom of Djuabin.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was foreseen that the Ashantis, a proud and haughty race, would -not submit tamely to the establishment of a rival power on their very -border, especially when that rival had so recently been subject to -them; and, towards the end of 1874, when matters began to assume a -threatening aspect between the Ashantis and the Djuabins, Captain C. C. -Lees was despatched to Coomassie by the Government of the Gold Coast -Colony to preserve peace. Their recent defeat by the British was so -fresh in their memory that the Ashantis were amenable to reason, and -Captain Lees succeeded in persuading both Osai Mensah and Asafu Agai to -swear to refrain from hostilities.</p> - -<p>From that moment the Colonial Government withdrew from all active -interference in the affairs of the tribes living beyond the boundaries -of the Colony; and, although for the next four or five years the -Ashantis left no stone unturned to regain their former position and -undo the work done by Sir Garnet Wolseley, the Colonial Government -merely looked on as passive spectators and allowed them to do it.</p> - -<p>The policy of the Government of the Gold Coast appears to have been at -this time one of strict non-intervention, but whether dictated by the -Colonial Office or not, I cannot say. In any case it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> diametrically -opposed to the policy which had inaugurated the Ashanti war, and was -most detrimental to British interests and influence. Having committed -ourselves to the war of 1873-4, it was impossible to withdraw and -say we would not interfere further. The chief military power of that -portion of Africa had received a severe blow; the Ashanti kingdom -had almost fallen to pieces; and, as the authors of the shock, we -were responsible for the consequences. What would these consequences -be? Either Ashanti would be split up into a number of insignificant -independent chieftainships or regain its ascendancy, or Djuabin would -assume the place lately held by Ashanti. It was evident that one of -these three things would happen if we decided to take no part in -occurrences beyond our frontier.</p> - -<p>But which was the consummation that the wire-pullers at the Colonial -Office desired? Surely not the first; for the breaking-up of Ashanti -into two or three tribes, who would be independent of each other, -would lead to constant petty wars, the closing of the roads, and the -paralysation of commerce. Surely not the second; for, if Ashanti -regained her ascendancy, the lives and treasure expended in the war of -1873-4 would be as so much waste. Surely not the third; for, if Djuabin -became the dominant military power, what guarantee had we that she -would not be equally,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> perhaps more, aggressive than Ashanti had been; -and with what could we keep her in check?</p> - -<p>Our policy at this time should clearly have been to play off Djuabin -against Ashanti, to use the one to keep the other in check, just as -might be required; if necessary, to support the one or the other by -force of arms, so that the balance of power, which had happily taken -place, should not be disturbed. Nothing could have been easier than to -do this. If Ashanti should make war upon the Colony we could employ -Djuabin to threaten Coomassie; and if the latter should menace our -possessions we could let loose the Ashantis upon the Djuabin capital. -As for preserving peace between the two rivals, our position on the -sea-board within easy striking distance of each was admirable, and -the two nations were so nearly equal in power and resources that an -intimation from the Colonial Government to either of them which might -seem disposed to provoke hostilities, that any act of aggression would -be considered a declaration of war against England, would effectually -have prevented any outbreak. This grand opportunity was unfortunately -neglected, and the consequences have still to be suffered.</p> - -<p>After Captain Lees’s mission to Coomassie and Djuabin the subtle -Ashantis remained quiet until about July 1875, satisfying themselves -with storing up supplies of salt, powder, and lead, and re-organizing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> -their army, to the chief command of which Awooah, the brother of the -late general, Amanquatia, succeeded. King Mensah also placed on record -how keenly he felt the injustice of the British in not calling upon the -king of Djuabin to pay a fair proportion of the war indemnity which had -been inflicted on the entire kingdom by Sir Garnet Wolseley, the whole -of which Ashanti, though reduced to half her former area, had now to -pay.</p> - -<p>In July, King Mensah addressed a letter to the European merchants of -Cape Coast Castle, complaining of the action of the king of Djuabin, -that he was kidnapping Ashantis living on the Djuabin frontier, and -closing the roads to trade. This letter was duly forwarded to the -Government, but only elicited from the Governor the reply “that he -would act with reference to the affairs of the interior as seemed to -him advisable.”</p> - -<p>There can be no doubt but that the head of the king of Djuabin was -turned by his sudden accession to power; he sent insulting messages to -Mensah, invited the tribes within the protectorate to come and share -the spoils of Coomassie with him; and by the middle of August 1875 the -excitement on each side had become so intense that no mere negotiation -or mediation could have averted war, whatever it might have effected if -it had been employed at an earlier period. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span></p> - -<p>Matters were further complicated by the mission to Coomassie of a -Monsieur Bonnat, who was desirous of opening trade with Salagha, a -large and populous Mohammedan town, said to be eight days’ journey to -the north-east of Coomassie. M. Bonnat visited the Ashanti capital in -company with Prince Ansah, the uncle of the king, and appears to have -mixed himself up a great deal with native politics. From Coomassie he -went to Djuabin, where he very naturally was regarded with suspicion, -on account of the circumstances under which he had visited Coomassie. -M. Bonnat was accompanied by a number of Ashantis as carriers and -servants, and some sixty of these were murdered by the Djuabins. In -extenuation of this outrage King Asafu Agai afterwards said the murder -was ordered by the Keratchi fetish, which is the great fetish of -Djuabin and of several other tribes of the interior.</p> - -<p>War was now inevitable, but Osai Mensah was so afraid that Great -Britain would interpose that he still delayed. Towards the end of -September a fresh <i>casus belli</i> occurred. The inhabitants of five -villages on the borders of Djuabin notified to King Mensah their desire -to secede from the kingdom of Djuabin and to be incorporated with that -of Ashanti. Mensah accordingly sent some of his officers to these -villages, where they were attacked by the Djuabins. In the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> skirmish -which ensued the Djuabins were forced to retire, and the inhabitants of -the five villages migrated into Ashanti.</p> - -<p>When the news of this affair reached Cape Coast Castle the Government -at last awoke to the fact that something ought to be done. They -accordingly despatched an army surgeon, who was temporarily in their -employ, with instructions, first, to proceed to Eastern Akim, and warn -the king of that territory, who had been tampered with by the Djuabins, -that he was not to take part in the probable hostilities; and, -secondly, to proceed from Akim to Djuabin and Coomassie, and forbid the -war, reminding the two kings of the oaths they had sworn to Captain -Lees.</p> - -<p>This officer left Accra on October 23rd, 1875, but his mission had been -kept so little secret that his intended departure had been known for -some time; and, a week before he left Accra, both Djuabin and Ashanti -messengers had started from Cape Coast Castle to carry the intelligence -to their respective masters, and to inform them that if they wanted -to fight they must do so at once, “for the white man was coming to -palaver.”</p> - -<p>The Colonial envoy reached Kibbie in Eastern Akim on October 29th, and -next day Djuabin messengers reached him with the intelligence that the -Ashantis had invaded their country in two divisions,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> one of which was -encamped within a few miles of the capital. On October 31st the town -of Djuabin was attacked by the Ashantis, the conflict raged during the -next two days, and on November 3rd the Djuabins were put to flight in -every direction.</p> - -<p>The envoy at once proceeded to Djuabin, which town he found in the -hands of the Ashantis. Foreseeing that the prestige of this victory -would do much to restore Ashanti to her former position, and cancel -the beneficial results of the war of 1873-4, he wrote to the Governor -at Cape Coast Castle recommending that Djuabin should be occupied by -a British force. This proposal was not entertained. Indeed, it would -have been injudicious in the extreme, with the handful of troops at -the disposal of the Government, to endeavour to snatch the fruits of -victory from a warlike people in their hour of triumph. Action of this -kind should have been taken earlier, but the opportunity had been -allowed to pass, and it was now too late.</p> - -<p>The Djuabins, being short of munitions of war, could make but little -headway against their opponents. The importation of arms and gunpowder -was then prohibited on the Gold Coast, which embargo, while it did -not affect the Ashantis, who could obtain what they required through -the French port of Assinee, entirely prevented the Djuabins from -replenishing their stock. A large supply of powder was, however,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> -successfully smuggled up the Volta river by Djuabin agents and sent -into Eastern Akim. A force of Constabulary was stationed there at the -time, partly to disarm the fugitive Djuabins and prevent the Ashantis -pursuing them into the protectorate, and partly to prevent the Akims -aiding the Djuabins. The officer in command of this force somehow got -wind of the smuggled powder. To an ordinary mind it would have appeared -that, as the Djuabins were, in a measure, fighting our battles, this -would have been a good opportunity for a display of that official -blindness which is so frequently conspicuous at other times. The -Constabulary officer thought otherwise; the powder was intercepted on -the Djuabin frontier; and the Djuabins, being unable to continue the -struggle, flocked by thousands into the protectorate. The Ashantis knew -better than to follow the fugitives into our territory, and satisfied -themselves with establishing their authority in Djuabin more firmly -than ever. Some months later the Government discovered that Asafu -Agai was meditating an attempt for the recovery of his throne; he was -arrested with a promptness that is seldom displayed on the Gold Coast, -and transported to Lagos.</p> - -<p>The results of the victorious campaign were soon discernible in the -altered tone of Osai Mensah. The surgeon who had proceeded to Djuabin -went thence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> to Coomassie, where he was treated with but scant courtesy -and could effect nothing. Next by his behaviour, and the threatening -attitude of his people to the officer sent to Coomassie for the -instalment of the war indemnity then due, he, as I have related in -Chapter III., so intimidated the Colonial Government that the question -of the payment of that indemnity was allowed to drop, and has never -since been revived. Thus in less than two years from the burning of -Coomassie the Ashanti diplomacy had met with such success that Mensah -had recovered the whole of the Djuabin territory, repudiated the -payment of the war indemnity, re-established the prestige and power -of the Ashanti name, and outwitted the Colonial Government upon every -point.</p> - -<p>In 1876 and 1877 the Ashantis occupied themselves with the internal -administration of their newly-acquired territory, and in the purchase -of breech-loading rifles, which they obtained principally through -Assinee, though a considerable number were smuggled, viâ Danoe, the -Quittah lagoon, and the Volta river, into Djuabin.</p> - -<p>In 1878 the Colonial Government at last grasped the fact that the -interdiction on the importation of arms and gunpowder only crippled the -revenue of the Colony and the power of the protected tribes, without -materially affecting those for whom it was specially<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> designed, and -consequently withdrew it. No sooner was the prohibition at an end than -the Ashantis, with an absence of disguise that was either the height of -impudence or the most consummate diplomacy, imported Snider rifles at -Cape Coast itself. On one occasion, towards the end of December 1878, -a batch of some three hundred arrived, consigned to Prince Ansah at -Cape Coast, and were duly received by Ashanti carriers who had been -waiting for them. As they were being transported to Prahou, the Fantis -of Dunquah, who seemed to be of opinion that it was not politic to -allow the Ashantis to possess such weapons, intercepted the convoy and -brought back the rifles to the District-Commissioner at Cape Coast. -To their surprise they were only reprimanded for their pains, and the -Ashantis, protected by an escort, were conducted with their purchases -in safety to Prahou.</p> - -<p>Being now the happy possessors of a considerable number of -breech-loaders, the Ashantis conceived the plan of forming a corps -of Houssas, who would instruct the Ashanti army in the use of the -new weapon. To induce trained men of this race to desert from the -Gold Coast Constabulary, Mensah offered pay at double the rate paid -by the Colonial Government, free rations, and some local privileges. -The percentage of desertions from the Constabulary, always alarmingly -high, at once increased: and these<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> deserters assumed the new <i>rôle</i> of -musketry instructors to the Ashanti army. As they knew almost nothing -themselves, they could not impart much information to their pupils. A -German, who had been wandering about the interior for some time, made -himself useful in the formation of this <i>corps d’élite</i>, and brought -down Houssas from Salagha for the King.</p> - -<p>There was nothing new in this endeavour to induce Houssas in British -pay to betray their trust. About September 1875, when M. Bonnat visited -Djuabin, he found some of the men of the Gold Coast Constabulary -armed, and dressed in the uniform of the force, in the service of -the King of that territory, and Asafu Agai had endeavoured by means -of them to prevent M. Bonnat returning to Coomassie. The causes that -led to the numerous desertions were not difficult to find. The Houssa -Constabulary was and is a purely mercenary body, ready to sell their -services to the highest bidder. In the days when Capt., now Sir John, -Glover, R.N., organised the nucleus of this force at Lagos, a man -enlisted for life service; he looked upon the Government henceforward -as a paternal power, which he would serve as long as his health and -strength admitted, and which, when he became old, would grant him an -annuity or gratuity on retirement. They were satisfied with this state -of things and were loyal to the backbone. In<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> 1876, when the Houssa -Constabulary was being reorganized, by a most short-sighted policy -the term of enlistment was limited to three years. Now short service, -however excellent it may be with Europeans and in countries where -it is desirable to form rapidly a large reserve, is undoubtedly a -mistake with semi-civilized or barbarous peoples. The Houssas now saw -themselves liable to be cast adrift after three years’ service; their -engagement was no longer a life engagement, there was no gratuity or -annuity to be earned by long and faithful service; and so, if a man -had an opportunity of bettering his condition, there was nothing to -be lost by his at once taking advantage of it. At the termination of -his three years he would be discharged without any pension; why then -should he not desert and accept the higher rate of pay offered by King -Mensah? If the latter did not require his services longer than the -Colonial Government would have done, he would still be a gainer; and -the probability was that he would be retained for life. Being bound by -no consideration for their oath of fealty, they argued in this way, and -deserted.</p> - -<p>In the spring of 1879, the Ashantis, having perfected their military -arrangements, began to look about for some further accession of -territory. At this time, a Mr. Huydekuper, one of those semi-educated -and unscrupulous negroes with which the English<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> system of Mission -Schools has afflicted the Gold Coast Colony, was at Coomassie. He had -been, I believe, a clerk in a Government office, and was in high favour -with, and a confidential adviser of, King Mensah. This man, using -his knowledge of official forms, drew up fictitious despatches, and, -accompanied by Mr. Nielson (the German who had rendered himself useful -in the formation of the Ashanti corps of Houssas), and a retinue of -court-criers and officials from the Ashanti court, proceeded to Gaman, -a kingdom which lies to the north-west of Ashanti, on a diplomatic -mission. This mission was arranged under the superintendence of Prince -Ansah, and its object was nothing less than to inform the king of -Gaman, in the name of the Governor of the Gold Coast Colony, “that -the Queen of England had given the whole country from Kerinkando, -near Assinee, to Dahomey, to the king of Ashanti, and that the king -of Gaman was to swear to be subject to the king of Ashanti.” Before -reaching Buntuku, the capital of Gaman, Mr. Nielson died of fever, and -the mainspring of the mission, so to speak, was lost. Nevertheless -Mr. Huydekuper proceeded and delivered his message, producing his -manufactured despatches in support of his statement. He stated that the -Queen of England had given Ashanti dominion over all inland tribes, -and that he was ordered to administer to the king of Gaman an oath of -allegiance to King Mensah. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p> - -<p>This intelligence, coming, as the Gamans at first believed, from a -fully-accredited ambassador of the Government, created the greatest -consternation among that section of the tribe which was hostile to -the Ashantis. The news spread like wild-fire to the Safwhees, a tribe -inhabiting the country to the west of Ashanti and to the south of -Gaman, and from them to the Denkeras. But for the death of Mr. Nielson -it is impossible to say what authority the Ashantis would not have -succeeded in gaining over these tribes.</p> - -<p>While this little comedy was being enacted in the north, the Ashantis -endeavoured to coerce the people of Adansi, which kingdom was formerly -the smallest feudatory state of Ashanti, into returning to their old -allegiance. A portion of the Adansis were anxious to do this, but -the king, not being by any means desirous of resigning his late-won -independence, sent messengers to the Colonial Government at Accra. -Fortunately for the maintenance of British authority on the Gold Coast, -Capt. C. C. Lees, the officer who had succeeded in averting hostilities -between Ashanti and Djuabin in 1874, was administering the Government -of the Colony. Being the exponent of the true and only effective policy -in West Africa, he took up the threads of diplomacy where they had -been dropped by the non-intervening Governor in 1875, and despatched -the acting Colonial Secretary to Adansi with full powers. The mission -was entirely successful, and the Ashantis<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> returned to Coomassie -baffled for once. So wedded, however, were the Colonial Office to their -policy of non-intervention, that, although this was the first success -after several years of diplomatic failures, they found fault with the -Acting-Governor for what he had done. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach in his -despatch said—“the action which you took was of a character which -might possibly have placed the Local Government, and ultimately the -Imperial Government, in some embarrassment, should the Ashantis decline -to comply with the demands made upon them<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1"> [1]</a> ... Adansi is not within -the protectorate, and the question of requiring the observance of the -third article of the Treaty of Fommanagh<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2"> [2]</a> is one of external policy, -on which the Government of the Gold Coast should refrain, unless in -case of urgent necessity, from definite action until Her Majesty’s -Government had decided whether the action proposed was proper and -opportune, having regard to the general interests of the empire. I have -to request that in future you will bear this caution in mind, and that -you will take no further steps in the matter now under consideration -without the previous sanction of Her Majesty’s Government.” -Fortunately, before the receipt of this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> letter, Capt. Lees had taken -further energetic action, which, had it been delayed until permission -had been obtained from England, would have been too late.</p> - -<p>Immediately after this success on the part of the Government, Ashantis -appeared simultaneously at all the ports on the Gold Coast, and -purchased salt in immense quantities. Those who were best qualified to -judge of native questions considered that this was one of the worst -signs of the times. No salt is produced in the interior of this portion -of Africa, and in some parts of the inland plateaus it is worth almost -its weight in gold; being a necessary of life it must be had, and large -quantities are exported to the Gold Coast from Europe. Ordinarily, in -peaceable times, the Ashantis buy it as they require it, individually; -when, therefore, there seemed to be a sudden national movement for the -purchase of that commodity, it appeared as if the Ashantis feared that -the supply was about to be cut off, and were storing it up against -that contingency. As the supply could only be cut off by the Colonial -sea-board being closed against them, this action on their part seemed -to show that they premeditated coming into collision with the coast -tribes, that is, ultimately with the British; and when their late -purchases of arms and manœuvre in the north were called to mind this -became still more probable. In 1881 it transpired that an invasion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> of -Adansi was under consideration at this time, and was only postponed on -account of the Colonial mission to Gaman.</p> - -<p>While all this was going on, in April 1879 a mixed embassy of Gamans -and Sefwhees arrived at Cape Coast. These envoys had been sent by -the kings of their respective states to ascertain what truth lay -in the statements which had been made by Mr. Huydekuper. As soon -as they learned that that individual was an impostor, the Gaman -ambassadors stated that their king had made him a prisoner; while -the representatives of both tribes asserted that their countrymen -were unanimous in desiring to maintain their independence, and that -both peoples alike bore a deadly hatred to everything appertaining to -Ashanti. They asked that an officer might return to Gaman with them, as -otherwise they might not be believed in what they had to say about Mr. -Huydekuper; and the Government, following up its more recent and more -enlightened policy, acquiesced.</p> - -<p>Mr. John Smith was the officer selected by the Colonial Government -to proceed to Gaman. Of that country nothing was then known beyond -the fact that it had been engaged in several wars with Ashanti in the -last decade of the eighteenth century. Sir John Dalrymple Hay, indeed, -in his “Ashanti<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> and the Gold Coast,” speaks (pp. 28 and 29) of “the -plains of Massa,” “the Gaman cavalry,” and “the Mahometan soldiery of -Gaman”; and that people was popularly believed to be an offshoot of the -Houssa tribes and to possess Houssa characteristics. It was reserved -for Mr. Smith to explode all these theories, and to make it known that -the Gaman territory was covered with forest, like that of Ashanti, and -that the people were fetish-worshippers, differing in no important -particulars from the tribes in their neighbourhood.</p> - -<p>Mr. Smith left Cape Coast on May 15th, 1879, and reached Jooquah, the -seat of Quasi Kaye, king of Denkera, on the 16th. He left Jooquah -on the 18th, with the king’s son, an ocrah, and a sword-bearer, and -arrived at Becquai, the first Sefwhee town of importance, on June -6th. He remained at Becquai two days, and reached Yorso, the capital -of Sefwhee, on June 10th. Here the Governor’s message, to the effect -that Mr. Huydekuper’s statements were false, was delivered, after Mr. -Smith had been detained twelve days waiting for the chiefs to assemble. -In the course of conversation the king told him that the events of -1874 had decided him and his chiefs to give up their friendship with -the Ashantis and to ally themselves with the British; but that when -Mr. Huydekuper’s message to King Ajiman of Gaman became<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> current his -two principal chiefs had wished to return to their former friendly -relations with Ashanti. The king wished to take an oath of allegiance -to the British Government, but this was declined.</p> - -<p>On June 21st Mr. Smith left Yorso, and, travelling through incessant -rain and by flooded and almost impassable bush-paths, reached the -village of Appemanim, about twelve miles from Buntuku, the capital of -Gaman, on July 21st. Here a messenger from Buntuku met him, desiring -him to wait until the king had prepared for his reception. On the 24th, -having received no further information, he started for the capital, and -met on the road a messenger from the king requesting him to remain a -few days longer at Appemanin, as the king was not quite ready. He took -no notice of this message, and, continuing on his way, reached Buntuku -the same day.</p> - -<p>King Ajiman promised to summon his chiefs and hold a meeting within two -days, but, what with one excuse and another, eight days elapsed before -any meeting was convened, and then it was held so late in the afternoon -that, before the chiefs had gone through the preliminary hand-shaking -ceremonies, the rain came down in torrents and dispersed them. While -thus delayed, however, Mr. Smith acquired the following information:—</p> - -<p>1. That Mr. Huydekuper had left Buntuku <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span>immediately after the Gaman -messengers had started for Cape Coast, and was not, nor had been at any -time, a prisoner.</p> - -<p>2. That the messengers sent to Cape Coast did not represent the entire -Gaman nation, as they had stated, but merely King Ajiman, Princess -Akosuah Ayansuah, the chief of Saiquah and chief Quabina Fofea of -Tackiman; and that the majority of the chiefs had declined to send -messengers, as they did not wish to break with Ashanti.</p> - -<p>3. That the Gaman chiefs were dissatisfied with King Ajiman, and wished -to depose him and elect his half-brother Prince Korkobo to the stool.</p> - -<p>4. That Prince Korkobo, who was strongly in favour of an Ashanti -alliance, was then at Banna, in Ashanti, with Mr. Huydekuper; and had -but recently plundered and burned some villages belonging to King -Ajiman.</p> - -<p>Mr. Smith found in Buntuku an Ashanti captain, Opoku by name, who, -having come to demand the surrender of chief Quabina Fofea of Tackiman, -was living on the most friendly terms with the chiefs of the Korkobo -faction, and domineering over King Ajiman himself. From this it will -be seen how little reliance can be placed upon the statements of West -African ambassadors.</p> - -<p>King Ajiman informed Mr. Smith that the chiefs<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> would assemble on -August 7th, but, on proceeding to the place of meeting on the appointed -day, the latter found only the king himself there with the chiefs of -Tackiman and Saiquah, and one other. The king said the other chiefs -would appear shortly, and Mr. Smith waited. After waiting two hours he -was told that one chief was drunk and could not come, that another had -a sore leg which incapacitated him from attending, and that a third was -making fetish. He left the place of meeting, telling the king that if -he were again trifled with he would at once return to the coast.</p> - -<p>Finally, on August 8th, a palaver was held and the Governor’s message -delivered to the assembled chiefs. No enthusiasm of any kind was -displayed. The king promised to hand over Mr. Huydekuper to Mr. Smith -in thirteen days, and, in answer to a question from that gentleman, -said publicly that he had full confidence in the fidelity of his chiefs.</p> - -<p>Two days after this meeting King Ajiman paid Mr. Smith a private visit, -during which he said that he had told a falsehood when he had affirmed -that he had confidence in the fidelity of his chiefs, and endeavoured -to excuse it by saying that he dared not put them to shame at a public -meeting. He added that all his chiefs, with the exception of one, were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> -against him, and begged Mr. Smith to hold another meeting and compel -them to take an oath of allegiance to him.</p> - -<p>On August 15th the meeting was held. The chiefs said that they had -many grievances against their king; among others, that he had received -several chiefs into the Gaman alliance without consulting them, -and that he had received from such chiefs “alliance money” without -apportioning a share to them, as was customary. On being asked to take -an oath of allegiance to Ajiman, they replied that they would consider -about it, and let Mr. Smith know as soon as possible.</p> - -<p>On August 21st the chiefs re-assembled. As this was the day on which -the king had promised to hand over Mr. Huydekuper Mr. Smith asked for -him. The king replied that that individual was not in the town, but -that he would send again for him. Mr. Smith then told him that he need -not try to keep up the deception any longer, since he had known, from -the day of his arrival in Buntuku, that Mr. Huydekuper had never been a -prisoner, and that it was not now in the king’s power to make him one. -The chiefs declared that they could not come to any decision about the -oath of allegiance, because one of their number was absent.</p> - -<p>On the 23rd another palaver was held at which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> the chiefs openly -declared that King Ajiman was their enemy, and refused to take any oath -of allegiance to him. Mr. Smith returned to his house, and in a few -minutes the king followed him. He declared that he would not remain in -Buntuku after Mr. Smith had left, and begged to be allowed to accompany -him to the coast for protection; however, after some trouble, Mr. Smith -succeeded in persuading him to remain and assert his position.</p> - -<p>On August 24th Mr. Smith left Buntuku for Dadiasu, a village some -twenty miles from the capital, and was accompanied to that place -by the king, one chief, one captain, and the chiefs of Saiquah and -Tackiman—in fact all the king’s adherents. On the 31st, messengers -reached Mr. Smith at Awhetiaso, forty-five miles from Buntuku, -imploring him, in the name of the king, to return, as Prince Korkobo -had entered Buntuku the day after he had left, and was now trying to -oust the king from the throne, or rather from the stool. Mr. Smith -declined to interfere and proceeded on his journey to the coast.</p> - -<p>This mission, though entirely unsuccessful in its aim, clearly -established the fact that, in the event of hostilities with Ashanti, -the Government could not rely upon any assistance from the Gamans. -The Sefwhees, it is true, were more of one mind in the matter, yet it -seemed almost certain, considering<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> their close connection with, and -proximity to, Gaman, that the inaction of the one would paralyse all -movement on the part of the other.</p> - -<p>In the latter part of the year 1879 and in 1880 Ashanti was convulsed -by internal dissensions. King Mensah was, and is, an unpopular monarch. -He is much more tyrannical and bloodthirsty than was his predecessor, -and, in defiance of the terms of the treaty of 1874, the number of -human sacrifices has largely increased during his reign. The sorest -point of all, however, with his subjects was that he despoiled them of -their gold on the shallowest pretexts, and imposed exorbitant fines -for the most trivial offences. People began to talk of the good old -times when Quoffi Calcalli was king, and that wily ex-monarch, who had -outlived the contempt with which he had at first been regarded for -outraging Ashanti prejudices by continuing to live when disgraced, -commenced to intrigue with the people of Kokofuah, the most thickly -populated district in Ashanti, and the one which supplies the largest -contingent for the army. In the meantime Mensah was not idle. He turned -his Houssa corps into a body-guard, and ensured its fidelity by gifts -and promises of future favour; he gathered round him his ocrahs and -retainers, and with this force, armed principally with breech-loading -rifles, he easily managed to stifle disaffection and maintain his -position. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span></p> - -<p>There was yet another cause of dissension in Coomassie. Not a few of -the chiefs, at the head of whom was Opokoo, chief of Becquai, and -Awooah, chief of Bantami and general of the Ashanti army, were anxious -to declare war against Adansi. They had re-conquered Djuabin, their -chief feudatory, and had nothing to fear on that side. On their western -or north-western border too there was now nothing to fear, for although -King Ajiman of Gaman had contrived to regain a portion of his kingdom, -and had fought several undecisive skirmishes with the Korkobo faction, -still the latter was quite powerful enough to neutralise any hostile -movement on the part of the former against Ashanti. Further, these -chiefs knew that they could drive the handful of Adansis across the -Prah without any trouble, and they considered that to do this would -wipe out the disgrace of the defeats of 1874.</p> - -<p>In fact the only thing which at this time prevented the actual invasion -of Adansi was the belief held by King Mensah and his chiefs that any -act of aggression against Adansi would be equivalent to war with Great -Britain; and they were led to this belief by the action taken by Capt. -Lees in the spring of 1879, and with which the then Secretary of State -for the Colonies had found fault. Notwithstanding this belief, the war -party in Coomassie were desirous of invading Adansi, and were quite -willing to take<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> the risk of another war with England. Opposed to the -war party were the king, the queen-mother, and the court party. Mensah -remembered that he owed his present position to the downfall of Quoffi -Calcalli, who had lost the throne in his conflict with the British; -and, being advised by Prince Ansah at Cape Coast, he knew perfectly -well that should hostilities break out between Ashanti and Great -Britain his own ruin would be the result.</p> - -<p>Although Mensah was not prepared to face the Colonial Government in the -field, yet he was as desirous as any of his chiefs to recover Adansi, -which would do so much to re-establish Ashanti in her former position -of supremacy, and so he pursued the traditional policy of the country. -The new Governor of the Gold Coast Colony, Mr. Ussher, sent presents -to the king on taking up his appointment, and the latter seized the -opportunity to send messengers down to Accra, nominally to thank -Governor. Ussher for his presents, but secretly to ascertain the views -and position of the Government with regard to Adansi. These messengers -were duly received and dismissed by the Governor and returned to Cape -Coast, where they remained, collecting information and watching events -on the coast, explaining their delay in returning to their own country -by a number of frivolous excuses. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span></p> - -<p>It appears that about this time Mensah also sent a second mission to -Gaman, for in October or November, 1880, Gaman messengers came to the -Lieutenant-Governor, Mr. Griffith, who had administered the Government -since the death of Mr. Ussher, at Accra, saying that the King of -Ashanti had sent a message to the Ajiman section of the Gamans to the -effect that he, Mensah, had paid a sum of money to the Queen of England -in order that the Gaman country should be placed under his rule, and -that, the Queen having consented to it, the Gamans were now his people.</p> - -<p>While all this was going on, the war party in Coomassie had fast been -gaining the upper hand. The bellicose chiefs spoke of Quoffi Calcalli -as a man who, whatever might have been his other shortcomings, was, -at all events, not afraid of the white men, and recommenced their -intrigues with that individual. Matters became so serious that, in -December 1880, Mr. Buhl, the Secretary of the Basle Mission Society, -reported to the Lieutenant-Governor that there were rumours in Ashanti -that the country was going to war; and, in the same month, Chief Taboo -of Adansi informed the District Commissioner at Cape Coast that Chief -Opokoo of Becquai had publicly sworn before the king at Coomassie that -he would force Adansi to become again subject to Ashanti. Confusion -began to reign in Coomassie, and the struggle for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> supremacy between -the court and the war party was fast approaching a crisis, when the -events which led to the sending of the golden axe to Cape Coast in -January 1881 occurred.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1">[1]</a> Demands that they should return to their own country.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2">[2]</a> The Treaty of Fommanagh was the one signed by Sir Garnet -Wolseley after the burning of Coomassie. The third article provided for -the independence of Adansi.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XII.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">Cape Coast—The Panic—The Golden Axe—Preparations for -Defence—Ansah—A divided Command—A second message from the -King—Native Levies—Ordered to Anamaboe.</p></blockquote> - -<p>At 2 p.m. on February 2nd the “Cameroon” dropped anchor off Cape Coast -Castle, and the whole reinforcement was landed in safety through the -surf by 4 p.m.</p> - -<p>The panic reigning on this portion of the Gold Coast would have been -amusing had it not been so disgraceful. Seven thousand men had been -asked for from England, though the last war had been brought to a -successful termination with two West India regiments and two European -battalions, for practically the 23rd Regiment took no part in the -operations. The walls of Elmina Castle, a fortress impregnable at any -time by savages, had been heightened with sand-bags, as though regular -siege approaches were anticipated; and a few days before our arrival -the advisability of abandoning that post, together with Fort St. Jago, -and withdrawing the garrison of Houssa Constabulary to Cape Coast, had -been seriously entertained. One hundred and fifteen Houssas were at -Prahsu and forty at Mansu, but no attempt was to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> be made to arrest the -advance of the enemy by occupying either of these places in force and -raising field-works; and on February 3rd it was decided that the whole -available force of the Colony should be employed in the defence of the -forts of Anamaboe, Cape Coast, Elmina, and Axim. In other words, the -Ashantis were to be allowed to ravage the whole country from the Prah -to the sea, and the natives were to receive no protection whatever; -while the garrisons were to be shut up in inglorious safety within -stone walls. A high Colonial official said to me:—</p> - -<p>“Oh! we’re so glad you fellows have come. There has been no safe place -to go to at all, and hardly a man-of-war about to get on board of.”</p> - -<p>People seemed to imagine that the Ashanti army had been supplied by -some enterprising contractor with seven-leagued boots, and could move -in one spring from the northern border of Adansi to the sea-board -without our receiving any warning, or information concerning their -progress, from the inhabitants of the country. The Lieutenant-Governor, -with his principal officers, had taken refuge in the Castle, and, -although the ambassadors with the axe had only left Cape Coast Castle -on their return journey to Coomassie on January 26th, a scare had taken -place on the night of February 1st, when everybody must have been aware -that the messengers had not had time to reach their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> capital. Some -intelligent negro alarmed the town in the dead of night by declaring -that he had seen the advancing Ashantis on the Prah road, about three -miles from the Castle. Upon this, the garrison was got under arms, a -patrol sent out, and all the lights in the Castle extinguished. The -object of this last strategic movement is difficult of discovery, -unless it was done in the hope that the Ashantis might not see the -Castle in the dark, and so pass on and go elsewhere.</p> - -<p>Europeans professed to feel unsafe even in the forts, when they must -have known from past events, such as the defence of Anamaboe Fort by a -garrison of some thirty-nine men against an entire Ashanti army, that -the Ashantis could never venture seriously to attack them. In fact the -Ashanti is only dangerous in the bush, and when once he comes into -the open, or ventures to attack fortified posts, he is of but little -importance. Had an invasion really been taking place, thousands of -people from the bush villages would have been flocking into Cape Coast -for refuge; but that town remained in its usual stagnant condition, and -the natives declared that no advance of the enemy was imminent.</p> - -<p>What had really been said and done by the ambassadors was, moreover, -not very clear. It appeared that on January 18th a refugee from -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span>Coomassie, who had arrived at Cape Coast a day or two previously, had -presented himself at Elmina Castle to claim protection. He stated that -he was an Ashanti prince, named Awoosoo, and that, having incurred King -Mensah’s displeasure, he had sought safety in flight. On January 19th a -messenger from the king, with the golden axe and accompanied by three -court-criers, demanded an audience of the Lieutenant-Governor. This -messenger was a son of the late Ashanti chief, Amanquah Roomah, and he -brought with him to the audience Enguie and Busumburu, the two Ashanti -messengers who had been sent to thank Governor Ussher for his presents, -and who had since been living in Cape Coast collecting information. The -former of these two had signed the Treaty of Fommanah with Sir Garnet -Wolseley, and the latter was an Ashanti captain.</p> - -<p>After the usual compliments the messenger stated that the king had -sent him to tell the Governor that a man named Awoosoo, a son of a -prince of Ashanti, whoso ancestors were from Gaman, had been persuaded -by an Assin trader, named Amankrah, to run away from Coomassie to the -Protectorate; and the king had sent him to ask the Governor to send -back Awoosoo. Further the envoy demanded that Amankrah should be given -up, because, although he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> had been regarded by the king as a friend, -and had been for many years a resident in Coomassie, it had been -reported to the king that he had lately gone to Gaman and obtained -money from the king of that country upon a promise that he would use -his best endeavours to persuade Awoosoo to go to Gaman.</p> - -<p>To this the Lieutenant-Governor replied that as Awoosoo had not -committed any crime, and was now under British protection, it was not -in his power to give him up to the king. Enguie then asked if the -Lieutenant-Governor would prevent Awoosoo from going to Gaman; and -was told in reply that he was free to go from British protection or -remain under it, as he pleased, no one having any right to control his -movements.</p> - -<p>So far all who were present at the audience were agreed as to what had -occurred, but as to what followed there was a serious difference of -opinion. Some said that Enguie then stated that the Assins were people -who always caused palavers between Ashanti and the Protectorate, and -that the king said if the Lieutenant-Governor would not give up Awoosoo -he would invade Assin. Those who held to this version further stated -that Busumburu at once got up and confirmed this statement, and that -the Lieutenant-Governor thereupon called Enguie’s attention to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> -treaty of Fommanah, and pointed out to him that an invasion of Assin -meant war with England.</p> - -<p>Other officers who were present at the audience positively declared -that nothing of the sort had occurred, and that Enguie had at the -audience made no threat of invasion; but that, as it had been reported -that he had said to the interpreter, informally, and in the course of -conversation at the interpreter’s house, that if Awoosoo were not given -up the king would take Assin, the treaty of 1874 was shown to him. -For my part I am inclined to believe that this latter account is the -correct one; but it is a question which can never be satisfactorily -settled, as the evidence is so conflicting.</p> - -<p>With regard to the golden axe, people spoke of it as being a -declaration of war, and said that it had been sent down in 1873, -which was not a fact. In reality the golden axe alone is neither a -declaration of war nor a menace. It simply means that the embassy which -bears it is no ordinary one, and that the matter on which the envoys -have come is one in which, as the senders think, great interests are at -stake. In this case, however, the axe was accompanied by an additional -emblem which did threaten hostilities. This was a fac-simile in gold of -a portion of the earthen-nest of a mason-wasp, which escaped the notice -of all Colonial officials, with but one exception, or was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> considered -by them unworthy of notice. This emblem denoted that if the affair on -which the golden axe was sent were not settled to the satisfaction of -the Ashantis they would use their stings, or, in other words, endeavour -to attain their ends by force. So little was this symbol understood in -Colonial circles that no explanation of its presence or meaning was -ever at any time demanded from the Ashantis, not even when, later, they -were protesting that they had never threatened or wished for war.</p> - -<p>With reference to the report that Amankrah had induced Awoosoo to -escape from Coomassie, it seems evident that there was no truth in -it. The former stated that he met Awoosoo at Quissah near Fommanah, -and that he, Awoosoo, begged to be conducted to the Governor. Awoosoo -corroborated this, and neither of them could have any motive for -concealing the truth, if the flight had been arranged in Coomassie.</p> - -<p>The story that Amankrah had received a sum of money from King Ajiman of -Gaman on a promise to do his best to induce Awoosoo to go to Gaman was -a plausible one. Awoosoo was the real heir of the Gaman throne, and, -if he appeared as a claimant for it, the rival factions of Ajiman and -Korkobo would bury their differences, and the Gamanites would become a -united people. Naturally, under these<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> circumstances, the Ashantis were -very anxious to prevent him from going to Gaman. Awoosoo’s grandmother -was a princess of Gaman, and it was through her that he derived his -right to the throne, the female branches taking precedence of the -male in conferring birthright both in Gaman and Ashanti. She married -in Coomassie, and bore a daughter who married Prince Osai Cudjo of -Ashanti. Awoosoo was the offspring of this union, and was thus a prince -of Ashanti in right of his father and a prince of Gaman in right of his -mother; but, in consequence of the native rule of precedence, he was -considered to be a Gaman, and was always spoken of as a native of that -country.</p> - -<p>After the departure of the messengers with the golden axe the Colonial -Government was suddenly seized with a violent craving for information -concerning the tribes of the interior, their relations with Ashanti, -and the position, in a military sense, of Ashanti itself. This was, of -course, a most praiseworthy desire, but all such information ought to -have been collected years before; and the eleventh hour, when all the -officials were more or less in a state of panic, was hardly the time at -which reliable data could be obtained or a temperate judgment formed. -The merest hearsay reports were listened with avidity, and jotted down -as most valuable evidence. Inquiries were made of Quabina Annuoah, -the linguist<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> of King Chiboo of Yancoomassie-Fanti, who, according to -his own statement, had not been to Coomassie for sixteen years, as to -the condition of the Snider rifles which were in the possession of -the Ashantis, and which they had only obtained during the last three -or four years. Quabina promptly replied that Mensah had about three -hundred Sniders, with not many cartridges; that sometimes the rifles -were not cleaned for a week or two, and were now nearly all useless. To -show how utterly unreliable this was I may add that a few weeks later a -man named Amoo Quacoo, a blacksmith and a native of Accra, was brought -to me, and in the course of conversation stated that he had lately -returned from Coomassie, where he had been employed by the king in -looking after three hundred Snider rifles stored in the king’s house. -He said that the rifles were all in good condition, that the Ashantis -took great care of them, cleaning and oiling them daily; and that there -were about four boxes of ammunition to each rifle. Awoosoo had also -seen these three hundred rifles, and the Government at once jumped -to the conclusion that these were all the Ashantis possessed, until -the illusion was rudely dispelled by two Germans, Messrs. Buck and -Huppenbauer, who saw the king in Coomassie on February 5th, and counted -one thousand men armed with Sniders. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span></p> - -<p>The statements of Awoosoo and Quabina Annuoah, to the effect that there -were now no good captains or generals in Ashanti, were gravely written -down; when the Government must, or at all events ought to have been, -aware that both Awooah, chief of Bantama, the conqueror of Djuabin, and -Opokoo, chief of Becquai, who had opposed such a vigorous resistance -to Sir Garnet Wolseley in 1874, were still in the land of the living. -The latter made his statement still more ridiculous by saying that -they could not get any men of his size (about 5 feet 7 inches). These -two men were also questioned as to the number of men King Mensah could -put into the field. The former is stated in the official documents to -have said 20,000 and the latter 30,000. I should like to know how these -figures were arrived at, for in the Tche language there are no words -which can specifically express any such numbers.</p> - -<p>On January 30th Prince Ansah returned from Axim, where he had been on -some secret errand, probably superintending the transmission of the -three tons of powder, which were smuggled at Apollonia, to Coomassie; -on the next day, and on February 3rd, he had interviews with the -Lieutenant-Governor. He protested that the Ashantis had no intention -of making war, and that the Government was making a great mistake. He -further added that the golden axe did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> not denote hostile action, and -that both Enguie and Busumburu denied altogether having said that if -Awoosoo were not given up the king would invade Assin. He seemed much -impressed at the rapidity with which the reinforcement had arrived -from Sierra Leone. The Lieutenant-Governor, adopting a high tone, -told Ansah that he would demand 5,000 ounces of gold as compensation -for the expense to which the Colony had been put, and said that if -the king refused to pay it he would seize some of his territory. As -Ansah was not an accredited ambassador, but merely an agent, the -Lieutenant-Governor committed himself to nothing by this statement; and -probably the former knew quite well that the Imperial Government would -never allow us to take the initiative in any hostile measures.</p> - -<p>The advent of the two companies from Sierra Leone had raised the total -strength of regular troops on the Gold Coast to 400 men. Houssas had -also been brought up to Accra, so that there were 295 men of the Gold -Coast Constabulary available, and thus stationed:—At Elmina, 140; at -Prahsu, 115; and at Mansu, 40. H.M.S. “Flirt” had arrived at Elmina, -and fifty of her men were held in readiness to land. These sensible -additions to the local defences had somewhat quieted apprehensions, but -there was still a good deal of excitement. The officials of the colony<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> -had plucked up courage, and some positively bristled with warlike -ardour; the ordinary duties and peaceful habits of life were discarded, -the proverbial phrase “<i>Cedant arma togæ</i>” was cast to the dogs, and -high legal functionaries busied themselves in the proposed raising of a -local volunteer corps of native clerks and shopmen.</p> - -<p>Earthworks were commenced at Java Hill and in the Government Garden -at Elmina, where, in June 1873, a handful of the Second West India -regiment had repulsed the main Ashanti attack with great slaughter. -This work, when completed, was to be garrisoned by the seamen and -marines from the men-of-war now lying off Elmina; but the senior -naval officer refused to land his men unless he was allowed to take -charge of the military operations. As there is a paragraph in the -Queen’s Regulations expressly stating that naval officers shall not -command troops on shore, this rather created a difficulty, which, -however, the Lieutenant-Governor met by placing, much to the disgust -of the military, the Houssa Constabulary under the orders of the naval -officer. The seamen and marines, to the number of some fifty, were then -landed, and remained in Elmina Castle for three days, at great peril to -their health, as they were not provided with helmets.</p> - -<p>During his short reign the senior naval officer withdrew all the -Houssas from Prahsu and Mansu, on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> the grounds that if they were left -there they would be defeated and cut off. He did not seem to be aware -that it was the duty of outposts to delay the advance of an enemy -without compromising their own retreat, and to fall back slowly, -sending full information to the main body. When the Houssas were -withdrawn several thousand rounds of Snider ammunition were left at -Prahsu, which the Ashantis could have taken had they so pleased; and -had the enemy advanced we should have had to depend upon the ignorant -and panic-stricken natives for intelligence, and should have had no -reliable information as to the number, line of march, and armament of -the foe. In fact, it would be difficult to imagine a more inexpedient -step than this withdrawal of our frontier post, for, in addition -to weakening our military position, it naturally disheartened the -protected tribes, and encouraged the Ashantis.</p> - -<p>Before, however, this division in the command was made, the Ashanti -messengers, both men of low origin, which in itself, considering the -serious state of affairs, was a slight to the Government, arrived -at Cape Coast, and had an audience with the Lieutenant-Governor on -February 8th. These messengers were Quabina Ewah, a court-crier, and -Quabina Oyentaki, a sword-bearer. They were accompanied by Enguie and -Busumburu. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span></p> - -<p>These envoys had left Coomassie before the ambassadors with the golden -axe had returned, having in fact met them one day’s journey from the -capital, and brought the following message:—</p> - -<p>“The king has heard that Houssas and officers are at Prahsu, building -a bridge. As all that is past is gone and done with, he wishes to know -what this means, and why the Governor is going to fight?”</p> - -<p>The messengers complained that the Adansis had illtreated them on their -way through Adansi territory, and that they had seen them seize two -Ashanti traders from the Kokofuah district, and plunder them of their -goods and gunpowder. They further stated that the messengers with the -golden axe had told them that at an Adansi village, named Ansah, a -trader who had joined the retinue had been ill-treated and robbed of -his gun. They applied to the Lieutenant-Governor for redress, and were -evidently fully under the impression that Adansi was either included -in the British protectorate or that we were bound by treaty to protect -them from the Ashantis, and were consequently under the obligation of -seeing that no Ashantis were maltreated by them.</p> - -<p>In fact the Adansis appear to have laboured under the delusion that we -were bound to support them, and so behaved in this manner. A renegade -is always more bitter than a foe who has not changed sides, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> the -Adansis, having <i>ratted</i> from the Ashanti kingdom when they conceived -it to be falling to pieces, were now displaying their animosity by -the—in this part of the world—unheard-of insult of molesting a -person in the retinue of an ambassador. As they are numerically an -insignificant tribe, they would not have dared to do this had they not -believed that Great Britain was bound to save them from the vengeance -of Ashanti; and, now that King Mensah fully understands that they are -not a protected people, and provided that our non-intervention policy -is still persevered in, their day of reckoning is not far distant.</p> - -<p>One of the messengers, Quabina Eunah, having remarked that the Adansis -were clearing the roads, the Lieutenant-Governor said that they were -bound to do so by the treaty of Fommanah, and expressed a hope that the -king of Ashanti was also fulfilling his treaty obligations by keeping -the main road to his capital clear of bush, which expression elicited -nothing from the messengers but a laugh. Now whether he was annoyed at -this, or whether it was simply through ignorance of native customs (he -being quite new to the country and people), the Lieutenant-Governor -at once questioned the authenticity of the message, and asked the -messengers how he was to know that they came from the king. They -pointed to the gold plates on their breasts as being their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> insignia of -office, and the Lieutenant-Governor then said that the king ought to -have sent him something which he had seen before, and could therefore -recognise. Upon this Enguie sarcastically observed that hitherto the -Governor had seen nothing from the king but the golden axe, and as they -had left Coomassie before that state weapon had been returned to the -capital it was impossible that they could have brought it down; adding, -“even if his Excellency would like to see it again, which I doubt.” -Everybody felt that the Lieutenant-Governor had not got the best of -this little exchange of words, which had arisen through his groundless -suspicion.</p> - -<p>The ignorance of the country and mode of thought of the natives -displayed by the Lieutenant-Governor’s advisers militated very much -against the taking of vigorous measures. A combination of native tribes -against Ashanti was talked of, and men who ought to have known better -did not hesitate to include the Gamans in this confederation. The truth -was, that the fact that a Gaman embassy had visited the coast in 1879, -and had stated that the whole nation was actuated by a bitter hostility -to Ashanti, was remembered; while all the information gained by Mr. -Smith in his mission to Buntuku, which tended to show that no such -feeling of ill-will existed, was forgotten. No doubt that gentleman’s -report had long since been lost<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> sight of in one of the pigeon-holes in -the Private Secretary’s office. Native report concerning Gaman asserted -that King Ajiman had contrived to retain possession of the throne, but -that Prince Korkobo was, in all but name, the actual ruler, and had -been nominated Ajiman’s successor.</p> - -<p>The only tribes in the British protectorate who could be relied upon -to furnish a certain quota of men are those of Denkera, Assin, Western -Akim, and Fanti. Wassaw, Ahanta, and Eastern Akim would not move in -1873, and do not seem to have any feeling of enmity to Ashanti; while -to utilize the men of King Blay of Apollonia away from their own -country would only be to tempt the disaffected natives surrounding his -territory to take up arms.</p> - -<p>That the tribes in the neighbourhood of Axim and Apollonia were -disaffected was evident from the reports of the District Commissioner -there, Mr. Firminger, a young officer who had taken the trouble to -study what is too frequently neglected by the Colonial officers on -the Gold Coast, namely, the political relations of the tribes with -which he was brought in contact. He reported that the Awooins were on -the most intimate terms with the Ashantis, and that their disregard -for English law was owing to advice from Coomassie. The king of Bayin -was also on friendly terms with King Mensah, and in January<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> 1881 had -sent one of his cane-bearers to Coomassie to reside there, and had -received in return an Ashanti agent to reside at Bayin. Mr. Firminger -says:—“Should any trouble occur with Ashanti I am assured that the -people from Bayin to the frontier would join them.”<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" >[3]</a></p> - -<p>Under the general name of Fanti are included the petty kingdoms of -Cape Coast, Elmina, Effutu, Abrali, Dunquah, Dominassi, Anamaboe, -Mankessim, Ajimacong, and Mumford; and, generally speaking, the men of -these sub-divisions are worthless as soldiers, while Elmina and Effutu -are more than half friendly to the Ashantis. The number of men which -each chief could put into the field is enormously exaggerated; thus the -Anamaboe contingent is estimated at from 2,500 to 3,000, whereas it -would be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to raise more than -500 men from that district. By using strong measures 4,000 men might -be got together from the Fanti tribes collectively, but they would all -rather carry than fight, and it would be better so to employ them.</p> - -<p>On February 8th I received orders to proceed next day to Anamaboe -with 100 men and two 4-2/5-inch howitzers, and occupy the fort there, -which had hurriedly been put into a state of preparation, after having -been without a garrison for some fifty years. With some difficulty I -obtained permission to march to my destination instead of going by sea, -as fears were entertained as to the liability of my being cut off; -but I pointed out that as no enemy had yet crossed the Prah, and as -that frontier was seventy-four miles distant, there could be no danger -in a march which would only occupy a few hours. At that time war was -considered inevitable: the axe, accompanied by the wasp’s nest, was -a clear declaration of war; and Ansah’s declarations, and the second -message from the king, viewed by the light of similar protestations in -1873, were not considered of much account.</p> - -<p>Under such circumstances, to garrison Anamaboe with 100 men was, from -a military point of view, a grievous mistake. In the first place it -reduced the already sufficiently small force at Cape Coast; in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> -second place the Ashantis had never been near Anamaboe since 1807, and -were not likely to go there in 1881, since they had considered it too -insignificant in 1814, 1824, 1863, and 1873; and in the third place, -should the presence there of troops attract them, the force, being so -small, could only act on the defensive. Held with a force sufficiently -large to permit of offensive measures being adopted, Anamaboe would -be an excellent position, as it is some miles nearer to Dunquah, and -consequently to the Prah, than Cape Coast, and the flank of an army -threatening the latter town might most effectually be harassed from it.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3">[3]</a> This opinion, which is based upon unmistakeable facts, -shows how precarious would be the position of the various Goldmining -Companies now endeavouring to induce the British public to take shares -in their enterprises. I have been asked by persons connected with these -Companies to state that in the event of complications with Ashanti the -Tarquah district would be quite free from molestation. I regret that I -am unable to do so; but I believe that immediately upon the outbreak of -hostilities the mining camps would be pillaged, the “plant” destroyed, -and the persons employed only able to save their lives by instant -flight. Of course, if the Colonial Government adopt measures for the -protection of these Companies, that is another matter; but the main -road from Assinee to Coomassie passes through Awooin, and the Ashantis -would not allow their main artery for the supply of munitions of war to -be cut off without opposition.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">A Teacher of the Gospel—Anamaboe—A third Message from the -King—Affairs in Coomassie—Downfall of the War Party—False -Rumours—Arrival of the Governor—A fourth Message from the -King—Further Complications.</p></blockquote> - -<p>At 5 a.m. on February 9th the company paraded, and we marched off to -Anamaboe, a distance of some twelve miles. We followed the Prah road as -far as Inquabim market, that is for about four and a half miles, and -then branched off to the right by a narrow and irregular bush-path over -the Iron Hills: the track was too narrow for two men to walk abreast, -and the procession consequently was strung out to some length. The -few natives we met, astonished at the unusual spectacle of soldiers -in this part of the country, and fancying we were going to seize them -as carriers, as was done in 1874, bolted into the bush directly they -caught sight of us, dropping their pots of water or loads of plantains -in their flight.</p> - -<p>After three hours’ marching over vile roads and steep hills we halted -for an hour for breakfast at a small village in the bush about nine -miles from Cape Coast; the men piled arms and bivouacked under some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> -umbrella-trees in the centre of the village, while we, the officers, -went towards a fairly good sort of house that stood close by; The -owner and occupier of this mansion was a local preacher belonging to -some missionary society, and he at once said, like any other native -would have said, that we might make use of his house during our stay; -but added, unlike any other native, provided we paid him: we made -no difficulty about this, and proceeded to breakfast. While we were -discussing that meal the preacher came in accompanied by two young -girls, about twelve or thirteen years of age, attired in gorgeous -native cloths, with their wool distorted into the latest Fanti fashion, -and bedecked with brilliant handkerchiefs. We asked our host if he -required anything, and he said “No,” he had only come to do a little -business with us; we then inquired what that business might be, and, -after a little beating about the bush, he informed us that, as Anamaboe -was rather a dull place for Europeans, he thought we might like to buy -these two girls, and, if so, we could have them for 4<i>l.</i> a piece. -We asked him what authority he had for disposing of them in this -unceremonious fashion, and he replied that they were his servants; but, -on being pressed for further information, he confessed that they had -been given to him by their parents in payment of some debt—in fact -they were slaves. Much to his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> disappointment we felt ourselves obliged -to decline his generous offer, which refusal he attributed entirely -to the price, and lowered his terms first to 3<i>l.</i> 10<i>s.</i> and then to -3<i>l.</i>, equally without success; while it was easy to see that the dusky -damsels considered our rejection of the proposal as a proof of our -exceedingly bad taste, and were as much disappointed and chagrined as -their master.</p> - -<p>A little abashed at the manner in which we had treated his offer, the -preacher sent away the two young ladies to the back of his premises, -and, beginning to have a faint idea that he had somehow not risen in -our estimation, he endeavoured to retrieve his lost ground by falling -back upon his more legitimate occupation, and asked that we should -delay our departure in order that he might preach a sermon to the men. -The hypocrisy of this proposition, coming as it did immediately after -the other, was more than we could stand, and, expressing our thoughts -in unequivocal terms, we paid him what we owed, went out, and got the -men together ready to march off. The village pastor, however, was not -going to be done out of an opportunity of showing forth before his -unsophisticated flock, and, while we were preparing to start, delivered -an exhortation in which “the sword of the Lord and of Gideon,” -“soldiers of the Lord,” “smite with the edge of the sword,” and similar -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span>expressions, were jumbled together in a meaningless jargon; while -when we moved off he strode alongside for some distance, open-mouthed, -shouting in a discordant voice that highly-appropriate hymn called -“Hold the Fort,” the work of those itinerant vendors of religion, -Messrs. Moody and Sankey.</p> - -<p>Whenever I meet such creatures as this local preacher I am moved -to anger and restrain myself only with difficulty. Little children -in England stint themselves in the luxury of sweets by giving of -their scarce pence to aid the “poor missionaries,” and people who -can ill afford to be charitable contribute their mite to further the -promulgation of Christianity among heathen negroes; while scoundrels -like this preacher batten upon the subscriptions thus raised, live -in the best house in the village, acquire authority and wealth, and -lead a happy life of idleness and vice. The persons who draw up those -highly-coloured Mission Reports for the benefit of the gullible British -public have a great deal to answer for.</p> - -<p>We reached Anamaboe about 10 a.m., and found the fort prepared for our -reception as well as could be expected under the circumstances. Of -late years it had been occupied by two or three Fanti policemen with -their numerous wives and dependents, and consequently was not as clean -as it might have been;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> while no attempt had been made to make good -the damage resulting from years of neglect. As a military position, -the defects which were the cause of the surrender of the fort to the -Ashantis in 1806 had not been remedied; the loopholes in the curtain -were so made that fire could only be brought to bear on a point some -forty yards from the walls, and persons beyond or within that distance -could not be touched, while the embrasures yawned to such an extent -that it would cost many lives to work guns so exposed to the fire of -an enemy. Added to this, the native swish-houses extended on one side -to within twenty yards of the walls; and on another side stood an -immense house, built of stone, which actually overlooked the bastions -and commanded the whole fort. As neither food nor water fit to drink -were to be obtained here, these necessaries of life had to be forwarded -daily from Cape Coast in surf-boats: sometimes the water, through some -oversight, failed to appear, and we had to use the dysenteric liquid -from the neighbouring pools, or go without; the former alternative was -usually chosen, and, in spite of every precaution, such as boiling and -filtering, a very large percentage of the men were constantly on the -sick-list. As for the officers, three in number, we were always more -or less ill. The town was in a condition of indescribable filth, and -at times the stench<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> which arose was so suffocating that, in spite of -the intense heat, we were obliged to keep the doors and windows of -our rooms closed. The streets, the yards, the bush—in fact the whole -surface of the earth within a radius of half-a-mile from the fort—was -covered with the collected refuse of half-a-century, which, under the -combined influence of sun and rain, gave forth a curious variety of -pestilential odours. Altogether, Anamaboe was an exceedingly salubrious -and, under the circumstances, useful post.</p> - -<p>On February 17th a third embassy arrived at Cape Coast from Coomassie, -consisting of a linguist, a sword-bearer, three court-criers, and an -old fetish priestess, the latter of whom threatened to utterly destroy -both the English and the Fantis if they did not at once abandon any -intention they might have of making war upon Ashanti. On the 18th these -ambassadors, with the exception of the old lady, had an interview with -the Lieutenant-Governor at Elmina, Enguie and Busumburu being again in -attendance. After the preliminary formalities, Bendi, the linguist, -said:—</p> - -<p>“The king of Ashanti sends his compliments to his friend the Governor, -and bids me to speak to the Governor’s interpreter, and to tell him to -say to the Governor that some time ago an Assin trader, named Amankrah, -came to Coomassie to trade, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> stole away the king’s son Awoosoo down -to the coast. When Prince Awoosoo ran away from Coomassie the king’s -messengers came to ask the Governor to give him up. But by the law of -England, if a man runs to the English Government for protection, he -cannot be given up. The king of Ashanti says—‘When my son ran away I -applied to the Governor to see if he could give him up to me. I have -no palaver with the Assins, but Enguie, out of his own head, said to -the Governor—‘If you do not give him up, some palaver will come.’ Your -Excellency must know that that was not the king’s message.’</p> - -<p>“The Governor said—‘Give me the paper.’ He said to Enguie—‘Are you -Enguie? Are you the man who signed the treaty that Assin, Gaman, and -Denkera, should be under the English, and now do you come to me to -break the treaty?’ Enguie said—‘I do not break the treaty.’ After -this we wished to leave Elmina in order to go to Cape Coast, but next -morning a messenger came and told our messengers that they must not go, -for the Governor had still something to say. Then our messengers waited -and the Governor said he must make a book,<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" >[4]</a> because Enguie had broken -the treaty. Our <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span>messengers replied—‘No one can read at Coomassie, but -we will take your letter to the king.’</p> - -<p>“Then the letter was carried to the king, and the king said—‘Enguie -did not break the treaty. The words he spoke were his own words. He -was sent to the Governor to be kept on the coast. He is the Governor’s -servant, and it must not be said that he broke the treaty.’ For this -reason the king has sent us, his linguist and sword-bearer, to let the -Governor know that this is the case. We mean to say that Enguie himself -said these words, and not the king. He is the servant of the Governor -as well as of the king, and it was his own speech, and not the king’s -message.</p> - -<p>“Again we say to the Governor, the king of Adansi made a report that -the king of Ashanti is going to march upon the Adansis and fight with -them. But, in consequence of the treaty between England and Ashanti, -the Ashantis would not come down to fight with anybody. They would not -bring a single gun across the Prah to fight. As to the people under -the English Government, the king will never come to fight any one of -them. The king says so. If the Governor has heard that the Ashantis are -ready to attack any part of the protectorate, the report is not true. -The king wishes to be a friend to this Governor, as Quacoe Duah was to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span> -Governor Maclean. If any one says that the king of Ashanti intends to -attack the protectorate it is false, and not true. He has sent us to -say that it is not true. He wishes to be friendly with the Governor.</p> - -<p>“As to the gold axe, it means nothing. It is not used as a symbol; -you can ask any of the chiefs about here. Amankrah Accoomah, the -axe-bearer, used to bring the axe, but it is no symbol. The king -says—‘You can tell the Governor that the axe is nothing.’ If any one -comes and reports to the Governor this and that of the king, let the -Governor send a messenger to the king, and the king will clear himself.</p> - -<p>“We have finished. For this reason have we come, we wish to be friends -with the Governor. As to what Enguie has said, Enguie is the Governor’s -servant, and the Governor can forgive Enguie and let that pass.”</p> - -<p>After this some conversation ensued, in the course of which both Enguie -and Busumburu, amid considerable confusion, denied that the former had -ever said that the king would attack Assin. The Lieutenant-Governor -thereupon called the Government interpreter, Davis, and in answer to -questions the latter said that Enguie had told him, at his house, that -if Awoosoo were not given up the Ashantis would attack Assin. It is -worthy of notice that Davis<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> said nothing of any such threat having -been formally made during the audience with the Lieutenant-Governor; -indeed, for some inscrutable reason, the regular interpreter had not -been employed upon that occasion, and the duty of interpretation -had been left to a young clerk employed in the Colonial Office, a -fact which renders the theory of a formal threat having been made -exceedingly doubtful.</p> - -<p>This was all that occurred of moment, and as the Governor, Sir Samuel -Rowe, was expected to arrive soon, the Lieutenant-Governor decided to -leave things as they were, and merely returned a message to the effect -that he was glad to hear of King Mensah’s peaceable intentions, and -that so long as these were manifest he would be his friend. Yet, having -heard that Sir Samuel Rowe would arrive in a few days, he thought it -better to leave the matter in his hands, as the Governor coming direct -from the Queen would know her mind on the subject.</p> - -<p>Having seen what was taking place in the protectorate it may be now -interesting to know what the Ashantis had been doing in their capital, -and to ascertain the causes which led to the threatening attitude, and -to the subsequent peaceful and apologetic messages.</p> - -<p>As I have endeavoured to show in Chapter XI., affairs were in rather a -critical condition in Coomassie<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> owing to the struggle for supremacy -between the war and court parties, and the escape of Awoosoo, happening -at this crisis, placed the winning card in the hands of the former. -As I have already said, it was necessary in the interests of Prince -Korkobo of Gaman, the good friend and ally of Ashanti, that Awoosoo -should be detained in Coomassie, and the unexpected escape of a -person of such importance in Ashanti politics created the greatest -consternation, which feeling, when it became known that the fugitive -had claimed British protection, was soon mingled with a longing for -revenge. Numerous influential chiefs, who had hitherto either belonged -to the court party or had equally held aloof from both sections, now -joined the war party, which carried everything before it, and at the -“palaver” which was held Mensah could do nothing but acquiesce in their -proposals: in fact any attempt on his part to stem the popular current -would only have resulted in his downfall.</p> - -<p>From time immemorial in Ashanti it had been the custom when any -important personage sought asylum with the British Government to send -an embassy to demand the surrender of the refugee, with instructions, -in the event of a refusal, to threaten prompt hostilities. At the -meeting of turbulent “caboceers” it was determined to follow this -haughty precedent, and the king<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> was compelled to submit. To use the -words of an eye-witness—“The king said to the messengers who were to -start for Cape Coast—‘All black men are subject to me and I will have -my revenge for all this.’ He then took the golden axe and the golden -hoe, saying: ‘If this man should escape up a tree, here is an axe with -which to cut it down. Should he burrow into the ground, here is a hoe -with which to dig him up. Go, and bring him back.’”</p> - -<p>This reference to the axe and hoe meant that the ambassadors were to -hew or make their way through all obstacles; and that, if necessary, -force would be used for the accomplishment of the mission on which they -were sent.</p> - -<p>So far, but no further, was Mensah influenced by the powerful war -party. A number of the chiefs wished to declare war at once, without -waiting for any reply from the Government of the Gold Coast to their -demand; and Awooah, the Ashanti general, actually swore the king’s -oath, to break which is death, that he would drive the Adansis over -the Prah. He left Coomassie for Bantama, his town, to call out the -men of his district; but Mensah succeeded in persuading all the other -chiefs, except Opokoo of Becquai, to postpone actual hostilities until -the expected refusal of the Government, had been received, and Awooah, -finding only one chief ready to second<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> him, gave up his project. As -he was too influential a person to be put to death, for in Ashanti as -elsewhere the law seems to be made rather for the poor than for the -rich, he was punished for breaking the king’s oath by the infliction of -a heavy fine.</p> - -<p>After the departure of the embassy with the axe, most of the opposition -“caboceers” retired to their own towns to await the issue, and Mensah -took advantage of this to gather round him all his adherents and -strengthen his position. Before, however, the ambassadors returned -to the capital with the reply of the Lieutenant-Governor, messengers -arrived there with the news that Houssas and officers were at Prahsu -building a bridge. This report, which originated in the despatch -of a few Houssas to Prahsu to watch events, while it confirmed the -worst apprehensions of the court party, seemed to the war party to -evince a disposition on the part of the Colonial Government to meet -them half-way, which they considered exceedingly suspicious. In all -their former wars with the British they had taken the initiative, and -over-run the country between the Prah and the sea with their victorious -armies. Even in the disastrous war of 1873-4 they had, for more than -six months, held entire possession of the western half of the colony, -with the exception of two or three towns on the sea-board, which were -protected by the forts and gunboats.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> They wished for war it is true, -but they wished to enter upon it when and where they pleased, and -were not at all prepared to have it carried into their own country. -That they expected this to be done is evident from the message sent -by the king on February 6th to Mr. Newenham, the constabulary officer -stationed at Prahsu, to the effect that he hoped to receive timely -notice before the British forces marched on Coomassie. They remembered -the advance of European troops which followed the building of a bridge -over the Prah on a former occasion, therefore when told that a bridge -was now being built, they jumped to the conclusion that the Government -must have some considerable force at hand. The more hot-headed members -of the war party wished to invade Adansi at once, so as to dispute the -passage of the Prah, but some of the more recent adherents of this -group changed sides once more, thus strengthening Mensah’s hands; and -the result of the next “palaver” was the despatch of the peaceful and -apologetic second message, which was delivered at Cape Coast Castle on -February 8th.</p> - -<p>The day after this second embassy had left Coomassie, the -ambassadors with the golden axe returned with the letter from the -Lieutenant-Governor, refusing to comply with the demand which had been -made for the surrender of Awoosoo, and two days<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> later an important -“palaver” was held. The two parties were now fairly matched, and -the discussion lasted for several days, each section endeavouring, -by eloquence, taunts, threats, and promises, to win over wavering -opponents to its own side. While victory was still trembling in the -balance news arrived at Coomassie that the Government was arming the -Fantis and the Assins, and was about to invade Ashanti with these -auxiliaries. This rumour was entirely without foundation, but its -effect in Coomassie was prodigious. Neither the war nor the court party -could hear patiently that their old enemies, whom they had conquered -time after time, and whom they considered to be slaves and women, were -about to carry war into their territory; a terrible orgie broke out, -the death-drum was beaten, slaves were sacrificed, all the Assins and -Fantis in Coomassie were “put in log,” and night closed upon a wild -scene of madness and intoxication.</p> - -<p>Had not this report been immediately contradicted war would have -been inevitable; but next morning it was declared to be unfounded -by a messenger from Prince Ansah who opportunely arrived, and who -also brought the news of the sudden arrival of troops at Cape Coast -from Sierra Leone. The strength of the reinforcement was greatly -exaggerated, and it was said that thousands of Europeans were <i>en -route</i> from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span> England and daily expected. The war party then began to -think that, considering the divided state of the nation, they had -been a little too hasty in their declaration of hostilities, and that -it would be better to temporise. The queen-mother, who possessed -enormous influence, threatened to commit suicide “on the heads”<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" >[5]</a> -of the principal chiefs of the war party if they persevered in their -intentions, and this threat sealed the fate of their party. Most of -the bellicose chiefs returned to their own towns to sulk in dignified -silence, and Mensah had things entirely his own way. To show how -pacific were his intentions he said, at a palaver which was held at -this time, “It is said that white men are coming across the Prah. We -have done nothing, we have no quarrel with them. Let us sit still; -and, if they wish to fight, let them fire the first shot.” A party of -Ashantis whom he had sent to take possession of a gold-mine situated -in Adansi territory, and the ownership of which was the subject of a -dispute, were also recalled, in order that there might be no pretext -for saying that he was interfering in the affairs of tribes who were -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span>independent The day after the above statement of his intentions -Mensah sent his third message to the Lieutenant-Governor, explicitly -stating that he had no hostile design. This message was, as we have -seen, delivered on February 18th; thus, twenty-five days after the -declaration of war, it was known to the government of the Gold Coast -that Mensah desired peace, and that there was no prospect of an -embroilment; but by that time the first alarming telegram had already -reached England.</p> - -<p>After the decision of the Lieutenant-Governor to do nothing till the -arrival of his superior, the Colony was disturbed by several groundless -alarms. One of these was to the effect that the king was calling out -his army, and had posted a strong force at Ordahsu; while, according -to another, which was current on March 2nd, the Ashantis had crossed -the Prah in force, and had reached Dunquah. The author of these false -reports was never discovered, though suspicion fell upon a trader, who, -having a large supply of goods on hand, wished to keep others from -importing. This man was also suspected of sending that telegram from -St. Vincent which surprised England with the intelligence that the -Ashanti army was within three days’ march of Cape Coast.</p> - -<p>But, although there was little or nothing to be feared from the -tribes beyond the boundary of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> Colony, there was a great deal of -dissatisfaction amongst the protected tribes. The chiefs of Accra, on -being called together to state what quota of men they would be prepared -to furnish in case of war, flatly refused to raise any men for the -defence of the protectorate until their king, Tacki, was released from -imprisonment at Elmina. This refusal was committed to writing and the -document signed by forty-eight of the most influential chiefs of the -district. I have already referred to the critical state of affairs in -the western extremity of the Colony, and to the east the Awoonahs began -to make preparations; so energetically, too, that the chiefs of Addah, -who had promised to raise some 4,000 men, now said that they could not -leave their own country, as, were they to do so, the Awoonahs would -pillage their towns and carry off the women and children.</p> - -<p>These facts were rude shocks to the Government. Theoretical Governors -had fondly nursed the belief, until it had grown into an article of -faith, that the years of peace which had succeeded the events of 1874 -had induced the various tribes in the protectorate,—distinct though -these were by language, traditions, and customs,—to bury their several -grievances and become a homogeneous people, and now it was only too -evident that the mere rumour of possible hostilities with Ashanti -had alone been sufficient to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> bring again into prominence all their -inter-tribal enmities, and make each nation suspicious and jealous -of its neighbours. The world can now judge how far any proposed -combination of the protected tribes against Ashanti would be likely to -be successful.</p> - -<p>On March 4th the Governor of the Gold Coast Colony, Sir Samuel Rowe, -arrived at Elmina, accompanied by some half-dozen of the Sierra Leone -armed police, a number of Kroomen, who had been engaged as carriers, -and several officers temporarily in Colonial employ. By the 12th the -Chief Justice had arrived from Accra, and the Governor was sworn in.</p> - -<p>After this ceremony had been performed everybody expected him to say or -do something to re-open communications with the king, to whose peaceful -message of February 18th no answer had yet been returned; but, instead, -nothing was talked of but meetings of friendly chiefs and the raising -of native levies. A demonstration to the Prah was mooted, which, had it -been undertaken, would have been quite useless, for the now independent -kingdom of Adansi intervenes between that river and Ashanti; while the -dreadful mortality of the war of 1863 should have taught that no body -of men ought to be encamped at Prahsu, if any other equally suitable -locality could be found. As the king had said he desired peace, there -did not seem any necessity for a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> demonstration at all; though, if one -were undertaken, the Adansi hills, being at once comparatively healthy -and on the southern frontier of Ashanti, would be the proper point at -which to make it.</p> - -<p>The old rumours of preparations in Ashanti were revived. It was -reported that a messenger from the king of Adansi had brought -intelligence that the army was being called out, and a letter from a -German agent at Addah, one of the last places for obtaining authentic -information from Coomassie, was gravely quoted in support of the theory -that, in spite of all peaceable protestations, Mensah still meant war. -Many people began seriously to think that the Governor intended to -force on a war, while others, who were more behind the scenes, surmised -that Sir Samuel Rowe was merely raising the Ashanti bugbear in order -that he might obtain more credit for laying it.</p> - -<p>It was evident that the Home Government thought we were fighting for -dear life, for on March 13th the hired transport “Ararat,” with sick -and wounded from Natal, put in to Cape Coast, <i>en route</i> for England, -to pick up our wounded. Happily we had not prepared any, and the ship -went away as it had come.</p> - -<p>Earlier than this, however, namely on March 6th, the Governor had an -interview with Enguie and Busumburu, who had remained at Cape Coast -since the beginning of the complication. He addressed them<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> to the -effect that the British Government did not wish to conquer Ashanti, -but rather that the Fantis and Ashantis should live in peace together, -and was as ambiguous and encouraging as he could well be. The Ashantis -replied that they had brought their message to Prince Ansah, and they -wished to give it to the Governor through him.</p> - -<p>Accordingly, on March 8th, Prince Ansah came to Elmina, and the -ambassadors through him proposed that a portion of the embassy might -be allowed to return to Coomassie, to carry a special message to the -king. The Governor replied that he considered this request should be -made by the ambassadors in person. This was done on the 11th, when -the ambassadors stated that they were very anxious to send a message -to the king, and requested permission to send three of their number -to Coomassie. The Governor said that he had no objection as long as -it was clearly understood that the message which they carried was a -private one from themselves, and not from him, and that they made that -matter perfectly clear to the king. Next day the messengers left for -Coomassie, their departure and the final settlement of the Ashanti -difficulty having by the above diplomatic subterfuges been delayed for -six days.</p> - -<p>In the meantime, King Mensah at Coomassie could not at all understand -what was taking place. He had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span> sent to Cape Coast to say he had no -intention of making war, and, instead of any reply being vouchsafed, he -had been told that he must wait for an answer until the arrival of the -Governor. That event had been duly communicated to him by his agent at -Cape Coast, but still no message came, and his pacific declaration was -treated with contemptuous silence. To say that he was not pleased at -this would but feebly express his feelings on the subject. Never before -had a message from an Ashanti king been received in such a contumelious -manner; the majority of the chiefs were of opinion that it was a -premeditated insult, and some went so far as to urge him to soothe his -wounded dignity by an appeal to arms. In fact had the Government been -desirous of war they could hardly have adopted a line of policy more -likely to have produced that result. Mensah, however, was sincerely -desirous of peace, and he despatched fresh messengers to Cape Coast, -who, as an appeal to the Government was thought to be useless, were -instructed to solicit the good offices of the traders, both European -and native, to place matters on a friendly footing between the colony -and Ashanti.</p> - -<p>These messengers left Coomassie before the news of the Governor’s -arrival had reached there, and arrived at Cape Coast on March 10th. -They were four in number, and were named Osai Bruni, Yow<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> Ewoah, -Quarmin Insia, and Dantando. Their arrival, and the object of -their mission, concerning which they made no secret, were at once -communicated to the Governor by the District-Commissioner, but they -were allowed to remain in the town unnoticed until the 13th, when they -of their own accord went over to Elmina. There they asked permission -to submit to the Governor the message that they intended to deliver to -the merchants. After further unnecessary delays they were allowed to -do so on March 16th, and were then informed that the Government had no -objection to their delivering such a message, but they must clearly -understand that this permission could not in any way affect any action -which the Government might afterwards think proper to take.</p> - -<p>On March the 18th a meeting of traders was held at Cape Coast, and -the following was the message delivered—“The king sent us to come to -Prince Ansah and say ‘Let our family differences be at an end.’ He sent -us to Prince Ansah for him to take us to the merchants of Cape Coast -Castle for them to help the king, and say to the Governor that if he, -the king, had done anything wrong in the matter of the message with -the axe, that he, the king, asked that the Governor should pardon his -mistake.” They further declared that Mensah was willing to do anything -to maintain peace, and asked that a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> European officer might be sent -to Coomassie to see for himself that no preparations, either overt or -secret, for war were going on.</p> - -<p>After this meeting of the mercantile classes the Ashanti messengers -again had an interview with the Governor, who told them that he had -nothing to do with the message they brought, that what the merchants -might have said was their own business, and that the words of the Queen -could only be sent to the king through the Governor. He then added that -they were to remember that the difficulty between the king and the -British Government had not yet been settled or cleared up in any way, -and dismissed them with the customary formalities.</p> - -<p>The messengers started on the return journey on March 20th, and no -understanding between the Government and the king had been arrived at. -In fact matters had become further complicated, for the manner in which -these friendly overtures had been received could not be regarded in any -other light than as a rebuff, and the Governor’s concluding words could -only be construed as a thinly-veiled threat. European residents in the -Colony now began to regard the state of affairs as really serious, and -for the first time held the opinion of the departing envoys, that the -Governor, for some reason of his own, was bent upon forcing on a war.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4">[4]</a> <i>i.e.</i> write a letter.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5">[5]</a> To commit suicide “on the head” of a person means that the -intending suicide invokes the name of that person before putting an -end to his own life. The person whose name is thus invoked occupies, -according to local custom, exactly the same position as if he had -killed the suicide with his own hand, and is liable to be mulcted in -damages and subjected to all the extortions of a family “palaver.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XIV.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">Arrival of Reinforcements—Sanitary condition of Cape -Coast—Culpable neglect—Meeting of Chiefs—The Messengers from -Sefwhee—Expedition to the Bush—Its effect upon the Ashantis.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Upon the same day as that upon which the Ashanti messengers had their -interview with the traders of Cape Coast the hired-transport “Humber” -arrived with the Second West India regiment from the West Indies; so -that, in addition to the intelligence that their mission had been a -failure, the envoys were enabled to communicate to King Mensah the -unpleasant news of the arrival of fresh troops, which fact, of course, -could only tend to confirm him in the opinion he had formed, that an -invasion of Ashanti territory was intended. With the Second West India -regiment came Colonel W. C. Justice, who assumed command of the troops -in West Africa, and the advent of this reinforcement raised the total -force available for active service to about 1,200 men, consisting -of some 950 disciplined West India soldiers and 250 men of the -semi-disciplined Houssa Constabulary.</p> - -<p>As there was no room for the new arrivals from the West Indies, either -in the Castle or in the huts at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span> Connor’s Hill, they were quartered, -partly under canvas on the drill-ground to the west of the town and -partly in hired buildings in the town itself. In 1873 no troops were -put on shore until their services were actually required, and, when -so landed, great care was taken to provide them with camping-grounds, -or huts, far removed from the neighbourhood of native towns; and it -is much to be regretted that it was not possible to adopt similar -precautions on this occasion, for the amount of sickness which ensued -amongst the officers and men of the Second West India regiment -quartered in the town was appalling.</p> - -<p>The town of Cape Coast is one of the most filthy and unhealthy known to -the civilized world. In 1872 we find Governor Hennessy thus writing of -it—“It was my disagreeable duty to tell the late Administrator that I -found the town of Cape Coast ... to be the most filthy and apparently -neglected place that I had ever seen under anything like a civilized -Government.” That description answers perfectly even at the present -day. After the Ashanti war of 1873-4 some attempts at improvement were -commenced during the administration of Governor Strahan; but on the -removal of the seat of government to Accra these were discontinued, -and the condition of the town is now as bad as ever. With a population -of some nine or ten thousand native inhabitants, addicted to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> most -repulsive habits, Cape Coast does not possess any system of drainage, -or even the most primitive requirements of sanitation. Festering heaps -of pollution, and stagnant pools of foul water, lie among and around -the houses; while every by-street, passage, and open space, is used -by the natives as a place in which to deposit their offal and refuse. -The town can indeed boast of one surface-drain, built of masonry and -about a foot in breadth, which was originally intended to carry away -the water of a contaminated brook, and drain some plague-breeding -pools in the lower part of the town; but the genius of a colonial -engineer who constructed this colossal work in 1875 so planned it that -it stands some two feet above the level of the surrounding earth like -a wall; and as water in this part of the world has not yet acquired -the art of climbing up a vertical height it runs anywhere but where -it was intended to. Besides, after rain, this insignificant rivulet -becomes a stream three or four feet deep and several yards broad. The -fringe of bush all round the town is defiled to such an extent as to be -almost impassable, while to the east of the castle, and only 450 yards -distant from it, is a rock on which has been deposited the accumulated -corruption of years, and which, by local regulation, is still put to -the same use. With such surroundings it can be imagined that it avails -but little to keep the Castle,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> and buildings in actual occupation by -Europeans, in a proper sanitary condition.</p> - -<p>In addition to all the foregoing increments to the natural healthiness -of the climate, droves of swine and goats wander about the town at -will, and at night share the interiors of the houses with the natives -and their fowls; and although an ordinance has been passed to put a -stop to this, and could easily be put in force, it is not so enforced, -upon the extraordinary ground that it would not be pleasing to the -natives. Either we govern the Gold Coast or we do not: if the latter -let us at once acknowledge the fact; but if the former, it is the -first duty of a Government to put a stop to practices prejudicial to -the common weal, irrespective of any consideration as to the result of -their action in gain or loss of popularity.</p> - -<p>The following is an instance of how we manage matters in this part of -the world. In January 1879, while I was at Accra, an ordinance was put -into my hands, entitled the Towns, Police, and Health Ordinance, one -clause of which provided for the seizure and destruction of all pigs -and goats found at large, and for the punishment of their owners. I was -told it would come into force on February 1st of the same year, and -was desired to take all necessary measures. Accordingly I sent for the -principal chiefs and told them that from February 1st any such<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> animals -found in the streets would be impounded and the owners fined; and that, -consequently, they must build styes or make enclosures, or adopt some -plan for keeping them confined. They did not like it, of course, for -your Gold Coast barbarian is the most conservative creature in the -world and would rather do almost anything than change old habits; but -they saw it had to be done, and on February 1st not a pig or goat was -to be seen at large. This happy state of things continued till February -3rd, when a high Colonial official came in from Christiansborg, and, in -the course of conversation, said that this ordinance, commonly known -as the Pig Ordinance, was not to be put in force. I asked why not; and -was told that the Government thought it would not do, that the people -would not like it, and there might be a disturbance. I replied that -it had actually been in force for three days, and that there had been -no difficulty at all; but it was of no use, and I had to send for the -chiefs and tell them that they could let their animals run loose again, -and of course the nuisance became as great as ever.</p> - -<p>Thus at Cape Coast, as at Accra, a ridiculous fear of offending native -prejudices and losing popularity has prevented the Government from -enforcing sanitary regulations. The consequences of such a state of -things would be deplorable in a temperate and healthy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span> climate; what -then must they be in a climate which is notoriously the worst in the -world? An instance of how this climate, when sanitary arrangements -are not made, affects Europeans, may be found in the case of the 104 -Marines who were sent to the Gold Coast in 1873. Soon after their -arrival 63 per cent. were on the sick-list, and on July 31st the whole -detachment had to be sent home, having lost 18 out of their number, -or at the rate of 17·30 per cent. per six months. It is the opinion -of medical men, well qualified to judge, that nearly half the deaths -on the Gold Coast are caused by the shameful neglect of even the -most elementary sanitary principles, and if this be the fact, when -one remembers the hundreds of valuable lives that have there been -sacrificed, it must be acknowledged that successive Governors, who have -permitted this state of things to continue, have much to answer for. -Colonial officials endeavour to explain away this strange apathy on the -part of administrators by saying that the Colonial Office is so tired -of hearing the very name of the Gold Coast that that Governor is most -praiseworthy in its eyes who allows things to jog along quietly without -bother; and that, as the attempt to enforce sanitary measures would -cause trouble and expense, no one cares to make it. If this be the -true interpretation of the enigma then indeed the Colony is in a bad -case, as it is not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span> sufficiently inviting to induce Governors who may, -through the possession of private means or influential position, be -independent of the office, to go out, and so the present condition of -affairs will continue. For my part, however, I am inclined to attribute -this policy of <i>laissez faire</i> partly to the craving for popularity so -often exhibited by Governors, and partly to the fact that many of them -have risen to that position from subordinate posts on the Gold Coast, -and that their residence there, and years of use, have dulled the sense -of strangeness and disgust which a newcomer at once experiences.</p> - -<p>On March 20th I was relieved from my command at Anamaboe, returning -to Cape Coast to take up some new duties, and next day I went over to -Elmina, where a meeting of the Executive Council was to be held, and -where Colonel Justice was to take the oaths and his seat as officer -commanding the troops.</p> - -<p>From what occurred at that meeting it was evident that the Governor was -fully alive to the evil consequences that might ensue from his combined -policy of “masterly inaction” and ambiguous warnings, and that he was -also determined to continue in the same path. After the events that had -occurred had been recapitulated, a conversation took place amongst the -members of the Council, in the course of which the Lieutenant-Governor -exactly described the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span> position by saying that the Ashantis had sent -a formal message and were awaiting a reply, but that the Governor -had thought it right to wait a little before giving his answers. He -then added that, in his opinion, the Governor was acting wisely. This -expression of opinion was, perhaps, what was to be expected from a -subordinate under the circumstances; but if it was his <i>bonâ fide</i> -opinion it is difficult to understand by what process of reasoning he -arrived at it. The longer the Governor delayed sending his reply the -longer the Colony would remain in an alarmed and unsettled state, and -the longer trade would remain at a standstill. Besides this there was -the danger of all communication between the king and the Government -ceasing, and of the Ashantis being driven into war through fear of our -aggression. These dangers were understood and pressed by the members of -the Council; Captain Hope asking if it would not now be better to send -a message up and conclude the matter; and Colonel Justice inquiring if -European officers might not be sent up to negociate. The Chief Justice -was of opinion that the Ashantis were thoroughly frightened, and wished -to do all in their power to avert war; that they seemed to believe that -we intended to take Coomassie, and that great care would have to be -taken to prevent them declaring war with a view to prevent an invasion. -All<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> these sound reasonings and suggestions were, however, over-ruled -by the Governor, and the Council adjourned <i>sine die</i>, leaving the -conduct of negociations entirely in his hands.</p> - -<p>Everybody well knew by this time that there was no prospect of a war -unless we took the initiative, and the well-known peace proclivities -of the political party then in office at home put that out of the -question. Universal astonishment, therefore, was felt when it was known -that on March 23rd the Governor had interviewed representatives from -different tribes and chiefs in the protectorate, and had asked what -contingent of fighting-men or carriers each could furnish. Apollonia, -Axim, Akim, Assin, Anamaboe, and Elmina, were represented, and the -delegates unanimously replied that all their men were fighting-men, and -that some consultation would be necessary before they could say how -many carriers they could furnish.</p> - -<p>Two days after this meeting it was generally known that the Governor -intended visiting Accroful and Mansu, and an officer started for the -latter town with 145 Kroomen to prepare huts. Daily, after March 25th, -quantities of stores and materials were forwarded to Mansu, <i>viâ</i> -Effutu, a route which was chosen because it avoided the town of Cape -Coast, though it was longer than the ordinary one through<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> that place; -and it was evident that a small expedition of some kind was being -prepared, concerning which the military were, for some unintelligible -reason, to be kept in the dark. In fact, when at this time Colonel -Justice informed the Governor that he proposed going, without an escort -and accompanied by only two officers, as far as Mansu to examine the -road, the latter wrote that the Ashantis knew everything that was going -on, that they fully understood the difference between civilians and -military, and that, in his opinion, such a visit as that proposed would -at once put the settlement of the difficulty beyond the possibility of -any other than a settlement to be brought about by a resort to military -force; yet all the time men and stores were being sent up country, -under the conduct of military officers, thinly disguised as civilians, -because they were temporarily in Colonial employ.</p> - -<p>As, if the matter were finally to be settled peaceably, a palaver -would have to be held with the Ashantis either at Elmina, Cape Coast, -or Accra, it seemed an extraordinary proceeding for the Governor, -under existing circumstances, to go up country at all. As the -Ashantis knew everything that was going on they would know all about -the concentration of supplies, carriers, and Houssas at Mansu; and, -naturally inferring from this, and from the fact that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> no answer had -been returned to two peaceable messages, that the Government intended -to go to war and endeavour to crush them, they would sink all their -political differences in the face of a great national calamity, and -become once more a united people. Some said that the Governor was -going to meet the envoys, whom rumour said were coming down, but -such speakers forgot that that would be a most derogatory proceeding -on the part of an individual representing Her Majesty: others even -asserted that he intended, despite the well-known pacific tendencies -of the Home Government, to bring on a war for some purpose of his own. -Those, however, who had had the benefit of a former experience of the -Governor, knew that he was possessed of an uncontrollable mania for -playing at soldiers and commanding small expeditionary forces composed -of policemen and carriers, and that this was the real reason of the -proposed movement. So inopportune was the time he now selected for this -pastime that only by the merest chance, as we shall see later, did he -escape from rendering a peaceable solution of the Ashanti difficulty -impossible.</p> - -<p>On March 27th forty Sefwhee messengers, with two state-swords, who -had arrived at Cape Coast on the previous day, had an interview with -the Governor at Elmina. It was said they asked for powder, lead, and -muskets, as they feared an immediate attack<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> of the Ashantis; and two -of them afterwards informed us that a large Ashanti force had appeared -on their frontier near the point where the Ashanti territory abuts on -both that of Gaman and Sefwhee.</p> - -<p>On April 4th the Governor left Elmina for Mansu, taking with him two -of the Elmina chiefs, Prince Ansah, and the Ashanti envoys, Enguie and -Busumburu, who had remained at Cape Coast ever since the commencement -of the palaver. On the 8th news reached Cape Coast privately that -an Ashanti embassy, the principal member of which was Prince Buaki, -husband of the queen-mother, had left Coomassie to sue for peace; but -the messenger who brought this intelligence added, that, on account of -news received from the coast, the embassy had suddenly stopped before -reaching the northern frontier of Adansi. This report, coming so soon -after that of the Sefwhees, seemed to foreshadow a new departure on the -part of the king, and many people began to think that we should have a -war after all.</p> - -<p>What was really occurring in Coomassie may now be told. We have seen -that Mensah, despairing of receiving any consideration at the hands -of, or an answer from, the Government, had despatched messengers to -solicit the intervention of the traders; that these had not succeeded -in effecting anything, but had witnessed the arrival of the Second -West India<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> regiment from the West Indies. When these men returned to -Coomassie with their intelligence, Mensah was thrown into a condition -of extreme perplexity: both his peaceable message to the Government -and his appeal to the traders had been alike ineffectual, and, -notwithstanding his repeated pacific overtures, he heard of nothing but -the landing of troops and preparations for war. With Ansah, Enguie, -and Busumburu at Cape Coast, he was kept fully informed concerning -everything that was occurring, and messengers passed backwards and -forwards between the sea-board and Coomassie almost daily. The news -of the meeting of his ancient foes at Elmina on March 23rd, and the -purpose for which this meeting was convened, was at once conveyed to -him; next he heard of the departure of Houssas and carriers with stores -for Mansu, of the preparations going on at that place, and of the depôt -being formed there; and there seemed a consecutiveness in all that -had happened since the arrival of the Governor, beginning with the -contemptuous silence with which his message was treated, which could -only point to the one conclusion that the British had fully made up -their minds to invade Ashanti and overthrow the kingdom. An important -palaver was accordingly held at Coomassie, at which every chief of note -in the nation was present; and the result was that every difference -of opinion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span> amongst themselves was at once put aside, and it was -unanimously agreed to defend every foot of Ashanti soil from invasion. -Mensah was desirous of making one more effort in the cause of peace, -and after some discussion it was decided, not without much opposition, -to send an embassy, consisting of deputies from every district of -Ashanti, with Prince Buaki at their head, to endeavour to arrange -matters with the Colonial Government; while, in accordance with the -decision at which they had arrived not to tamely submit to invasion, -from 12 to 15,000 men of the Bantama district were called out and sent -to Amoaful to watch the approaches to the capital, and arrangements -were made for the immediate calling-out of the whole army in case of -emergency. Thus we see that the first mobilisation took place long -after the downfall of the war-party, that it was intended solely for -defence, and was caused by the very natural construction which the king -and his chiefs placed upon the events occurring in the Colony.</p> - -<p>Prince Buaki and the deputies left Coomassie on April 3rd, and had -arrived at the village of Akankuassi when a messenger overtook them -with instructions from the king to stop. What was the cause of this -sudden change in the original plan decided upon by the entire nation -in council? News had been brought to Coomassie that the men and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> -stores, which had been collected at Mansu by the Colonial Government, -were beginning to be moved on to Prahsu. The king, conceiving that the -Government was fully determined on war, thought that the next move -would be from Prahsu to the Adansi territory, perhaps to the Adansi -hills; and, concluding that it would be useless to make any further -overtures for peace, he stopped the embassy, so as to spare his dignity -as much as possible, and prepared to exhaust all the resources of the -kingdom in a struggle which he foresaw would be for very existence.</p> - -<p>So far this was the result of the Governor’s bush expedition, and it -was a result which had been very generally expected. Captain Hope -in a letter to the Admiralty, dated Elmina, April 3rd, said:—“The -expedition of the Governor is, in the opinion of some people, -calculated to arouse their suspicion of us, as, although of course -strictly within our territory, it is on the road to Coomassie, and -might be looked on as an advanced guard.... Active precautionary -measures have by no means ceased, in fact a general feeling of -uneasiness is springing up, probably due to the protracted negociations -going on.” The Home Government too were not quite easy in their minds -as to what the consequences of their agent’s action might be, for -in a despatch from Lord Kimberley, dated April 29th, we find these -words:—“The remarks of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> the Chief Justice, that he had heard at Accra -that the Ashantis seemed to believe that the white men intended to take -Coomassie, and that great care should be taken to prevent them from -being driven into war through fear of our aggression, appear to me to -deserve careful attention. It would be lamentable if a collision were -to arise from any misunderstanding of this kind, and I have no doubt -that you will take every means to remove from the mind of the Ashanti -king any apprehension which he may entertain of an aggressive movement -on our part.”</p> - -<p>At the time of writing that despatch Lord Kimberley little knew how -very nearly his worst fears had been realised, and that the Governor, -instead of taking every means to remove apprehension from the mind of -the king, had done everything calculated to increase it.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XV.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">A Trip to Prahsu—Mansu—A Fiendish <i>Réveille</i>—Bush -Travelling—Prahsu—The King of Adansi—Masquerading Costumes—The -Camp—Strength of the Expedition.</p></blockquote> - -<p>On April 11th Colonel Justice, Lieutenant D. M. Allen (Acting -Engineer), a Commissariat officer, and myself, started from Cape Coast -about 5 a.m. in hammocks for Mansu, where we had heard the Governor -was. Shortly after noon we reached Accroful, 13¾ miles from Cape -Coast, where the road from Effutu joins the main road; and there we -found Captain Lonsdale, the late Commandant of the Lonsdale’s Horse of -the Zulu war, holding a palaver with the king of Abrah, from Abracampa. -His object was to obtain five hundred carriers to transport a -frame-house from Elmina to Mansu for the accommodation of the Governor, -and we inferred from this that the latter intended making a lengthened -sojourn in the bush. We halted for an hour at the house of the local -mission preacher, which was, as usual, the best in the village, and -then pushed on to Dunquah, where we stayed for the night.</p> - -<p>Next morning we were off again at daybreak, and, after a three hours’ -halt at Inkrau during the hottest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span> part of the day, reached Mansu, -35½ miles from Cape Coast, at 4·30 p.m. On our arrival we found -that the Governor with all his following had gone on to Prahsu, to -which place it was decided we should follow, and the village would -have been entirely deserted but for an officer of the constabulary, -who had arrived the day before from Elmina <i>viâ</i> Effutu, with some 70 -Houssas, and who was waiting to rest his men. The native inhabitants -had all been ejected from their dwellings, which, after a little -preliminary cleaning, had been appropriated by the officers who formed -the Governor’s retinue; traces of whose stay were still existing -in the piles of beer and brandy bottles, and in the ridiculous and -inappropriate names, such as “Rose Villa,” which were daubed on the -swish-walls of the houses. In the centre of the town was a large shed, -built of bamboo and palm-leaves, and open at the sides: this was called -the Palaver House, and had been erected in the anticipation of the -Governor here meeting the Ashanti envoys; but, as they had not arrived, -it seemed that no palaver would be held here after all, and the rows of -bamboo seats for the retinue, with a bamboo throne for His Excellency, -flanked by more lowly seats for his immediate satellites, were doomed -to waste their sweetness unused. We had the honour of occupying the -gubernatorial residence, which was an ordinary swish-hut, to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> one side -of which an appendage like a gigantic birdcage had been added, which, -while it kept the vulgar herd at a respectful distance, permitted of -their gazing through the bars at royalty within, in much the same -manner as the British public would gaze at a new and strange beast in -the gardens of the Zoological Society at Regent’s Park.</p> - -<p>Next morning, shortly after 4 a.m., we were wakened from a sound sleep -by the roll of drums and the shrieking of half-a-dozen fifes: it was -the Houssa “band” playing an untimely <i>réveille</i>. They were supposed -to be playing that old point of war which begins “Old Father Paul came -from the Holy Land,” but their acquaintance with it was limited to the -first two bars, which they repeated over and over again. As the sound -first penetrated our half-awakened senses we tried to keep it out and -go to sleep again; then, finding that that was useless, we waited in -expectancy for them to go on with the rest of the tune, and after -the first two bars had been played over and over again for about ten -minutes we were in a very fair state of nervous excitement. Soon the -effect of this began to grow irritating; we commenced saying “Tum tumti -tumti, tumti tumti tum,” to ourselves time after time; then we tried -to shake that off and count; but we counted the thing ten, fifteen, -twenty, thirty times, and still the infernal tum tumti tum<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span> went on in -the same endless monotony, while we dressed by fits and starts in the -dark, hoping and praying that the Houssas would either go on to the -next bar or leave off altogether. The torture rapidly grew worse and -worse: it seemed to rake up all our nerves, and every repetition went -through us like a galvanic shock, while we could not go and implore -the Constabulary officer to put a stop to it because we knew that it -was as balm and consolation to his wounded military spirit. We tried -to give our minds to other subjects, but it was out of the question, -and conversation was impossible; our eyes became wild, our brows -haggard, and we were rapidly approaching a state of frenzy, when, after -half-an-hour’s torture, we fled from the demoniacal sounds. We passed -the Houssas, marching up and down outside our habitation, blowing away -vigorously with their cheeks distended to their utmost capacity, with -our fingers in our ears, and rushed off into the damp forest path. What -a universal sigh of relief we gave when we were out of hearing, but the -diabolic rhythm went on in our minds long after that, and by 10 a.m. -one of our number was down with fever. If any one should think that -our nerves were unduly sensitive, let him get somebody to play on the -piano, for half-an-hour without a single pause,</p> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/imusic.jpg" alt="Music" /></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span></p> - -<p>and then see how he feels at the end of the performance.</p> - -<p>We crossed the Oki river by a felled silk-cotton tree, and stopped -at Sutah, or, as the natives call it, Fittah, in the middle of the -day for breakfast; after which epicurean meal Colonel Justice and the -Commissariat officer went on, while I waited for the invalid, who, as -he knew how to treat himself, would be able to go on as soon as the sun -lost its force. About 4·30 p.m. he was pretty well and we started off; -the sunlight faded imperceptibly into moonlight, and with no casualties -worse than occasionally staking ourselves on the stumps of trees left -standing from three to four feet high in the middle of the path, we -reached Yancoomassie Assin about 9 p.m.</p> - -<p>Through our delay at Sutah I made a discovery as to which portion -of the twenty-four hours is the most suitable for travelling in the -bush. As travelling during the heat of the day renders one liable to -“touches” of the sun and heat apoplexy, most Europeans in West Africa -who have to go anywhere start at an unearthly hour in the morning, -before it is light, and then go on until ten or eleven o’clock, when -they breakfast. In my opinion this is a mistake. All night long a heavy -dew has been falling, and as you walk, or are carried along, showers -of dew-drops fall upon you from the overhanging trees, sufficiently -heavy to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> make you wet and give you a chill; then, as the sun begins -to gain power, all kinds of exhalations and noisome vapours rise from -the rank and wet vegetation, and various overpowering stenches salute -the olfactory nerves, while for the last two hours of your journey you -are baked in your hammock. Now none of these things are conducive to -health in such a climate as that of West Africa, and they might all be -avoided by travelling, say from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., when the sun has been -drying the forest all day and drawing up the miasma, while no dew to -speak of has begun to fall. Should there be no moon, a native torch, -made of dry palm-stems, can be manufactured anywhere in a few minutes; -and the only objection I have ever heard urged against choosing this -time for journeying is that it is not pleasant to enter a village, -and have to choose a hut to sleep in and prepare the evening meal, so -late; but this is easily reduced to a <i>minimum</i> by sending on your -boys an hour ahead of you to prepare for your arrival. It is not as -if there was anything to be seen during a trip to the bush, for few -people, who have not experienced it, can understand the loathing with -which one regards the endless monotony of the forest, through the dense -rank vegetation of which one moves on day after day, as if between two -lofty walls of foliage, without seeing a single glade or break in the -sameness. Of course I refer here to the feeling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> of those accustomed to -the country, for to a newcomer there is a certain amount of novelty, -and consequently interest, in such scenes.</p> - -<p>The number of villages which have sprung up along the Prah road -since the close of the last war is surprising, and evinces a feeling -of security on the part of the natives of which their minds would -have been sadly disabused had the Ashantis followed up their hostile -declaration by vigorous action. All these might, from a negro point of -view, be described as thriving, as a few acres of ground round each -had been cultivated, and some of them could boast of considerable -plantations of plantains; but of course very little more is grown than -is actually required for the inhabitants themselves. Passing through -a village one is again immediately swallowed up in the mantle of the -forest for an hour or so, until another group of huts relieves the -eye like an oasis in a vast vegetable desert. Water abounds, and the -fertility of the soil is marvellous; inhabited by any other race of -man this country would surpass the whole world in agricultural wealth, -but, as it is, it is lost to mankind, and there is every probability of -its remaining so, as it is hopeless to endeavour to induce a negro to -work. If some energetic Governor would only introduce sanitary reform -and Chinese labour, the Gold Coast would soon become very different to -what it now is; but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> the motto of all previous administrators, except -perhaps Governor Maclean, seems to have been “<i>Apres moi le déluge</i>.”</p> - -<p>We left Yancoomassie Assin about five in the morning of the 14th, and, -breakfasting at Barraco at noon, approached Prahsu about 4 p.m. As we -drew near we could hear the “boom boom” of trade muskets keeping a -straggling fusillade ahead of us, and the hammock-men began to grow -nervous, while our servants commenced complaining because we had not -allowed them to bring rifles with them. We had not the remotest idea -of what was taking place, but as no reports of rifles were heard in -reply we concluded it was nothing of hostile import, although a Houssa -sergeant whom we met informed us that it was Ashantis who were firing.</p> - -<p>Passing through a gap in the fence which inclosed the camp we found -the men of the Houssa Constabulary drawn up in two lines, facing each -other, as if waiting as a guard of honour for somebody; though as there -were very few men, only about ninety in all, an interval of five or six -yards had been left between every two men, so that they might take up -more ground and make a more imposing show. We thought at first that it -was a polite attention on the part of the Governor, and that these men -were drawn up to receive the officer commanding the troops, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span> we -soon found out our mistake; they were paraded for the reception of that -omnipotent African potentate the king of Adansi, who was now crossing -the river, and the reports of whose retainers’ muskets we had been -hearing.</p> - -<p>About an hour after our arrival the king and his followers crossed the -river in safety, and, entering the camp, proceeded between the two -so-called lines of Houssas towards a bamboo and palm-leaf palaver-shed -which had been erected in the centre of the camp. Altogether there -were one hundred and fifty of them, consisting of the king, chiefs, -and dependents, fifty of the latter carrying muskets, and the rest the -usual barbaric state utensils, viz., swords, umbrellas, pipes, stools, -fans, fly-whisks, and chairs covered with brass nails. There was not so -much native goldsmiths’ work exhibited as is usual on such occasions, -and the silk of the tent-like state umbrella was very dirty and much -torn, which seemed to denote that his majesty’s exchequer was not in a -flourishing condition.</p> - -<p>I thought I might as well hear what would be said, so I walked towards -the shed, where I found the Governor’s retinue sitting placidly upon -rum-kegs, which were standing on end, placed in rows behind a Madeira -chair intended to support His Excellency’s frame. The Adansi rabble -faced this at a little<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> distance, while to the left were Enguie, -Busumburu, and the Elmina chiefs, who had come up from the coast -to swell the official following. I shook hands with a few friends, -appropriated a rum-keg, and sat down too. Presently a whisper ran -through the retinue, and all stood up with blanched faces and uncovered -heads, and gazed with an aspect of the most profound respect towards a -little dwelling of sticks to which our backs had been turned. I looked -round to see what was the cause of all this apprehension, and perceived -the Governor coming slowly towards us, supported by his favourite -disciples.</p> - -<p>These, two in number, and the Governor himself, were attired in -eccentric costumes, which formed a curious contrast to the ordinary -garments of civilisation worn by the rest of the Europeans present; -and they somehow reminded me, first, of the three tutelary deities -of pantomime, Messrs. clown, harlequin, and pantaloon, and then, on -further reflection, of the three Graces. His Excellency wore a blue -Norfolk jacket, garnished with a medal and star, and immense scarlet -trousers, tucked into long yellow boots, reaching nearly to the knee, -and furnished with large brass spurs, which are, in West Africa, so -exceedingly useful for goading the stubborn hammocks to increased -speed. Wound round his helmet was a fragment of a gaudy Cashmere shawl, -and one obsequious attendant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span> held an umbrella over the august head, -while another flourished a horse-tail to drive away the impertinent -radical flies. On the right hand, but at a respectful distance from -his chief, marched the principal satellite, attired in an eccentric -costume of grey, adorned with much braid, which reminded me forcibly -of those grotesque uniforms in which, in the early days of the -volunteer movement, martial men-milliners astonished the public and -gave full scope to their genius. On the left hand stalked the secondary -satellite, clothed in an antique scarlet patrol-jacket, upon which gold -lace had been scattered with a wild and lavish hand; while the tight -blue trousers, also embellished with gold lace, came to a tasteful and -appropriate termination in the recesses of long Wellington boots.</p> - -<p>I looked at the two Ashanti envoys, Enguie and Busumburu, who, having -resided at Cape Coast for some weeks, would know that Europeans did not -usually attire themselves in such gorgeous apparel, to see what they -thought of this masquerade. The courteous Busumburu in vain tried to -conceal a smile under a well-dissembled cough, while the sneer which -disfigured the countenance of the truculent Enguie made it appear more -repellent than ever. As for the Elminas, they smiled at each other but -said nothing, for such vagaries as this had caused the Governor to be -known at Elmina by the appellation of the Bush<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span> Chief; but with the -Adansis the magnificent display seemed to go down pretty well, though -of course they would be set right, after the palaver, by those who knew -all about such things.</p> - -<p>Waving his majestic hand condescendingly to the crowd of cringing -and awe-stricken courtiers, His Excellency took his seat, and, in -case any malign spirit of evil should direct a waning sunbeam at the -gubernatorial head through the thick roof of palm-leaves, the umbrella -was still kept in requisition, while the fly-whisk was plied more -energetically than ever. To my great disappointment, after all this -preparation and excitement, there was no palaver at all; the usual -salutations, hand-shakings, and compliments, were gone through, and -then the Governor told the Adansi king that as it was getting rather -late he would hear next day what he had to say.</p> - -<p>The camp at Prahsu occupied exactly the same site as did the old one -of 1873; there was a rough fence, or rather hedge, like what is known -in some colonies as a stump hedge, bounding three sides of it, while -the fourth was bordered by the river. The inclosed space, about 300 -yards by 120 yards, was covered with a number of wretched huts made -of bamboo and palm-leaves, the flimsy roofs of which afforded no -protection either from rain or sun, while the walls afforded about as -much concealment and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span> privacy to the inmates as does a birdcage to its -tenant. The larger sheds were for the accommodation of the European -officers, though better shelter was to be found in the poorest village -on the road, and scores of little “lean-to” habitations, made of -brushwood and palm, were dotted about for the use of the labourers, -Kroomen, Crepes, and Fantis, some eight hundred of whom were in -camp. The Acting-Engineer and I fortunately obtained possession of a -bell-tent (which had evidently been pitched by an amateur), and so had -a better protection overhead than that afforded by the gridiron-like -roofs of the huts; some Houssas knocked up a bed of palm-sticks in a -few minutes, and we made ourselves as comfortable as circumstances -would permit.</p> - -<p>Strange to say, although the Colonial officer still pretended that -hostilities were possible, if not probable, no measures had been taken -for defending the camp in the event of an attack; there was not even -a shelter-trench along the river bank, and, as for the stump-hedge on -the other sides, that formed no obstacle, and could be passed through -at any point that one chose. The further bank of the river had not -been occupied by us, yet no attempt had been made to clear the bush -immediately opposite the camp; and, as dense forest grew down to the -edge of the water, an enemy could easily line the bank <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span>unseen, and, -the river being only 189 feet broad, bring such a fire to bear upon the -camp as would make it perfectly untenable. It was easy to see that the -expedition was under the management of an amateur in military matters, -and it was an exceedingly fortunate thing for all composing it that the -Ashantis were so peaceably inclined.</p> - -<p>In the evening I sought for relics of the last expedition. There were -not many left. The bridge had totally disappeared, and a dilapidated -pontoon, with the inclosed grave of Captain Huyshe, were the only -vestiges of our former occupation of this site.</p> - -<p>The total force of the expedition in the camp, I learned, was 899, -consisting of 13 European officers, 107 Houssas, 59 clerks and -servants, 9 Sierra Leone police, 173 native chiefs and followers, and -the remainder carriers. Taken as a whole it formed an imposing display, -and was quite sufficient to confirm the Ashantis in their impression -that it was the advanced guard of some large expeditionary force.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XVI.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">Regulating the Sun—Arrival of the Ashanti Embassy—The -Palaver—Ciceronian Eloquence—A Diplomatic Fiction—A beautiful -simile—Physiognomies—Unhealthiness of the Camp.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Next morning I was awakened by a loud detonation, the echoes of which -had scarcely died away when I heard a voice shout “His Excellency -has arisen.” This important declaration was at once followed by the -<i>réveille</i>, played by four separate bugles in different parts of the -camp; and, as I knew that there were not four corps in the encampment -over night, I thought troops must have unexpectedly arrived, and -so went hurriedly out of my tent to ascertain. I found that we had -received no sudden accession to our strength: one bugler was blowing on -behalf of the Houssa Constabulary, another for the half-dozen Sierra -Leone policemen whom the Governor had brought with him, a third for the -three or four Fanti police who were at Prahsu, and a fourth for the -Kroo labourers. As the area of the camp was rather circumscribed of -course one bugle would have been quite sufficient, but then how much -glowing military ardour would have been lost for want of use. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span></p> - -<p>I next proceeded to find out the cause of the explosion and the -shouting which I had heard. I learned that every morning, directly -His Excellency stepped out of bed, a small cohorn mortar, which stood -in front of his residence, was fired, an attendant exclaimed for the -benefit of the uninitiated, “His Excellency has arisen,” the hour was -made five o’clock, and everybody set their watches right. Thus, in -addition to his many multifarious duties, the Governor daily undertook -the arduous and god-like task of regulating the sun.</p> - -<p>At noon the Governor, followed by the Adansi chiefs, went out into the -bush, from which they returned about half-past three, and at four the -promised palaver took place in the palaver-shed. It consisted merely of -the exchange of a few complimentary sentences, and was in fact a dummy -palaver, held for the benefit of the public, as His Excellency had had -two hours of conversation with the Adansi king in the bush, and had -transacted all the real business there.</p> - -<p>At about seven o’clock on the morning of the 16th Ashanti messengers -arrived on the further bank of the Prah, and, shortly after noon, the -Ashanti embassy, consisting of Prince Buaki-tchin-tchin, and delegates -from some of the principal districts of the Ashanti kingdom, crossed -the river amid great beating of drums and blowing of elephant-tusk -horns. Shortly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span> before five the Ashantis, some two hundred and sixty -in number, came in procession through the camp, where the Houssas were -drawn up for their reception, in the same way as on the occasion of the -entry of the king of Adansi, only, as those that we had met at Mansu -had since come up, there were now more of them; while to swell the -martial pageant all the six hundred labourers were drawn up in line -near the palaver-shed with their various implements, those who had old -cutlasses for cutting bush being placed in the front, and those with -spades and pick-axes more in the rear. Each Ashanti chief or deputy -walked under his umbrella, or was carried in his chair on the heads -of his slaves, and was followed by his own retainers parading their -different insignia; and the whole body proceeded to the palaver-shed -and sat down.</p> - -<p>At five the Governor made his appearance, attired in the same singular -manner as before, and walked to his seat through a lane of obsequious -and bowing officials, supported by his two satellites of grotesque -appearance. One of the retinue said to me in a stage whisper:—</p> - -<p>“His Excellency is a remarkably fine speaker. Listen carefully now, for -you will hear some wonderful oratory.”</p> - -<p>I said—“Oh! really.”</p> - -<p>“Yes—the political leaders at home might well<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> learn a thing or two -from him. He especially prides himself upon his manner of addressing -natives, who, as of course you know, are themselves excellent orators, -and avoid tautology and all such errors.”</p> - -<p>I accordingly took out my note-book and put down every word that fell -from the august lips. The following is what I wrote: it did not seem to -impress the natives much, but then no doubt it was like casting pearls -before swine; the retinue listened to each word with rapt attention, -and subdued and respectful murmurs of applause greeted each fresh -exhibition of rhetorical eloquence, which they considered worthy of a -combined Cicero and Demosthenes.</p> - -<p>Prince Buaki rose and said:—</p> - -<p>“I give my compliments to His Excellency.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “I am glad to see you here. It is always a pleasure for the -Government of the Gold Coast to receive an envoy from the king of -Ashanti. You do not meet me at home, but out here in the bush; but as -you meet me here on your journey you are welcome. I hope your journey -has been fairly comfortable.”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “Yes, it was comfortable.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “I hope you have not had rain on the way.”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “No.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “I am glad to hear that, for rain makes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> the roads bad in this -country. I don’t think we can hope to have fine weather long. What do -you think?”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “I think so too.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “I hope it will not come on for a few days more; it is not -nice to have rain. I hope you found your people well that were left -behind.”<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" >[6]</a></p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “Yes, they are well.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “They have come here from Cape Coast. They travel in the bush -more comfortably than I do.”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “Just so.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “We may look for rain in about three months I suppose. How many -months? Two, or three?”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “Yes.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “During that time any one who has a house stops in it.”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “Yes.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “I don’t like to be caught by rain in the bush. I don’t mind -being here in the bush when it is fine. I’m afraid I can’t do much here -to make you comfortable.”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “I quite understand that.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “Still I am glad to see you, and, as far as I can, I will do my -best for you.”</p> - -<p>(A pause, and Buaki asks permission to speak.)</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “Your Excellency’s friend, the king of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span> Ashanti, sent me to -see you. While on the road I and my followers were taken sick, so that -I had to delay coming down till we were well. I met the sword-bearer, -Yow Mensah, at Yan Compene, who told me that you were waiting for me, -and I sent him back to say I was coming. I am sorry I did not meet you -at home, but I was ill by the way. I wish to know what time you will -appoint for the business on which I have come.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “With regard to that I must see how long it will be necessary -to remain here, and then I shall have an opportunity of seeing about -the matter we have to talk over.”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “Very good.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “It is always a pleasure, and has been as I know for many -years, to the English Government of the Gold Coast to receive -messengers from the king of Ashanti when they are sent. What I am now -going to say has no bearing on the point, but, as you have come to me -as a special messenger from your king, and as I have already said that -I am glad to meet you with a message from your king, I am going to say -to you what I said to the former ambassadors, before your arrival. That -is: the message I bring with me from the Queen of England is a message -of peace, that I am to govern her people, and whilst I am to govern -them I am to defend them, and take<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> care of them, and have authority -over them. I am also to live on friendly terms with her people.” (To -this the interpreter added:—“The Queen is ready for peace or war, -whichever you like.”)</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “I have come down to stop all those small leaks in the roof -which have been giving trouble of late. If I cannot do this, we must -have a new roof.” (The interpreter rendered this—“I also have come for -peace.”)</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “I will think over the business I have to do in this part, and -then I will arrange when and where I can assemble the officers of the -Government who are fitting to be present when this matter is discussed. -As I said before, the rain is coming. I hope you did not suffer from -the rain.”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “I did not.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “I hope all your people are well.”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “They are all well. I thank you for the care you have taken of -my people.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “I am glad they gave me a good name to you. I hope you found -the road fairly comfortable?”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “I was very comfortable on the road. I am sorry that my -sickness prevented my meeting you at home.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “I hope you will be well soon, and I hope you are not in a -hurry to go home. You may feel a little tired after your journey and -may want rest.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span></p> - -<p>The palaver then terminated.</p> - -<p>The sickness of which Buaki spoke was only a diplomatic fiction, and -in speaking of the sword-bearer, Yow Mensah, he unwittingly let a cat -out of the bag which the Governor would have much preferred keeping -in confinement. As we have seen, the embassy left Coomassie on April -6th, but only arrived at Prahsu on the 16th. Now Buaki well knew -that no one would believe that eleven days were required to traverse -the seventy-three miles of actual distance from the capital to the -river, and not wishing, in the interests of his mission, to inform the -Governor of what had really taken place, and let him know how nearly -he had made war inevitable, he started the story of having been ill to -account for the delay, which, as I have already shown, was caused by -Mensah’s order. The Governor had somehow gained an inkling of what was -really happening in Ashanti, and, to use the words of a high Colonial -official of much experience, seeing that it was no time for further -buffoonery, and that peace and war were trembling in the balance, -he gave up his supposed dignified attitude of reserve, and, taking -the initiative himself, sent Yow Mensah to the envoys to say he was -waiting for them.<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" >[7]</a> Of course they then came on at once, just as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> -another embassy would have come in response, if at any time after the -Governor’s arrival in the Colony a similar message had been sent. Since -the Governor had after all to re-open communications himself, it is a -pity that he did not do so earlier, instead of keeping the whole Colony -in suspense; and if he had not been so fortunate as to hear of what was -taking place, and so had not sent the sword-bearer on, it is impossible -to say where the mischief would have ended. This narrow escape from -hostilities only shows how exceedingly dangerous it is to indulge in -any ambiguous action where barbarous races are concerned.</p> - -<p>At the termination of the palaver, Buaki and his followers rose and -walked round the shed, shaking hands in turn with every European -present. As Buaki repeated this ceremony with the Governor, the latter -said, through the medium of the interpreter:—</p> - -<p>“You see I am not a mud-fish.”</p> - -<p>One of the retinue immediately nudged me and said:—</p> - -<p>“There! Did you hear that?”</p> - -<p>I replied “Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! it’s a beautiful simile, now, isn’t it?”</p> - -<p>I said “I don’t quite see how.”</p> - -<p>“What? You don’t see it?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“That’s strange. You’ve been acquainted with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> the Coast a long time, -too. Well, the mud-fish is a stupid kind of fish, that, instead of -trying to escape, buries itself in the mud, and allows itself to be -easily caught by the hand. The Governor used the expression to mean -that he wasn’t a fool.”</p> - -<p>About ten minutes afterwards one of the innumerable secretaries -remarked to me:—</p> - -<p>“Did you catch that wonderful simile of His Excellency’s about the -mud-fish?”</p> - -<p>“Oh! yes,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“You know what it means, of course?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; the mud-fish is a stupid kind of fish that, instead of trying to -escape, buries itself in the mud and allows itself to be easily caught -by the hand. The Governor used the illustration to mean that he wasn’t -a fool.”</p> - -<p>“Oh dear no. You’re quite wrong. I’ll tell you what it is. The mud-fish -is a cunning kind of fish which, when pursued, stirs up the mud all -round, to make the water thick, so that it can’t be seen. The Governor -said that he wasn’t a mud-fish, meaning that he had no necessity for -hiding his whereabouts.”</p> - -<p>This man had hardly moved away before another came up to me, and said:—</p> - -<p>“What did you think of His Excellency’s simile of the mud-fish?”</p> - -<p>“Oh! I didn’t think much of it.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What!! You didn’t think much of that marvellous simile? Why not?”</p> - -<p>“Because nobody seems to know what it means.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I know, and I will tell you what it means—it is most ingenious. -The mud-fish is a fish covered with venomous spines, which cause nasty -wounds if you happen to touch them. The Governor said he was not a -mud-fish, to re-assure Buaki, and let him know that he was not going to -hurt him.”</p> - -<p>In the evening a high Colonial official said to me:—</p> - -<p>“A pretty simile that of the Governor’s about the mud-fish, wasn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; but its meaning doesn’t seem very clear.”</p> - -<p>“Doesn’t seem very clear? Why, my dear fellow, it is patent to the -meanest intellect. The mud-fish is a worthless kind of fish that nobody -would take the trouble to catch: the Governor used the comparison to -mean that he was somebody of importance.”</p> - -<p>I have not made up my mind which of these interpretations to adopt; the -reader can take any one he likes, but it seems to me that there is a -good deal of haze about the subject.</p> - -<p>The Ashantis, like the Adansis who had arrived on the 14th, were -accommodated with exceedingly airy sheds in the camp, and this -accession to our numbers brought up the sum-total of occupants to -something over a thousand. The envoys had brought with them<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span> two or -three small, but apparently heavy, boxes, and these were supposed -to contain gold dust, which the king had sent as an earnest of his -desire for peace. Prince Buaki was a fine-looking man over six feet in -height; I had known beforehand that he must be a handsome man, since -the ladies of the blood-royal in Ashanti are only allowed to form -connections with strikingly presentable men, so that, as the female -branches take precedence of the male in furnishing heirs to the throne, -the comeliness of their kings may be, as far as possible, assured; but -I was not prepared to see such an unusually good specimen of the negro -race. I was much struck too with the wonderful difference between the -physiognomies of the chiefs and those of their followers and slaves, a -difference which is barely perceptible among the tribes who have long -been subject to us, such as the Fanti; but which, among the independent -inland races, the most careless observer cannot help noticing. The -chiefs have almost invariably a look of intelligence, and are generally -of a fine physique; but the retainers and slaves possess features and -characteristics of a very low type indeed. This of course is chiefly -due to the principle of selection, as, for generations past, the -chiefs, who are able to pick and choose, have selected the best-looking -women for their wives, while the vulgar herd have had to take what -they can get.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span> On the sea-board this has been done also, but there the -formation of an intermediate trading-class of natives, between the -chiefs and the lower orders, has blended by imperceptible gradations -the distinguishing characteristics of the two extremes. It is worthy of -notice that the women whom the chiefs choose are those who, according -to European ideas, possess the largest share of good looks; which goes -far to prove that we have a common ideal of beauty, and that, in spite -of the popular belief, negroes do not regard mountainous cheek bones, -flattened noses, uptilted nostrils, and blubber lips, as the true types -of loveliness.</p> - -<p>The following Ashantis of note were in the suite of Prince Buaki. Yow -Badoo, personal attendant of the king, Yeboa, representative of the -royal family of Ashanti, two sons of the late King Quaco Duah, and -the brother and son of Prince Buaki. The chiefs of Becquai, Mampon, -Kokofuah, and Insuta, each sent a representative, as did Awooah, chief -of Bantama, the Ashanti general; the remainder of the embassy consisted -of the usual personal attendants, with a sword-bearer and four -courtiers. The districts of Archwa, Assomyah, Denyasi, Inquantansi, -and Inquaransah, were unrepresented: the last-named is one of the most -important in the Ashanti kingdom, and, next to Kokofuah, furnishes the -largest <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span>contingent for the army. A representative from the Amoaful -district arrived in the camp next day.</p> - -<p>As the kingdom of Ashanti is divided into ten large districts, it is -clear that the embassy represented only half the nation, which in fact -was to be expected, and as at least three of the districts represented, -namely, Becquai, Bantama, and Amoaful, had originally been amongst the -foremost of those forming the war-party, and had only been persuaded to -remain passive through the king’s personal influence, the prevailing -state of feeling in Ashanti could be very fairly guaged. Indeed, -looking at the vast preponderance of the “war” over the “court” party -it is a matter for surprise that Mensah should have been able to bring -the difficulty to an amicable settlement, and this difficulty was by -no means lessened by the fact that Prince Buaki himself was strongly -in favour of hostilities. That the king’s task was further made more -onerous by the extraordinary action of the Colonial Government I have -already shown.</p> - -<p>The day after the meeting between Sir Samuel Rowe and the Ashanti -envoys it was made known that in a few days the camp would be broken -up, and that all its occupants,—officers, labourers, carriers, -police, Adansis, and Ashantis,—would proceed to Elmina, where a final -palaver was to be held to settle the Ashanti question. As the Governor -now said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span> that he had all along intended settling the matter on the -sea-board, either at Acra, Cape Coast, or Elmina, his bush expedition -only seemed the more extraordinary; as, apart from the political evil -consequences that resulted from it, and the great expense to which the -Colony had been put to no purpose, by being compelled to provide for -an army of labourers and hammock-men, and to defray the extra cost -of bush-life, he had, as it seemed, without any reasonable cause, -imperilled the healths, if not the lives, of a number of European -officers, by encamping them, without proper shelter or comforts, on the -banks of the miasmatic Prah.</p> - -<p>Fortunately the rains had not set in as early as usual, but Prahsu was -quite sufficiently unhealthy for all ordinary purposes: after dark, a -cold, wet, white mist shrouded every object, and to venture outside -one’s tent at night was to become saturated with moisture and chilled -to the bone. Had the rains set in the consequences would have been most -disastrous, as, if the river had overflown its banks ever so slightly, -the camp would have been inundated, while the wretched habitations that -had been provided would not have kept out a smart shower, much less a -heavy tropical downpour. Sometimes the mist was so dense that, standing -on one bank, one could not see across the river, and the muddy flood -rolled on under its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span> mantle of vapour, as under a shroud through the -rifts of which the moonbeams faintly struggled in a deathly silence, -broken only now and then by the weird cries of the tree-sloth, which, -to a fanciful mind, might sound like the wailing of a spirit of one of -the many scores of Europeans whose lives have been sacrificed to the -spectral stream. The approach to the camp, on the side where the main -road came in, was in an indescribable condition of filth, which might -easily have been prevented had proper precautions been only taken at -first; and on the other sides, where the forest had been cleared, the -rank vegetation had been allowed to lie where it fell, putrefying and -poisoning the air.</p> - -<p>Had there been much mortality at Prahsu a storm of indignation would -have burst out in England at a camp having again been established there -in spite of the warnings of history; but, because no deaths occurred -actually on the spot, the breaking of the West African golden rule was -not the less-advised; this rule forbids, except in cases of urgent -necessity, the removal of Europeans from the health-giving sea-breezes -and from such poor comforts as the wretched Colony affords.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6">[6]</a> Meaning Enguie and Busumburu.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7">[7]</a> This man had arrived from Coomassie on March 30th and -informed the Governor that Prince Buaki was to come down.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XVII.</h2> - -<blockquote><p class="center">Another Interview—Atassi—An Importunate Investigation—A -Shocking Accident—Yancoomassie Assin—Draggled Plumes—An -Unintentional Insult—A Scientific Experiment—The Palaver at -Elmina—Our future Policy—Recent Explorations on the River Volta.</p></blockquote> - -<p>On the morning of the 17th of April the Governor had a chair and a -table taken out into the forest and had a private interview with Prince -Buaki. At this private interview, after a few preliminary compliments, -Buaki said that the whole of the difficulty had arisen from the -ignorance of the Lieutenant-Governor, and that had Governor Ussher been -living there would have been no trouble of any kind. He asserted that -Enguie was not instructed to make any threat, such as the threatened -invasion of Assin, that in making it he had made a mistake, but that -the Lieutenant-Governor had also made a mistake in not sending to -Coomassie to know the meaning of the message he had received, before -writing to England that the king of Ashanti meant war.</p> - -<p>Buaki added—“As for the axe, I am old enough to know the meaning of -every symbol in my country, and I know that on no occasion has the -golden axe<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span> been used by the Ashantis as the sign of a declaration -of war. We have in Ashanti two symbols, both of which are used when -we declare war. One of these is a sword. When that sword is sent to -another people by the king of Ashanti, that is a declaration of war by -Ashanti. The other is a certain cap. If a messenger were charged to -declare war in the event of his ‘palaver’ being unsuccessful he would -be entrusted with that cap by the king, and if he did declare war he -would put on that cap, and that would be a proof that the declaration -came from the king. The true meaning of the axe is this. It is a -fetish. When the axe has been sent on any mission, that mission has -always been successful, and we believe that it has some mysterious -power which causes any request, that is supported by its presence, -to be granted. The Lieutenant-Governor did not know the meaning of -the axe, or the ways of our country; neither do the Fantis, yet the -Lieutenant-Governor accepted the word of the Fantis before that of our -people.”</p> - -<p>In conclusion he said he had come to make submission in the name of the -king.<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" >[8]</a></p> - -<p>About a mile up stream from Prahsu is the village<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span> of Atassi, where -there is another ford by which one of the divisions of the Ashanti army -crossed in the invasion of 1873. Atassi itself consists of a group of -some twelve huts, and there is a road, which would, for the country, -be very good were it not slightly swampy in parts, leading to Assampah -Neyeh, the first village on the road to the coast. The banks of the -river are at Atassi of equal height, and for this reason, and because -there are several large silk-cotton trees on either bank on which -hawsers might be stretched to work subsidiary raft-bridges, it seems a -more suitable spot for moving a force across the river than Prahsu; it -is besides nearer.</p> - -<p>I was amused one day at hearing an individual of that ubiquitous genus -which goes about asking questions at the most unseasonable times, -set down by a native. An Ashanti youth had been drowned while the -embassy was crossing the river, and the father of the lad was sitting -by the riverside mourning for his dead son, when this individual -went up to him, and began, through the medium of his Fanti servant, -cross-examining him, with a view to ascertaining what ideas the natives -have of a future state of existence. He poked the chief in the ribs -with his walking-stick and said, airily:</p> - -<p>“So your son was drowned this morning, eh?”</p> - -<p>The Ashanti disdained to answer in words, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> gave him a look which -would have pierced the epidermis of a rhinoceros, but which failed to -make any impression on this man. He continued:</p> - -<p>“Let me know your ideas of a future state. Do you believe that there is -a new life for the soul after death?”</p> - -<p>Still no answer, only an angry glitter began to appear in the chief’s -eyes.</p> - -<p>“Now, do you expect to meet that boy of yours in Hades, eh?”</p> - -<p>A muttered curse from the Ashanti.</p> - -<p>“Look here, don’t get sulky now. Tell me what your religious belief is.”</p> - -<p>No answer.</p> - -<p>“Oh! very well. Don’t say anything if you don’t want to. I expect your -son is having a nice time of it now. Pretty hot down where he is now, -eh?”</p> - -<p>Then the chief rose, and, majestically throwing his cloth around him, -said to the Fanti:</p> - -<p>“Why do the English allow idiots like this to be at large?” and went -away to try and find some place where he could brood over his loss in -peace.</p> - -<p>One morning the whole camp was convulsed with horror by an accident, -which, had it been followed by serious consequences, would have been -too awful to contemplate. One of the retinue was playing in his hut -with a new toy, to wit a loaded revolver, when he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span> accidentally -discharged it. Some malignant demon at once directed the bullet towards -the exact spot where would have been the august head of His Excellency, -had he been at breakfast; but fortunately he was not there, and the -missile sped harmlessly on through a tent, scattering the four or five -Fanti clerks who were writing inside. Everybody turned out in alarm and -shuddered to think of what would have been the fate of the expedition -and the Colony if the gigantic intellect which directed all these -stupendous operations had suddenly ceased to be. For future security -a guard was at once placed over the Governor’s hut, His Excellency -held a <i>levée</i> to assure his well-wishers that he was unharmed, and -a deputation of native Colonial officials waited upon him to read an -address congratulating him upon his narrow escape, and pointing out, -from the fate of the late Czar and the recent accident, that crowned -heads, alike in Europe and Africa, were in these days menaced by -insidious perils. I do not know what was done to the culprit, but the -Queen’s Advocate said that an action for high treason would not lie, -and so I believe he was only found guilty of culpable negligence.</p> - -<p>Early on the morning of April 19th we thankfully bade adieu to Prahsu -and started for the coast. The Ashantis and the Adansis were to leave -on the same day, and the Governor, who was down with fever,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span> and -his retinue, in a few days’ time. Halting for a couple of hours at -Inyaso, we reached Yancoomassie Assin about half-past one, where, -as the Commissariat officer had an attack of fever, we stopped. -Half-an-hour after our arrival a heavy tornado, accompanied by thunder -and lightning, passed over the village, the violent gusts of wind -tearing the thatch off the houses, limbs off trees, and levelling -whole groves of bamboo, while the rain fell in continuous sheets. -While the storm was still raging the Adansis came in, being met by -the chief of the place with the usual drumming, dancing, shouting, -and horn-blowing, while some of his ultra-loyal followers brandished -union-jack pocket-handkerchiefs fastened to sticks. As the rain ceased -the Ashantis appeared on the scene, and the Assin chief seated himself -in his state-chair, supported by his retainers with the state-swords, -while each Ashanti chief, or delegate, with his followers, filed -before him shaking hands and then passing on. When this was over a -tremendous drumming commenced, and the Assin potentate performed a -grotesque <i>pas seul</i> in the centre of a circle of gaping admirers; -being followed, when he had finished, by the king of Adansi, who threw -in some complicated steps, to cut out his predecessor, which positively -made the unsophisticated Assins gasp for breath. This mighty monarch at -last sank back exhausted into a chair, and some of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span> Ashantis came -out and skipped round; Buaki, however, seemed to be above this sort of -thing, and, instead of cutting insane capers, contented himself with -walking round the circle and waving his hand affably to the lookers-on.</p> - -<p>I left this gay and festive scene, and was going back to the house -which we had appropriated for our use, when I saw one of the -masquerading costumes, which had at Prahsu made its wearer the cynosure -of all eyes, hanging up wet and draggled on a tree. Alas! alas! what a -wreck was there! The rain had soaked the garments through and through, -and little puddles of brilliant dyes were forming on the ground -underneath, while the glory of the lace and braid was destroyed for -ever. I found the unhappy owner trying to dry himself in an adjoining -house; he had come down in charge of the Ashanti embassy and had been -caught in the tornado in the forest; everything he possessed had been -saturated with water, and he had had two narrow escapes of being -crushed by immense dead silk-cotton trees which had fallen across the -road. I felt sorry to see him in such a pitiable condition, but somehow -I could not help mentally comparing him, in his then garb, with a -magnificent peacock that had lost its tail.</p> - -<p>When the natives had finished their demonstration outside, Buaki came -with two or three of his <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span>supporters to pay us a visit in our hut. He -drank our sole remaining bottle of beer with much gusto, although it -was his first experience of malt liquor; and we were getting along very -nicely when a slight <i>contretemps</i> occurred which entirely destroyed -the harmony of the meeting, and shows how necessary it is that everyone -who has anything to do with natives should have some knowledge of their -prejudices and modes of thought. Prince Ansah was interpreting, and -Buaki had just affably said, in compliment to us, that he was very fond -of soldiers, when some one asked:—</p> - -<p>“Do you shoot much in Ashanti?”</p> - -<p>This was duly interpreted, and Buaki drew himself up and said:—</p> - -<p>“How? What do you mean?”</p> - -<p>“Do you go out into the bush much to shoot birds and deer?”</p> - -<p>This being explained to him, he said to Ansah:—</p> - -<p>“Does this white man think that I am a common fellow to have to work -for my living?” and got up and went out in great dudgeon.</p> - -<p>It is needless to say that the Ashantis have no idea of sport.</p> - -<p>We left Yancoomassi Assin early next morning and reached Mansu about 5 -p.m. There we found Lieutenant Swinburne, R.M.A., one of the Governor’s -retinue, who, while the others had been looking after<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span> squads of -Kroomen, had come across country from Accra by unknown paths on foot, -a feat never before performed by a European. As the maps of the tract -that he had crossed had been compiled from imagination and native -reports, he was able to rectify many startling errors.</p> - -<p>We were off again early next morning, reaching Dunquah about 4·30 p.m. -The sun had been exceedingly powerful, and as the forest terminates a -short distance out of Mansu, giving place to the shadowless bush, we -had had our heads well roasted, for it is impossible to wear a helmet -in a hammock, and the awning, formed of a single piece of thin calico, -affords no real protection. The water at Dunquah, which is obtained -from shallow wells, is notoriously bad even for the Gold Coast, being -of the colour of weak coffee, and filtering has no visible effect on -it. On our upward journey we had experienced some of the ill effects -resulting from drinking this beverage; but now we had with us a -scientific surgeon who assured us that he knew how to purify it, and, -while dinner was being prepared, he set to work at an earthen-pot -full of muddy water. When we sat down to our meal we were agreeably -surprised to find our tumblers full of clear water, and it was such an -unusual luxury that we each seized a glass and raised it to our lips. -The result was startling: the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span>Commissariat officer jumped up, ejecting -the fluid from his mouth and exclaimed:—</p> - -<p>“Good heavens—I’m poisoned.”</p> - -<p>I had a most horrible taste in my mouth, and tried to say, “What’s the -matter?” but found I could only make a sound like “mum—mum—mum”; -while the others demanded an immediate explanation and an antidote from -the man of science.</p> - -<p>He said it was nothing: it was only something he had put in the water -to purify it: it was quite harmless.</p> - -<p>That was all very well, but it had made us all feel ill, and what he -had used was such a violent astringent that I could not partake of any -of the dinner except the soup, and that I had to take through a straw. -The surgeon appeared very proud of his achievement, though it seemed to -me that it was not of much use to purify water for drinking purposes -if it was made undrinkable in the process. I have no liking for such -theoretical scientists.</p> - -<p>We reached Cape Coast next day at noon, where we found that during our -short absence seven officers had been invalided to England, all but one -of whom had been living in the hired houses in the town.</p> - -<p>On April 28th there was a formal meeting at Elmina between the Ashanti -embassy, the Adansis, and some of the chiefs of the protectorate, -among the latter being the King of Abrah, King Blay of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span>Apollonia, and -the local chiefs of Elmina; and on the 29th the final palaver between -the Government and the Ashantis was held at the same place for the -settlement of the Ashanti question. Every European who could be pressed -into service was summoned to swell the Governor’s following; even a -number of officers being asked for from Cape Coast, in full dress, to -make a more gorgeous display.</p> - -<p>After the usual preliminaries, Buaki rose and said:—</p> - -<p>“I have brought a message from the king of Ashanti. News has come to -the king that the Queen of England thinks he is going to make war -against the Government of the Gold Coast. Whoever told the Governor -this is quite wrong. He has no cause of quarrel with the Government of -the Gold Coast, and, if he has no quarrel, why should he make war? The -king wishes to remain at peace with the English, whom he has found to -be his good friends; and he has sent me therefore with this message. -As he found that through somebody’s foolishness, or mistake, the -Government of the Gold Coast had thought that he wanted to make war, -which was quite wrong, and as he knew that they must have spent much -money, he sent down a sum, not to pay for the expenses which they had -incurred, but as a proof of his friendship with his good friends the -English. The king says he desires peace only and never meant war, and -that if he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span> meant war he should have given the Government of the -Gold Coast notice, as he hopes the Government of the Gold Coast would -do to him. I bring a thousand bendas<a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" >[9]</a> for the Government.”</p> - -<p>(Prince Ansah here began talking to Buaki.)</p> - -<p><i>Rowe</i> (<i>to the Interpreter</i>). “What is Ansah saying to Buaki?”</p> - -<p><i>Ansah.</i> “Buaki has left out part of the message, and a most important -part.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “Does not Buaki come direct from the king with a message to me?”</p> - -<p><i>Ansah.</i> “Yes.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “How then do you know his message better than he does himself? -I think your interruption is very unseemly.”</p> - -<p><i>Ansah.</i> “Buaki told me his message when he first arrived at Prahsu. He -has now omitted something he then told me.”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “It is true what Prince Ansah says. I have, through my old -age, forgotten a part of my message. It is about the golden axe. The -axe belongs to the fetish: it is a sign of the fetish. In the time of -Governor Maclean there was a dispute concerning a man: the axe was -sent, and the end was peace. Under Colonel Torrane a difference arose -and the axe was again sent. The matter was settled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span> amicably. To two -other Governors the axe was sent, and the end was peace. In the present -case the axe was sent as belonging to the fetish, to obtain our desires -peaceably. It is in fact a sign of an extraordinary embassy. There are -those who have said the axe means war: so the king has heard. It was -not so. It is not so. Take no heed of this; the king of Ashanti only -wishes for peace.”</p> - -<p>The representative of Awooah, chief of Bantama and general of the -Ashanti army, said:—</p> - -<p>“My master is the greatest captain of the king’s army. If we had been -going to war would not my master have known before others? But he knew -no such thing. Let it be known to the Government of the Gold Coast that -the king of Ashanti has many enemies near home, and it is they who have -endeavoured to embroil him with the English, so that they might seize -their opportunities. Why should we fight with the English? They are our -good friends. I, my master, and my king, only wish for peace.”</p> - -<p>The representative of the Kokofuah district then rose and said:—</p> - -<p>“Why should we quarrel with our good friends the English? If we want -salt, we get it from Europe; if we want cloth, we get it from Europe; -and if we want powder to fire at a custom, where do we get it from? -Why, from Europe. I and my master only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> wish for peace. Why should we -fight the Government of the Gold Coast, so far off, when we have many -enemies close at hand ever ready to fight?”</p> - -<p>The representatives of the dukes of Ashanti, and of various chiefs and -districts, all then spoke in succession to the same effect.</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “I have listened carefully to what you have to say. Even a -little thing between the Government and the Ashantis, though in itself -small, soon becomes serious. This is a most serious matter, and I shall -have to think over it, and will appoint a day on which I shall give my -answer.”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “I assure Your Excellency that what I say is true.”</p> - -<p><i>Rowe.</i> “Had I not thought so I would not have listened so carefully.” -(<i>To the Interpreter</i>). “Ask him if he has the gold with him.”</p> - -<p><i>Buaki.</i> “No, but while I am here the gold will come.”</p> - -<p>On May 3rd a review of the troops and Constabulary was held for the -benefit of the Ashantis, after which the Governor informed Buaki, that, -if he would hand over the two thousand ounces of gold-dust, the whole -question would be referred to the Home Government for settlement. -About twelve hundred ounces were accordingly paid on May 23rd and the -remainder on June 8th, Buaki, at his own request,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span> remaining at Elmina -as a hostage for the payment; and the whole sum is now in the hands -of the Government. On July 16th Awoosoo, the Gaman refugee, committed -suicide by leaping from the walls of Elmina Castle, for which act the -Ashantis are no doubt much obliged to him; and, had they known that -he was going to make away with himself so conveniently, they probably -would not have troubled to send the embassy with the golden axe to -demand his surrender.</p> - -<p>The Ashanti question of 1881 is now at an end, but war with Ashanti -has, however, only been postponed, and is, sooner or later, inevitable, -unless we make a new departure in our Gold Coast policy, and, instead -of regarding the Ashantis with suspicion as probable foes, enter into -close and friendly relations with them. By establishing a British -resident at Coomassie we should place matters on quite a different -footing; and if we were to appoint a port to which the Ashantis might -resort for trade, without having to employ the despised Fantis as -middlemen, there would be no further friction. One of the members of -the Buaki embassy said to me, on this subject:—</p> - -<p>“Give us a town on the coast, say Moree.<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" >[10]</a> Let it be ours; let us -have a road of our own to it. If you say it is to be half-a-mile broad -we will make it so.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> Then we can come there to trade without having -anything to say to those women, the Assins and Fantis, who are really -our slaves, and only saved from destruction by you English. Do this, -and there will be no more trouble.”</p> - -<p>Of course the Ashantis are really desirous of avoiding the payment -of customs dues on imported goods, partly on account of the duties -themselves, but principally because they consider that, being an -independent people, they ought to have a port of their own. This -non-payment does not seem to present any insuperable obstacles; goods -thus landed duty-free would have to traverse the protectorate by a -prescribed route, and a Colonial officer stationed at the point at -which they would cross the frontier could examine the permits and -see that everything was intact, thus smuggling would be made almost -impossible. Were we to make this concession, a European resident would -willingly be received in Coomassie, and the presence of such an officer -would be the most effectual check upon human sacrifices that could be -devised. It is difficult to see by what principle of equity we arrogate -to ourselves the right of levying upon goods, intended for the use of -an independent nation living beyond our borders, the same duty as is -levied upon goods which are to be offered for sale in the Colony. It -is just as if France<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span> should impose her tariff upon goods consigned to -Switzerland, and merely passing through French territory.</p> - -<p>By adopting such a policy I am convinced a lasting peace with Ashanti -would be assured; and it certainly appears easier to found a peace upon -the good-will and interest of the Ashantis themselves than to endeavour -to keep them in check by forming a precarious combination of inferior -native tribes, each one of which is jealous of the others, and the most -powerful of whom, probably the Gamans, would, in the event of Ashanti -being totally crushed, assume the position now held by that nation in -West Africa, and necessitate the formation of a new combination against -them. Should we, as is most probable, pursue our present policy, the -end is not difficult to see. Continued friction and a species of -armed neutrality cannot be kept up with a haughty and warlike race of -savages with impunity; the Ashantis will continue arming themselves -with improved weapons, and on the death of King Mensah, should he not -first be dethroned, a monarch less peaceably disposed will ascend the -throne, some pretext of quarrel will soon be found, and another Ashanti -war will take place. Of course the Ashantis will be crushed, though -not without much expenditure of blood and money, but what shall we do -then? Shall we annex their <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span>territory or again retire? If the former, -we shall find ourselves face to face with the warlike Mohammedan tribes -of the inland plateau; and if the latter, the present state of affairs -will continue, if not with Ashanti as the dominant power, with some -other tribe that has stepped into its place.</p> - -<p>In the much-to-be-deplored event of future hostilities with Ashanti, -recent explorations made by Mr. McLaren, of the firm of Messrs. Alex. -Miller Brothers, seem to show that the Volta river is the proper base -of operations. That gentleman, in October 1879, crossed the rapids on -the Volta, between Medica and Aquamoo, in the steam-launch “Agnes,” -which was the first European-built craft that had ever reached the -latter town. Prior to this the rapids had been considered impassable, -but it is now known that in ordinary seasons they can be passed by -steamers of sufficient power, drawing six feet of water, from the -beginning of September to the middle or end of November.</p> - -<p>The Volta itself has been found to be navigable to the falls of -Klatchie, from 300 to 350 miles from Addah; but it is by its principal -confluent, the Afram, that Coomassie should be approached. The Afram -discharges into the Volta at the town of Ourahei on the western bank -of the latter, about 130 miles from the sea, and to this town, prior -to the invasion of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span> Crepe by the Ashanti general Adu Buffo in 1869, -great numbers of Ashantis used to resort for purposes of trade, Ourahei -itself being only six days’ journey from Coomassie through an open -grassy country. The Afram is both wide and deep, though a good deal -obstructed by snags and fallen timber, and flows through Kwâow, at a -distance of six hours’ journey to the north of Abeliffi, which place -is only four days’ easy journey from Coomassie. Further than Kwâow the -Afram has not yet been explored, but natives report that it has its -source in a lake. If this be the case the lake must be either the Busum -Echuy near Djuabin, or lake Burro to the west of the desert of Ghofan, -far to the north-east of Coomassie. Its general direction from Kwâow is -north-west. Even should the Afram be navigable no further than Kwâow -troops could there be disembarked, where there would be only four days’ -marching, as against ten or twelve from Cape Coast to Coomassie, and -that too through open country in which the Ashanti never appears to -advantage as a soldier.</p> - -<p>In the present year, 1882, signs have not been wanting to show that -the Ashantis are still pursuing their astute and unscrupulous policy -with that unwearying tenacity of purpose which has ever distinguished -them. A war with the Gaman party which supported King Ajiman was one -of the first important<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span> events of the year, and now at the time of -writing it is reported from Cape Coast that the Adansis are flocking in -large numbers across the Prah, complaining that, in their own country, -neither their lives nor property are safe from Ashanti aggression. In -fact, the Ashantis, having learned for the first time during the scare -in 1881 that we were not bound by any treaty obligations to defend -Adansi, are now beginning to feel their way, with a view to recovering -their dominion over that territory: this done, the last vestige of the -treaty of Fommanah will have disappeared. They will undoubtedly compass -their ends before long unless checked by us in some way; which, as -the doctrine of non-intervention still prevails, is not probable. The -prestige the Ashantis will gain will be great, British influence beyond -our borders must proportionately decline, and we shall find ourselves -in exactly the same position as we were in 1873; with this difference, -that the Ashantis will be better armed, and, having learnt wisdom from -past reverses, will know better how to cope with us should we again -attempt to advance on their capital.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8">[8]</a> It is worthy of note that Buaki was very careful not to -allude in any way to the wasp’s nest that had accompanied the axe, and -which was the more important symbol of the two.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9">[9]</a> A benda is two ounces.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10">[10]</a> A village about five miles to the east of Cape Coast.</p> - -<p class="center space-above">THE END.</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LAND OF FETISH ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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