The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-03-14 00:00:00

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THE STOI7III3RIDGE OBSERVER.

• ie.ThjGoveio erarneetly wished to be Mande
vdth the King, amd tomake a lasting peaqsbetweeo Great
1346akl alaietehmagess; he invited th. %Ins to return
• oomussie ; hie palace had not been occupied ; and
ihere he might eisn the treaty. The Governor would
not demai d the whole of the indemnity at once—he
m uld he content with a pert and we old take hostese§
an security fr the remainder. Previously he had di-
mended the cbleen-kfother and the Heir Apparent.
hut rime he bad -bon Lis great power by defeating
he Bag in two battles, he would be merciful and an.
eept an hoetageA any pereque of genuine tank. If the
King reftwed to make peace, then the Governor would
take measures to shoe, thrtushout the length 44,1
breedtle of Africa, 'how great was Ihe power of 'Great

.....
Tne King sent • bullock aa a present. Sir Garnet
remembered Theodore's cows, and deelinedtakix g any
gifts until peace had been made. To-day the King
has Promised that he will come in.
Laat n ght several fires broke out in the town, and
many homes were +destroyed. Some say it was done
by the Fantee natives, others declar that the Ashen.
tees did it thrmsel yeti, though why thy should com-
mit arson is not ro clear. A Fantee policeman was
hanged in the night for plundering.
'ills morning I went out for a walk round the tmen.
(he street alone is occupied by our troops, and I found
the others deserted. It was like • dead city. Pre-
aent4 I saw a strange and melancholy object. It wee
a man with one band secured by • piece of iron to an
oval:nom lig which he had to drag with him. His
legs were also manacled together. He was one of the
Fantee prisoners, more than fifty of whom had been
reins/lei the night bef ire. He said that he bad been
imprisoned some way off, but had managed to creep
so tar, travelling CI night at the pace of a snail, and
suffering great pain. His lege were bleeding and
covered with flies. My versant and I works i for some
time to get him free, and I saw in the distance a
Hones& soldier' whom I called, and who also joined in
our efforts. At last three Fantees came up and un-
fettered him by means of a knife and a atone with
much dexterity. They had all been prisoners, being
captured white peaceably trading at Fummanah.
of them csiu'd speak English, and acted an valet.de.
place to COOIIIBO65' showing us the King's Palace,
the burying-ground of the Royal family, the sacred
aleughter-house, and other inetitut!ons of this amiable
people. The King's Palace is like that of the Chief
of Fommanish, bat on a much larger ecale, consisting
of many court., each a house in itself, sur-
rounded by alcove,. But the front portion of the
building is of stone and like the houses at Cape
Coast. It was built by Fantee workmen. 'Upstairs
were several rooms, each of which wae a perfect Old
Curiosity Shop. Books in all languages, Bohemian
gla.a. clods, Bilver plate, old furniture, pictures and
engravings, numberlers cheats anti coffer,. With these
were also many specimens of Moorish and Ashantee
handicraft, sandals and saddles, leopard skin caps lined
with yellow velvet and adorned outside with beaten
gold, like that of Cashmere, magnificent canopies or
State umbrella,, baskets or cradles of the kind in which
Ashantee gentlemen are accustomed to be carried on
the heads of slaves, with other taiteful and curious
things, too numerous for me to describe *Yea
catalogue.. . .

COOMII9BIO is a large town; it. streets are wide; the
house, have all alcove-verandahs or porticoes in front,
the private apartments being entered by a doorway
leading into a coult-yard. In large houses there are
several court yards, each aeparated front the other by
a door, which is furnished with • padlock. But Coo-
inassie is not prosperous. In its aspect may he traced
the desolation of despotism. There are not many sheep
and fowls; the pre ple do not rare to rear them, lee
they should be seir,l by the King', men. Throughout
the town are unsightly patches of waste land covered
with high gram. Moot of the roofs are badly thatched,
as we discovered this afternoon when it rained as it
only rains in the tropics. . . . .
Some one discovered to day a very curious document,
being the journal of a Fantee prisoner at Cuolusasie,
during the last two weeks He beard on January 23,
that Captain Glover had won a victory. On the 24th,
an Attlaant e prinete was recalle i from banishment. On
the 25th was some Ashantee festival, and the King
went according to custom to pour libations to
the spirits of his ancestors. "lie pained me,
sword in his left hand, looking very sadly, saluting very
quietly." On the 27th the King went to listauta to
ask for help from the spirits of his ancestors. A
great many soldier', went out to the camp. On the
29th he heat gong•gong, and ordered out all his war-
rior... One of th" Highlanders straggled from his com-
pany at the battle of Amoodul, and wan surrounded
and killed by the Asho.ntees. The headless body VMS
brought into Amosful ; the head was taken to
Coontassie. Bat the King r,f used to have it in the
town. He Iran at first assured his people had won the
battle. But soon came the news of Arnanquatia's
death, and many corpees of chieftans were broueht into
the town. nen some one told the king privateely that
the Eigitsh had won the day and were advancing. He
went out to give battle in person, but left the field at
an early hour of the day.
. ......

- - -
AGIMMAIIC, Feb. 6.
. . . The Ashantees have been dafeateci in their
own forest—a vast natural itnnglnt:d which has re-
sisted for centuries the advance of conquering Mos-
lem tribes. Counassin has fallen, and the King is
for ever dishonoured. The neightouring tribes will
Eft up their beads against the nation supposed to
be invincible. M thomedan traders will carry tin
news to the borders of Sahara and Lake Tchsd—to
Kano, Kukawa, and Timbuctoo. The natives of
the Gold Coast are not likely to choose the Ashantee
side again; and it is not probable that the Asbanters
will any more invade our Protectorate. The men of
Barmy and of %rib° and the Housese add carry home
tidirge respecting our military power ; and this ex-
pedition will save on many a palaver on other parts of
the coast. The Knit; of Dahomey, for instance, will
be lees arrogant in future. . . .