Star.
London, England, 1819-02-15 00:00:00

AFRICA.

STF.IIII.I-LFONE, DECEIIdBER
We are happy to say, that Sir Omuta Cottua has arrived oti
the coast, in his Majesty's ship TA ' • and we sincerely hope
ho will prove successful, not only in clearing those seas from the
numerous Pirates which have infested the whole line of coast
from hence to Bona, during the last two years, but that we
shall hear no more of the Slave-Trade, which, doting the same
period, has been carried on with such success and facility, by the
paolards, French, and Portuguese, for want of a nun of war.
.Bince February, 1118, no vessel, of war has appeared at the
British Settlements on the Gold Coast : the last arrival of any
"force was his Majesty's ship SIMIRAMIS, Commodore Sir JAMES
'tiro • since whose return the Slave-ships have anchored and
carried on their abominable trade within sight of the fitltish
forts, to the number of six, seven, and eight vessels at a drne,
We have to lament that our Gold trade has declined very
much of late on the coast, in consequence of a protracted war-
fare between the Ashantees and the natives of lluntucco. Is is
from these two principal States that we derive molt of oui Gold,
the Fantee nation acting more as intermediate Agent.; than prin-
cipals in such barters.
Government having considered the trade of Ashantee of :tafh-
cient importance to induce them to send out a Consul to that
country, it is hoped that he will have some influence in bringing
them to terms of accommodation, and directing their minds to
the less sanguinary employment of Commerce.

By accounts from the Cold Coast of Africa, we learn, that
*,h4.town of Cape Coast has again been destroyed by fire, to con-
sequence of a quarrel among the hlunicipal Authorities. -
The following is the substance of a letter which the King of
Ashantee dictated to Mr. Frederick James, the senior Othcer
on the mission to Acoomasey, the capital of that country :
" I thank GOD and the King of England, that 1 see the white
men's faces; for now the King of England will know that I
want to be a good friend to him, to be all the same as a brother,
and to keep a good heart tobim. I thank him very Much for the
present he has sent to me, and I am very glad that the English
and Ashantees are to be good friends, the same as brethren.
" The King does MK know how the Fantees have treated me
during the Slave trade. If any of my people went to the coast
to trade, to sell Slaves, Elephants' Teer.i, or Gold, the Fantees
seized them, and sold them as Slaves. They would never allavr
the Ashantees to trade with white men.

"In the country you came through (As-In) two Assins Gvt 1,
, one was friendly -to the Ashantett, the other to the ranters ;
these men had a quarrel, and were going to war. I sent my
messengers, and one Captain, with authority to say, What do
you fight for? You are both of one country and one people,
what do you fight for? The Fantees and Assins cut off the
heads of my messengers, took their insignia of authority, and
' sent one man back with his earoeut off.. lithen went, and sub-
dued the Assins, and.took "their country. I invad,d rantyn,
went to Anantaboo, and iriTeliyed the Fantees. When I at-
tacked that place, the 'Fite& fired front the fort, ;mil killed
many of my army. The• “overnpr of Cape Coast. heard the
cannon, and sent messengers to White, the Governor a Arta-
inalitm saying, for what do you fire the cannon? and was told,
'ghat the' Ashautee army had come to kill all the Fantees. Tor-
rane, the Governor of Cape Coast, said, ' You must not kill die
Ashantees; for they are good friends to the English,' lie sent
a messenger to me, saying, ' I am fulfofoorrow, and it grieves
me very much, that the English shoaplcl kill your people; but sit
down, and cool your heart, and I will make you many presents:
" When 1 made war on the Fantees, 1 tool. one of their
Chiefs prisoner. The ranters saut a messenger, that I might
not kill bins, and they would give me whatever I might desire
for his ransom. I said, • Very well; if you give the GO ounces
of gold, you may have him.' They answered, that they were
afraid to come to my country with the money, bqt if I would
scud him to a small village on the frontier, they would come
there, and buy him. I did so. They came at night, and stole
the man away. I said,' You have stolen that mou away, where
is my gold ?"they laughed at me, and said they would send
me four ackies of gold (205.) or four gallons of rum.
" When the Fantees went to besiege Flinina and Accra, they
said to me, ' will let..lt you plenty orgoid, and we will
serve you.' I seat people to hear their own word; that I
might know the troth. Fantees said, We are tired of
fighting, and want to have peace.' I said, ' Very well, ar
sent sue.sengets to say, • If jot want peace, you must pay me
plenty of gold.' After two years, the rantees &dared they
would not serve me, and sent one of their Chiefs to me, saying,
We wid make war with you; which made me a::gry ; so I
sent a numerous army into their country.
" I sent to snake war on the Alums : their Chiefs song mes-
sengers to me, saying, We bey pardon.' My army tieat:y
stroyeal the Fantees and Aciassims. The Aklms sMI to me,
4 We don't care what our Chiefs say ; we will serve y::;.:; do not
kill us as beft.;re,'

" When I had conquered the F:antres they sought f.
ness, and acknowleizecti my power, and again declared they
te. When they scut this riuswii_
would be faitaful, and sarve
tee to me, I said, It yea give mr your books from the Farts
(promissory notes for salary), I will be a good friend to you. If
you give me two tumblers of gold, or one puncheon fall of gold,
I will nut be pleased; only zivc me your Cape Cnast and %na.
taboo books, for pay front the Forts, then I will be satisscd.'
" I sent a mess.nger to the Governor of („Spe Coast Cottle to
tell hint I had conquered the Vantees, and to send me A.ivokVo's
wad Amoney's (two Chiefs of the lirafoos) books, and then I
would send plenty of trod?, and keep a goad heart to you like a
brother ; but when tiles,: books for four ackies were brought to
me, ans! I raw them, I had cause to be angry. The Dutch say,
aU the C..i.ott belo.•gs to me hem .'.peollonia to Accra; hut the
Eagli.ih soy, that is belorgs to th., I.:tutees. I can go and de-
.stroythe Fainees, and c.e the.i•lng'ishmen's faces.

, wt he boa! of Apollsmia liei.coo to me. The Adotkara
people have been cOnvered by my army—their Chief held •
book from the Dutch at ':'mina—he gave nit the book. Accra
is mine—l conquered the :skims, anti took their head, cAtioucr
(Chief), to put him to drain—he gave me his book from Accra
Fort. I sent to take the Chief of the Aldma, and he gave me
his b Ink for pay that he wi.s entitled to from Dutch Accra. AU
the nutives belorg to me.

" When !lie old Ossey (Xing) of Ashantee fetched away any
natis:s, he said, what books you have from the Farts you must
give to me. I thank Gm) I VC the Fatglisktuen's faces, for I
know they are good friends to me. Egglish Accra pays me ha
-nerehandize equal to two ounces of gold a month ; Cape (`oat
pays me four ackies; and Ananiaboo four ackies!!! Cape
Co:.st is a large kroom (place): do the English think that fast ?
No, they do not. _

"The Dutch say I tin a proper King. I can fetch away the
natives. my give me tour ottaces in goods monthly.
" The King of England is a mighty King ; he is greater than
all the othar Kings i he can fetch away the French, the Mitch,
the Danes, !ha Spaniards, the l'ortngueve, the Americans. Ile
fetches awuy ill the white people—ail their books belong to him
..—wh.tt would be say it the I:m..ldt or Dutch would not give
him their books ILs I a great Kilt, I fetch away all the
black people; their bcndts Kiting to me. I thank Goo Iwe
' f .ur Englidi Gentlemen's faces, so 1 eo send four of my Cap.
Wail to rape C %sat, and go my.: lt, and see all the English,.
but this four acbies grieves my heart.
Ashanteev and rAlltte% are nut the same. The As
hantees
send good gold, and get good powder front the English--good
every thing. The Faotees tats goad gold from Ashanten, and
give hal gold to the Eaglii.h; they buy ten hannlkersjongs hoot
the English, and give eight to die Ashantees; they buy one nakor
of nun, and mis it with water, 0.1 litake.443 iz *Astimteest
they mitt charcoal with the gyapuorder pad see to tke &hat.
, toes. Thy Faucets are bad uteue•