, 1873-05-17
=. WAR IN AFRICA. !:


.Ashantoca WI. Enntis-~A .Ltvoly Fight.
-, Fro,s tho Lo,sdon Standard, :dprft 2s. :. -
:; Tho Ashantce wnr is developing itself. At
tho time Of tho dispatch Of tho mail the ,Ashan7
.tcos, 90 900 III number, wore within tuonty 1nloa
Of Capo Coaat Castle. It will DO Soon, therefore,
fhat, as wo stated on previous oscasion, the
strength of tho invading forco has boon largo-
w. oyerostinated st the ., presence oa9 10
Of tho moAt formidable Of tho tribos OF
Western Africa, acting in unison. and
ohpying implicitly Ill tho oricra Of the command
era aot oyor them by their loRpotio rulers, con-
rCHll Of tho onerny has been checked, 30 TINT, If
the British authorities posaesB tho Blightest prl-
dence and enorgy, tho settlement itnelf will hayo
boon rendered itnprcgnablo. unleas, however,
adorable increase Of onterprlse tho tr1boa who
are unfortunate enough to DO uEdor our nominal
protection vii! be, for the time atalloyents ruined.
Those nro numerically strong, and apparontly
asms,:-whi hiell. though repeatedly requested from
tho colonial authorities, hayonot boon Huppticu
to tholn,-aa,1 to tho faot that thoy aro led by
half n dozen difroront Kings, tloy have, small
ordors Of single chief. Tho campaign hogan in
earnest on tho 10th March, Oh which day tho
Fantis-the namo giyon Ito tho yarioua tribes
inlnbiting tho district around tho Gold Coast
sottloments-wcre attacked by the ABhAntco
army. Tho forces Oh oitler. sldo were about
90, 700 mon. 1t was, however, to the digalyatl-
tago Of tho Fautis tint they consiated Of largo
nunlbor Of trlbcY oacl1 tribe boing accompanied
by its King, who exercised moro Or loss In
dependent command. It ID tr1lo that .tLcro
is q nominal King~Prosident, who rojoices
IN tho cuphonious nalne Of Qnneie Adoo,
but he Reonss to llayo claimed no supremacy oyor
his hrotlor soyoroigns. The tactics waro up
parontly very simple, and conHiRtol IN atcaly
firing to tho front on caol Hllo, without my Mt
tomlt to manmuyro. After Beyoral hours Of
furious fighting, tho right wing OF tile Asllantoo
army waa driven on tho Iold, and tlut flank thua
exposed to DO turnod. At tllat criticnl moment
1ncssagc was sent to Liout. Hopkins. OF the
Second AYoat India noginlont commanding q
body Of armed 1IouHaa palico. unly milo or two
diBtant from the spot whoro tho battfe was being
fought. IIo wan 0ntrcatod to con!e to tho hs1ccor
Of tic FantIB but, though personally anxious to
comply with tho request, Ao 'Yaa unable to do
so. Tho reason il curious enough. Ho hnd
received 0trict orders to give nothing moro than
moral support to our ironically terlnol protected
allioa whatever might bo their strait. Tll's loft
to tllelr own reaoufcos, tho Fantiu, finding their
powdor fail. began to rotroat about Z a. m, aftor
ao,no eight hours fighting. Thoy must havo in-
arircd tlo foo with roapoct aud hayo tallon back
ii good order, for tho Ashatteos mover attempted
to pursue tLonl. Roally, thu battle, which "as
fought at {. placo callod gankunlaaBlo, twenty
miloa from Capo Coaat Custle waH cral!tablo to
both sides. The number of killed aud wounded
also lifts 1t far abovo contempt, tho loua OF tho
Aahantoea bong estimated at y, 900, and tint OF
tho Fantia, who weso on tho doSenalyo, at about
| 1000.