The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-09-05

about his nephew:
The King. koffee Cslcalli. Is described
a. being man OF considerable ability. but
he has not been educated. He Is Of mid
die height, slight figure. wears his beard
longer than Is usual in his country, and Is
man OF remarkably temperate habits,
and takes an active part in the govern
ment OF the country, and is proyerblal for
his hospitality and liberality. Like all the
royal race Of Ashantee he Is remarkable
for the lightness OF his color, and his fea-
lures are rather Of Moorish than of a
negro type. All his family, although
without the least admixture Of white
blood. are remarkable In their country for
the lightness OF their complexion, being
little darker than swarthy Italian or
Spaniard.
He Is now in his thirty-sixth year, and
Is the eighth monarch who has ruled over
the Ashantees since the death Of the great
Sal Tootoo, the founder OF the Ashantee
power and the greatest Of their kings and
warriors.
The laws of Ashantee allow to the king
an unlimited number of wives. His ia
yorire is the Princess Sappon. daughter OF
a brother of the late queen Quacoeduah.
who Is not only very beautiful, but is a
woman OF great ability, and enjoys great
borne him but one child, a son, who died
while still an infant about two years ago,
TO his fathers great grief.
Ii an Ashantee look upon the unveiled
face of one of the kings wives il is GER
tain death.
All the kings wives are kept jealously
secluded in the women's quarter of the
palace, 10 which are attached large and
well kept gardens This quarter Is jeal-
ously guarded by the kings eunuch
guard, who number over lJO. The kings
wives are the only women who are so Sc
Guided. The women, as a general rule,
can go about freely.
The capital Of Ashantee IL Comassie,
although not the most populous in the
Kings realms. IL is a well built town,
with wide streets The Kings palace,
which is built of quarried stone. is large
and capacious edlfice. Ii il two stories
high. some Of the rooms in il are of great
size. and all very lofty.
Attached 10 the Kings palace is the
great courtyard, where he holds his coun-
ellis of the mobiles. The King sits on a
low throne. and the chiefs sit round
those OF the highest rank being nearest 10
the King. A space in front Of the King
is always kept clear for the speakers, and
whoever is addressing the assembly takes
his stand there.
The King and the chiefs when at war
wear loose Turkish trousers of different
colored stuffs. They are thus to be known
from the rank and file, who wear only
tunic aud no trousers.
The King OF Ashaatee never goes bare
footed, always wearing sandals richly
jeweled, and when travelling is carried in
hammock by bearers. All the ham,
mock bearers are supplied by one tribe
from the interior. He Is remarkable
above all his subjects by the costliness and
splendor Of his robes.
in the field his state dress consists Of a
light tunic of crimson velvet or damask.
oi loose trousers of some similar mate
rial. and he wears a cap of crimson velvet.
or at times a cloth Of the same color
wound round his head as a turban, with
profusion Of gold ornaments about his
person.
When the King Of Ashsntee takes the
field his presence is denoted by the state
umbrella. which l. always carried near
MIN or over him BY one or other OF the
mobiles Of his household. the Kings UNI
brella bearer being always a man OF very
high rank. The Kings umbrella is Of
great size. IL Is constructed Of alternate
triangles OF red and black velvet. and is
splendidly ornamented with gold. To
give an idea of the value of these umbrel-
las. the umbrella of a chief. not of the
first rank, often costs GOO.
The loss of the Kings umbrella i'm bat
tie would be considered the greatest dis
grace and defeat an Ashantee army could
meet with; and in like manner for a chief
to lose his umbrella ia battle is considered
q great dishonor for him. The chiefs all
carry umbrellas varyi7r in splendor and
H.a. - ...F. h.t
owner but no Ashantee chief may have
an umbrella as large as the Kings. or
with the same arrangement of colors,
which are especially reserved for royalty.
The Kings revenues are derived princi-
pallv from the gold mines. nearly all the
most valuable mines being his own private
property; and all nuggets found no mat
Ter where, belong To him. while the gold
dust belongs 10 the finders.
The crown Of Ashantee descends I'm the
female line. the sons Of the Kings eldest
sister inheriting Ii in turn.
The Ashantee arms consist Of long
musket, the barrel of which Is over five
feet long. The soldiers are called Bucca-
neers, and they wear in their girdles a
large spear-shaped knife. which A. close
quarters l. a very formidable weapon in
deed. They carry their powder in a sort
Of leather case. and their bullets in a bag
Of native mating. A certain portion Of
the army. about one-fourth, are armed
with short carbines or blum ierbusses,
which are loaded with several bullets at
time; they also carry pixies about six feet
long.
The boards Of the Ashantees make them
easily distinguishable from the other
tribes. They all wear short pointed
beard, and as general rule any Ashantee
who i beardless Is looked upon as unfit
for n soldier. They are also remarkable
for certain fierceness of look and dignity
Of demeanor.
The King Of Ashantee can bring into
the field for offensive operations force of