The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-23
THE WAR IN ASHANTEE.
A Serious Outbreak Against English Rule-The
Gold Coast and It's People-Rum and Am
munition the Cause Of Hostiiities- Trans
fer Of Dutch Settlements to Great
- Britain-A Bloody Battle and
5000 Killed-White Rein
forcements ON Their
Way to Guinea.

W
looked upon as a small matter. The territory
under actual British sovereignty menaced is very
small, but its commercial importance Is fully equal
to that OF either Tasmania, Western Australia or
half dozen OF the lesser West Indian islands. To
learn Its position on the globe exactly IT Is only
necessary to take up map Of Africa, and looking
at point five degrees north OF the Equator, there
Will be seen on the Atlantic seaboard the spot
where stands Cape Coast Castle, the capital OF the
English settlements. It contains population OF
TO- 900 blacks and perhaps less than 200 whites, ex-
elusive Of the garrison. AS its name indicates. II Is
fortified position, being the strongest OF seven or
eight nlary armed factories on the coast or close
to It, maintained for purposes Of trade with the in
terror. British authority. In reality, is not claimed
or exercised beyond the actual ground occupied,
but it Is asserted all along the coast where menor
war are available, except, OF course, where civil
lied colonies or settlements exist In the vicinity
OF Cape Coast Castle arc the Fantee tribes, who
occupy a large district Of country; and more
towards the north and west is the Kingdom Of
Ashantee. During wars lasting twenty or thirty
years, in the present century with the Ashantees,
the Fantees have been the allies Of the British and
have continued under their projection. In con-
sequence they have enjoyed far greater prosperity
than the tribes subject to the barbarous rule OF
native kings and chiefs. The present invasion Of
their territory and the battle that has taken place,
in which they were defeated is simply revival Of
old ecrts OF the Ashantees to reduce them to sub
jection and is besides, open and decided act of
war against England-a challenge that has been
promptly taken up by that government.
STRENGTH AND ORGANIZATION OF THE AsHANTEEs.
The Ashantees are formidable enemies They are
warlike and ferocious. With them to inflict vi0-
lent and sanguinary deaths is a pastime. In war
ornaments are human teeth and human jawbones
The Dutch factories close by have kept them pen-
tiiully supplied with guns, powder and lead, and in
the organization Of their armies civilized disci-
pline has been introduced enabling them to show
great lighting power. They have been for genera
tions adding to their territory by conquests and
annexations. The Fantees have been the only
people who have SO far, with any degree of sue
cess. resisted their entertainments. In 1924 an ex-
petition under Sir Charles MacCarthy, the British
Governor, was defeated and destroyed, and during
Its progress that oflcer lost his life. The popula-
ton OF Ashantee is 100000 and constitutes,
perhaps, the only compact power, with anything
like the same strength in numbers, in Africa, that
acknowledges one sovereign. A force of 10000
Ashantess can be brought into the deld LED by one
general-in-Chief, who would be implicitly Obeyed.
The Fantees have half score of kings, each pad
Inducements, should they leave their FORTS would
be only mouthful for the ferocious enemy The
factories are strongly fortified; but Mr.. Knachbu-
Hugessen Under Secretary OF the Colonies stated
few weeks since in the House of Commons that
arms and ammunition had been forwarded, to-
gether with large supplies OF provisions, and two
shps-ofwar were acting on the coast and several
paddle steamers had been sent to the Gold Coast
well provisioned. He also announced that 100 men
OF the Second West India regiment HAD arrived $50
mounted police had also been despatched and that
the commanding officer had taken every possible
means to unite and combine all the available forces
for the purposes OF defence.
THE GOLD COAST AND ITS TRADE.
Guinea, in which the English, Dutch and Portu-
gese factories are situate, has vague breadth
from the Atlantic Ocean towards the INTERIOR and
Is bounded on the south by the waterless desert
which stretches away as far as the great Orange
River. 1t includes Canaan, DahOmey, Congo, Gala
bar, Ashantee and Fantee. The divisions on the
seaboard are known as the Grain Coast, the Ivory
Coast the Slave Coast and the Gold Coast the latter
being in possession OF Holland and Great Britain.
Liberia and Sierra Leone are to the north. Indigo,
pepper, cotton, sugar and palm oil are among the
principal articles OF export Ashantee and Fantee
abound in gold. It has been found in pieces
weighing as much as four pounds. The natives
exhibit great skill in the fabrication OF articles OF
gold. and make swords Of superior workmanship.
1t is not to be supposed that the English are dis
posed to retire from their possessions on the sea-
board, or allow the Fantees, who act as barrier
against the fierce neighboring tribes, to be over
is e al
that quarter, and has met with considerable sue
cess during the past few years. m 80
RECENT BRITISH ANNEXATION IN AFRICA.
Mr. Pope Hennessy, now in this city, en- route to
assume the Governorship OF the Bahama Islands,
on the West Coas. OF Africa. During his admins
tration the Dutch settlement OF Elmina, within ten
or twelve miles Of Cape Coast Castle, was coded to
England. This town Is the strongest on the whole
coast and is defended by Fort st. Jago. Its popu-
lation consists Of 10000 blacks and only thirteen
Europeans The transfer was not agreeable to the
Ashantees, who could obtain at Elmina what the
English would not sell to them for love or money
namely, guns and ammunition. The barbarians
the rum they wanted and they were wholesale
customers for that commodity. Governor
as an Irish liberal representative in Parliament,
received the thanks OF the government for his part
In the e, negotiations but the war with Ashantee is
demand on Liberia for certain coast territory
which she claims belongs to her. and, it is alleged,
Sanss S s 5eAess spsSS o ssS d Sa
Flyers, and In October 1870, proposed to the
Liberian government that the matter IN dispute
1t has not yet been settled 1t is referred to In
recent letter written at Monrovia BY Captain shu-
the secretary Of the Navy. The climate OF the
West Coast OF Africa is deadly to Europeans; but
the interests OF trade overcome all such consdera
tons. 1t may be mentioned that Governor
Hennessy, during his residence there, lost his only
son. -
THE ORIGIN OF THE WAR;
To get at an understanding OF the present DIM
cultes it will be necessary to briefly glance at the
past history OF the West Coast The subject Is OF
interest The early Portuguese navigators In feel.
ing their way for o passage around the Cape OF
Good Hope, iirst made settlements In Guinea The
Dusscc,h.; Danes and English followed. The British
trade so wl IT. nder control Of the Royal African
COMPANY. whose governor General was Governor
Of Cape Coast Castle. he forts built for the pro-
lection Of Europeans were h..d az certain rents
paid to the native kings chiefs. The Monarch or
Ashantee reduced all the neighborng tribes and
States to condition OF vassalage. One of The SUBJ