The New York herald., 1873-09-30


Botchie, VINO Is also OF royal blood. Among the
most esteemed OF the Ashantee generals may be
chiefs who hold high commands from the number
OF their retainers as distinguished from the fight
ing generals, may be mentioned AsanO Eaggia, the
Since the King has taken the field in person he
has himself assumed the chief command, and
AmanquaR Tia commands the advanced guard.
ASA Moquantah Is with the King, and has the
direction Of all operations. His position may per-
stan. All the operations OF the war are planned
by him ana all the generals are subordinate to him.
nh, HOW THE KING REsEMBLEs THE SHAH.
Tne King OF Ashantee never goes barefoOted,
always wearing sandals richly jewelled, ans when
travelling is carried in hammock by bearers. All
Hom the interior. he is remarkable above all his
subjects by the costness and splendor Of his robes
Turkish trousers OF different colored stuns. They
are thus to be known from the rank and hle, who
wear only tunG s and .nir. no trousers; rn ssncv
On the King leaving to take the field he was ac-
companled by Asalfo Eagga, the Mighty Prince OF
JabOn, who ls the greatest OF all the Ashantee
mobiles, and who never takes the field except the
King does IN person. He has brought with him
q large reinforcement OF men from his own terri
tories. He can rom mis- own feudal vassals alone
bring wel-armed vel arm Iorce Of from Is 600 to 20 600
entire aristocracy of Ashantee, ranking next after
the King
toned came after him. bringing the largest force
of retainers INTO the eld each probably being able
to raise from 1000 to 10, COO men.
"GO IN AND wIN.n
The post of general OF an Ashantee army is not
always desirable one. When the army is de-
operations, with the intimation that if he iails to
do so and returns he Will be beheaded. This prom
out his orders and produces great activity and and
vgour among the Ashantee generals. In most
Cases, when an Ashantee army is about to invade
. country, before taxing any active steps, the
general In command sends list OF his demands to
the enemy and two sticks, one short, the other
pied with, the war Will be Short az he will return,
but that II they refuse it Will be long and bloody.
This occurred In the last Ashantee war, when
Governor Pine commanded at Cape Coast.
THE PALACE AND LIFE AT COURT
not the most populous in the Kings realms. Il is
well built town, with wide streets. The Kings
palace, which is built of euarred stone, Is large
and capacious eddce 1t Is two stories high some
OF the rooms IN 1t are OF great sze and all very
lofty. Attached to the Kings palace is the great
mobiles. The King sits on low throne, and the
chiefs sit round--those OF the highest rank being
Is always kept clear for the speakers, and whoever
is addressing the assembly takes his stand there.
The Palace and the Bantanmah the two prip-
cipal public buildings in Commassie. The two chief
streets, or squares as they are called, Market
square and Cannon square, the latter taking its
name from trophy OF European cannon in it.
they were taken from the Dutch many years ago.
In IL the King sits in state and gives public audi
massie is about 10000. The most populous town
In the Ashantee dominlons Is Saaga, the capital OF
the princIpallty OF JabOn, whose prince has been
already mentioned. 1t Is famous for it's breed of
horses, and is situated on the upper Volta about
200 miles from Commasse.
MANUFACTURERS.
very extensive manufacture OF cloth Is carried
on at CommassIe, and the cloth made thus is re.
markable Tor It's fine texture and durability. Much
OF the fine velvets and damasks used for the Kings
and chlefs' umbrellas and costumes reaches
Timbuctoo. They are not altogether dependent
even Tor supplies OF ammunition on what comes
'.rHE FLAG WHICH BRAvED."
The Ashantee army, when In the field, carries
few banners or fags, and but little Importance or
Asnantees the position which standards occupy
with other armies are the umbrellas of the King
and the chiefs. When the King of Ashantee takes
the field his presence is denoted by his State um
brella, which ls always carried near him over
the Kings umbrella bearer being al ways man OF
very high rank The Kings umbrella is or great size.
II Is constructed Of all trangles of red and
gold. To give an idea OF the value OF these um-
breas the umbrella OF chief not OF the first rank
often costs f200. When the King takes the field |
his State dress consists OF light tunic OF crimson
velvet or damask, reaching from his neck nearly |
teral, and he wears cap Of crimson velvet, or at
times a cloth OF the same color wound round his |
head as turban, with proiusion or gold orna-
ments about his person.
DEVOTION TO AN UMBRELLA AND UMBRELLA ETH.
Tho o.. q, tn QUITE KIEs IN THE rshaD IN ou,
be considered the greatest disgrace and defeat an
Ashantee army could meet with; and in like man
ner Tor a chel TO lose his umbrella In battle is
sdered great dishon0r for him. The chiefs all |
carry umbrellas varying In spendor and costliness
according to the rank of their owner, but no
Ashantee chief may have an umbrella as large as
the Kings or with the same arrangement Of
colors which are specially reserved .or royalty.
When the Ashantee army take the field their
arms consist OIL long mnsket, the barrel OF which
alone is over i've leet lone They are called Buc-
spear-shaped knife which at close quarters is
very formidable weapon indeed. They carry their
powder IN sort or leather case and their bullets
the army, about onefourth, are armed with short
carbines or blunderbusses, which loaded with
several bullets at a time, and with pixies about
REcRuITMENrs AND REVENUE
The Ashantee army Is raised in manner not
altogether unlike the manner In which leudal
army was raised in Europe formerly Each OF the
class or ieudal vassas. In the regiment or dlvls-
ION, II IL may be so Called the companies or
regiments, as the case may be, consist of the men
brought in by tue subordinate chiefs, each COM
mandng his own body OF retainers, and all the |
men in each OF them owe feudal allegiance to the
regiments are placed under the command OF one OF
the greater chiefs The regiments and divisions
tunics and caps. Each chlet is supposed to pro.
vide ior the commssariat OF his own men but the
King whose revenues are very large, generally
brings supplies OF food for the common use 10 sup
plement private resources.
The Kings revenues are derived principally from
the gold mnes nearly all the most valuable mines
beng his own private property: and all nuggets
fonnd, no matter where. belong to him. while the
gold dust belongs to the finders
ROYAL BLOOD.
The crown OF Ashantec descends in the female
line, the sons OF the Kings eldest sister nherltng
AZ in turn. The Ashantees place great value on
having the blood OF Sal Tcotoo the veins of their
Kings. kofce CalcallIs heir apparent Is the Prince
Meusah aud the next IN succession Is Ana Quas
sial.
THE CAPITAL.
Commassie, which is about lao miles In
land from cape Coast, Is an open town and quite
unprotected II an expedition to Commassie
be determined on the chief difficulty TO ee
encountered VIII be the passage OF the Adansie
Hills. They are very .precipitous range OF
hills, q lew miles beyond the Prah, covered
with very dense and impenetrable bush and are
only passabe by paths, along which two men can
hardly walk abreast. There the rockets, the Cat
ling guns and field pieces OF the army would be OF
little avail, and the Ashantees are renowned for
their skill in bush fighting. The bush, almost the
whole way from Cape Coast Ia dense In the en-
treme but the country up to the Prah is traversed
by moderately COED roads, and up to the time OF
the Asbantee invasion was studded with towns
and villages at not very distant intervals Tho
Prah, which divides the territory of Ashantee from