The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-06
nBARBARIC PEARL AND GoLD.n
Fine Display of Costly Curios and
African Works of Art.
''GOING,v "GoING," "GONE ~
Agsry and POpo Beads, Implements Of War
and Rude Gold Ornaments.
MACARTHY'S TANKARD.

MACARTHY'S TANKARD.
[Cape Coast Castle February 2s correspondence !
OF the London Telegraph.l
Never, suppose, was loot so miscellaneous as
that we brought down from Coomassie Many
times, In one other hemisphere, has an En- lsh /
army sacked some barbarous capital and carried
or the treasures stored therein but never such, |
think. as those we found in the Ashantee Palace.
An Indian rajah has precious stones, rich furnl-
ture, endless variety OF valuable rubbish. China
mas silks and porcelain and works of antique art.
More savage nations offer curlos alone But
Ashantee loot is unique. One seeks among IL
for some cheap tribe, to be valued only
as souvenir, but there is no tribe except
In the precious metals You want
work OF art, and the solitary specimen In
stock Is priced at f100. Then, thinks the specu-
lator, VIII buy some OF these gold nuggets, some
OF these savage masks, some OF these barDarous
at cost price OF metal. But 10 gold
has gone up to f3 los. the sovereign, and the
Spectator retires dismayed from the competition.
Thinks he, must get beads or silken cloths; but
here comes in the wary native, and while he hest
tates to risk shilling on some ancient string OF
beads that black lady In his rear has offered
pounds. Unless the SPECTATORS purse be abnor-
mally long he soon withdraws from contest in
which he could only hope TO buy something valu-
able At three times It's worth, to buy what Eng
hshmen call trash at its mere weight in gold.
SOLID BASIS-GOLD AND DIAMONDS.
For the Ashantees have but one metal for orna-
ment, and their notion Is to use 1t freely. And
they know but one precious stone, the Aggry beau.
Their silken cloths only useful to us for counter
panes or tableclothH are made TO last three gen.
eratlons h handsome s to the end Their gold -
bits, IL run up BY competition to sixty shilhngs
the sovereign weights and their cloths have only
q "a w uhn tint
lar. Thus II happens that white man and ma
tive stare amazed at each others bidding In sucn
old RAG, worn and torn and discoiored f2O Tor that
string OF old clipped beads ?" .'Wnatp' mutters
s rSna tsass a ,na
other mad. Oh course 1t isn't so. The white man
IS swapping at chance Of getting some souvenir
excellent bargain. White and black don't UNDER
stand each other, nor never WILL But each be-
haves reasonably enough according to the end ne
has in view. 1t Is merely contradiction which
must occur in the auction Of Ashantee loot. There
take place here. Most OF the oficers interested
had an iaea that London would give better
prices. And it was too certain that al
Genera's ultimate decision was wise one. The
cloths and the Aggry beads when make such re-
less pence IN England than the crowns rney have
fetched at the Coast, and no one can suppose that
has. London win enjoy its cnance when the Kings
regalia are sold; his bracelets-a score OF them,
laces, ietlshes, nodescrpt articles, all OF gold TO
offer such things to US here was obviously absurd.
No soldiers purse could afford him Keepsake
worth f200 or f300 at the Mint. So the indemnity
jewels were Withdrawn, and our sale has been
confined to the loot actually taken at Coomassie,
given up by officers or retaken from Fantee Car.
rlers on the road down.
SCENES IN THE sALERoOM.
very handsome show it made, when set out
for view in the paaver nall OF The Castle last Sun
day. This hall, where poor Sir Charles Mccarthy
held his last court. where Mr. Maclean-that man
mot Ia n ND oV %
orders, winch kept peace along all this coast when
not a soldier stood at hts back-ths hall has Tor
months past borne label at its door, transport
Ofice." The apartment IS sOlidly built and lofty,
whitewashed all over except on the green painted
door Jambs and the frames OF Its eight big win
dows Fifty ieet by thirty perhaps, it measures
At the upper end a small council chamber opens
ID eaaer oe soSe.her we 6s % w
out was filled with affrighted chiefs, and through
the windows came the sharp, faint smell OF Asian.
tee fires. That Is all over now. Never again VIII
defenders OF Cape Coast Castle run to their posts
over living bodies packet too close to move, pros
swarm to the Castle wall. and shoot the gunners
in their embrasures. For all that table load OF
fantastic gear is the spoil Of nvncible Coomassle,
Of his court the etshes In which he trusted, the
accoutrements OF his ancestors the drums and
horns which struck terror In the foe; perhaps the
umbrellas unfurled not once nor twice against this
Castle itself are there or buried IN the Rubbish
per ana laugh, examining these trophies which to
see would have been death three months ago. The
been gathered, and 1t remains only to divide II,
THE "LoOT'' LAID OUT FOR PURCHASE.
sketch Of the display would lead me into much
repetition, having to describe the sale ITSELF 1t
need only be said that the long centre table was
covered as thickly as it could bear with jewelry
and gold. On q side table stood the Kings plate.
Against q broad screen hung swords and cartouche
belts OF leopard skin, canes with huge silver heads
calabashes bound In gold and silver, and embossed
brass pans Beneath lay the stools, so placed that
their fine silver bosses and adornments could all
be seen IN one glitterng display. Under the tables
m nllun nj dQ nd nd yu0c nil ia
other end OF the room cloths and silks were dis
posed, neatly wrapped and labelled, one on another,
Butler and Grosvenor and DR.. Pagan, R. Mad
shown considerable taste In the arrangement Of
their stores but 1t Is easy to make fine display OF
things tasteully coored. And gold is always
pretty,
Up to the last 1t was doubtful whether the heaps
OF beads contained any OF those precious and mys-
FERROUS kinds called Aggry and Popo. The Fantee
interpreters and clerks assisting unanimously de-
clared each bead submitted to their Judgment to
be "Brummagem;n but the prize agents called
the ladies' OF Cape Coast to their aid, ana u
finest sorts would be found among our plunder.
Great excitement followed TINS discovery; TOT an
Aggry bead is to a Fantee woman -or, indeed, to
Cape Coast lady-what diamond Is TO us. The
sale opened on Monday, at half-past ten A. NJ,
officers put In an appearance, or only showed
themselves to 60 away on learning the matter In
those OF the better class and the ladies' standing be-
hind rope stretched between the two doors.
THn SILKS,
though all worn, all dirty and many ragged, fetched
fair prices. They were mostly dark OF ground,
with q width OF checkers and stripes worked on
them at intervals. Some specimens OF real EN-.
broldery turned up, generally birds or monsters i'm
neediework upon an English silk. The native loom
Will only spin breadth Of about four inches, each
of winch must be sewn together. The highest
price given was &c los. for dark brown
wrapper worked in long triangles OF black and
green and white, very dirty. A most curious piece
embroidered with strips OF leather. very thin
white, and fastened only at one end, went to an
onicer for eighteen shillings A robe OF dark
GREEN VELVET,