Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-03-26
THE CAPITAL OF ASHANTEE.

THE CAPITAL OF ASHANTEE.
a City Bsi1t ON n RIill Of lronstone-A King
with More Wives than brigham Yosn9.
From tho london Daily Telegraph.
Coomassie was reached on February
4th by Gen. Sir Garnet Wolseley, after
five days hard fighting and loss of
about 800 killed and wounded. Can.
tains Bubble and Nicol and Lieut., Eyre
were the only officers killed:
Coomassie, or Kumassi, though the
capital Of the kingdom, is not the
largest city of Ashantee. Originally
Duabin was considered a more signif-
can't place, and Salgna was said to be
three times rs large. But from it's
commanding position, it being the seat
OF Ashantee royalty, the headquarters
of the army, and the scene of the ghast-
~ religious ceremonies of the popula-
ton, it has gradually eclipsed MI rival
towns.
Coomassie is built on the side of
large hill of ironstone This hill is
among the last of tho series, of acclivi-
ties which commence with tho Adansi
and termina to little to the north of
Coomassie. They arc all densoly
wooded, and present precipitious sides
to the south. sloping more gradually
northward. The country between the
tho successive elevations ia Mt times
marshy, and always covered by this
thick brushwood.
The city stands near stream called
the Soubin. which flows nearly all
around it, and in the rainy season fills
it with a pestilential fog. It is girt
also with the dense forest, which
stretches all the way from the coast for
at least 100 miles. Three or four days
marching, however, northward, brings
the traveller out of the bush, and there
the miserable paths are exchanged for
comparatively good and broad roads
leading to the large towns in the in
terror.
The streets of Coomassie are broad
and clean. They are ornamental with
beautiful banyan trees TINT form q
grateful shade from the sun. Its great
est popularity, however, is that every
house has one large public room which
opens directly upon the street, and
this gives its thorougfares an extremely
agreeable appearance. They are, more.
over, artistic. The walls are of waffle
work, but their roughness is carefully
hidden under plastering of mud, and
this is washed over with white clay.
The floors, which are mostly raised
above the ground, are generally covered
with rude carvings, and always kept
clean aud nicely polished.
TN ,,,,1,1:o 100000 ~ L. ~
feet in length, IL to Is in breadth, and
to in height. Their palm leaf caves
extend far over the walls, SO as to keep
out sun and rain. Each of these large
rooms has behind it number Of
smaller ones, where the private life oil
the people is passed, and these apart.
ments Bowdich credits with sanitary
arrangements superior to those of many
European towns.
Coomassie's principal buildings are
the Kings palaces. The chief royal
residence is the Bantammah, on the
north side of the town, and this alone
covers five acres of ground. It is how.
ever, at one and the same time the
royal abode, harem, mansuleum, and
magazine of military munitions.
There are seldom more than six Of
the 8, 333-the mystical number of the
Kings wives resident in the palace
The remainder mostly reside in his
Groom, or country residence. at Bar
ramang. 1t is built of quarried stone,
is two stories high, and contains large
and lofty rooms. The charge of this
huge building is always entrusted to
one of the greatest of the Ashantee
mobiles. Amanquattiah-who has been
in command of the troops led against
the English, and is believed to be one
of the slain-last held the Office. King
kottee has summer palace called the
1minihiah, about two miles northeast
of the town.
AS to the population, there seem tc
be no accurate data. It has been pu,
at 10000 and 100000. According tc
most accounts it certainly does not ex'
coed the smaller number at the present
day. The horrible rites, bloody sacri.
fees, and wanton destruction of human
ife-especially the lives of the slaves
are believed to be reducing the number
of residents, in spite of the constant
acquisitions of fresh captives. Bloody
scenes are of almost daily occurrence
in the streets of Coomassie, where the
executioner strikes down the unsuspect
ing victim, running the knife through
his cheeks, and dragging him off K
some sacrifice and to exercise som,
spirit.
Rich gold deposits are found in tn,
whole country between Coomassie anG
the sea. The gold dust of all deceased
and disgraced subjects, according
to Bowditch, falls to the Sow
>reign. Besides which, he levies ia,
of gold on all slaves purchased from til.
coast. The traders passing through hi.
country are mulcted heavily in gold du
ties, while the elephant hunters ar
similarly taxed. In addition to thes.
sources of revenue the King has dali,
returns of gold yielded in the washing,
of the Soko pits and and on the hills
the former, it is said, supplying a.
much as 1900 ounces per month.
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