The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-01-23
The King OF Ashantee.


VINO distinguish themselves, but never ex-
: ceeded, being IN their eyes mystical one.
mahy ~ these reside in secluded part Of
me Ming ; Groom, or country residence. nc
barramang; greater number In a Groom
AT the back Of the palace, Immediately In
the marsh; and the remainder in two
streets Of the capital. Many. probably, the
Ming has never seen. The streets rs well
rs the Groom are inhabited by them exclu-
sNely, and never approached but by the
hilgs messengers, or their female rela-
yves, VINO only communicate with them az
the entrances, which are closed al each
end with bamboo doors, where there is al
ways a guard. III the King consaps. or
inarries an infant at the breast, which Is
not unirequent, She is thencefOrih confined
20 me house. and vigorously secluded from
the sight OF any bat the female part OF her
family. The King has seldom more than
six wives resident with him I'M the palace
On the occasion of signing the treaty. about
three hundred were assembled. and none
but the Kings chamberlain. and the depu-
Ties OF the parts of the Government. were
allowed to be present. They were adj
dressed through their own linguist. a very
decreplt old man. Many OF them were
very handsome, and their figures exquisite.
When they go out, which i seldom. they
are encircled and preceded by troops of
small boys with thongs or whips of ele-
phant' hide, who lash every one severely
who does not quit their path for another.
or jump into the bush with his hands be-
lore his eyes and sometimes the offenders
are heavily fined besides. The scramblinq
their approach occasioncd IN the more pub
lic parts of the city was very diverting-
captains. cdboceers, slaves. and children,
tulnbllng one over another. was told
what il cost the King daily to support
them, but ii has escaped me : they are said
TO live a. daintily as himself None but
the chief eunuch, an immense creature, is
allowed TO bear a message 10 the King
when in the seraglio of the palace.
1t has been mentioned before. that the
Kings sisters are not only countenanced
IN Intrigue with any handsome subject,
but they are allowed to choose any emf
nently so however interior otherwise). as
husband, who j. presently advised by
the King Of his good fortune: thus they
consider they provide for personal supe-
riority IN their monarchs. But If the roy-
al bride dies before the husband unless
his rank be originally elevated. he is ex-
pected 70 Kill himself on the occasion,
and also If the only male child dies. If he
hesitates. he is peremptorly reminded
that a. either are his superiors. 70 whom
l
must attend them wherever they 90; and
when male child i born the father does
II homage. and acknowledges his yassal-
age IN the most abject manner.
The Ocras are distinguished by large
circle OF gold suspended from the neck;
many OF them are favorite slaves. many
cOmmoners. who have distinguished
themselves, and who are glad 10 stake
their lives on the Kings. to De kept from
palavers and supported By his bounty,
which they are entirely; some few are
relatives. and men Of rank. All of the
two former classes. excepting only the
two or three individuals known 10 have
been intrusted with the Kings state Sc
crets, are sacrificed on his tomb. The
royal messengers and others Of the suite
have been described in the professions:
they are sometimes fed in the palace. but
hey have free seat at the table of every
subject.
The King has a troop Of small boys. who
carry the fetch bows and arrows. and are
licensed plunderers they are so slv and
nimble that il Is very diveriing 10 watch
them IN the markei-pace. which they in
fest every morning. Whatever they can
carry off Is fair game. and cannot be re-
quired or recovered; but the loser. if he
earn catch them before they arrive az the
palace. may beat them a. severely as he
pleases short of mortal injury however,
they bear II as obdurately as young Spar
tlns. sometimes one party trips up
person with load of provisions. while an
other scrambles them up. The anxious
alarm of the market-people. sitting with
sticks in their hands. and the comic arch
ness OF these boys threading the crowd in
all directions. Is indescribable. Some Of
the earliest European travellers in Aby~-
slnia met with a similar troop of royal
plunderers, and | believe suffered from
them. Our property was always respected
by them. but they used 10 enter tain them
selves with mimicking our common ex-
pressions and our actions. which they did
inimitably. While sketching. they buzzed
about me like mosquitoes. The Ashantees
are without exception the most surprising
mimics have ever heard. have known
a captain. called Adoo Quamina. repeat
sentence after had finished il. of at leasta
dozen words, which he knew nothing
about, and had not heard before. The
King has a sort of bufioon. whose move
ments were as irresistibly comic as those Of
Grimald.
The King appeared to have nearly
hundred negroes of different colors.
through the shades Of red and pink to
white: they were collected for state. but
were generally disgusting objects. dis
cased and emacated they always seemed
as if going TO shed their skins. and their
eyes blinked in the light as if it was not
their element.
About twenty pots Of white soup and
twenty pots of black (made with palm
nuts are cooked daily at the palace tbe-
sides those for the consumption Of the
household), for visitors OF consequence,
and pcriguin of gold is given daily to
Nokckroko. the chamberlain. for PALM
wine. This would have appeared too
large a sum. had not witnessed the vast
consumption and waste of ii Tor the
vigor q an Ashantec beinr estimated hY