New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-07-14

nuv OF such thing from The trading Tuarcgs Of Tim
oueoo One need not wondeT men az 'S espe the
very splendid opportunities the me now
der is thrown loosely INTO the and being often
without wadding material, the huets OF hIus va rnn
or handfus srashels, or piece o. unsne ,h Loose
ore are dropped the loose POWDER a9d tne ncr
charge is thus fired when ony rev thot So few
foes Hence at least. we need not wonder tn.o -
wounds received by the English have proved ,oor
The Ashautee WARRIOR miserable s ~ InaS Rritsh
compared TO the gaudilvdressed WeSt lnt az him in
soldier his equal. nav may say snper1 With the
the battle The Wet i5dl@S; nav With serene
smile of selfsasiactlon tap ms @ hoT liz weapon
his own sunerior knowledge Of military laws ana t,ruGs
ana the discipline in which ne hds u'Vu ~ mi
Of tie traditions OF his race conscious only OF the power
Of his king and that he is the kugS warrior even me
Ashantee went to the battle only to con9userj
in four campaigns, at least aGah11 ,ne the
kings treasurehouse at Coomasssie there ICES
skull OF Btsh nn Rr1mmaeein gun with its old
fashioned flint lock, his bad powder ahn ms
snrs ana relying on lis superior craft IN the husu
may with smile of proud serenity accept tle conua
which the bedizened aud tasseed negro OF Tue west
Give tho Ashantees the same weapon, the breech-
loading Smdcrs, with the proper anmunlon WIN Mnc
the allies of the English have been furnished ana even
the white troops woud I'd that the Ashantees are
foe worthy OF their best Efforts.
The march of the British army from Cape Coastto
Coomasse resulted in the occupation of the capital
Feb a. 1874 and in its destruction by fire on the 9th
town the soldiers were dismissed from line to seek
their quarters along the main street. Several
wounded fugtives from the battle field struggled up
by another road, armed with double-barreled guns
whom some of the officers attempted to disarm
They made such sturdy resistance. however, that
the English desisted from purpose, fearing That
it could not be accomplished without provokinga
general massacre The appearance OF the city ai.er
the capture is thus described.
In size COOmaSsie up TO the standard ! nau
formed OF It, The streets were numerous soile nan ~
dozen were broad aud uniform. Tue man avenue, on
which the troops mad bvOuucked dnring tie het was
about seventy yards wide aud mere an tit rU
The houses the principal streets We're formed aer
the stvIe of those Fomannah They were waited stT
tnres with alcoves, and stucrocd facadcs. emDcshed
with Mauresque patterns Behlnd edc Oh lae pctSt
tous buildings which fronod the streets were Gfoupsu
Tie huts of the dOlncstics incl0ing small c0utyaras
From one courtyard might be seen small aey eang
to another, where the siore-roons ana closets were
located BY The general order aud neatness or me ar
rangements in the rear AN comp'ou 10 say uat ~,
their domestic life they appear 10 me 10 oo aNoiS
CooHasie rs said to he over three and half miles in
circumference. IL such city OF magnificent dis
| tances" that could well believe IT. ., -.
II stands ON a low rocky emiuencc, consisting OF IRON
stone, the greatest breadth Of when may ue nii me
1t extends this hi, descends into valley ana
| occupies a portion OF "A neIghDuuug clnlhchCc' Ihc
greatest length of the town may be abOnt mic ana
Eich house ro ting on great streets had its lower
part as high as door of the elevated acoves painted
Ochrish-reG tne upper part was col0Ied "Iltc IN
|
Passing down the main street which Uttered with
drums large aud Small-from the great ktkdss,, winch
sounded the alarm Of battle or the deathninuie OF
condemned person, TO the little drum, the play thng OF
children during the evening dance We came TO the
grove. whence the terrible Clva issued winch caused
! all III Coomassie to describe the place as vast
The grove which was hut continuation Of the tall
! forest we had Travelled through penetrated far
the great marketplace. f0opltn led into ths
grove, and the fOul smells became so suflocalng
that we were glad produce handkercic' to pre-
| mounting into the brain and Overpowering us.
After some thirty PAGES we arrived before tne urtau
fu scene IL almost impossible To stop longer
than to take general view Of the great Goleona' we
saw some thirty forty dec1patcd bodies IN the last
stages Of corruption, and countless skulls Whch lay
pred IN heaps and scattered over VIDE cNteni: Ine
stOutest heart ana the most s,Oci mha might nave
Bowdich in 1871 speaks OF this dcath-croye, and We
heard along the road from Cape COAST miner siringe
reports of IT. NJ BOnat lac has seen some TWO or
after the kings sister, and durog his long
residence prisoner IN Coornassle he mas frequently
seen as many dozen slaves executed III the most
barbarOus and dragged 10 tue grove, no" hed
with the relics OF butchciics which have been gong
ON wear after year II II Is true that about thousand
slaves Offenders. rebels and others are eNecutei an
her Of victims which have contributed TO swell
the terrible death-ro OF the COomasSie GolE0tha since
OF sy Tutu the founder OF the present dy n"ftY
established his capital here in the middle OF the
eighteenth AT tue rate OF thousand victims
year, II would be no eXagGTIalioh 10 say th!i over
l2J people must have been slam Tor custom since
Ashantee became a kingdom.
From the GolsOtha sc proceeded 10 the Kings palace
1t situated about 800 yards oL ana octuei lcVel
! in Lc q
on which COomesSle i sitaatcu lac ht5J We"
of what was designated as the palace" was number
with steep matched ROOFS clustered toGttIcr
ANA fenced around Win spt Dduo e,HheS' oCtui9 M
an area zGO 500 feet square at one corner OF which
rose square twOstorcd stone building In appearance
IKE any of those merchants residences which we
saw al Cape Coast Castle.
Tac first entered was similar, though larger,
10 the court OF the King of Adanss palace at FOun-
nah, already described TIc lower part OF the lofty
The designs diamond-shapcd scroIl-worB done in alto
relievo holder than anything OF the kind yet seen
~ bv feet den Other courts wcff alter the same
style tins hut the columns were circular ana smooth
in some, while others were curved -.
tame crested crane was the only inhabitant OF the
courts: he ruTpeed ms assumption OF regal authority
in the absence OF his master III clear musical sounds,
Tue acOves were Uttered with curious articles one
contained large number OF var drums. stained WITH
blood and decorated with CHASTITY trophies OF wars ana
trlumpis, with human skulls Another contained "a
number OF cutasseS rusty saDcrs without sca5bards
accOuiernepts pdtcd WIN eCN ora WORKOUT guns
with bands OF silver gold, horse tails, and wsps OF
elephant tails great number OF ivory warhorns each
with its human dw-D0ne; ana ID another we behea any
number of tail unDreias-9f SILK sa'in velvet crimson
damask and WOODEN cloth, Despangcd with bits of gold
aud silver, ringed Wild small g0d silver ana brass
Dell,.
The second part Of the volume devoted to the
British campaign under the command OF Sir Robert
Napier. which terminated in the surrender OF Mag
dala and the death of Theodore, the Abyssnian En-
peror is a desultory but fresh and spirited nara
tive Astounding with details of personal adventure
related IN lively and picturesque STYLE with too
great eageness for effect, and destitute OF the
pactness and precision which more important to
the descriptive writer than glowing epthets
pointed turns Cf expression. single specimen.
recountng the circumstances of the Emperor's
death at the assault Oh Magda!a, Will suffice our
readers.
The whole regiment, now urged by the bold example
of their dalug comrades scrambled up the almost
pendicular SLOPE aud after few minutes OF breathlcs
work they surmOuUted the lcdges, aud seeing men
Moi the summit of Magdala