The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-05-16
African Scenery.


The British troops in Ashantee certainly
did behold some charming sights. Here
is picture Of African scenery from the
correspondence ofthe London Daily Neies:
"When Lieutenants Richmond and Wood
gate went up with their company to build
arcdoubt, the thickne s. of,he underground
in the bush forbade any view whatever
BY persistant hacking at this underground,
by Telling the smaller trees and keeping up
perpetual fires, they have cleared consid-
cradle space upon the crest, and exposed
charming view. On either side rose lofty
hills clothed in green from base to summit.
Very far of, in the misty distance beyond
Coomassic, is faint shadow of mountains.
The level between, through which lies our
road, is beheld through breaks of foliage
exactly like that affectioned by the earliest
Of italian painters. Giorgione might have
studied his tree effects from this spot. The
plain lies misty and vague, its tones Of
delicate verdure fading at the distance into
golden haze. High above the forest
level upriSe the pale green crowns of cotton
trees, disdainful of lower growths Creep
crs drop like brown waterfall down the
trunks. Great ruffs of fern encircle their
branches, or hang their leaves like stag
horns from the topmost boughs. A few
trees bear crown Of blossoms, scarlet or
pink, but not to match in mass or beauty
the brilliant garden of Fantecland AMI
NAL life, for all we see of it, might not
exist at all in this country. We hear
birds and beasts sometimes; occasionally
wo sec parrots fly overhead, at distance
to skim the tallest boughs; but few of US
have beheld creature that runs or flies,
except the insects. | mediate short
digression on the creeping things of Africa
in some pause of the campaign. II is
sufficient now to say that no country in the
world can compare with this for Il variety
and number Of its insects
Another correspondent writes -" A
little stream goes clean and clear over some
shingly pebbles, and bends in and out
above and below the road among foliage
rich enough to deck, not crowded enough
to conceal it. Immediately after crossing,
one Of the richest banks Of flowers which
have here seen presented itself, the chief
feature being gay plant, whose name |
do not know, very like cowslip in the
actual flower, but with bright white leaf
standing out as if part of the flower itself
behind each fower-head, and the plant
growing in luxuriant masses on stems six
or seven feet high; the whole intertwincd
with ferns aud creepers innumerable. The
bank had curious look--roots stood out
from il as from the base Of fallen tree,
and by the irregularity aud ruggedness
they gave to it added much TO its pietur-
esqueness and beauty. Yet the whole APP
pearancc Of bank, and not of huge root,
was there, from the completeness with
which Nature had decked every nook and
Granny. ! was rather puzzled, and went
round behind il to find plainly enough,
stretching along behind il for, perhaps,
sixty yards, the quite rotten carcass Of an
old fcrest-kiug-now no longer, except BY
its mere shape, distinguishable from
mound cf rich earth, and covered all over
with rich, high-growing moss and ferns
and plants Of all kinds"