Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-03-11
King koffee at Home.

There have lately appeared in the Lon
don newspapers several Interesting letters
from the Gold Coast One describes the
arrival at the British camp of Mr.. Kuhne
who was captured by the Ashantees in
1869, and since then has been detained al
Coomassie. He was sent by the King with
a letter to Sir Garnet Wolseley When il
was known that he was on his way a ham,
mock was sent for his use. 6 He lay there
in,'' writes the correspondent, looking
Ceathly" A number of officers, standing
on the lofty hank above the bridge, took
off their hats and welcomed the prisoner.
He smiled feebly. and indeed the poor
man appears to be unable to enjoy even
his deliverance. MIR. Kuhne knows moth
ing of the Kings intention towards the
| other prisoners, Mr.. Ramseyer, who has
wife and two children, and French ira
der. Bonnat. He said they had been fairly
treated according to Ashantee views; but
his own allowance, for himself and two
servants, was but 81 50-t1 Os. 3d.-each
| for forty days. This barely sufficed for
food. His clothes, on coming in, were
scarcely fit to be SO called. For eighteen
months no word of news had reached the
captives; up to that date they were allow
ed to receive the Daily Telegraph. They
/
King. who has material reasons for regret
ting the necessity of giving them up: No
objection was made to their preaching ;
ali members of the Basle mission, even
though not ordained, and they received
respectful attention from the audience :;
but Mr.. Kuhne has no hope that their ex-
ertions produced any serious effect. He
thinks the King would have interfered at
! h.,l
sion. The people listened in mere aston
ishment that white men should be able to
speak their language. Some said, g The
words were good" but went no further.
The missionaries and their. French com
rade were much haraSsed by sneaklng del
egations of the Fantee slaves who abound
in Coomassie. These, to curry favor with
the King. by professions of care for his
safety. told him all sorts of foolish lics-as
that the white men were building his new
palace with wet bricks, so that it might fall
: and crush him. Koffee, however, has toe
much Judgment to credit their false re-
ports. He appears to be king of sense
, No affair of state was ever discussed II
presence of the prisoners, nor of any Other
person not a member of the council. Fol
, this reason Mr.. kuhne has small informa
ton to give.
+ In Il letter from Sierra Leone published
+ in the London Times, we read:
| There are many curious stories atiot
$ about the King of Ashantee's proceeding
e now that his territory is being invaded. 1h'
. following is fair specimen of them an'
+ illustrates we'll the extreme superstition
/ the Ashantees, showing by what influence
n Coffee Calcalli is popularity supposed to
guided and on what counSeliors he Is sup
. posed to rely in the present crisis. Cote
Calcalli, the story goes, recently summon
t ed a great meeting of his Fetish men, an
e sought their advice as to how he shout
act towards the English. whether he ougl
= To seek for peace or stake his fortunes o
the result of the war. The Fetish men i
e first declined to give any answer unit
a they had been guaranteed that, no matte
: what their reply was their lives shoul
e not be forfeited. Having been reassure
le on this point. they then replied that the
|, saw everything dark except the streets {
l. .Coomassie, which ran with blood. Cotft
N Calcalli was dissatisfied with the VAGUE
IF ness of this reply, and determined to al
@. peal still further to the oracle. He resorte
: to W hat he considered a final and conclusiN
K fest. Two he-roats were selected, one el
lt tirclv black. the other OF spotess WIN
color. and after due Fet sh ceremonies ha
10 been performed over the two goats Tie
were set ut each other The white goat SOC
a, overcame and killed his opponent. Co1f'
Calcalli. after this test was satisfied TN
1t. he was doomed to defeat at the hands
the white men. He Immediately sent Il
:. embassy to Sir Garnet Wolseley to SEE
for peace"