The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-05-16
The Capital of Ashantce.

Coomassie, or CumaSSic, though the CAPT
tai of the kingdom, is not the largest city of
AshantCc. Originally, Daubin was consider
cd Il more significant place, and Salgna was
said to be three times as largc.-But from its
commanding position, it being the seat Of
Ashantee royalty, the headquarters of the ar
my, and the scene of the CHASTITY religious
ceremonies of the population, it has gradn-
ally eclpsed its rival towns.
Coomassie is built on the site of large
! hill of ironstone. This hill is among the last
of the series of activities which commence
with the Adansi and terminate a little to the
north of CoomaSsie They are all densely
wooded, and present prcCIpitOus sides to the
south sloping more gradually northward.
The country between the successive cleva-
tons is at times marshy, and always covered
with thick brushwood.
The city stands near stream called the
Soubln, which flows nearly all around 1t, and
in the rainy season fills il with a psstilential
fog 1t is girled also with the dense forest
which stretches all the way from the coast
at least 100 miles. Three or four days march
ing northward, however, brings the traveller
out of the bush, ana there the miserable paths
are exchanged for comparatively good broad
roads leading TO the large towns in the inte-
riOr.
The streets of Coomassic are broad and
clean. They are Ornamented with beautiful
banyan trees that form a grateful shade from
the sun lis greatest peculiarly, however, is
that every house has one public room which
opens directly upon the street and this gives
It's thoruughtarcs an extremely agreeable APP
pearanc" They are moreover, artistic. The
walls are OF waffle work, but their roughness
is carefully hidden under plastCring of mud,
and this is washed over with white clay
The floors. which are mostly raised from the
ground. are generally covered with rude
carvings, and always kept clean and nic"sy
polished.
These public rooms average twenty TO
Itwenty-fOur feet in length, twelve or fifteen in
BREADTH seven to nine in height The palm
leaf ewes extend far over the wall so as TO
| keep out sun and rain. Each of these larger
rooms has behind il number of smaller ones,
where the private life of the people is passed,
and those apartments Bowdich credits with
! sanitary arrangements superior to those of
many European towns
! CoomaSsics 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. 1t is, however, at one and the same
time the royal abode, harem, mausoleum and
magazine of military munitions.
There are seldom more than six of the 1898
the mystical number of the Kings wives
resident in the palace The remainder reside
mostly in his Groom or country residence at
Baramang. II is built of quarried stone, is
two stories high, and contains large and lofty
rooms. The charge of this huge building Is
intrustcd to one of the greatest of Ashantee
mobiles, Amanq uattiah-who has been in com
mand OF the troops led against the English,
and is believed to be among the slain-last
held the office. King Koffec has summer
palace called Iminihiab, which is about two
miles northeast of the town.
As TO the population, there seem To he no
accurate data. Ii has been put at 10000 and
100000. According To the most accounts 1t
icertainly does net exceed the smaller num-
Der at the present day. The horrible rites,
bloody sacrifices, and wanton destruction of
human life, especially the lives of the slaves
are believed to be reducing the number of
residents. in spite of the constant acquisition
of fresh captives Bloody scenes are of al
most daily occurrence in the streets of Coo
masie. where the executioner strikes down
1.-THE unsuspecting victim, running the knife
through his checks, and dragging him OF to
some sacrifice and to exercise some spirit.
Rich gold deposits are found in the whole
country between Coomassie and the sea
The gold dust of all deceased and disgraced
. subjects, according 10 Bowdich, falls To the
, sovereign. Besides which he levies tax OF
gold on all slave purchasers from the coast
, The traders passing through his country are
mulct heavily in gold duties, while the ele.
lphant hunters are similarly taxed. In addi-