, 1874-05-31

The Messrs. Garrard, the wel1-known gold
smiths OF Loudon, haya purchased al the gold
Ell curios!tics brought from Ashantee. 4 writer
who has had private view OF them says:
- We have heard good deal OF tha troasurc
troye Of the .ashautee war. To listen to some
iuiormants nothing like tho loot had been seen
or heard Of since Pekin delivered its jade, and
the Iadu forts their stores. Tho fact is, that
there have been few wars which produced lese
loot or greater proportion Of intrinsic taluables
to the actual pllnder OF Coomxasio It consists,
always saving the famous umbrella, of littlo but
virgin gold, rudely wrought or cast into more Or
less artistic foruas There is ona curious thing
to be noticed, and that is the fact that in
wrought gold there is hardly ANYTHING
worth more than passing notice. It is IN
the castings that tue loot is 20 ine. One may
we'll wonder how savages like the tribes of the
West Coast hare been able to attain sufficient
heat to melt the native gold SO that it might be
cast. But there is the fact that any thing which
is, in our sense wrought. is rude, and that any
thing which is in our idea artistic is cast. Many
Of the wrought ornaments arc exceedingly
curious; but there is not QUE Of them that con-
tains m idea in the matter OF taste. The most
curious things are a mask, representing rather
idiotic type Of the human face. which is the
property Of the Rifle Brigade, and mask, very
similar. the property Of the Queen which repre-
seut8 face of even lower type. But far more
artistic than the masks is human head:
weighing more thau 4 pounds, virgin
r0Il, TIE lips 1Qu Iuo l0NGI JAW oclus5
fastened with the gag which prevents victims
from Yelling as they arc brought up for eacrihce
at the customs which some fondly hope hare now
been abolished. The sandals and the cap Of King
Kof1ee. the property Of Lord Clifford. and COM
posed of leopard skins and gold bands, are very
notable but hardly anything 1aises greater specn-
lation than rosary with golden copy OF what
Ultrnmontanes call the Sacred Heart which
begers suspicion that some Jesuit priest may
have penetrated to Coomassie, there become
4. Il.
initiated in pure gold giving additional value to
white men sfetlBh. couple OF eagles of the arms
of Koffee's throne, aud two staEs, also iu gold,
off the back Of the royal seat, bear testimony to
the dire straits to which his Ashantes Majesty
was driven. There is an armadilo cap with head
and ornamental claws in gold, aud adorned with
silver and gold plaques, and with bunch Of
dyed feathers, which we believe onca set of the
graces OF some young beau Of Coomassle. Many
are the nccslaccs NTH clererly-trsced patterns,
obviously cast in red clay some Of them certainly
derived from European patterns, others imi-
tating the cowrie- shesls common on tho whole Of
the west coast OF Africa. Among the gold orna-
ments used as rlngs,-conslsting chiefly OF sav-
age devices representing human jaws anu other
Parts Of the body,-the,eis not one more striking
than an English sovereign Of 1872. which has had 4
golden ring so!dered on to the middle of the Queens
head, 80 rhat the device OF st. George and the
Dragon became = sort of ag gnet OF tla ring.
Then there are swords with golden hits Which
we're borne before the royal throne, tue ecEes OF
these weapons being serrased 80 as to make
blow from them produce wound ns ugly as pos
elble. although, by tha structure OF the hlt, it
would be next to impossible for European to
Lit anything With them, however skililuI the
aim. There are fans OF lions tails, used by
Ashantee sportsmen or soldiers for whiaking
away the cunpowdar fumes OF their tlint-locks,
end lions hides are also used in forming the
sheaths Of large carying-knivcs which hava dis
patched many q soul in search OF those Of it's
ancestors. Several pieces of native cloth may
also interest the spectator, but it needs some
little skill to tell what is really native and what
has been produced in Lancashire to suit native
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