The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-29
ENGLAND's BLACK WARRIORS.
troops mat VIII Serve In the Butch
cry or the Ashareees.

New York Tribune.
In .hs coming campaign agains. Ashantee,
me British VIII depend largely upon leviss
gathered from among the native tribes that
are more or less under her dominion, and
wao. hating the Ashantees, are only 100
siao 70 JOIN IN an expedition that promises
some revenge for the many wrongs they
nave received at their hands. IN the Gold
COAST co.ony Itself the best men 10 be de-
pended upon are those OF Anamaboa and
Corramantine- These two tribes are in ply
sique markedly superior 70 their Fanti
neighoors and are certainly Drawer. The ac-
IuaI cape Coast man is fire specimen OF
humanity but he Is an arrans coward, and
thousn much bigger and stronger than the
Ashantee, VIII run before him every time.
the Wassaw people. 10 the north and west
OF cape Coast colony. are good for as many
men as the English can arm. and are
pIucky. hard-working fellows. In the last
war these men were formed into an ire
guar artillery. They hauled the guns over
the worst OF roads and in action served
tnem most creditably. Another kingdom
that will gladly send a contingent 10 help
the British are the Juabins and the tribes
along the Volta river. These people suffer
more from the annual Ashantee invasion
than any or the rest, and IL is from these
that the Ashantees collect the majority
or their victims for their frequent human
sacrifices.
Fanti family. Their dress consists OF
single cloth, made from the cotton of the
ceiba- or Subsection tree. and is worn like
a Roman toga. the right arm being bare.
The salute Of these men Is peculiar. When
passing or wishing TO speak TO a superior
the right arm is passed across 10 the left
shoulder and this end OF the cloth raised
from 1t for moment. The women wear
a calico cloth, generally OF a blue color
This cloth is passed under the arms, leav-
ing them and the shoulders bare. The
cloth IS wrapped as tightly as possible
around the body
Polygamy is recognized among all these
tribes, the number of wives being limited
only by the mans power OF buying them
The women do all the field work. and the
men along the coast are great fishermen
1he nsh is half-cooked and then sun dried
IL is not marketable until ii has acquired
a flavor that only Fanti can stand on
the roads leading TO the interior long lines
of men and women can be smelled afar of
as they trudge along the narrow paths.
the women carrying the loads while the
men go along as an escort. Everything is
carried by human carriers. as no horse
donkey or mule will live on the coast
The men who will have the hardest work
in the campaign will be the two battalions
of the West India regiment. These will
probably number $500, rank and file. The
men are all colored and are recruited ex-
clusively in the West India islands In
physique there are few regiments that are
their superiors, and as these men have
been doing a good deal of border warfare
around Sierra Leone for the last few years
they viii be in excellent condition for a
tussle with their old enemies. The officers
are all white men and have the same uni
form as officers of the line. but with the
men the uniform is that OF Zouaves. The
headgear is feZ, with a turban bound
around ii. \ red sleeveless Jacket is drawn
over a white waistcoat with sleeves. The
trousers are baggy and of blue serge. They
are tied up just under the knee and hang
over a pair Of yellow leggings that are a
capital protection. The men are well boot
ed with oxford shoes. over which are but
toned a pair Of white "spats" or over
CATERS.
When on active service the men have
dungaree trousers, and the red jacket is
used only on Sunday parade The men are
fairly good shots and keenly love fight
The chief difficulty is 20 keep the men in
hand when a lively fight is taking place
They are not given to burdening them
selves with prisoners.
Another force that will he called upon
70 do hard work and hard fighting are the
Houssa force or Gold Coast Constahulary.
These men come entirely from the Houssa
tribe that has fits home on the banks Of the
Kongo. They are short. stOcky men. cap
able of enduring almost any hardship,
and. like the Gourkas of India, live only
10 fight. They. like the West India troops
are officered by white men, and have
proved themselves in many q bush fight
brave and reliable men Their dress IS after