The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-24
THE FOREST OF DEATH.


Where the Bloody King of Ashantes
Holds His "a uel sacrifices.
The account OF the King Of Ashantee's
sacrifices given by Melton Prior, the IA
nous war correspondent of the London
Illustrated News IN a recent issue Of the
Album" reads like the chapter OF King
SOlomon's Mines which describes the
witch dance" That which most readers
have taken fer the work of a lur.dly mag
NATIVE brain turns out 70 be the sober
truth and fact.
Il have felt all along that the treaty
promises made by the Ashantees after the
capture OF Coomassie would never be kept
without the presence of a British resident
at the capital, especially as regards the
discontinuanca Of human sacrifices" said
Mr.. Prior. 1T is a fundamental principle
OF their religious belief, and rests On u
Wild idea Of piety toward parents and
chiefs whose rank in the next worla would
be the better assured by the number Of
attendants sent after them. and also as
propitiating to their gods generally. Not
only the king, but each chief has his own
slaughter house, where slaves or prisoners
OF war are regularly massacrsd.
LAS TO the kings slaughter house in the
forest, il is a perfect ea,acomO OF skulls
and bones, and the dead bodies OF thirty
victims sacrificed a few hours before our
arrival, 20 avert the final taking OF Coz
N-1SS-t, NBfe SUI AaI4il, M-AAAc-UGk AAG
scene was too awful and offensive TO de-
scribe n detail. 1 suppose 1 shall never
forget the head of one poor wretch whose
tongue ~protruded from his gr.nnlng mouth,
while his eyes stared at US in the most
ghastly manner, as if he were still alive
And you think such episodes Of butch
cry still 30 on?'
Undoubtedly, l should say. l don't be-
lieve they ceased even under the late king,
and you can well understand they would
certainly be revived under the present
youthful potentate, who would pay little
attention TO pledges given by MS preaeces-
sors as long as twenty-three years ago.
The King of Ashantee, regarding himself
as an independent monarch, would be eageE
TO show his people that he adhered 10 the
religion of his forefathers. and gain credit
by Directing 10 the interference of repres-
sive measures.
Tel me, please, some of the most thrill
ing incidents of the advance up country"
Wei. the danger of being picked off IN
the impenetrahle forest could scarcely DC
SAID to be Jranquiiizing. 1t was not parttc-
ularly eXhilarating TO come across the dead
body OF a slave, his feet pointing 10 Coo
massie, while his severed head was in 4
reversed position and facing us, while GER
tain muulationS We're accompanied by 4
paper of menaces with a blood spot i'll its
center, through which a nail was fastened
to a tree. Their superstitious belief Is ex>
traordinary. They took our telegraph poles
and wires for some kind of fetish, and
actually carried a cotton thread tackled 20
trees from Coomassie all the way down 10
their front TO obtain the same success or
arms as we enjoyed"
Il suppose they ave not kept the road
open. as they promised, from Coomassie
TO the Prah?"
Il cannot say; but ] should think il
vary lppIftxalN The NEGLECT nT a season or
two would soon render the tropical foliage
and underwood as im~penetTable as ever
he replied, as he lighted another cigar
cite.
You would not expect the Ashantees 10
make anything of a stand, surely
II should say not. If they are armed
with the old hintlocks; but, perhaps, they
nave been provided with arms Of greater
precision by foreign merchants; besides,
who can tell what they may not do under
a headstrong young king? You must re-
member they were able on the last occa-
sion TO put 1900 warriors in the field. For
my own part, / SHOULD think no European
troops need be sent out. / should say the
Gold Coast police. with one or TWO West
India regiments. would suffice. They have
a very, wholesome fear of our machine
guns, / can tell you. During the last cam
pa.gn / remember a native chief. who
came as an ambassador, after Witnessing
the practice o. a eating, committed SUI
eide during the night. either through his
establishment at its execution. or possibly
from fear Of disgrace on the failure OF his
mission
what was YOU impression OF the Ash
antees physiCally?'
They are a fine race. fairly tall. and re-
markedly thin. except the chiefs VIVA
show signs OF good living. There is less
of the Niger type-less OF the fat nose
than is 10 be found among the natives on
the coast. in spite Of the fact that the
Ashantees and the Fautees on the sea-
board were snc.entIy one people, migrated
from the ne.ghborhOod of Tlmbuctoo. or
even from the Soudan. Famine separated
them, one division living on san or In
dian corn, hence their name SAINTS, and the
other subslstIng on fan or herbs, whence
Fanits = dervable."
And they are fairly expert in matters
Of industry"
They can make very pretty things in
gold. This ring | h|abItually wear on nv
scarf Was made by A native in the versn-
dab OF my quarters At Cape Coast castle.
They are splendid sword artidcers. as w.t.
ness their sword OF STATE, of which we
brough several away. The gold masks ere
very curious as well IS many Of their
buckles. As among MANI people. the um-
hreila Is an insignia OF royalty and power.
Many OF these cur.os were brought TO this
country and were publicly exhibited. Their
cotton fabric is very fine ard eauGiuL
However. We were only two DAYS In Coz
mlssle before we set out on our march
back. and on reaching the River Frah,
ST Garnet ordered all the troops 20 be
searched for unlawful loot