The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-23

CAPE COAST CASTLE, British West
Africa, Jan. 22.-The following details
of the palaver between Sir Francis
/ Scott. commander of the British expe-
/ dictionary force, and King Prempeh of
Ashantee, when the latter made his
submission to Great Britain at COON
AISLE, have just been received from
that capital:
The troops formed in the principal
square of Coomassie at Z o'clock on the
morning of Monday last, preparatory
to the grand palaver. Sir Francis
/ Scott and his staff We're seated in
semi-circle in the square. Shortly af-
/ forwards. an officer was sent to the
| palace with instructions to press upon
the mind of King Prempeh that if he
did not appear before the British COM
mander within five minutes after his
summons he would be taken from his
! palace by force. The king
MADE A SHOW
of resistance. but finally accompanied
| the officer. surrounded by an escort, to
the square. Arriving there, the king
1 look MS seat upon the SlOOl OI SIdIS
/ After a few formal words had passed
between the king and Sir Francis,
through the interpreters, the king de-
scended from his stool and shook
| hands with the British commander.
/ The latter was then introduced to the
J British governor, who stated the nego-
! tiations which have been conducted be
/ tween the representatives of England
! and Ashantee, ending by informing the
/ king that he must formally submit to
! Great Britain and give up Immediately
! 900 ounces of gold as an indemnity
! for the expenses incurred by the Brit
! ish government in sending an expedi-
/ ton to bring his majesty to terms.
The king was also informed that he
must keep the streets clean, maintain
| order among the populace, and that he
would be held responsible for any dis
turbances among the natives King
/ Prempeh was greatly impressed by
! the show of force in the square, the
/ Maxim guns being conveniently post
ed and every yard being utilized by
! the British and their native allies. Fin
ally the king replied that he was
READY TO SUBMIT
to the British, took off his crown and
! sandals and advanced to the seats,
! formed by biscuit boxes, upon which
| Sir Francis Scott and the governor
] were seated, surrounded by their staffs.
( His majesty then placed his head be-
tween the feet Of Sir Francis Scott and
! those of the British governor, clasp
/ ing them with his hands, and actually
! grovelling in the dust as mark of his
complete submission to the power OF
I the queen of England.
/ This display of helplessness on the
part of the king, greatly impressed the
Ashantees present. They were greatly
agitated and talked excitedly together,
but they made no attempt at resist
ance. step which would have been
useless in the face of the British ex-
petition and the deadly rapid firing
guns
The governor finally made the king
arise and recalled to his majesty's
mind that he had been requested to
Immediately pay $4,000 ounces of gold
to the representatives. of England In
reply, his majesty, who was greatly
/ agitated, said he only possessed g.
800 ounces of gold, and that he had no
demanded by the British. To this the
governor replied that such statement
was
MERELY CHILD'S PLAY
and that the demands of the British
Z IS
ability to pay the amount demanded
was too well known to admit of any
discussion.
King Prempeh then asked for time.
but the governor answered that upon
! a previous occasion the Ashantees
had failed to keep their promises made
to the British, and that the latter had
no intention of giving them the oppor-
tunity Of doing the same thing again
The governor then n hr,11o+1x-
that the king, the queen, her mother
and the kings father, with the other
chiefs of Importance present would be
( taken prisoners under escort to Cane
] Coast castle.
strong guard of British troops then
moved forward and surrounded the
king, the queens mother, the kings
father and prominent chiefs and the
ambassadors. without any trouble
so suddenly was the movement made
and so effectively was it carried out
The prisoners were quickly removed
! to large house by the guard. and
then the Ashartees were quietly dis
persed by the troops.
NOT A SHOT.
From the moment the expedition was
first organized until it reached Coo
massie it has not been necessary to
fire a single shot
It may be said that the submission
and capture of King Prempeh will in
sure British supremacy in that part
of Africa for many years to come.
The Ashantee ambassadors who are
accused of having misled their people
viii be tried and. if found guilty, Sc
verely punished.
Near Coomassie the British discov-
cred and burned the notorious sacrj-
ficing grove full of skulls and bones
of the victims of the king. The max
ing of human sacrifices was one of the
leading complaints which the British
had against King Prempeh and his
predecessors. and this practice has
now been stopped.
PERFECTLY CORDIAL.