The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-01-17
THE FIRST ASHANTEE WAR.
A Correspondent Describes the People
as Handsome and Intelligent.

Frederick Boyle in Saturday Review.
When our troops formed up on the mar
ket square of Coomassie in the cleaning
and gave three cheers for the queen,
dense throng of townspeople looked on with
interest by no means unfriendly. I offered
one of them a pail and showed him six
pence; quickly he ran off and brought it
full Of delciously cool water Others did
the same. But an hour afterwards some
camp followers set the royal quarters
ablaze and the townspeople fled in alarm;
not soul remained to tell where the sweet
water could be found, and we had to drink
from foul swamp. Thus the only chance
of observing number of Ashantees was
lost, for every village on the line Of march
had been abandoned. But they are GER
tainly a handsome race, and more 1ntelli-
gent than the Fanti or any other represent
ed in our expedition. Grave Mr.. Kuehne,
one of the rescued missionaries, described
the beauty of the women in the upper
ranks with warmth.
We had no difficulty in believing him.
The two gallant young mobiles who stepped
out from the bush and fired at Lord VOL
seley point blank were not darker than
Neapolitans, with features very nearly
European. Doubtless the genealogy Of the
Ashantees has been made out, so far as
language betrays it. By that test they are
intimately related to the Fantis, but in
color, disposition and appearance the dis
tinction is great. But we know that a con-
quering people, used to rule, Cypress and
scorn its neighbors from generation to gen.
Grafton, will acquire a certain force OF
character which does not belong to its kin
folk The Ashantees had played that role
for nearly 200 years, until 1873. They had
defeated British officials, If not British
troops, again and again. The skull Of Sir
Charles Mccarthy, governor Of the gold
coast decorated one of the royal drums;
we found a vacant place among the tro-
plies thus suspended, from which doubt
less it had been removed. Less than ten
years before, in 1863, the Ashantees had
harried our colony and retired at their ease
with the spoil, followed after some months
by a West Indian reg iment, detachmentS
of two others and the Gold Coast artillery,
1,6OO men in all. For six months these de-
voted men lay at Prahsu; less than half OF
them returned. No wonder the Ashantees
thought themselves invincible. They had
never suffered a grave defeat, save the
memorable day Of Cormantin, a hundred
and fifty years beforehand that was ter
ribly avenged.
During the march back had an excel
lent opportunity to observe an Ashantee
prince at leisure. He had been captured re-
moving arms from the palace through
window, handing them to a captain out
side and for some reason It was thought
judicious to carry both away with us. Prince
Bosomnogo was really a fine gentleman
mean that he was not only good-looldng,
Intelligent, and well hammered, but besides
all this, had the air of good society. as rec
ognized in Europe. One detail struck me
much. He wore a toga Of native cotton,
Owed in a charming pattern, and always
gracefully draped-a costume, in fact, as
elegant as could be-and 1t invariably
looked clean at the end Of the days march.
when we were splashed and muddy to the
waist. The ease and polished courtesy with
which this parsonage greeted an officer
who stopped to look at him was an abiding
Notwithstanding, too, for the honest ma
rine who held him, rather like dog, by
cord. I saw that good fellow twitch the
string sharply on such occasions. to teach
the Niger prince his place. This indignity
alone ruffled his temper. He said to M.
Ronnat one Of the captives released: ''See
me. a prince Of Ashantee, tied like a slave
and led by a common white man! 1t Is in
famous!' NJ Bonnat assured me that the
finished manners of our prisoner were not
at all exceptional at the Ashantee court.
And the king himself. Koff Kalcali, was
the finest gentleman among them all,
though short, SCARED with smallpox and
black. Mobiles are almost all fair. Once I
asked Mr.. Kuehne how we should recognize
the king If he were taken prisoner. 'Oh,"
Mr. Kuehne answered, your soldiers will
know him for king. He looks 1t every
inch"