Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-02-15

man emergeS unScatned Dy savage
weapon or by more deadly African
fever. One says, perhaps. because
there is always a condition precedent
TO British schemes Of aggression.
Sir Garnet Wolseley had 2.4O0 white
men and a parcel of blacks friendly
TO the British flag. Any of the coast
blacks are friendly TO the white mans
flag when IL Is reared at the head OF
an army invading Ashantee. Centu-
ries ago, when England was young.
the line of enmity was drawn between
these black brethren. Ashantee Is
Santee. The other blacks are Fantee.
Santees are the eaters of Indian corn
and Fantees are the eaters of herbs.
Upon such vital line the nations
We're divided long before the days Of
Roundheads and Cavaliers. 1t is like
the Big Endians and the Little Endi-
ans In CULVER.
Serious business Ahead
According to the cable dispatches
not more than 300 men will leave
England to take part I'm this expedi-
ton. But they will be joined by the
West India regiment at Sierra Leone
and a naval brigade frcm the British
West Africa squadron Probably the
VIII ttluul NIdt OH
| Garnet wolseley headed But II will
| have more serious business to perform.
| Wolseley was charged with the errand
| of furnishing the Ashantees for their
| lawless raids into British territory.
| The present is an expedition for con-
| quest. The Ashantee king has reject
ed an uItimatum offering him Brit
| ish proteetorate. He must now fight
I - 4. A1h In uafr
| for, beyond peradventure, this his
toric kingdom. for centuries one of the
| most highly civilized and most formid-
able in Africa. will shortly pass under
| British control.
i This will not be accomplished with
out fight The king Of Ashantec
stands at the head Of an army which.
on a peace footing. numbers at least
10000. But every one of his subjects
| Is soldier, sworn to fight to the
death The penalty for surrender or
flight is immediate execution.
Moreover. the king IL absolute over
domain which may be 800 miles In
extent, nearly all Of it covered with
practically impenetrable forests a
few roads are maintained with the ut
most difficulty, and the navigable
| streams are overhung with noxious
vegetation. Deadly fevers win dog
the invading army at every step, them
selves more hostile than the clumsy
/ firearms of the natives.
1t will be an arduous march. but the
game Is worth the candle. Every
stream that crosses the Ashantee king
dom washes golden sands" The soil
IL replete with nuggets. Eight genera
tons of Ashantee kings have levied
tribute on their subjects In this form
The golden sand to the miner. the mug.
gets to the king. on pain of instant
death.
Under this system the royal palace
has become treasure house. Sir Gar
net Wolseley found in the kings pal
ace rings, masks and other trinkets OF
pure gold and Of very creditable work.
manship. He also found the skull of
81 British officer heavily mounted with
old and jewels. II was the trophy ~
battle fought early In the century
and was used as drinking cup
Gold Mounted Skeletons.
Mounting skeletons with gold II q
royal Ashantee fad. The king has
3.3j3 wives and is devomIy pious. His
piety takes the form Of reverence to
his ancestors, of whom he is very
proud. II is a cardinal point In his
religion that the rank of deceased
ancestor Is advanced In proportion to
the number Of living victims sacrificed
at his tomb. The sacrifice OF human
life thus becomes to him religious
duty.
The royal remains are preserved in
mausoleum at Bautana, and therein
the skeletons Of the departed kings sii
I'm the mockery Of grim state. their
bones linked together by bands "
gold.
There are two days of general sac.
rifice-great Adai and little Adai-and
the king In his mercy has ordained
that they should be separated by an
interval OF eighteen days. Great Adai
falls on Sunday, and II Is a day OF
great festivity for the royal Ashantee
Then he summons about him his
headsmen, who are the busiest officers
In his household and his captives I'm
war, and his prisoners Of state afford
a grateful sacrifice 10 the blood thirsty
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