The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-03
M2asSacre Over a
. . . Golden Stool.

been made for a railway from the coast
to Coomassie. Trade was fiourishing
and it looked as if the Ashantis would
not require military correction for some
time, at least. But the search for the
golden stool aroused the natives to a
man. The Ashantis are a fierce and war
like people. who, three centuries ago,
cleared Tor themselves a region III an al
most impenetrable forest and defended
themselves against other tribes with d
ValOr which lifted them to the rank of a
conquering people. The Ashantis are
shllful workers in gold and excel in the
weaving of cotton cloth. When Wolseley
captured CComassie he found in the royal
palace a large quantity of silVer-plate
and gold work OF elaborate design, which
showed the influence of Moorish art
Among the articles found were several
masks of gold. The offering of human
sacrifices is a popular religious rite Of
the people of Ashanti. They have an
idea that when a father or another con-
nection dies he should not go to the spirit
world unattended So they kill a few
dozen victims by way of a funeral
cortege.
The Ashantis indulge in poygamy, and
when the king reigned in Coomassie he
was allowed by law 1882 wives. Now he
and his principal chiefs are prisoners in
meagre. With slight intervals for re-
freshment and rest the Ashantis have
been at war with the British since 1907.
Until the golden stool joins the big UNI
brella in the Tower of London there is
not likely to be a lasting peace between
the two races.
At any less exciting moment than the
present, when all British thoughts are
concentrated on the advance of Lord Rob-
A fYia -arfn, no
from another quarter of that vast CONT
nent would be engrossing attention and
interest. The first news of disturbance in
Ashanti which reached England a short
time ago left in doubt whether the situ-
alton was really grave or not The tele-
gram dispatched by the governor of the
Gold Coast on April 27 placed the matter
beyond further question. He said that the
position of affairs had then Changed for
the worse" On the 23d there had been
serious fighting, in which large numbers
of rebels had been killed. They were,
however by no means deferred by this
reverse, and the fact that two days later
10000 of them surrounded the town of
Coomassie and delivered a determined as
sault on the fort showed that the rebels
had taken up arms in earnest. The mis-
sionaries were withdrawn to a place of
safety and the Hausa troops were obliged
TO concentrate round the fort Among
the 35S occupants of the fort were only
eighteen Europeans, including the gov
ernor and his wife, Sir Frederick and
Lady Hodgson. The gravity of their sit
uation is proved by the governors ad-
mission that on the 9th they were very
anXiously awaiting the arrival of rein
forcements." Happily the reinforce
ments so much needed were dispatched
with promptitude from the coast They
met with determined resistance, and In
the fierce fighting between this flying
column and the rebels, some of whom pos
sessed arms of precision, there were
heavy losses on both sides. The relieving
column successfully fought their way
through to Coomassie, and the latest news
from Sir Frederick Hodgson is reassuring
A further force of Hausas is being dis
patched to the Ashanti capital 1t is clear,
however, that the trouble is not at an end,
for on May 2 Sir Frederick Hodgson made
an attack on the rebels, who had erected
a strong stockade at the house of the
Wesleyan Missionary society, and though
severe loss was inflicted upon them, their
position was not carried. The situation
is still serious.