The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-02
BLACK CHIEF
BECAME SLAVE
Story of a Giant King of the
Ashantee(Iribe.
REMEMBERED WHITE BAY
And Spared His Life in an
lnsurreCtiOn.
REMEMBERED WHITE BAY

| Few references to the lives OF individual
regroes who were carried from Africa to
| the Americas in the days of the slavers
can be found in the annals of the slave
trade, but one may obtain gIimpses OF
| two Of three OF them, here and there, and
of the incomplete stories that may be
written fro mthese glimpses there is one
that seems worth preseryation-the story
of Quobah, an Ashantee war chief.
| In the year 1866 the SLAYER brig Cora
line, owned in Boston. and commanded by
a man known as Capt Willing CHS real
name was Maurice Halter. entered the
Rio Volta, on the west coast of Africa
with a cargo of rum, guns, ammunition,
cotton. cloth and trinkets. Here small
schooner was chartered for a voyage up
the river, and in this the captain and
a part of the crew proceeded as far a.
| the Ashantee town OF Malice. a place OF
perhaps three thousand inhabitants.
There We're not enough slaves for sale in
| Malice to make 4 cargo for the schooner,
and after consultation with the king Of
| the region. raid into the interior was
planned For this raid the king supplied
the men and food, while Capt. Willing
supplied the arms, rum, tobacco, but VIII
ing and several other whites went with
the expedition. and to one of these, a boy
known as Phillip Drake whose life as a
! SLAYER was described IN a previous article
IN the New York Evening Post, we are
indebted fer an account of the Incidents
of the journey.
The party that marched away into the
forest included many soldiers armed with
huskets, women to care for the camps
and cook tho food, and COWS that sup
Piled milk and served as pack animals
There were also a number of slaves whose
duty it was to carry extra arms and the
supplies Of ammunition. The whole party
numbered $50 people.
At the head of these raiders was Quobah
the war chief of Malice and a noble negro.
His size and strength waere conspicuous.
His skin was jet black and was kept CLOS
sy with palm oil. His head was high and
of conical shape, and he wore his woolly
hair braided into stiff hanks. His teeth
had been filed sharp; his cheeks showed
the marks of wounds, and these mark
were made conspicuous by borders Of red
paint. He dressed in a loose sack-lil1e
shirt of yellow cotton cloth striped with
blue and he wore a red cap with a long
tassel on his head. His arms included 4
huge spear, which. he constantly carried,
and musket, a broadsword, and war
club that was carried by slaves. who were
careful TO keep close to him at all times
while on the march.
To the black and white men alike it was
very pleasant excursion, for two or
three days. The boy saw with delight
the red monkeys that leaped chatterins
from limb to limb IN the trees overhead;
the birds of the finest plumage that were
so tame that they could be captured with
the hands alone, the flowers of gorgeous
colors that were seen as they marched
along a beaten trail.
In fact. the party was so merry that
raiders from Dahomey surrounded them
one evening Some of the merry-makers
escaped. but whe nthe fighting was over
the survivors who had not escaped found
themselves securely bound as slaves 10
the attacking party.
Among the slaves were Quobah and the
white boy. 1t had taken a dozen war
riors to down the giant Ashantee, and
then they succeeded only after he was
repeatedly struck from behind as he leap
ed to and from among his assailants. And
so unconquerable was his spirit that when
marched toward the Danomey village Of
Yanaba hts captors found it necessary
TO fasten his arms to his side by means
Of a stout wooden hoop-that in addition
TO the rawhide thongs used on ordinary
prisoners.
At Yallaba ruled a king. named Mammee
an old black man. dressed in red mus
lin. Nammee's most sacred fetish was
scarf woven from the hair OF many
human beings and beasts. and ornamented
with the feathers and claws Of birds anc
the teeth OF fcrocious animals and deadly
reptiles. This hire supposed added II hls
prowess in war. and protected him from
enemies. but his priests told him that its
rowers could be greatly increased Il. at
coming festival. the splendid fighter.
Ouobah. was sacrificed 10 the spirit Of
The scarf. ouobah was condemned to die
by torture but whe ntold OF the fate
awaiting him ne curled his lips in scoTn
end said he knew how TO die ike Ash
antee warrior
Before the day Of sacrifice arrived. how
ever. two lions came TO devastate the
homes CT Mammee's subjects. who lived
in huts beyond the palisaded walls Of the
Village The planters fed 70 the village
Tor safety. and Tor q time the people were
as closely besieEed as Il an army q Ash
aatees Law in the forest II the face Of
this danger the priests quickly decided
that safety could be obtained only by an
immediate sacrifice Of the stalwart pris-
oaer. and late IN the afternoon Of the
next aay. after the lions had driven in
the planters, Quobah was conducted 70
the center Of aa enclosed village. where
e~ery irhah.tant had gathered TO see him
aie.
cut OF the desperate straits into which
he had fallen Cuobah was able 70 find
way Of escape f-ea the priests. u q mos;
Petite sveech he told the peopie thas the
vrav - use him SIS a sacrifice was to give
hir, a~.rs and let him 50 iorsh &c meet
the lions Al the heur whsn they came
in search of further victims. Tie king
and the priests accepted the offer. think
ING no doubt 4 he we're killed lighting the
lions the wrath Of the evii fetish would
le avsrted. Accordingly. IS the sun sank
70 the western horizon. Cuobah walked
forth from the naIisadsd town. armed
with his SPEAR. his hroadsTort. and his
Hght carhirs. The priests. with faces
PAINTED white. chsrfs6 q dismal strain.
The women hozz,sz. ard The soldiers clash
od thsi- swords ard spesrs together as
he passed tire gate. And he sats was net
yes shut when TIE male len came 20 the
edge OF ne brush and with main W. ard