The Ashantees.
The Times, 1824-08-02T00:00:00

tFroM the Ifarpshine Tclegraph, Juoy 3 e.] rhis morning arilvedlils Majesty's sloop of 3var the Driver Cat ain Charles Bowan, fron the coast sof Africa sbe left Cape Coast on May 29th. Daily skirmishes were taking place between the Asbanteeis and the Fantees, which generally ended to the disad. vat tage of the latter. There is little doubt but they wfill, ere long, be drlven under the guns of the British forts, and be compelled to abandon their country to their enemnies. An action was fbught within ten miles of Cape Coast, between about 10,000 Asharntees, and G or 7,000 Fantees, assisted by a few white troops, antI a detach. ment of the 2d West India reginent, commanded by Major (Chis. holm. Lieutenant King, of the Driver, v,ho was on the field of battle, and who was wounded on this occasion, says, that the Ashean. tees were defeated, and driven back a considerable distance. This success was, no doubt, owing to the exertions of Major Chisholin, and the regular troops under his orders. The next day, however intelligence was receivedthat the King of Ashantee, with a powerful army, was within three days' marCli of Anamaboo. This caused the Fasttees to disperse, and no entreaties of the English comman. der of the forcesr could indulce them to leep the field. In the mean time the artmies of the Ashantees are laying waste the country in all directions. The plantations of Indian corn, yams, plantains, and bananas, which form the food of the inhabitants, have been entirel] destroyed - and the reu;aining Fantees, who may be fortunate enough to escape tile sword, will, to all appearance, perish next year by fa- mine. John Tasker Williams, Esq., Acting Colonial Secretary, who was taken nrisoner whet] Sir Charles M'Carthy was killed, is now living at tlie Dutch fort of El M11ina Through the humane intercession of the Governor of that fort, the favour of residing there was obtained for him, oni condition that he should, on no account, be allowed to quit El lina until a peace should be concluded. The following officers have recenitly fiallen victims to the climate-Ensign M'Lean, 2d West India regiment; Hospital Assistant, F. R. Riton; EnsignsO'AiearaandM'Kenzie,IoyalAfricaiiCorps; Lieut. Ml'Car,- thv, 2d West rndia Regiment. Tihe passengers by the Drivcr are the ladyofLieut.-Colo2elSutherland, CommanderoftheForces; Lieu- tenant Olphterts, 2d West India Regiment; and Lieutenant Am. sinck, late of the Bauz (invalided.) The following is an extract from a letter which we have received by the Oriver: - C CAPE COAST, DIay 28.-Since our most disastrous action with the Ashantees, they have increased in confidence and activity, and we have been environed with difficulties of all kinds, so that the war here bears no bright prospects. A skirmish has since taken place, but without any otber result than the advanceof tbe Ashantees towards Cape Coast; which, in consequence of the want of ordnance stores (a most extraordinary neglectrests somewhere), we have not been able to prevent. Our field novements arenow at acomplete stand, and they have been enabled to take up a position and establish them. selves in thegardens of thesettlement (abouttwo miles from the coast.) Our movements most beguided by circumstances; but the smnalt quantity of powder and lead we have remaining must be rescrved tC deten'd the fort in the last extremity. There is not a musket-ball in the place; and the ehips of war cannot spare us any more than they have: even the lead intended for houses has been cut up for ammunition. Besides,'we have only twelve effective white troops in the Castle ; the others are people of colour, and Fantees; and the rainy sickly season is commencing. In short, Cape Coast is now very sickly ; our troops are all called in to recruit ; we have a scarcity of provisions, by which the white inhabitants are suffer- ing freatly; the natives in our favour are not to be depended upon', and the Ashantees are very powerful, making in the whole an accumnlation of horrible misery. It would be much to the ad. vantage of our country if the place were aband ned. We un- derstand the enemy are equally anxious with ourselves for peace, but their conditions are repugnant to the feelings and principles of Englishmen ; it is that the lives of the King of Dinkera and his brother, another Chief, and the braveat of our allies, should be ren. dered a sacrifice. It is pretty conFidently ascertained, that the Dutch settlement of El Allina supplies the Ashantees with gunpowder,whicb tends to protract the war, the inhabitants of the place being in their filvour, and too strong a power fbr the Governor to control; so that tile Castle is more a dependency of the town than the town of the Castle. Colonel Sutherland has arrived from Sierra lIcone, and as- sumned the command of' the forces at Cape Coast; but hlajor Chishlolm continues in the administration of the Government on the Gold Coast. We hear that the bones of Sir Charles At'Carthy have been dried by a fire, and sent to Cromajie (the Ashantee capital), as a national rrowihy." The folrowiug is an extract of a private letter, from a Ministerial evening paper of Saturday:-. "i CAPE COAST CASTLE, MAAY 26. f this place is most dreadful,-nothing but war, con- fusion, and disease. We had another touch at the Ashantees on the 21st of this month, and after a contest of five hours and a half, both sides ceased firing. lWe lost, however, about 10 killed, and up- wards of 800 wounded. We expect another and mnore serious brush very shortly, as the King himself is erming down with strong rein- forcements. How it will end, God only knows; but, in the interirn, you may conceive whlat is our situation, when I inform you that we hiave more than 5,000 strangers (women and children) now in the town for proteotion; and such a mass of disease and filth i never before witnessed. I have now fbr fourmonths been almostineLssantly in the bush, ant you may thereibre believe that I am, as indeed we all are, most anxiously lookiag for a termination to the present state of things." PMZ ASOIAMTEES.