Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1874-02-07 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE WAR ON THE GOLD COAST.  The Cape Coast Castle correspondent of the Western Morning News has sent home a letter by the Manitehan troopship, dated January 10. The bri ge across the Prah haviewbeee finished on the sth January, the Naval Brigade, with detachments of the Rifles and Indian troops, eresse I over the river and proceeded four miles north of the river, I returning to their old camp at night. The army ' moved across the Prah on the 7th ult., the Rifle Brigade and 42nd Highlawiers following up the troops above named. The health of the Highlanders is not so geed as that of the other regiments, they having suffeted front erysipelas, but no deaths have been reported. The great difficulty, and that a very tierions cue, arose out of the utter unreliableues.s of the Fantee carriers. So soon as the Ashantees had gone over the Prsh, and the Fauttee were afraid of being killed, they ran jute the bash, the whole them, and their recapture is almost hopeless. The chief transport work has been done by Browner, from Sierra Leone; but although bounties equal to a small fortune to , such men were offered, the Adela transport, which lied been bent to Sierra Leone to fetch more, only succeeded in bringing haek-$. The transport met ,oith is difficulty, which eery nearly caused a serious disaster in the wsess of the 23rd Boys Welsh Fusilicre, the left wing oi which disem barked and ,starched off to the front, followed by carrels% sonic bearing their arms, baggage, amninantion, and provieiotis. WI-en they bad got a little way Sewn the coast the Faxteee threw down their borders% on the greased, and bolted into the bush. ' Direcltty news of this reeched Brigadier-General Sir Awshibald Allison, he -stopped She landing of the right wing, and deepatelsed a native messenger to recall the left wing. This ineseenger appears never to have rewired his destination, • and the regiment marched .on to. Acerafoo, the I second halting plat*. Thu inert, ,however, had ' found mat that their baggsge was not following them, and had themselves taken it ep and carried it on. During this march tete regimmit sustained a loss which was greatly lausenfed. Tue noble coat which has so many years marched at the head of the rminient died quite -eaddenly when close to , Aeeriticso, probably having eazeu poiennous herbage. For want of transport the night wing of the 23r4 were stall reluctantly remaining on beard ship and also the two hundred. Marines brought up by the Dromedary transport ship. Sir Garnet Weiseley's bead quarters were at Mangan anti thither just before the crossing of the Ptah by the Naval Briende arrived ambassadors from Kisg Koffee, having tmen sent to negotiate peace. The King had con:emission& them to say that he was very sorry for what had taken place that he had never meant to light the white mar that he should have sent to make peace long tie only that his general who had been in chief command of his army sent messeuger after messenger back to the King, saying that in every engagement ,he and his army had beaten the English, and that he was now withdrawing from the coast. That IVIIII because the English had the small-pox among them so badly, that he was afraid his army would take it. General Wolseley, through Colonel Graves, replied that all negotiations with the King must be made at Coomassie, or at all events with tire King himself. Before sending the ambassadors away, they were ishown some practice with the Gatliug gun. The storm of tire which shot from it seemed to astonish and appal them. During the night the camp was aroused by the sound of a shot, and it was ',found that the chief autbaseador had committed suicide, probable thinking that he might as well put himself out oi existence then as be killed when he returned ' to the King with the bad news.. The other ambassadors were escorted several miles on their way across the Prah by the Naval Brigade: The Prah has proved a different sort of river to what had been described by anticipation. It was fully sixty yarde across, mei the pontoons fell short, but the blue jackets and natives extemporised a bridge which they are daily engaged in strengthening, iu the immediate vicinity, which will be made a etrong position to serve as a plan of operations when once on the quiet side of- the Prah. The carriers are thus kept in good order, as they march between detachments of soldiers, and dare not run away into the bush, because it is the enemy's °wintry. There was some smart skirmishing on the mirth of the Prah soon after the first white troops crossed. None of our men are badly wounded, but one Ashantee was found dead, and two were taken prisoners. The wounded were got away. The Berraeouta, concerning the absence of which some anxiety bad been felt, had ,eturned frtint her Salli 4 sly stunk-. She had called at St. Itielene and /1,c,n,i..; ,a d been delayed beyond her time. The Sirnoorn was to proceed Se the llth to Cape de Verde Islands . and take I.p her station there as a hospital ship. the-Amt news of the Volta expedition was not very satisfactory. Captain Glover's armlettarted in, three divisions. leaving 300 men at his camp to protect st es The native sru ;be tisiultlf.iridiod, however, nave pit en muck trouble, and in c0b.... quence her Majesty's ships, Amethyst and Decoy, had been detained atlAceratoo to render assistance. Captain Glover's men had several skirmishes, but without serious loss to our side, the loss of the natives-beina unknown. The Clllllll4 men are quieter since their town was• destrcyed. iler Majesty's ships, Encounter, Coquette, anti Merlin, are stationed at Mazito anti A ppeaue, to prevent any MrI tiler lauding of contraband stores.