were decorated with gold beads, Moorish charms or amulets, purchased at a high price, and the whole intermingled with strings of human teeth and bones.

Leopards' skins, red shells, elephants' tails, eagle and ostrich feathers, and brass bells, were among the favourite ornaments. On being introduced to the monarch, the English found all these embellishments crowded and concentrated on his own person and attendants, who were literally oppressed with large masses of solid gold. Even the most common utensils were composed of that metal. At the same time, the executioner, with his hatchet on his breast, and the execution-stool clotted with blood, gave a thoroughly savage character to all this pomp. The manners of the king, however, were marked with a dignified courtesy; he received the strangers cor

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dially, and desired them to come and speak their palaver in the market-place. On the presents being carried to the palace, he expressed high satisfaction, as well as great admiration of the English workmanship. After several other interviews he entered on the subjects under discussion, which related to some annual payments formerly made to the Fantees for permission to erect forts, as well as for the ground on which they stood; and the king now demanded, as conqueror of the country, that these payments should be transferred to himself. The claim was small, and seems, according to African ideas, to have been reasonable; but Mr James thought himself bound to remain intrenched in the rules of European diplomacy, and simply replied, that he would state the demand to the Governor of Cape Coast. The king then told them that he expected they had come to settle all palavers, and to stay and be friends with him; but now he found that their object was to make a fool of him. Considering himself insulted, he broke through the ceremonious politeness which he had before studiously maintained. He called out, "The white men join with the Fantees to cheat me, to put shame upon my face!" Mr James having remained firm, the king became more incensed, and exclaimed, "The English come to cheat me; they come to spy the country; they want war, they want war!" Mr James merely replied, "No; we want trade;" but the monarch's wrath increased to such a degree, that he started from his seat and bit his beard, calling out, "Shantee foo! Shantee foo!" and added, "If a black man had brought me this message, I would have had his head cut off before me." A singular manœuvre now took place in the diplomatic party.

Mr Bowdich, with two junior members, conceiving that Mr James' too rigid adherence to rule was endangering the preservation of peace with this power, ful sovereign, resolved to supersede him, and undertake the charge of the negotiation. They conducted it entirely to the satisfaction of his Ashantee majesty, who concluded a treaty with the English, and even made a proposal of sending two of his sons to be educated at Cape Coast Castle.

During their stay at Coomassie, the commissioners witnessed dreadful scenes, which seem to sink the Ashantee character even below the ordinary level of savage life. The Customs are practised on a scale still more tremendous than at Dahomey. The king had recently immolated on the grave of his mother 3000 victims, 2000 of whom were Fantee prisoners; and at the death of the late sovereign the sacrifice was continued weekly for three months, consisting each time of 200 slaves. The absurd belief that the rank of the deceased in the future world is decided by the train which he carries along with him, makes filial piety interested in promoting by this means the exaltation of a departed parent. On these occasions the caboceers and princes, in order to court royal favour, often rush out, seize the first person they meet, and drag him in for sacrifice. While the Customs last, therefore, it is with trembling steps that any one crosses his threshold; and when compelled to do so, he rushes along with the utmost speed, dreading every instant the murderous grasp which would consign him to death.

To cultivate the good understanding now established, the British government very judiciously sent out M. Dupuis, who, during his residence as consul

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at Mogadore, had acquired a great knowledge of Africa and its people. But, before his arrival, the ́ardour of their mutual affection had been cooled by the intervention of some clouds, which he had set out in the hope of dispelling. This mission, arriving at Coomassie early in 1820, was well received. The king renewed his professions of desire to cultivate a friendly intercourse with the British nation, and withdrew such of his demands as were shown to be inadmissible. A treaty was concluded by which his claim to full dominion over the coast was sanctioned, but he agreed that the English should exercise jurisdiction within their own forts, and in their immediate vicinity.

M. Dupuis found this monarch deeply impressed with respect for white men, and also with a desire to imitate and rival the pomp of European kings. He was erecting a palace, the outside of which consisted only of large logs of timber; but the interior was to be adorned with brass, ivory, and gold. He said, "Now white men know me, I must live in a great house as white kings do; then I shall not be ashamed when white people come;"-and on another occasion, "I must have every thing suitable, and live like a white king." He had procured architects from Elmina to give instructions to his own subjects, who, however, performed the task in so awkward a manner, that he himself laughed at them,-exclaiming, " Ashantees fools at work!" But the want of skill was compensated by their numbers; and while engaged in their labours, they suggested to M. Dupuis the singular image of a legion of devils attempting to construct a tower of Babel.

The envoy had the unhappiness of being resi

dent during the "Little Adai Custom," as it was called, and understood that in one day upwards of seventy victims had been sacrificed in the palace alone. He was not present; but, waiting on the king immediately after, saw his clothes stained with blood, the royal death-stool yet reeking, various amulets steeped in gore, while a spot on the brow of his majesty and his principal chiefs indicated the work in which they had been engaged.

The government of Cape Coast Castle did not ratify the treaty concluded by M. Dupuis, who, as Major Ricketts alleges, had gone too far in acknowledging the supremacy of the king over the Fantees; that people having merely made presents of occasional sums under the pressure of circumstances, but not being bound to pay a regular tribute. It was at all events a questionable policy in the British government to interfere in the contest. They determined, however, to resist the demands of the Ashantee monarch, who, to enforce them, entered Fantee in January 1824 with a force of 15,000 men. Sir Charles M'Carthy, newly appointed governor, being ill-informed as to the strength of the enemy, marched out to meet him with a force of scarcely 1000 British, and a crowd of cowardly and undisciplined auxiliaries. The two armies met near the boundary stream of the Bossompra, where the English, soon deserted by their native allies, in whose cause they had taken the field, maintained the contest for some time with characteristic valour, till it was discovered that, through the negligence of the ordnance-keeper, the supply of powder was exhausted. Thus deprived of the use of fire-arms, they were surrounded by the immensely superior