1831.] African Tribes.— The Ashantees, SfC. 41? 



Sierra Leone, assumed the coramand, and, on the 21st of May, fought 

 the Ashantees for several hours, and being well seconded by the King 

 of Dinkera, forced thera to retreat. 



On the 21st and 22d of June, the Ashantees, being strongly reinforced, 

 again advanced, under command of their king, to within a very short 

 distance of Cape Coast Castle, into which the women and children 

 rushed for shelter. The garrison being strengthened by the seamen and 

 marines from the vessels, the enemy retired to a new position, from 

 which they sent out parties to burn and destroy all the adjoining vil- 

 lages, and lay waste the country. 



A strong party of the natives having again joined our small force, 

 another battle was fought close to Cape Coast on the 1 1 th of June. Two 

 of the enemy's camps were burnt and plundered during the action by 

 some of the unorganized natives, who, although ditily driven out of the 

 town to their posts at the point of the bayonet, fought bravely this day for 

 four hours, particularly those on the right, against which the greatest 

 efforts of the enemy, who shewed great courage, were directed. On 

 the 13th the enemy retreated, having first, by a skilful ruse-de-guerre, 

 succeeded in sending off their wounded, the women, and carriers. It 

 was reported by a brother of the King of the Fantees, a prisoner who 

 had made his escape, " that the heart of Sir Charles M'Carthy was 

 eaten by the principal chiefs of the Ashantee army, that they might im- 

 bibe his bravery ; that his flesh had been dried, and, with his bones, 

 divided amongst every man of consequence in the army, who constantly 

 carried his respective proportion about him, as a charm to inspire him 

 with courage." — An action characteristic of the ferocity of these blood- 

 thirsty demons, who have been held up to the people of this country as 

 a simple, innocent, and unoffending race ! But as we proceed we shall 

 find our own allies disgi-aced by equal brutality. 



Lieut.-Colonel Grant arrived from England on the 18th, bringing a 

 supply of ammunition, and a few men of the artillery and rocket corps, 

 and, taking the command, he sent out parties to annoy the enemy, who 

 continued plundering and burning the Fantees, until called to defend 

 the capital of their own country, now threatened by the Queen of 

 Akim. They left many hundreds of the sick and wounded behind them, 

 who fell into the hands of the Fantees, and were " nearly all beheaded." 



Famine and disease began in the meantime to prevail within the 

 crowded walls of Cape Coast, Avhere most of the houses had been acci- 

 dentally burnt down in preparing for the defence of the castle ; and unless 

 a timely supply of rice and other provisions had arrived from England 

 and Sierra Leone, the mortality and distress would have been still more 

 dreadful. 



About the latter end of Qlarch, 1825, Major-General Turner arrived 

 wiUi considerable reinforcements, and issued a proclamation stating, in 

 regard to the Ashantees, that if their king would " content himself with 

 governing his own nation and people, and not stop the trade of the 

 interior with the coast, or attempt to oppress his neighbours," peace 

 would be made with him ; " but," says the General, " I will not make 

 peace with him on any other terms, nor until he gives up every claim 

 to tribute or subjection from tlie surromiding nations." The general, 

 having returned to Sierra Leone, died there on tin; 7th Marcli, 182(5, 

 and was succeeded by Sir Neil Campbell, who hearing that the Ashantees 



