1831.] African Tribes.— The Ashaniecs,^-c.- 41» 



caused them to suppose that they were thunder and lightning, called 

 snowman, in Fantee, by -which name they are now known among the 

 natives." 



On the left the King of Dinkera, deserted by the Winnebahs, was 

 hard pressed ; but being assisted by a few rounds of grape, thrown over 

 the heads of our people, he succeeded in driving back his opponents. 

 On the right, the battle was not for a moment doubtful ; " the King of 

 Akimboo drove all before him, and penetrating the King of Ashantee's 

 camp, took them in flank ; his path was marked by the column of 

 smoke that rose in front, the short grass being dry, from our forces 

 having bivouacked at the roots of the trees for two nights, together 

 with extreme heat, caused it to take fire ; the explosions of some Ashantee 

 captains, who at interaals blew themselves vp, in despair, which was 

 known by the smoke that arose over the trees ; the shouts and groans of 

 the coinbatants, with the burning grass, and the battle raging all around, 

 formed no bad idea of the infernal regions. Fancy may indeed imagine, 

 but it cannot describe such a scene of havoc and destruction, more 

 resembling the wild fiction of an oriental tale, than one of absolute 

 reality." The actors in this bloody drama seem, indeed, to have fought 

 more like demons than human beings, possessed with the common feel- 

 ings of humanity, — yet such are some of the people whom the pseudo 

 philanthropists of England delight in describing as " our simple, inno- 

 cent, and unoffending brethren of Africa ! !" 



The cowards who fled at the beginning of the battle, returned, and 

 stole away the greater part of the plunder. About one o'clock the 

 heads of the Ashantee chiefs began to be brought in, — when the deaths 

 of any of them were reported to the king, he offered vp human sacrifices 

 to their manes, in the heat of the battle. The Ashentee camp, with 

 their baggage and gold, fell into the hands of the natives. " Towards 

 the end of the day, a great many slaves or prisoners were taken by the 

 natives, nho subsequently sold them to slave vessels, to the leeward of 

 Accra, being satiated with the multitudes they had killed, in the early 

 part of the fight." 



The troops lay on their arms all.night, during which, at intervals, 

 " some of our native allied chiefs struck their drums to some recitations, 

 which were repeated along the line, and as they died away, had a most 

 pleasing effect, but were generally succeeded by deep waitings and 

 lamentations from the glades, in front of our position, apparently from 

 some unhappy Ashantee women, looking for their friends among the 

 fallen." 



This important battle, of which Capt. Ricketts gives a strikingly gra- 

 phic description, seems to have broken the power and courage of the 

 Ashantees. After various negociations, their king sent in April last, his 

 son and nephew to Cape Coast Castle, as hostages, accompanied with six 

 Imndrcd ounces of gold, to be lodged there, as a security for his future 

 pood conduct towards the IJritish, Danes, and Dutcli ; thus terminating 

 disputes which had disturbed the coast for so many years. 



Tlie queen of Akim, who evinced so mucli activity in the war, 

 and who was resolutely engaged in the battle of Dodowah, is described 

 as being " aljout five feet three inclies in height, with an infantine look ; 

 her voice is soft, evidently modulated to interest her audience, but 

 cracked, as a singer would express it, from constant use." " Just l)cfore 

 the attack she went along the line with a nwssive necklace of leadcu 



