818 



WEST AFUK'A. 



Leone and the French possessions. Their task, 

 which was frequently intermitted \vht/n difficulties 

 arose, was finally completed early in May, 1896. 

 Tembi Kunda, the extreme point of the line, at the 

 beginning of Lilierian territory, was found to be 

 farther south than its location on the maps. The 

 line runs northwestward to 10 of north latitude, 

 then due westward to the Little Scarcies river, and 

 thence by the route agreed upon in January, 1895, 

 down to the Atlantic coast. Several populous towns 

 that have paid allegiance to France were found to 

 be on the British side of the line. The Governor of 

 Sierra Leone, Col. Cardew, has been actively engaged 

 in the Hinterland in consolidating a British protec- 

 torate over the district within the British sphere. 

 A railroad is being built into the Hinterland. The 

 Congo State has been accustomed to recruit laborers 

 in Sierra Leone, but now the colonial Government 

 has put a stop to this by imposing a fine of 5 for 

 each person so engaged. 



The Ashanti War. The Governor of the Gold 

 Coast sent a mission to King Prempeh of Ashanti 

 in February, 1894, to complain of the interrupt inn 

 of trade caused by the wars that he waged against 

 his vassals and neighbors, of his allowing the road 

 that he had promised to keep open to become filled 

 with forest growths, of the continuance of human 

 sacrifices in violation of the treaty that was made 

 in 1874, and other derelictions. The young King 

 made no direct reply, and in consequence Sir \V. 1!. 

 Griffith recommended that steps lie taken to acquire 

 complete control over Ashanti. King Prempeh. 

 warned of the consequences of contumacy, declared 

 his intention of sending envoys direct to England. 

 Sir W. B. Griffith gave notice that they would not 

 be received by the Queen. Nevertheless they left 

 for London on April 3, lS!>.->. Sir W. B. Griffith 

 reported for Lord Ripon, then Minister for the Colo- 

 nies, that Ashanti was no longer a compact stale, 

 and that Prempeh was not King of Ashanti, but 

 only King of Kumassi. Mr. Maxwell, who suc- 

 ceeded Sir W. B. Griffith as Governor of the Gold 

 Coast, requested on June 13, 1895, to be allowed to 

 go to Kumassi with a force of Ilaussas and secure 

 acceptance by Kumassi and by all Ashanti tribes of 

 British protection, free trade between Ashanti and 

 the coast, free passage through Ashanti of goods to 

 and from the interior, protection for missionaries, 

 abolition of human sacrifices, a guarantee by Ku- 

 massi that no more wars would be waged against 

 neighboring tribes, the acceptance of a British resi- 

 dent with a guard, and a promise to refer all dis- 

 putes to the Governor. Mr. Chamberlain, the Min- 

 ister for the Colonies, instructed Mr. Maxwell to send 

 an ultimatum to King Prempeh demanding that he 

 should keep his treaty engagements and receive an 

 English resident. The King made no reply to this 

 message before Oct. 31, the dale fixed as 'a limit, 

 and consequently a military expedition was planned. 

 Thus it was resolved to establish British rule over 

 Ashanti. Punitive expeditions led by Gen. Wolse- 

 ley, who found that the Ashanti force had vanished 

 when he reached Kumassi, the capital, and by Sir 

 Henry Brackenbury, were not followed by annexa- 

 tion because of the difficulty of maintaining a Brit- 

 ish administration in that deadly climate amid a 

 hostile population. The extension of French influ- 

 ence in this region now prompted the British to ex- 

 tend their borders and consolidate their power. A 

 conflict between the Ashanti traders and the Euro- 

 pean merchants of the coast and reports of human 

 sacrifices in Ashanti furnished the pretext. John and 

 Albert Ansah, who had been sent as envoys to Eng- 

 land, were allowed by the English authorities to pro- 

 ceed to England, but were put off by the officials when 

 they arrived in London, and finally they returned 

 to their own country without having an audience. 



Meanwhile Prempeh sent other envoys to Cape Coast 

 Castle to inform Gov. Maxwell that lie accepted the 

 ultimatum. But Mr. Chamberlain decided that the 

 expedition must go to Kumassi at all events. Prep- 

 arations were made for a rapid advance upon 

 Kumassi, with the intention of surprising and cap- 

 turing Prempeh with his court anil treasure before 

 he could either mobilize his forces or retreat farther 

 into the interior. Half of the West India regiment of 

 Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast Haussas.a Uaussaforce 

 specially recruited by Major K. S. S. Baden-Powell, 

 British engineers and artillerists, and detachmenis 

 of the line from England made up the expedition- 

 ary force, which was placed under the command of 

 Col. Sir Francis Scott. The troops comprised 7NI5 

 white soldiers, 400 West Indians, 600 Gold Coast 

 Haussas. 100 Lagos Ilaussas, and 300 Kromen 

 under Major Baden-Powell, accompanied by about 

 12.000 carriers and laborers. While it was being 

 prepared the colonial authorities cleared a broad 

 road through the forest to Prahsu, and built huts 

 for the soldiers to sleep in at the different stages of 

 the march and a commodious hospital for the sick. 

 The Ashantis made no preparations for war, expect- 

 ing that their envoys would arrange a settlement 

 in England. When these envoys were allowed to 

 return to their King the expedition was already on 

 the march, crossing the Prah river at the same time 

 that they did. The Ashanti? had sent an armed 

 force to reduce the rebellious Bekwaisto submission, 

 and the day before they were to attack it the British 

 advance column occupied the Bekwai capital and 

 prepared it for defense. The King of Bekwai, who 

 had been won over by the English to rebel against 

 Prempeh and throw in his lot with them after long 

 secret negotiations, was required to furnish 1,000 

 men, ostensibly engaged as soldiers, but they were 

 compelled to make roads and carry baggage. When 

 the Ansalis returned to Kumassi they reported that 

 British columns were at the borders, advancing 

 against the capital from the west, the southwest, 

 and the north. The Ashanti leaders were thrown 

 into a state of panic, giving contradictory orders 

 and deciding one day for war and the next for peace. 

 Knvoys were sent out to meet the troops and make 

 efforts to delay their advance, Capt. Donald Stewart, 

 the political officer, telling Kokofuku and the other 

 envoys that Sir Francis Scott would treat nowhere 

 but at Kumassi. The invading forces would not 

 stop. Nothing remained for the Ashantis to do 

 but to distribute all the treasure and valuables for 

 concealment in different parts of the country till 

 the British should depart again. The march of the 

 British force from Cape Coast Castle to Prahsu, 75 

 miles, was made in seven days. The Haussa detach- 

 ment, which had advanced to Koranza, raising na- 

 tive levies on the way, was ordered to advance upon 

 Kumassi on Jan. 1, 1896, at the same time that the 

 main body left Prashu. The plan was for both to 

 reach King Prempeh's capital on Jan. 18. Another 

 native levy was raised in the Denkera country, with 

 a view of creating a diversion on the left, and pre- 

 venting hostile enterprises being undertaken against 

 the British from the west. The King of Denkera 

 promised to furnish 4,000 men at Yamfuri. The 

 progress of the British column that entered Kumassi 

 on Jan. 17 was absolutely unopposed. King Prem- 

 peh and his people were celebrating a native festival 

 at the time. Gov. Maxwell of Cape Coast Castle made 

 his official entry into Kumassi on Jan. 18. The 

 King and his o'fficers were kept under guard till 

 Jan. 20, when a palaver was held in the public 

 square. Prempeh was first required to make his 

 submission in the Ashanti manner, by prostrating 

 himself and embracing the knees of the Governor. 

 The second condition was the payment of a war in- 

 demnity of 50,000 ounces of gold. On his protest- 



