ASHANTEE* 
of power and civilization than that of Ashantee, 
situated in the interior from the Gold Coast. The 
relations of this country with the states on the 
coast will be explained at the close of the third 
chapter of the following book. In April 181 7 
Messrs Bowdich, Hutchison, Tedlie, &c. with a 
party of natives, amounting in all to 130, set out 
from Cape Coast Castle, and, passing through 
Anamaboe and Abrah, arrived at Cummazee, the 
capital of the Ashantee territory. At first they 
were kept in close confinement, in consequence 
of the misrepresentations of some Moorish mer- 
chants, instigated by Daendels, who is now agent 
for the king of the Netherlands on the African 
coast. Their conduct, however, was such as 
finally to banish all prejudices. The king be- 
came attached to the English, concluded a treaty 
with them, and even agreed that his children 
should be educated at Cape Coast Castle. The 
court of Cummazee seems to surpass in splendour 
any other yet seen in native Africa. The Cabo- 
ceers, or great men, when assembled together, 
formed a surprising extent of line, and displayed 
a profusion of the most varied insignia. They 
were seated under umbrellas of scarlet or yellow 
cloths, silk shawls, and cottons of every glaring 
variety ; and the tops were decorated with carv- 
ed and golden pelicans, panthers, baboons, cres- 
cents, &c. The manners of the king are ex- 
