MISSION TO ASHANTEE. 
33 
rose one above another : the large open porches of the houses, like 
the fronts of stages in small theatres, were filled with the better sort 
of females and children, all impatient to behold white men for the 
first time ; their exclamations were drowned in the firing and music, 
but their gestures were in character with the scene. When we 
reached the palace, about half a mile from the place where we 
entered, we were again halted, and an open file was made, through 
which the bearers were passed, to deposit the presents and baggage 
in the house assigned to us. Here we were gratified by observing 
several of the caboceers pass by with their trains, the novel splen- 
dour of which astonished us. The bands, principally composed 
of horns and flutes, trained to play in concert, seemed to soothe 
our hearing into its natural tone again by their wild melodies; 
whilst the immense umbrellas, made to sink and rise from the 
jerkings of the bearers, and the large fans waving around, refreshed 
us with small currents of air, under a burning sun, clouds of dust, 
and a density of atmosphere almost suffocating. We were then 
squeezed, at the same funeral pace, up a long street, to an open- 
fronted house, where we were desired by a royal messenger to wait 
a further invitation from the king. Here our attention was forced 
from the astonishment of the crowd to a most inhuman spectacle, 
which was paraded before us for some minutes ; it was a man 
whom they were tormenting previous to sacrifice ; his hands were 
pinioned behind him, a knife was passed through his cheeks, to 
which his lips were noosed like the figure of 8 ; one ear was cut off 
and carried before him, the other hung to his head by a small bit 
of skin ; there were several gashes in his back, and a knife was 
thrust under each shoulder blade ; he was led with a cord passed 
through his nose, by men disfigured with immense caps of shaggy 
black skins, and drums beat before him ; the feeling this horrid 
barbarity excited must be imagined. We were soon released by 
