MISSION TO ASHANTEE. 
35 
Innumerable small umbrellas, of various coloured stripes^ were 
crowded in the intervals, whilst several large trees heightened the 
glare, by contrasting the sober colouring of nature. 
" Discolor unde auri per ramos aura refulsit." 
The king's messengers, with gold breast plates, made way for 
us, and we commenced our round, preceded by the canes and the 
English flag. We stopped to take the hand of every caboceer, 
which, as their houshold suites occupied several spaces in advance, 
delayed us long enough to distinguish some of the ornaments in 
the general blaze of splendour and ostentation. 
The caboceers, as did their superior captains and attendants, 
wore Ashantee cloths, of extravagant price from the costly foreign 
silks which had been unravelled to weave them in all the varieties 
of colour, as well as pattern; they were of an incredible size and 
weight, and thrown over the shoulder exactly like the Roman toga; 
a small silk fillet generally encircled their temples, and massy gold 
necklaces, intricately wrought ; suspended Moorish charms, dearly 
purchased, and enclosed in small square cases of gold, silver, and 
curious embroidery. Some wore necklaces reaching to the navel 
entirely of aggry beads ; a band of gold and beads encircled the 
knee, from which several strings of the same depended ; small 
circles of gold hke guineas, rings, and casts of animals, were strung 
round their ancles ; their sandals were of green, red, and delicate 
white leather ; manillas, and rude lumps of rock gold, hung from 
their left wrists, which were so heavily laden as to be supported on 
the head of one of their handsomest boys. Gold and silver pipes, 
and canes dazzled the eye in every direction. Wolves and rams 
heads as large as life, cast in gold, were suspended from their gold 
handled swords, which were held around them in great numbers ; 
the blades were shaped hke round bills, and rusted in blood ; the 
sheaths were of leopard skin, or the shell of a fish like shagreen. 
