MISSION TO ASHANTEE. 
39 
saphies ; he was seated in a low chair, richly ornamented with 
gold ; he wore a pair of gold castanets on his finger and thumb, 
which he clapped to enforce silence. The belts of the guards 
behind his chair, were cased in gold, and covered with small jaw 
bones of the same metal; the elephants tails, waving hke a small 
cloud before him, were spangled with gold, and large plumes of 
feathers were flourished amid them. His eunuch presided over 
these attendants, wearing only one massy piece of gold about his 
neck: the royal stool, entirely cased in gold, was displayed under 
at splendid umbrella, with drums, sankos, horns, and various mu- 
sical instruments, cased in gold, about the thickness of cartridge 
paper: large circles of gold hung by scarlet cloth from the swords 
of state, the sheaths as well as the handles of which were also cased ; 
hatchets of the same were intermixed with them : the breasts of 
the Ocrahs, and various attendants, were adorned with large stars, 
stools, crescents, and gossamer wings of solid gold. 
We pursued our course through this blazing circle, which afforded 
to the last a variety exceeding description and memory ; so many 
splendid novelties diverting the fatigue, heat, and pressure we were 
labouring under; we were almost exhausted, however, by the time 
we reached the end; when, instead of being conducted to our 
residence, we were desired to seat ourselves under a tree at some 
distance, to receive the compliments of the whole in our turn. 
The swell of their bands gradually strengthened on our ears, the 
peals of the warhke instruments bursting upon the short, but sweet 
responses of the flutes ; the gaudy canopies seemed to dance in 
the distant view, and floated broadly as they were springing up and 
down in the foreground ; flags and banners waved in the interval, 
and the chiefs were eminent in their crimson hammocks, amidst 
crowds of musquetry. They dismounted as they arrived within 
thirty yardsof us ; their principal captains preceded them with the 
