MISSION TO ASHANTEE. 
47 
then ordered our people to be dismissed, said he would look at the 
telescope in a larger place, that now he wished to talk with us. 
He again acknowledged the gratification of Tuesday, and desired 
Mr. James to explain to him two notes which he produced, written 
by the Governor in Chief at the request of Amooney, King of Anna- 
maboe, and Adokoo, Chief of the BrafFoes, making over to Sai, 
King of Ashantee, four ackies per month of their company's pay, 
as a pledge of their allegiance and the termination of hostilities. 
The impression seemed instantly to have rooted itself in the King's 
mind, that this was the Governor's individual act, or that he had 
instanced it; his countenance changed, his counsellors became 
enraged, they were all impatience, we all anxiety. " Tell the 
white men," said the King, " what they did yesterday made me 
much pleasure ; I was glad we were to be friends : but to day I see 
they come to put shame upon my face ; this breaks my heart too 
much. The English know, with my own powder, with my own 
shot, I drove the Eantees under their forts, I spread my sword 
over them, they were all killed, and their books from the fort are 
mine. I can do as much for the English as the Eantees, they know 
this well, they know I have only to send a captain to get all the 
heads of the Eantees. These white men cheat me, they think to 
make 'Shantee fool ; they pretend to make friends with me, and 
they join with the Eantees to cheat me, to put shame upon my 
face; this makes the blood come from my heart." This was reported 
by his linguist with a passion of gesture and utterance scarcely 
inferior to the King's ; the irritation spread throughout the circle, 
and swelled even to uproar. 
Thus much was inevitable ; it was one of our anticipated diffi- 
culties; it was not a defeat, but a check; and here originates our 
charge against Mr. James, whom we declare to have been deficient 
in presence of mind, and not to have exerted those assurances and 
