MISSION TO ASHANTEE. 
21 
of fallen trees presented constant barriers to our progress, and 
increased our fatigues from the labour of scaling them : we were 
also frequently obliged to wait the cutting away of the underwood 
before we could proceed, even on foot. The large trees were 
covered with parasites and convolvuli, and the cUmbiflg plants, 
like small cables, ascending the trunks to some height, abruptly 
shot downwards, crossed to the opposite trees, and threaded each 
other in such a perplexity of twists and turnings, that it soon became 
impossible to trace them in the general entanglement. We passed 
through two small streams running S. and several swamps, richly 
covered with palm trees. Parrots and crown birds were numerous. 
At the end of ten miles we came to a small river called Quatoa, 
four yards wide, also ruaning eastward to the Amissa ; and imme- 
diately after to a few sheds bearing the same name, where we 
found the last party of the bearers all lying down, and a soldier 
ineffectually endeavouring to rouse them : we started them with 
difficulty. A mile and a half thence we met with the Okee again, 
running over its rocky bed in a transparent stream, which reflected 
the richest fohage ; its course S.W. W., the breadth nine yards, 
and we stepped across it from rock to rock. We soon afterwards 
walked through the Antoonso, a smaller river running W. S.W., 
which probably crossed the path to the eastward in one of the 
small streams near Cottacoomacasa, as every report confirmed its 
also running to the Amissa ; it was very near Fousou, where we 
had scarcely arrived, before the Fantees, such was their perverse- 
ness, insisted upon going on, the Cape Coast messengers either 
had no influence or would not exert it; we soon stopped them 
with the assistance of Quamina, our Ashantee guide, Mr. James 
liot coming up until late in the evening. Fousou was formerly a 
large town, but had been destroyed by the Ashantee invasion of 
1807 ; it presented but a few^ sheds, in one of which we observed 
