92 
MISSION TO ASHANTEB. 
and their names even unintelligible, except one, which he called 
Hindee or Hindoo ; neither had I heard of any of the great cities 
he enumerated, until at last he pronounced Room (Rome) and 
said, if I did not know that I was not a Christian. I never saw the 
Shereef Brahima (to whom I was introduced about this time by a 
Jenne Moor) at Baba's, they did not appear to be on terms ; I 
think the latter was envious of the greater learning and intelligence 
of the former, who had been to Mecca and Medina. One day I 
requested Baba to draw me a map of the world, he did so, encir- 
cling one large continent with a sea, bounded by a girdle of rocks. 
Old Odumata's notion of geography was as strange ; for he men- 
tioned one day, that when on the coast above Apollonia, he had an 
idea of walking to England, for he was told he should reach 
Santonee (Portugal) in 30 days, and that after that, the path was 
very good. He greatly enjoyed our singeing the hair of a foppish 
attendant of his, with a burning glass ; the man's amazement was 
inconceivable, Mr. Hutchison was at some distance, and not 
suspected. 
We were now permitted to walk four or five miles beyond the 
city, and felt quite at home. We seldom went out in the morning,, 
lest an occasion for an audience should occur. Apokoo and 
several other daily visitors diverted us with their anecdotes, and in 
the afternoon we made our round of calls. Apokoo was always 
facetious, and looked with much anxiety for our entry, as his 
greatest recreation ; he was very desirous of learning tennis and 
sparring, and daily made some essays, so comical, that neither we 
nor his attendants could contain ourselves. Apokoo became very 
communicative of Ashantee politics, and asked innumerable ques- 
tions about England ; particularly, why the King of England did 
not send one of his own sons to the King of Ashantee, with the 
presents, and why so great a King sent such a small force to Africa. 
