MISSION TO ASHANTEE. 109 
soldiers' muskets to the officers, converted them and the artificers 
into bearers, as well as our own servants, for I saw the previous 
dismissal of my own people was considered a hold on me. I 
ordered the linguists to declare to the party pabhckl}^, that I would 
flog any man who attempted to leave the town in debt ; I paid all 
they confessed, by advances on their pay to the amount of 10 ackies : 
this gave the greatest publicity to our movements. 
The King's uncle, Bundaenha, and another superior captain 
came in form to entreat me to stay, whilst they affected to address 
the King. I saw through this, and that I might presume on it ; 
holding the watch in my hand, I promised to wait half an hour, 
and no longer. They returned within the time to conduct me to 
the King, but after being kept unusually long in waiting, the 
answer to my remonstrance through the linguists, was, that the 
King was very busy hearing a great palaver ; I saw they lingered 
still in their hope of my submission. I sent the two canes to tell 
the King that mine was a great palaver, and ought to be heard, not 
only from its importance, but because he had passed his word that 
it should ; that after a King disregarded his promise, it was useless 
to wait any longer. Returning to our quarters, 1 ordered the people 
to load the baggage. , 
At the moment of starting, a royal messenger ran up, to say the 
King was waiting to see me. 1 dismissed him with the message, 
that I could not stop, unless a person of consequence was sent to 
promise for the King. The King^s uncle came, and assured me the 
King would receive me himself at the entrance of the palace. We 
went, and were instantly ushered into the presence of the King and 
his captains, who were debating by torch light: the clamour and 
deportment of this assembly might have been subduing, had it 
been novel. The uproar having abated, the King demanded, 
through his linguist, why I had determined to leave so suddenly ^ 
