HISTORY. 
245 
given up bj Adinkara, the King, from fear ; his sister, a woman 
ofmascuHne spirit and talent, and the soul of the government, being 
absent. On her return, she reproached her brother severely, and 
ordered a solid gold stool to be made to replace it. That being 
also demanded, as the right of the superior, with a large gold 
ornament in the shape of an elephant, dug out from some ruins, 
the sister, receiving the ambassadors, replied, that the King should 
not have either, and added, impressing it with more force than 
delicacy, that her brother and she must change sexes, for she was 
most proper for a King, and would fight to the last rather than be 
so constantly despoiled. The King of Ashantee sent word that she 
was fit to be a king's sister, and a strong woman, and he would 
give her twelve months to prepare for war. Several embassies 
have been sent however to negotiate ; two during our stay, the 
latter, it was said, with an offer of 400 Bendas, (£3200.) but the 
aristocracy were obstinate, and urged to the King, that his other 
tributaries would laugh at him, if he did not get the King of 
Gaman's head. The small pox was raging in Buntooko. 
It is clear, that the King of Ashantee contemplates the reduction 
of the King of Dwabin from an independent ally to a tributary. 
We witnessed one circumstance to the point. A messenger being 
sent to require gold of Dwabin, the King of which is a very weak 
young man, a captain of the royal family replied, that there was 
no war on foot to require gold, and as it could only be for the in- 
dividual benefit of Ashantee, the government must be reminded 
that Dwabin had formerly exacted gold, and was not now to be 
subjected to imposition, because the right had been yielded from 
respect to the sister kingdom. This being reported to the King, 
he suppressed his anger, and sent a gold headed sword, with other 
marks of dignity and favour to this man, who, to his surprise, 
refused them, alleging, that the honours he already possessed at 
