298 
MISSION TO ASHANTEE. 
recover, and the dregs are frequently left designedly for the 
obnoxious.* 
The criers, upwards of a hundred, who always attend the hnguists, 
are all deformed or maimed, to make them more conspicuous ; 
they wear a monkey skin cap, with a gold plate in front, and the 
tail hanging down behind. Their common exclamations are, 
Tehoo! Tehing! Odiddee ! Be silent ! Be quiet 1 Pray hear ! and 
these are so incessantly uttered, that they are themselves the only 
interruption. Several less interesting peculiarities are represented 
in the drawings of the Yam Custom, and associated with other 
subjects. 
A general is appointed to the command of an army by receiving 
a gold handled sword of the King's from his hand, (who strikes 
him gently with it three times on the head,) swearing to return it 
encrusted with the blood of his conquered enemies. One of the 
King's linguists always accompanies an army of any consequence, 
to whom all the politics of the war are entrusted, and whose talent 
and intelligence in negotiating, are expected to mature the fruits 
of the military genius of the general, and to reimburse the expense 
of the war by heavy fines and contributions. The Ashantees are 
as superior in discipline as in courage to the people of the water 
side, though their discipline is limited to the following precautions. 
They never pursue vv^hen it is near sun set; the general is always 
in the rear; the secondary captains lead the soldiers on, whilst 
those in command, with a few chosen individuals, urge them for- 
ward from the rear with their heavy swords, and cut any man 
down who retreats until the case is desperate. The first object of 
* Tn the Warsaw country there is said to be a more dreadful poison called Sabe : if 
it is thrown upon the skin, it is absorbed by the pores, and has nearly the same instan- 
taneous mortal effect as when given internally. 
