MR HUTCHISON'S DIARY. 
391 
I heard nothing from the King all day, but at night a Fantee 
man called on me, who had been taken by the Ashantees in last 
year's war, and whom I had been trying to hberate by speaking 
in his behalf to the King, and concerning four ounces of gold that 
had been taken. The captain concerned in it, to get quit of the 
palaver, had urged one of his wives to swear the man had lain 
with her; she accordingly made a formal complaint; the man was 
put in irons in the bush and only released yesterday morning as 
they thought to catch the King when he had some palavers pending, 
which would make him angry ; they therefore brought it before 
the King yesterday morning, thinking he would order the man's 
head to be cut off ; but he told the King that this palaver was 
brought against him because I had spoken for him ; the woman 
was called, who insisted the man had lain with her, the man de- 
nied it, and on being offered fetish he cheerfully took it, and swore 
by the King to the contrary. The woman would not do so, and 
the King ordered the irons to be taken from the man, and put on 
the woman, telhng her, she had not looked at the man properly, as 
it must be some other person. 
Tuesday 14. This morning a man was beheaded at the door of 
the house where I live, by Aboidwee, the house master: it appears, 
the man in question was brother to a caboceer, and presump- 
tive heir to his property ; tired of waiting so long he made fetish 
incantations, and other ceremonies peculiar to them, to destroy his 
brother; this coming to the brothers ears, and also, that he had 
enjoyed one of his wives five times, he complained to the King and 
requested he would put the offender to death to save his own life ; 
the King complied, and ordered Aboidwee to put the sentence in 
execution. 
Wednesday 15. The Ada'i custom. I went as usual with flags, 
and first received the usual offering of rum, and ten ackies of gold 
