410 MISSION TO ASHANTEE. 
and wished to know if the English did so at Annamaboe, where 
fifteen white men killed thousands of Ashantees; this put him 
on the fidget, as I knew it would, and he said that it was on 
him the English fired first, and he fought them without the King's 
leave, who was angry when he heard that thej had returned the 
fire of the fort ; I told him it was a fine excuse to cover their defeat. 
He enquired if I thought they could not have taken the fort ? I 
told him if they could have done it they would. He said, if the 
King says we must do any thing, we must do it. I asked him, 
if the King told them to pull down the moon, if they could do it? 
He then got up from his chair and began to manoeuvre how he 
and Apokoo were to have made a breach in Annamaboe fort, to 
the no small enjoyment of several of his wives, captains, and slaves, 
who were present ; they were to have burned the gates, and with 
axes to have cut through the walls. He said they had Dutch and 
Danish flags, which they had taken from forts ; why, I enquired, 
did they not show the English trophies? They had none, he said : 
and the King had told them, that were he to kill white men from 
England, he might as well kill all the cocks in the kingdom ; the 
one told the hour, and when to rise in the morning ; the other 
brought them good things from England, and learned them sense; 
besides, if any of their slaves did ill, they told them they would 
sell them to the whites, which made them better. 1 told him black 
men had the eyes of a thief, the paws of a tiger, and the belly of 
a hog, for they were never satisfied ; he said I was right, for they 
were now going to war, and would take whatever they could find ; 
he thought 30,000 Ashantees would be killed, but that Avas nothing. 
He then locked up his wives because I put evil in their heads, by 
saying that Englishmen allowed every one a husband. I then took 
my leave. 
