FROM THE VOLTA TO OKWAO. 
33 
reach a town, and find abundance of food, the mere 
thought of which invigorated us, though knowing the 
difficulty of carrying supphes, we had refrained from 
murmuring at the scanty fare that we had hitherto 
shared with our captors. The Ashantees being a hardy 
race inured from youth to the severest simpUcity, 
are able to march day after day at a quick, 
steady pace, with short intervals of rest, and a modi- 
cum of food. They lie down to sound sleep at night, 
after a light supper of corn, waking refreshed and 
strengthened to resume their way at sunrise. 
Our route led us toward a range of blue mountains, which 
called up sweet and sad associations or our distant home. 
The rocky ground echoed to our footsteps, and on reaching 
the first elevation the high outline stretched far away to 
the right, ending abruptly in a square rock some two 
hundred feet in length, which curious conformation riveted 
our interest, and turned out to be the shrine of the great 
Fetish of Okwao. 
We now crossed the high plateau, and prepared for a 
fresh ascent, toiling onward wearily, as no food had yet 
passed our lips that day. In two hours a brook was 
reached, beside which we found seated several members of 
our own party enjoying a meal of bread. Famished with 
hunger we expected a respite and some refreshment, but 
to my intense and bitter indignation this was con- 
temptuously refused. Even now my strongest feelings 
are roused when memory recalls the blustering urgency 
of Ageana, as he roared his command, " Duom, duom " 
(up ! forward), not even permitting us to taste the water 
at our feet, or to fill our calabash. Though we obeyed, I 
can fairly say that my blood boiled with anger, and for 
some hours we endured agonies of suffering. 
At about three o'clock in the afternoon a pause was 
made for a few minutes, and a small roll was thrown us, 
D 
