WITH THE ASHANTEE ARMY. 
19 
surprise, addressed us in tolerable English, evidently 
learned of our brethren in Akra. This giddy felJow cut 
short our questions by turning his back on us with a rude 
laugh. " I am hungry," said he, " I must be off." At 
length we were released and taken to a small house, where 
some sympathising people brought us corn, pounded yams, 
and goat's flesh, the latter of which we could not eat on 
account of its high flavour, though later on hunger com- 
pelled us to accept many things infinitely more dis- 
gusting. At my wife's request, we were supplied with 
water, a great comfort for our baby ; but in the evening 
our fetters were again fastened, and we were thankful for 
a block of wood as a pillow, when we lay on the bare floor. 
We knew that under such hardships our babe's nourish- 
ment must soon cease, and what should we do then ? We 
could only say, " The Lord will provide." 
The morning of June 15th dawned. We were released 
from our fetters and led to a little hut in the wood, roofed 
with palm branches, and about five feet square ; this was 
our resting-place for four days. Here the king's son came 
to question us as to our possessions. We answered him 
truthfully, and assured him we had buried no cowries, 
which made him very angry, and when I did not at once 
understand his questions he shook both his fists in my 
face. This discipline being over, a woman was brought 
who was willing to nurse our baby, but her husband soon 
forbade it, and we learned how we had been deceived when 
told that we should have no difficulty in finding a nurse, 
for this was the only woman who had an infant with her. 
Alas ! the sufferings of my wife and little one pressed 
more heavily upon me step by step ; one of the king's sons, 
however, gave him a dress. 
Our food consisted of boiled yams, water, soup, and 
occasionally a little roasted corn. Once we obtained a 
pound of meat, the half of which we smoked and dried to 
