xii 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
period of detention in Coomassie to write down the events 
of each day, at the same time recording their remembrances 
of the first year of their captivity. That the names of 
places scarcely occur at all is to be accounted for by the 
position of the unwilling travellers, Tlie following state- 
ment may help to throw light on the circumstances which 
led to their being taken prisoners. 
The Gold Coast extends from the Asini river to the 
mouth of the Yolta, and includes from three to . four 
desfrees of lorimtude. It is traversed throuo-h the middle 
by the Prah, and inhabited by negro tribes who mostly 
speak a dialect of the Tschi language. On the western 
side of the Prah are the Asini, Wasa, and Denkjera ; on 
the other side are the Fantee, Abora, Akem, Asen, and 
Akwapem ; and towards the Yolta are the Akra, Adangme, 
ivrobo, and Akwamu. Twenty-five forts were built from 
time to time, in which European merchants fornierly ca,r- 
ried on the slave trade. The chief of these forts, Elmina 
and Cape Coast, two miles apart, have belonged (since 
1637-1661) to the Dutch and Engiish. These exercised 
little, and certainly no good influence on the surrounding 
negroes. 
At length the Asantees, or as they are called in the 
Coast dialect, Ashantees, appeared on the scene as a 
conquering power, and in endeavouring to force their 
way to the sea, came into collision with the British. 
The latter fought a hasty battle with the king, Tuta 
Kwamina, January 21st, 1824, and suffered a disgrace- 
ful defeat. Two years later, September 19th, 1826, this 
was avenged by a complete victory at Dudowa, after 
which the experienced governor, George Maclean, arranged 
the terms of peace, which guaranteed the independence of 
all the tribes (with the exception of the Asinis in the 
west and the Akwamus in the east), and placed them 
under British protection. Two Ashantee princes, Kwanta 
Bisa and Ansa Owusu, were sent as hostages to England, 
