66 MISSIONARY LIFE IN ASIIANTEE, 
orders that we were to proceed immediately to Coomassie, 
to the great astonishment of our leaders, one of whom 
called out " The king loves you much." 
Old Ageana was thunderstruck that the chairs should 
be sent for Ms slaves, and tremblingly faltered out — " The 
king wishes it, you must go to him." 
To us, who had resigned ourselves to the agonizing 
thought of being destined to adorn the triumphal entry 
of the returning conqueror, this was indeed a wondrous 
surprise. It was in vain we tried to imagine what had 
caused the change, and deeply touched, Ave could only 
render thanksgiving and praise to our gracious God. 
Early in the morning of April the 22nd, we put our 
few things together, took leave of the friendly villagers, 
and mounted our sedan chairs. M. B., for whom none had 
been sent, took his place on a bearer's shoulders, a mode 
of travelling common to chiefs, and even kings in this 
land ; but he found it so tiring as to prefer using his own 
feet the best part of the way. When however we passed 
a village, he had to mount, that it might be seen how the 
king honoured his white men. We dined and rested in 
our old quarters at Abankoro ; and now times had changed 
with us, we were greatly admired as elevated people. 
Our afternoon ride was along a beautiful road, and 
towards evening we were near Coomassie, but were 
carried aside to a little village, in the centre of which, 
under a large shady tree, a group of mahomedans were 
sitting, in their picturesque fashion. Descending, we 
entered a house, where we were evidently expected, and 
were informed by the owner, that the king had ordered 
dwellings to be? given us. We were then conducted by a 
side path thr(^gh bushes, to a little clearing on the 
borders of the forest, "v^here we found two miserable fresh 
grass huts, as our future quarters, and yet we were only 
half-an-hour's distance from Coomassie. 
