72 MISSIONARY LIFE IN ASHANTEE. 
Next, under an enormous silk sunshade, appeared the 
actual throne chair, encased with gold, and with long 
golden pipes carried behind it, as well as various wonder- 
ful vessels and articles of vertu. A peculiar music was 
heard rising above the sound of the horns and the beating 
of the drums. This was produced by some thirty wild- 
looking boys, each of whom swung, as he marched, a 
calabash half-filled with stones. This din was anything 
but agreeable to a European ear, though the performers 
kept marvellously good time. 
Still larger umbrellas and fans now approached, pre- 
ceded by a corps of a hundred executioners dancing, whose 
ages varied from boys of only ten years to grey-headed old 
men ; all wore leopard skin caps, and had two knives 
slung from their necks. The dismal death drum, whose 
three beats were heard from time to time, closed the 
procession. 
Now the music became wilder and louder, the ivory 
horns sounded shriller, the screaming and howling sur- 
passed all description. Led by an attendant under a 
magnificent sunshade of black velvet, edged with gold, 
and kept in constant motion, the royal potentate appeared. 
Boys with sabres, fans, and elepliants' tails danced around 
him like imps of darkness, screaming with all the power 
of their lungs, " He is coming, he is coming. His majesty 
the lord of all the earth approaches!" The boys then 
retired that the king might be able to look well at us, 
and enjoy the intensity of his happiness. Golden sandals 
adorned his feet ; a richly ornamented turban was on his 
head ; his dress was of yelloAV silk-damask ; his hands 
and feet glittered with gold bracelets and bangles. Half 
a dozen pages held him by the arms, back, and legs, like 
a little child, crying continually, "Look before thee, O 
lion ! take care, the ground is not even here." 
Kari-Kari is a man who really impresses you, still 
