BEFOllE THE KING. 
lb 
The king did not speak much, but remarked that we 
were not quite white, which was true enough. We ex- 
plained this as the effect of exposure to the sun, and 
opened our dress that he might see the white skin be- 
neath. After he had left, we naturally thought much of 
" the brother," or " the prince," who had spoken English 
to us, and wondered who he was. Judging by his 
colour, we thought he might be an ambassador from the 
Dutch governor of Elmina; anyway, that would be 
proved if he really sent us an English Bible. 
To our great joy, after three days, the much longed for 
treasure was placed in our hands — a New Testament 
with the Psalms, accompanied by a few old numbers of 
Wesley an missionary notices. The bearer was a young 
christian from Cape Coast, and who can imagine the de- 
light with which we grasped the coveted volume, or how 
we thanked God for that, which we now knew so well 
how to prize, yea far better than before we had been so 
long without it.* 
*In an old treaty of peace between the British, government and the 
king of Ashantee, it was stipulated that the heir to the throne should be 
educated in England, but as the heir then living was too old to learn, 
two of the king's nephews. Ansa and Kwantabisa, came in 1836 to 
England in his place, Ansa being then twelve years old. These 
princes were well educated and treated with the honour due to their 
rank. 
In 1841, they returned to Africa with a pension, granted to them by 
Queen Victoria, of £100 a year each. Kwantabisa died at Cape Coast, 
but prince Ansa received his allowance till within three years. Far 
some time he had been engaged in the Wesleyan mission, and was finally 
ordained as a missionary. In 1867, he was sent by the colonial govern- 
ment to Coomassie, upon the news of Kwakoo Dooah's death, and he 
had there been detained till now. 
This was the beginning of our acquaintance with the converted 
Ashantee prince, John Owusu Ansa, a man to whom we owe the deepest 
gratitude, and who seemed to have been express y sent to Coomassie, to 
prove a messenger of grace for us during our long trial. 
