102 
MISSIONARY LIFE IN ASH ANTE E. 
insulting, screaming in our faces, and pretending to cut 
off our heads. 
The king's chairs were very curious, and quite new to 
us. About twenty of them were of mixed Ashantee and 
European workmanship, and had one or two bells, remind- 
ing us of the cow-bells of our beautiful Switzerland ; 
although finely ornamented they were all stained black 
with human blood. The real throne is a chair of the 
country, about four hundred years old, so patched with 
golden wire and plates that the original wood is scarcely 
visible. An immense umbrella is carried over it, and not 
until he has taken his seat in this chair is a new sovereign 
looked upon as king. 
As his majesty was carried past us he saluted us 
pleasantly, and then began a war-dance. He waved his 
sword most gracefully in every direction except towards 
us ; he next took a gun, inlaid with silver, with which ho 
went through the same manoeuvres, laughing and nodding 
at us. This the prince explained afterwards, was a great 
honour. Over him was held the most beautiful of his 
umbrellas, of red and black velvet, and laced with gold.* 
He, like most of his chiefs, was clothed in calico, the 
symbol of mourning, no doubt on account of the war. It 
was quite night when we arrived at home, by a short 
road which brought us in ten minutes from the spot which 
had taken an hour and a half to reach in the morninof. 
As we passed along the people followed, screaming and 
shouting : " Enemies," they cried, " you shall all be killed ! 
Oh, you fools !" How thankful were we that this dreaded 
reception was over. 
We were told various stories of the doings on such 
occasions. The following may be taken as a sample of 
the cruel tastes of this savage people. On one occasion 
* It is the same umbrella which is now iu the museum at South 
Kensington. 
