108 
MISSIONARY LIFE IN ASIIANTEE. 
during the service the king's band, sent by his Majesty 
with congratulations " to cheer our hearts on this festival," 
interrupted us with their drums, clarionets, and cymbals 
— an honour we would gladly have foregone — continuing 
their performance till f.ve in the evening, when we gave 
them some dinner an<l a few small coins. I was after- 
wards attacked with fever, which did not leave me till the 
beginning of the new year. Notwithstanding my illness, 
I went with my party to see the king (December 29th) in 
Amanghyia. The royal messenger, Kwabena, who called 
us, allowed no time for breakfast, some goods having just 
arrived ; and in consequence of this unnecessary haste we 
had to wait for the interview two hours in the heat. 
The king sat in a yard of the extensive two storied 
villa ; and in front of him stood seven chests addressed to 
us, which were opened, and an inventory taken of their 
contents. There were some composite candles which 
pleased him greatly, and he took possession of half of 
them. I got an alpaca dress for my wife, under protest, 
because she really needed it; of ten other pieces of 
material, his majesty took six, of course the best. They 
were beautiful he said, and he would give us gold for 
them. We were to receive a benna of gold dust, equal to 
thirty-two dollars, but when it arrived, fully an eighth 
was wanting. Almost all the things we had ordered, 
with the exception of shoes for me, came. Prince Ansa's 
wife sent her husband an umbrella ; and fourteen ounces 
of gold dust were given us in a sealed packet. 
When I asked the king if I might order some shoes 
from Christiansborg, he said prince Ansa and Mr. Watts 
would see to that, as they were going to the Coast next 
week. The prince plainly said he did not believe it ; 
whereupon the king offered to bet that he would obtain 
leave to depart on Saturday. He then gave us another 
sheep and two suas of gold dust, and handed us three 
