114 MISSIONARY LIFE IN ASHANTEE. 
my wife, whereupon Bosommuru interrupted, saying, 
" The elders will not have it." " What do I care for the 
elders ?" answered the prince. Further experience, how- 
ever taught us that the opinion of these worthies is of 
great weight, and we were prevented by it from having 
an audience of the king. 
On the 31st, prince Ansa received his message to the 
English ambassador — " His majesty regretted not having 
officially announced to him that he, Kofi Kari Kari, had 
ascended the Ashantee throne in 1867, and that a mes- 
senger had repeatedly started for the coast, but had been 
driven back by fear of robbers. Some Akems had recently 
taken some Ashantees prisoners, and even killed them ; 
he would therefore like to know whether Akem was under 
the British Protectorate." 
At the prince's request the interpreters wrote these 
messages down, but our affairs were not mentioned. 
Presents of dresses and gold were given to him and his 
followers, and at his earnest entreaty seventy eggs and 
four pounds of rice were added for our use. A poor Asen 
negro, who two years before had been severely punished 
for secretly selling gunpowder, would then have been 
killed but for the prince's intercession. Now that prince 
Ansa was about to leave Coomassie, the chief executioner 
claimed him as his property, saying, " only Fantees are 
set free." Again, the entreaties of the prince prevailed, 
and the poor trembling man was delivered. 
The prince invited us to accompany him on his fare- 
well visit to the king. Brother K. was too ill to go, but 
M. Bonnat and myself agreed to his request. Passing 
through the seven courts leading to the palace, we found 
the king in the eighth, sitting under the arcades, which 
were tastefully decorated — he was almost enclosed by 
them, and was quite in dishabille ; six boys stood before 
him bearing torches. He was very merry, saying to the 
