158 
MISSIONARY LIFE IN ASIIANTEE. 
places when an alarm of fire in the town caused the 
whole assembly to decamp in a hurry, and half an hour 
elapsed before the royal personages reappeared, and we 
were once more permitted to stand before them in the 
blazing heat of noonday sunshine. 
The king commenced proceedings by informing his 
chiefs that his friend the governor desired our liberation ; 
he readily granted the advisability of complying with the 
request, but would be glad to hear whether Adu Bofo 
agreed in his views. I had been accompanied to this in- 
terview by my wife and our child, for I really had ven- 
tured to think something might come of it ; but on hear- 
ing this my fair vision of hope suddenly collapsed, and 
I despatched her homewards with little Rosie, who was 
growing tired and fretful. 
Adu Bofo simulated surprise, and pretended to confer 
for some moments with his friends. Very soon however 
he began to explain that Asen, Akem, Akra, and Aknapem, 
which all formerly belonged to Ashantee, had been drawn 
over to serve the white men, who on their part had sub- 
sequently broken their treaty of peace with Ashantee by 
refusing to give up a runaway chief. The king here re- 
marked that these were matters of the past, which need 
not be stirred up afresh. " At all events," replied Adu 
Bofo, " the right thing would be to regain our authority 
over these tribes. I have been to war I" he shouted ; " I 
have gained victories, used much powder, and lost more 
than a thousand men, and now am I to give up all that 
has been gained ? No I " he roared, with furious glances 
in our direction, "never, never will I let these prisoners 
go free 1 never, I say ! " 
When asked to reconsider his sentence, he again ap- 
peared to reflect, and then began: "The wish of his 
heart," said he, in a deprecating manner, " was never to 
give up the white men; but to please the king, his 
