166 MISSIONARY LIFE IN ASHANTEE. 
said to have lost Ins head for daring to suggest that he 
spent too much money on his wives. It was quite evident 
tliat unless compelled, he would never alter so convenient 
and time-honoured a custom. 
A joyful message from prince Ansa, who was still in 
Fomana, gave us an opportunity of seeing the magni- 
ficent Amanghyia. He advised us of the dispatch of 
eleven boxes, which obliged us to apply to Bosommuru 
to have them at once conveyed to us. We did not see 
the king, who was sleeping, but admired the tasteful and 
durable building he had erected, in heu of the poor 
temporary huts which had served his followers in former 
years. The whole was in keeping with his own beauti- 
fully situated villa. 
In advance of the expected boxes came Robert Kwansa, 
with not only letters from home, but what we then needed 
almost more, twenty ounces of gold dust. How thankful 
we were to the kind brethren for thus hastening to supply 
our wants, before Elmina was ceded to England, and a rup- 
ture occurred with Ashantee. The prince, as we have said, 
was detained on the road, and not until the completion of 
the celebrations, when the king returned with his court, 
and we had to be present at the reception, was the royal 
messenger despatched to accompany him to the coast. 
Our boxes were similarly treated, promises were made 
and broken, though finally one after another was sent, 
the last not reaching us until the 3rd of May. Then after 
all the presents we gave to the king and his chamberlain, 
they were dissatisfied. The king said he must " buy" 
from us further. We declined, for we were really in need 
of the materials for our own clothes, but he so persisted 
that at last we gave him another piece, thus realizing how 
entirely we were prisoners. 
On April the 15th, we were awoke by the rocking of our 
beds, from a sharp shock of earthquake. Some years 
