PROLOmED WAITING. 
169 
four hundred were sent northward, under an Ashantee 
colonel, whither and for what purpose no one knew. A 
few days later, the single women of the same village were 
summoned, the king promising to give them work, but as 
we believed to be sold, though they had given themselves 
up voluntarily, and had been assured they should be sent 
back to their own land. Truly it was difficult to enter- 
tain a warm affection for such a nation, and yet I pain- 
fully felt that my poor words would be powerless unless 
they proceeded from a loving heart. 
When the Adae fell on a Sunday, we could scarcely 
attempt street preaching, on account of the drinking and 
general excitement. At other times we were greatly en- 
couraged, as on one occasion, where two of the king's sons 
were among the audience, on another when we had more 
than four hundred attentive listeners, and yet again, when 
a chief visited me with his two sons who had expressed 
a desire to know me ; still our hope of making any lasting- 
impression was continually checked. 
On May 80th, the wife of one of the king's brothers 
died, and he to express his sympathy, sent more than a 
dozen victims for sacrifice, accompanied by the wild music 
of the horns. At such times the question would arise, 
what were we that we should attempt to do battle against 
this mighty bulwark of Satan ? It almost seemed as if 
we heard his scornful laugh ! but we sowed on in faith 
and hope, looking to God to preserve and fructify the seed. 
A letter from the prince on June 4th occasioned us 
much concern. It accompanied a box with a variety of 
things we had ordered, and told us of the arrival of the 
governor-in-chief at Elmina, the taking of which place 
caused all other affairs to be put on one side, so that the 
king's letter remained unanswered. The prince deplored 
that new comers unacquainted with the country declined 
to take advice from experienced natives. 
