186 MISSIONARY LIFE IN ASIIANTEE. 
made it difficult for us to get them. For upwards of two 
months five boxes had been lying in Akrofrum, only three 
days journey from the capital, but our repeated entreaties 
to be allowed to have them were answered with promises 
only, and when I sent messengers they were turned back, 
until at length after continued applications, Bosommuru 
sent a sword-bearer to accompany my people, and they 
finally brought them on October 19th. 
My school was causing me some anxiety. We gave a 
fortnight's holiday to allow the boys to attend the yam 
festival, and when I heard (Oct. 8rd) that some had 
returned, I called them, and begged them to come again 
to school. They seemed frightened, for a boy who had 
only once attended had been complained of to the king 
and well thrashed. When I doubted the truth of the 
story, and spoke of mentioning it, they begged me with 
tears not to do so ; it would cost them, as tale bearers 
and betrayers, their heads. I quieted them with the 
promise not to tell anything of what I had heard, but 
took the matter, which seriously troubled me, to God in 
prayer. 
While I was thus free from my daily engagements I 
went with my wife, who needed a change, to M. Bon- 
nat's cottage in the plantation, where we remained some 
weeks. 
1 asked Bosommuru why the children did not appear, 
and if the king had forbidden it. He professed to know 
no^ihing, but would enquire, and a week later gave me the 
king's permission to gather them together again. Still 
I felt under restraint. On my way home however, I 
beckoned one of them who was standing in the market 
place, but he ran away as if he had seen a ghost. Prince 
Ansa's relation too, Kwabena, had been taken away from 
ns by his friends, though he had been with us for some 
time. They said he should come back in five days, but 
