204 
MISSIONARY LIFE IN ASEANTEE. 
tants of neighbouring towns, but the invasion of Dompre, 
combined with hunger and sickness, so weakened him, 
that he was forced to return home, and the affairs at 
Elmina were equally unfavourable, as Akjampong, who 
had undertaken the command, and who had sworn to de- 
fend the town against all attacks, was finally forced to take 
refuge in ApoUonia. To all this was added the transfer 
of the Dutch possessions to Great Britain, which threatened 
to put a stop to the Ashantees trading to the Coast. 
War was therefore resolved upon by the chiefs at that 
time, but as the store of ammunition and salt was then 
very small, it was desirable first to re-open the trade with 
the Coast, in order to procure a supply of these necessaries. 
Powder might be had in case of need from the far distant 
Kwantiabo, but salt could only be got from the Coast, 
and the plan was to make use of us as a means for open- 
ing the way to it. 
For this reason, every enquiry of the English 
government respecting us was answered in a friendly 
tone ; the royal messengers who were constantly hurry- 
ing backwards and forwards on our account, always 
had a suite of twenty men who were at liberty to pur- 
chase as much as they pleased, and the people of the 
boundary also held large markets yearly at which Ashan- 
tees could buy salt although at a high price ; prisoners 
too were constantly exchanged in order to lull the 
governor and the Fantees to sleep, and confidence was so 
far restored that the Fantees again ventured to go to 
Coomassie for trade. 
At last the governor, in a complaisant manner, pro- 
claimed peace between the Ashantees and the Pro- 
tectorate, and thus the "great nation" had what it 
wished for, free liberty to trade in order to prepare for 
war, which was unceasingly desired, as the surrender of 
Elmina could not by any means be prevented. A hint 
