AMID THE FLUCTUATION'S OF WAR. 219 
king's oath, had withdrawn from his government, and was 
captured unawares by Adu Bofu. Against our will we were 
forced to be present, and were surprised to see so many 
people still left in Coomassie, and rushing to get a sight at 
these poor unhappy creatures, who were dragged forward 
amid hideous cries that sounded far above the wild music. 
Most of them were nearly naked, with only a 
cloth round the waist, and their hands fixed in the 
block which they carried on their heads, and bound 
together in companies of ten or fifteen, by cords around 
their necks. They formed a sad spectacle as they passed, 
looking dreadfully frightened. The women, old and 
young, followed, some with infants on their backs, others 
leading bigger children by the hand, who crouched in 
terror at their mother's side. The cruel spectators not 
satisfied with threats, struck these little creatures, causing 
my very blood to boil. There is a time to be scornful, and 
a time to be scorned ; a lesson Ashantee was soon to learn. 
The king's son, who conducted the prisoners from Adu 
Bofu to his father, was profusedly complimented. Follow- 
ing these poor miserable creatures, and with a rope round 
his neck, came old Amanaman, who was received with 
a shout of execration. How we longed to give them a 
word of comfort, as these wretched beings turned their 
large eager eyes on us. 
For the Momone women it was a day of great rejoicing, 
after their weeks of painful suspense, when songs of woe 
and lamentation alone had been heard in the palace. The 
king at once went to Bantama to attend at a sacrifice of 
fourteen men from Wasa ; we really felt like the disciples, 
of old, who wished that fire would come down from heaven* 
but the patience of our God was greater than ours. 
What a relief was it to us to turn from such a spec- 
tacle, to our quiet little service, where on April the 9th, 
with a few Fantees from the Coast, we enjoyed sitting 
