234 
MISSIONARY LIFE IN ASUANTEE. 
sentation, this vexatious affair was ended by a conciliatory- 
message from his majesty, and we as usual tried to think 
the best. The prince however believed these Fantees to 
be ill-disposed, and capable of very bad actions, Akjere 
Mensa had said many things against us all, but especially 
against Dawson, as untrustworthy. The king gave us no 
opportunity to explain, so we resolutely refused to employ 
him. He went to the palace to complain, and returned 
with a message that we were to allow the men to A\^ork, 
and that his majesty would come himself and see us; 
thus the backbiter remained, but no work was given him. 
Our small affairs were now forgotten, for a sudden death 
plunged the palace and the town into great grief. On 
our Rosa's birthday the 2nd crown prince Mensa Kuma 
died, at sixteen years of age. This was publicly announced 
at four o'clock, but before that hour royal servants oc- 
cupied all the streets to catch the fugitives. Kwabena, 
the captive son of the chief of Peki, who had often been 
our informant, brought us the news, warning us to let 
none leave the house lest he should fall into the hands of 
the odumfo, who were searching everywhere for victims. 
His master Kwantiabo had been sitting in council half 
an hour before in the palace with the other chiefs, sur- 
rounded by their followers. A messenger suddenly 
appeared and whispered to the king, who stooping down, 
rubbed the tips of his fingers with red earth, and painted 
his forehead. On this all the servants rushed from the 
palace, and on a sign from his master our young infor- 
mant did the same, without really knowing why, for this 
was his first experience of this savage custom. Soon after 
came Dawson in a state ot alarm, to enquire the reason 
of the awful tumult. The people outside were frantic, 
seizing poultry and sheep, killing them and throwing them 
away, and men were eveywhere falling victims to the 
odumfo's knife. 
