272 
MISSIONARY LIFE IN ASHANTEE. 
summon a high council which we should attend, that we 
might have an opportunity of speaking. We waited, how- 
ever, in vain for a summons, and the contrary of what we 
hoped for occurred. The chiefs indeed assembled, hut to 
swear that they would unite in marching against the white 
men in the field. Some started at once, others followed 
the same night. No one was allowed to sleep in the town. 
News came at the same time that the white men were 
at the foot of the Kwisa mountain, and it was declared to 
us by one of our Coast negroes, a fetish man from Krepe, 
who was often in the palace, that the king thought of 
delivering us on Monday the 19th. This man had the day 
before been performing fetish, on which occasion he had 
been tying a block of wood with a rope, to be pulled very 
tight, while our names and those of the Fantees were 
called out. In the midst of the operation the rope broke, 
and the exorcist fell full length on the ground. It was 
then acknowledged the affair was too much for the 
Ashantees, and they had better let us go. * 
On Sunday the 18th Mr. D. came to us somewhat de- 
pressed ; having heard that the Ashantees in the neigh- 
bourhood of Lake Bosomotsche had encountered the 
Akems, hunted them like sheep, and either killed or taken 
them prisoners. When he visited Bosommuru, and en- 
quired the results of the council, he was answered abruptly 
by the words, " it is too late." He again urged peace, 
only saying not a moment was to be lost, upon which 
the minister sulkily rejoined, " the governor will not let 
anything prevent him now, he is having cannon tied to 
the trees," &c., and concluded by adding, " I have heard 
it." So ended the interview. We then tried to gain access 
* That the Ashantees have great faith in omens, this incident readily 
proves ; but we never heard anything in Coomassie itself about the 
anecdote, which was handed round in the English papers, that the king 
let a white goat fight with a black one in order to see which would win. 
