BROTHER KUHNE SET AT LIBERTY. 273 
to Boakje Tenteng, the husband of the queen mother, but 
did not find him at home. 
The whole of Monday (19th) we spent at the building, 
hoping to finish one gallery before we left, and I instructed 
Joseph how to proceed without us. Whils b thus employed, 
a messenger came from Boakje Tenteng to call us. We 
went, but failed to find him ; and heard from good autho- 
rity that he and Kwantabisa would be the two last to 
consent to our being set at liberty. Owusu Kokoo then 
told Mr. D. that two days before it had been fully arranged 
that he was to accompany all the Europeans and Fantees 
to the Coast. The council had agreed with all delibera- 
tion, when suddenly the boundary guard, Obeng, sent a 
message to say — he would fire upon the enemy — that if 
the people in Coomassie had no powder, he at least had 
some. This stroke wounded their pride to such a de- 
gree, that they started, and swore as we have related 
above. 
The next day (20th) another messenger from Obeng an- 
nounced that the white men were in Fomana, and Kokofu 
was already cleared of its inhabitants, for the enemy had 
appeared in the distance. We felt this would touch the 
king deeply, for Kokofu was the cradle of his dynasty, and 
regarded as a holy town by the whole nation. Boakje 
Tenteng danced all the night and morning in the streets, 
which signified that he was going to the field. 
The heavy storm that had been gathering over the devoted 
land was now about to burst in its fury, and our doubts were 
great as to whether it would be a crushing storm or a 
quickening rain, for us as well as for Ashantee. The 
people in Coomassie itself were getting almost furious. 
One came into our yard and said to Mrs. Flange, " she need 
not be at all anxious, but quietly resign herself to her 
fate ! Ashantee would never crawl to the cross, nor give 
up the prisoners, but rather fight and die with them." 
T 
