284 MISSIOJ^ABY LIFE IN ASHANTEE. 
About half-past nine we reached the first deserted 
village ; not a creature was to be seen. Four and a half 
years before such empty dwellings spoke to us only of 
imprisonment, want and misery, now they were signs 
that the deliverer was at hand. After we had passed 
several small villages, we suddenly came upon Dompoase, 
scarcely three miles from the British army. But the 
streets swarmed with black soldiers, and under the tree 
in front ol the chief's house stood Obeng, with three 
hundred and fifty warriors. Was he going to afibrd us 
his protection to the border, or to attack the English 
army, under cover of giving us up ? It was the last 
anxious hour we were to spend in Ashantee. 
After sitting a long time, we were obliged to go in pro- 
cession to the proud man, who thirteen months previously 
had plundered us. He was, however, studiously polite, as 
were also his subordinates. Sitting under the shadow of a 
tree we received their return greetings, a solemnity which 
had never before seemed so dreadfully tedious, and then 
appeared before Obeng once more with our escort, so that 
he might be duly informed of the royal message to the 
general. He appeared pleased, and together with all his 
followers, begged that we would say a good word for 
them, as the Ashantees had no quarrel with the white 
men. Altogether, he said, war was a bad thing. " Look 
at this village, it is quite deserted ; does it not make one's 
heart ache?" I could but think it really served the 
Ashantees right, after having burnt so many villages, to 
be forced now to tremble for their own homes. 
Half an hour had elapsed with these ceremonies, and 
various messengers came up, all begging us to advise the 
general to come to terms. We broke away at last, and 
had gone some forty steps when we were again stopped, 
as a further escort had been despatched to accompany 
us to the general. We burned with impatience ; what 
