TEE JUDGMENT. 
But though letters were received from his majesty pro- 
fessing desire for peace, no guarantees accompanied them, 
and Mr. Dawson, who had to write a few lines of thanks 
for a present of gold from the general, added as date* 
" 2 Cor. ii. 11." A significant warning ! 
By 8 A.M. on January 31st the British troops pushed 
forward, discovering an ambuscade in the neighbourhood 
of Amoaforo, where the native camp had in the previous 
night been visited and explored by a scout, whose reward 
was £20. It now became evident that the king had done 
his utmost to raise an overwhelming force ; he succeeded 
in engaging the English, and a sharp struggle took place 
in this primeval forest. The British troops, amounting to 
three thousand only (European and African combined), 
were badly covered, and had to fight an invisible enemy, 
numbering at least twenty thousand. 
Happily the Ashantees were ill provided with bullets, 
and obliged to make use of pieces of metal ; but it was 
almost impossible to take aim at them, so that rockets and 
small shell had to be resorted to. They kept up with much 
spirit till the afternoon, when they fled before a bayonet 
charge, and in the evening they again threatened the 
English right wing and rear. Asamoa Kwanta seems to 
have planned and commanded with much insight, yet he 
lost the battle. Among the many slain were Amankwa 
Tia, who fell on the left wing, and the brave and worthy 
prince of Mampong on the right, whilst Apea lost his 
life in the centre. The English only lost seven men at 
the time, but over two hundred were carried ofi" the field 
wounded. They also buried more than a hundred Ashan- 
tees after the majority had been taken away by their 
country people. 
On the following day the stately town of Bekwae was 
* "Lest Satan should get advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of 
his devices." 
