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APF]£NDIX. 
APPENDIX IV. 
A LETTER OF PRINCE ANSA. 
It will not be regarded as an indiscretion if we give here 
an extract from a letter of prince Ansa, dated June 21st, 
1871, in order to explain the accusation brought against 
him. It proves better than anything else the feelings of 
the prince towards his countrymen ; it also expresses the 
king's view of the Elmina acquisition ; and besides this 
it gives an insight into the head and heart of a civilised 
and christianised Ashantee. 
On the 30th of May, the prince wrote to the prisoners 
thus — "A very serious accusation has been brought 
against me respecting the letter which I wrote to the 
administrator by the king's order, with regard to the 
right of the king to the town and fort of Elmina. The 
people of Elmina accuse me of having added the following 
sentence on my own responsibility : ' The king of Ashantee 
says that the king of Holland is his subject.' The reason 
why the Dutch governor sends that young man (the 
commissioner Plange) is simply this, he wishes to make 
sure whether the king commissioned me to write that 
letter or not. The Elminers and the Dutch dispute most 
emphatically that the king has any rights in Elmina. 
Now, if the king deny having authorised me to write 
that letter, I shall hardly come up (to Coomassie). I 
believe I showed you the copy of the letter which I have 
now given to Mr. Crawford, in order to justify myself 
before the king." 
