the principal persons in the town were dressed in their gayest attire: a large group of them was collected under the Fetish tree, to see and hear the Fetishman, while he made his orations, and danced to the sound of several drums, which were played by females. The appear

ance of the Fetishman was very much like that of a clown: his face was bedaubed with white clay; he had a large iron chain hanging around his neck, which seemed to be worn as a necklace; around his legs were tied bunches of Fetish; and he held in his hand an immense knife, about fifteen inches long, and two and a half inches broad. Sometimes he danced with many frantic gestures; and at other times stood gazing around him with every indication of a vacant mind. While I stood at a distance, looking at him, he set out, and ran to a distance of about a hundred yards. Anxious to keep him in sight, I walked forward past a small shed which would have concealed him from me, and saw him standing with a musket at his shoulder, aiming at a turkey-buzzard on a tree hard by. Having fired without hitting his mark, he returned to the tree from whence he started, and began to make a speech to the people.

It is at these public meetings that these men deliver to the poor deluded people the messages which they pretend they have received from the Fetish; which messages are received by the great body of the people as sterling truth. O man, into what an awful state of degradation art thou fallen!

Sunday, 24th.-At a quarter past seven A. M. I conducted divine service at my quarters. Several of our members from Cape Coast (who are trading in the neighbourhood) attended. During the service, Corintchie came to pay me a visit, but did not stay until the conclusion. He looked wild and confused, having been up during the whole of last night, finishing the Custom for his sister. I believe that nearly every person in the town has been up the whole night. Nearly all those whom I saw, as I walked out in the evening, had a sottish appearance. At half past four P. M. I again conducted divine service at my quarters. To screen myself from the oppressive heat of the day, I went to my usual place of retirement on the skirts of the forest, intending to swing my hammock to some of the trees, and remain there until towards evening. As I

*I tried some time afterwards to get this chain of the Fetishman as a curiosity, but could not succeed.

approached the place, I found that the air had a putrid smell; which reminded me that I was not far from the spot where the body of the poor sacrificed female had been thrown: prudence, therefore, obliged me to return to my quarters, as I could find no other place sufficiently quiet on the one hand, and free from large ants and snakes on the other.

Tuesday, 26th.-I went into the forest, where I saw some very large monkeys, and several kinds of birds of the most exquisitely-beautiful plumage imaginable.

Wednesday, 27th.-I had a long conversation with some of the natives on the subject of the General Resurrection, and of the injury done to their country by human sacrifices. Many of the natives seem to have an utter dislike to this horrid custom; while others are sunk into such a state of apathy, that they are quite indifferent about it, though their lives, as well as others', are continually in danger.

Thursday, 28th.-I paid Corintchie a visit, and reasoned with him closely on the painful consequences of human sacrifices and Customs for the dead. He readily acknowledged the evil; and expressed himself as ready to abolish it, if he were at full liberty to do so; but he feared the King. The only reason he could give for making Customs, over and above human sacrifices, for the dead, was, that they felt very unhappy when they lost their relatives and friends, and were then very glad to have recourse to drunkenness, or any thing which would drive gloomy thoughts from their minds for a season. As he thus gave me a good opportunity of directing him to the only sure refuge for a troubled mind,-the consolations of true religion,

I told him, God alone was able to sustain the human mind under afflictions and bereavements. He seemed affected with what I said to him. In the evening he sent me a present, consisting of a sheep, yams, and plantains.

MARCH 1st, Friday. Early last evening the Fetishman called many of the people together, and continued playing his drum all night; the noise of which disturbed me so much, that I had very little sleep; consequently, I arose this morning so unwell, that I was under the necessity of going to bed immediately after breakfast.

Saturday, 2d.-To-day another human victim was sacrificed, on account of the death of a person of rank in the As I was going out of the town, in the cool of the evening, I saw the poor creature lying on the ground.

town.

The head was severed from the body, and lying at a short distance from it; several large turkey-buzzards were feasting on the wounds, and literally rolling the head in the dust. This unfortunate creature appeared to be about eighteen years of age; a strong, healthy youth, who might, in all probability, have lived forty, fifty, or even sixty years longer. As I returned into the town, I saw that they had dragged the body to a short distance, and put it into the ditch where the poor female was thrown the other day. On my conversing with some of the natives concerning the horrible nature of human sacrifices, they said, they themselves did not like them, and wished they could be done away. While the poor creature was lying in the public street, many of the people were looking on it with the greatest indifference; indeed, they seem to be so familiar with these awful and bloody scenes, that they think no more of them, yea, they do not think so much of them, as they would of seeing a dead sheep, dog, or monkey.

Sunday, 3d.-About half-past seven A.M. I conducted divine service at my lodgings, and also at half-past four P. M.: God was in the midst of us.

Tuesday, 5th. This afternoon I received letters containing some very interesting intelligence concerning our societies on the coast. Blessed be God, all is well with them.

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Thursday, 14th.-As I was ing home from my afternoon exercise, (a walk in the forest,) I saw a splendid species of epidendrum clinging to a tree, at a considerable height from the ground. Anxious to obtain it, I sent a person up the tree for that purpose, who, while in the act of pulling it off, espied a venomous snake in a hole nearly close to his hand. It did not, however, attempt to bite him, (though one of the worst kind of snakes,) and the man, having pulled off the plant, descended in safety. The country abounds in snakes.

APPETITE FOR BLOOD.

Saturday, 16th.-The Ashantees are very fond of eating the blood of beasts. This I learned from a scene which I witnessed this morning. Having agreed to purchase part of an ox which was brought into the town for sale, I had felt a curiosity to see their method of slaughtering. Soon after break of day, the owner sent to inform me that they were ready to slaughter the ox; but as I was afraid of the damps, (much rain having fallen during the night, I sent my interpreter to see it killed, who soon returned to inform me that the beast was too strong for them; so that, instead of

tying it down, and cutting the throat, they would be obliged to shoot it. I hereupon put on my cloak, and repaired to the place where the beast was, to see how they would proceed: it was standing about twenty yards from the man who was preparing to shoot it. The first shot was fired without effect; the second wounded it in the shoulder; which they no sooner perceived, than forty or fifty men surrounded it: some caught it by the horns, some by the tail; and thus they endeavoured to drag it along the ground to a convenient place for cutting it up. The beast, however, soon recovered strength, and, rising upon its feet, kicked one man down, and made the others escape in every direction. On seeing this, I loaded my fowling-piece with a ball, and shot it in the head; which soon stopped it. It was no sooner on the ground, than the greatest uproar ensued. A number of them (ten or twelve) stood over it with immense knives, which they flourished around them while quarrelling about the blood; a few of them wishing to cut off the head immediately, while the others wished to catch as much blood as they could before it died. I verily believe that, for the sake of the blood, they would have let the poor animal bleed and suffer for half an hour, if I had not been present to urge them to kill it. On inquiring why they clamoured for the blood in such a manner, I learned that they are so fond of it as to make stews with it. Their chief food, however, is soup made from the palm-nut, boiled up with dried fish, or the flesh of the monkey; to which they add a kind of pudding, (native name, foofoo,) made with the green fruit of the plantain-tree, (musa paradisiaca,) which they first boil, and then pound with a large wooden pestle and mortar. These mills are to be heard going in almost every house, while passing through the town during certain hours of the day. This work is generally performed by females, one of them using the pestle, and the other keeping the food in a lump by plying it with her hands, that the pestle may act more effectually. same method is practised in Fantee; but the Fantees are not obliged to use the plantain so much as the Ashantees, as they have plenty of Indian corn, (xea mays,) with which they make both bread and puddings. The Ashantees have a tolerable supply of sheep, which they seldom use for any other purpose than that of making sacrifices to Fetish. They have also plenty of fine poultry, which they keep for the sake of the eggs,

The

abundance of which they offer to Fetish. While travelling through the sombre gloom of the forest, the crowing of chanticleer, a sure indication that a croom is at hand, is very pleasing. The average price of a fowl in Ashantee is 1s. 3d., of an ox £5, and of a sheep £1. 158.

PREACHING, AND FURTHER PROCEEDINGS, AT FOMUNNAH.

Sunday, 17th.-At half-past nine A. M. I conducted divine service at my lodgings; after which I felt the air so cold, (occasioned by a strong Harmattan,) that I was obliged to put on a warm cloth dress. In the afternoon I again conducted divine service, and preached from Matthew xix. 17: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Corintchie, and several of his Captains, were present, and appeared much excited during the sermon; but more especially during that part in which I explained to them the Commandments contained in the Decalogue. They often stopped me in my discourse, to ask questions; among which was the following: "Is the offering of human sacrifice murder?" I answered, "It is even so; and you will henceforth be left without excuse, if you still persist in that horrible practice." After I had directed their attention to the excellency of the Ten Commandments, especially describing the temporal and spiritual blessings which the consecration of the Christian Sabbath is calculated to introduce among mankind, I proposed the following question: "Who are the happiest persons; those who conscientiously keep God's commandments, or those who wilfully break them?" They answered, without hesitation, "Those who keep them;" and I verily believe that this answer was given in sincerity, as they appeared to be deeply impressed with the solemnity of the discourse.

Monday, 18th." How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God!" Truly God is good. Although I am in a sickly clime, and exposed to many peculiar dangers, yet how trifling are my sufferings! Indeed, they are not worthy to be mentioned. "Bless the Lord, O my

soul!"

Tuesday, 19th.-Corintchie came to pay me a visit, when I embraced the opportunity of refreshing his memory concerning the discourse which he heard on Sunday last. Remembering the Fourth Commandment, he said he had always thought that God had appointed different days to be kept sacred by different na

tions; such as one day for the Ashantees, another for the Fantees, another for the Wars.s, &c.; and, if so, the keeping of the Christian Sabbath was not binding upon the Ashantees. I told him, there is now but one day which God has consecrated, and set apart for his special worship; and that the observance of that day is binding upon all men who are favoured with information concerning it.

re

Wednesday, 20th.-This morning Corintchie paid me another visit, when the subject on which we conversed yesterday was again resumed. During our conversation he appeared more deeply convinced of the truth than he did yesterday, and requested me to accompany him to his residence. After we had taken our seats in his house, our former topic of discourse was again sumed. While we were conversing, several of his Captains, and the King's messenger, (a respectable old man,) joined us. As some of them still thought that the Christian Sabbath was not intended for them, I asked them to prove the truth of what Corintchie stated yesterday, namely, "That God had set apart different days for different nations." They then said, that there was a person in the interior, who had lived ever since the creation of the world; and that he knew these things, and could prove them. I told them I should very much like to see him. Upon their hinting that they feared they would expose themselves to much danger, as a nation, by giving up their Fetish days, and keeping the Sabbath, I endeavoured to convince them that their fears were groundless, and that so far would it be from bringing a curse upon the nation, that God would abundantly bless them; and I referred them to England, as a proof of my assertion. I told them what England was once, in its state of heathen barbarism, and of the mighty change which it has experienced since the introduction of Christianity. This argument was strong for them, and they consequently gave up the point.

too

Thursday, 21st.-This morning I paid Corintchie a visit, and found him seated in company with several of his Captains, and the King's messenger. I entered into conversation with them concerning my long detention at Fomunnah, and the importance of my seeing the King, and returning to Cape-Coast, before the commencement of the rainy season. I told them that I fancied some bad persons about the King were endeavouring to frighten him, by

telling him that I was come into the country as a spy; and that it would be my duty to turn aside, and carry the glad tidings of salvation to another nation, if I found them averse to receiving the truth. At this they seemed very much concerned; and said, they felt no disposition to oppose the introduction of Christianity among them, and that they believed the King would also be glad to hear the truths of the Gospel, and that he would wish me to stay a long time in Coomassie, after my arrival and first interview.

In the afternoon I rambled through the thicket to the summit of a distant hill, where one of the most splendid pieces of scenery I ever saw burst on my view. The bush on the summit being rather low, I had an opportunity of viewing the surrounding country, in some directions, for several miles. Down the sloping sides of the hill, the splendid plantain-tree was luxuriating, and waving its beautiful foliage before the balmy zephyrs which whispered around. Then followed the delightful vale, winding to the right and left, studded with gigantic silk-cotton trees, acaciæ mimose, with an endless variety of climbers, (chiefly papilionaceous,) running up and reclining on the topmost branches, descending and embracing the earth, and again ascending to the top,-that portion of their stems between the ground and the high branches of the trees appearing like immense cables. Beyond the valley were seen other hills rising in the distance, clothed with the most beautiful verdure to their very summits, except here and there a small spot, cleared by the natives, for the purpose of cultivating yams, &c. While I stood gazing on this scene of splendid though wild luxuriance, "I felt an inward bliss spring o'er my heart." Even the Fantees who were with me, whose ideas as to the beauties of nature are generally bounded by the skirts of the forest which girt their little crooms, expressed their participation in the satisfaction which I enjoyed, by exclaiming, in the native tongue, Oya fieu doodo, "It is very handsome." "These are thy glorious works, Parent of good, Almighty." But, alas! how painful is the reflection, "Man seems the only growth that dwindles here!" What dark lines on these fair colours are the habitations

*These stems are so strong, that a man may climb up them with the greatest ease and safety. In more than one instance, I have sent a man up them to get some of the numerous orchideœ, growing on the large trees,