going either backward or forward. I returned to my lodgings, and ordered my people to get ready for starting back to Cape-Coast immediately; and then repaired to Corintchie's house again, taking the precaution of sending one of my attendants towards the backdoor of the house, to see if Corintchie would attempt to make his escape out of my sight in that direction, as I went in at the front-door. When I arrived at the door, I saw one of the linguists, who said Corintchie was not within. Not satisfied with this answer, I stepped into the house, before any one could get to Corintchie to tell him I was coming, and found him leisurely taking his breakfast. I then upbraided him for his unjust conduct, and requested a messenger as soon as he had finished his breakfast. On his promising to settle the matter immediately, I withdrew into another apartment, and waited for him nearly half an hour I then sent my interpreter to see if he was ready, who returned to inform me that Corintchie had finished his breakfast, and escaped. Finding that he was trying to get the mastery over me, I saw the necessity of securing his compliance with my wishes, by coming to the determination, that if he would not let messengers go forwards, I would immediately go backwards: accordingly I sent to one of the linguists to inform him of my intention, returned to my lodgings, and began to start my people off with my luggage. While I was busily engaged in doing this, one of the linguists came and begged of me to stop, promising that a messenger should be immediately provided for Coomassie. I answered, "Let me see the messenger ready to commence his journey without delay, or I will soon be out of the town." He then left, saying he would get one immediately; but I did not believe him, and therefore continued to send off my luggage. He came again, saying, "The messenger is nearly ready." I answered, "Let me see him :" but no messenger came. Having sent off all my people, informing them where I wished them to stop for me on the road, I again walked to Corintchie's house, to take my leave of him; he appeared stupid, brutal, and sullen, and would not give me his hand: I consequently turned from him, and waited a

* As the despotic nature of the Government under which they live often places their lives in danger, all the Ashantee Chiefs, Captains, &c., build their houses in such a manner that they can readily escape at one door, at the same moment in which any person enters at the other.

moment to tell the King's messenger 1 was going. Before I parted with the messenger, I asked him whether he did not think forty-six days a sufficient length of time for me to wait patiently, especially as I was getting short of provisions, and the rainy season was fast approaching. He candidly acknowledged that I had been detained too long, and that he could not blame me for returning. I had proceeded but a short distance on my way, when Corintchie sent begging me to stop and speak with him; to which message I thought it right not to pay any attention.

When I arrived at Quissah, I found my people waiting for me in the street; and I again ordered them to proceed. While so doing, the Chief (one of Corintchie's Captains) came to entreat me to stay for a day or two at Quissah. This I should have had no objection to do, had I not been aware that it was a scheme of Corintchie's, played on purpose to hinder me from proceeding homewards; but as I was fully aware that this was the case, I again proceeded on my way, and began to ascend the high hill which separates the Ashantee and Assin countries. When I was about half way up the hill, one of Corintchie's linguists came running after me, entreating me to return, saying that his master was very sorry for what he had done; that if I would go back, the messenger should be provided instantly; and that he should travel to Coomassie during the night by torch-light: + but as I thought he was not sufficiently frightened, I still proceeded on my way. Corintchie no sooner found out his mistake, in supposing that I would allow myself to be played with, than he became very much alarmed, and applied to a Fantee residing in Quissah, whom I knew very well, entreating him to follow after me, and tell me that he sincerely begged my pardon, and hoped I would forgive him and return; and that he would send messengers to conduct me back. Notwithstanding this, I still proceeded, and took up my lodgings for the night in a small croom, about nine miles and a half from Fomunnah. I had scarcely arranged my people for the night, ere several messengers arrived from Fomunnah and Quissah, (among whom were Corintchie's two linguists,) entreating me to return in the morning. The croom in which I lodged was

To travel on this road in the dark would be very dangerous, on account of the serpents and panthers which infest the country. G

very small, containing about eight or nine little huts, scarcely affording us room to take shelter from a tornado, which commenced soon after our arrival. The hut which I had chosen to sleep in was little more than six feet square. Into this small place, I received the messengers, to shelter them from the rain, and to hear their tale. They represented Corintchie as very unhappy because I had left the town; and said that all their lives would be in danger if I left the country. They also reminded me that I came into the country on purpose to promote their happiness; and said, they hoped I would think of the thousands of their fellow-countrymen who would be benefited by the introduction of Christianity among them, rather than of the insult which Corintchie had offered me. These were, of course, my own feelings; personally I cared nothing about Corintchie's bad conduct; but I knew very well that if they saw anything in my behaviour like indecision, they would give me a great deal of trouble, and thought I had better put a stop to their trifling at once. I therefore continued to conceal as much as possible any wish on my part to return with them, and said I would still proceed homeward until I had crossed the Prah, and entered Fantee; which I really thought of doing, and there waiting for a message from the King.

Fearing lest I should put this design into execution in the morning, they said that if I would return, Corintchie would allow me to proceed to within a few miles of Coomassie. This satisfied me that he was at last sin

cerely sorry for what he had done,

and that he would behave better for the future. I therefore now agreed to return, upon condition that they (the messengers) should provide people to carry my luggage back, so that my hammock-men might be at liberty to carry me to the foot of the hill, as the journey on foot would have been exceedingly trying to me, on account of the immense hill over which I must of necessity walk, it being too steep to admit of my being carried over it.+ To this

* I believe this to have been the truth, as I found on my return that Corintchie had actually made "Custom," and sat up during the whole night, playing his drums, drinking, dancing, &c., on purpose to keep the thought of my departure out of his mind.

†The labour of ascending this hill is so great, that I was obliged to clothe myself in flannel, to avoid taking cold from a violent perspiration occasioned by exertion) being checked by the

they readily consented; and said, that as a proof of their sincere anxiety to get me back, they were ready even to carry my luggage themselves, and that they thanked me very much for my kindness in consenting to return.

JOURNEY TO THE CAPITAL RESUMED, THROUGH DOOMPASSIE, ACCOMCOWASSIE, EDGEWABIN, ESSARGOO, AND FRANFRAHAM.

Wednesday, 27th.-Early after break of day I returned with Corintchie's meshalf an hour when a messenger arrived sengers, and had only been in the town from the King, requesting me to proceed, and with him two or three persons whom Corintchie had expressly dispatched to Coomassie as soon as he found me determined to go back, if I were not permitted to go forward. Corintchie having personally acknowledged his fault, I, of course, freely forgave him, and everything was finally arranged for my starting to Coomassie the following morning. Though Corintchie was evidently deserving of censure in this affair, yet I believe that much of it arose from jealousy on the part of the King, who is not to be blamed, when we consider the confused notions which he must have concerning the real objects of a Missionary, together with the fact that he is surrounded by Moors, whose great object it would be, without doubt, to poison his mind, and put a base construction on every thing

connected with the idea of the introduction of Christianity into his dominions.

Thursday, 28th.-About eight A. M. I commenced my journey, and travelled through a fine fertile country of diversified hill and dale, full of luxuriant vegetation, and studded with immense silk-cotton and other forest trees, covered with many varieties of orchidea and cryptogamia. At nine A. M. I stopped in a pretty little town called Doompassie, to take my breakfast. I had no sooner taken my seat, than a large group of the natives collected around me; but on my taking a telescope to look at some orchidee on a distant tree, they all began to run away, supposing that I was going to shoot at them.

At half-past three I reached the small town of Accomcowassie, and took lodgings for the night.

Friday, 29th. At a quarter past eight A. M. I proceeded on my way

keen wind on the summit; which I had no sooner reached, than I found it necessary, in addition to the flannel, to wrap myself in a cloak.

through a country very similar to that through which I passed yesterday, crossing several small rivers, the largest of which was about nine yards broad, and three feet deep. About half past four P.M. I passed through Edgewabin, one of the largest towns I have yet seen in Ashantee; but in a very dilapidated state, many of the houses being tenantless, and tumbling down. At half-past five P. M. we reached the small croom of Essargoo, about nine miles distant from Coomassie, having had a long, and trying day's journey, which had tired the carriers, &c., so much, that several of them appeared quite exhausted. As for myself, I am mercifully blessed with extraordinary strength, so that I could have proceeded several miles farther, though I had already walked many miles in order to rest the hammock-men. A Missionary passing up to Coomassie is so strange an occurrence, that nearly all the people in the different towns and crooms through which I pass, turn out to see me; and so totally ignorant are they of Christianity, or should I not say, of any reasonable way of worshipping God?—that they actually run away when they see us engaging in that solemn duty. On my arrival at this place, a female relation of the King brought me some palm-wine in a calabash; and being very thirsty, I took a hearty draught. It was, I think, the best palm-wine I have tasted since I have been in Africa. Many of the natives are very kind; I every day received presents from some of them, consisting of palm-wine, yams, plantains, bananas, ground-nuts, &c. The banana is a very delicious fruit, and not so likely to cause a superabundance of bile as some other fruits.

Saturday, 30th.-No travelling to day. Preparing for the Sabbath, and for starting forward immediately after the arrival of another message or invitation from the King. I do not expect to leave this place until Monday morning, as the King is fully aware that I will not travel on the Sabbath-day.

Sunday, 31st.At half-past eight A. M. I conducted divine service. During the day, which was excessively hot, I saw troops passing up to Coomassie from different parts of the country. The passing of these soldiers, together with a heavy tornado in the evening, hindered us from having any afternoon or evening service. About six P. M. a messenger arrived to inform me, that His Majesty wished me to proceed early the following morning.

APRIL 1st, Monday. Throughout the

night I was disturbed by the noise made by the troops as they passed up to the capital. At four A. M. we commenced our journey. The morning was so very damp and foggy, that a thick November fog in England could scarcely equal it; notwithstanding which, the heat was so great that I could scarcely bear a light Mackintosh lightly thrown over me, which was necessary to keep out the damps, though I was only clothed in a light linen dress.

About eight A. M. we reached Franfraham, a small eroom, about a mile and a half from Coomassie, (built for the accommodation of strangers travelling to the capital,) having halted an hour, at least, on the road. Here I took some refreshment, and waited for another invitation from the King. While waiting, we held a prayer-meeting, for the purpose of imploring the blessing of the God of Missions upon our undertaking.

For several days past I have felt an indescribable sensation, best known, I presume, to those whose awful employment it is to bear the standard of the Cross, "to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God." "Simon, Simon, behoid, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.” "Lo, I am with you alway even unto the end."

ENTRANCE INTO COOMASSIE, AND RECEPTION BY THE KING.

J

AT two P. M. a messenger arrived from the King, requesting me to proceed as early as possible. I immediately dressed myself; and while so doing, three other messengers arrived, each bearing a gold sword, requesting me to hasten forward. I then proceeded towards the town, preceded by the messengers and some soldiers bearing arms. Having reached the outside of the town, we halted under a large tree, and there waited for another royal invitation. In a short time, His Majesty's chie. linguist, Apoko, came in a palanquin, shaded by an immense umbrella, and accompanied by messengers bearing canes nearly covered with gold, to take charge of my luggage, and see it safe lodged in the residence intended for me. All these things being properly arranged, another messenger arrived, accompanied by troops, and men bearing large umbrellas, requesting me to proceed to the market-place. "The King's command

ment" being "urgent," we pushed along with speed, preceded by a band of music. As soon as we arrived at the marketplace, I got out of my little travelling chair, and walked through the midst of an immense concourse of persons, a narrow path being kept clear for me, paying my respects to the King and his numerous Chiefs and Captains, who were seated on wooden chairs, richly decorated with brass and gold, under the shade of their splendid umbrellas, some of them large enough to screen twelve or fourteen persons from the burning rays of the sun, and crowned with images of beasts covered with gold, surrounded by their troops and numerous attendants. I was occupied for half an hour in walking slowly through the midst of this iminense assembly, touching my hat and waving my hand, except before the King, in whose presence I of course stood for a moment uncovered. I then took my seat at a distance, accompanied by my people and several respectable Fantee traders who are staying in the town, to receive the compliments of the King, &c., according to their usual custom. After I had taken my seat, the immense mass began to be in motion; many of the Chiefs first passed me in succession, several of them cordially shaking me by the hand, accompanied by their numerous retinue. Then came the officers of the King's household, his Treasurer, Steward, &c., attended by their people; some bearing on their heads massive pieces of silverplate, others carrying in their hands gold swords and canes, native stools, neatly carved and almost covered with gold and silver, and tobacco-pipes richly decorated with the same precious materials. In this ostentatious display, I also saw what was calculated to harrow up the strongest and most painful feelings, the royal executioners, bearing the bloodstained stools on which hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of human victims have been sacrificed by decapitation, and also the large death-drum, which is beaten at the moment when the fatal knife severs the head from the body, the very sound of which carries with it a thrill of horror. This rude instrument, con

*The language of this drum is understood by the natives whenever they are within hearing ; so that they are as well aware of the moment when a sacrifice is made, as though they were on the very spot. While the King was making sacrifices during the Custom for his brother, I was in a distant part of the town, conversing with my interpreter, who, knowing the fatal meaning of the sound of the drum, said,

nected with which are the most dreadful associations, was literally covered with dried clots of blood, and decorated (awful sight!) with the jaw-bones and skulls of human victims. Then followed the King, Quacoe Dooah, under the shade of three splendid umbrellas, the cloth of which was silk-velvet of different colours, supported by some of his numerous attendants. The display of gold which I witnessed, as His Majesty passed, was truly astonishing. After the King, followed other Chiefs, and lastly the main body of the troops. This immense procession occupied an hour and a half in passing before me. There were several Moors in the procession, but they made by no means a conspicuous appearance. While I was sitting to receive the compliments of some of the first Chiefs who passed, His Majesty made me a present of some palm-wine.

I suppose the number of persons which I saw collected together exceeded forty thousand, including a great number of females. The wrists of some of the Chiefs were so heavily laden with gold ornaments, that they rested their arms on the shoulders of some of their attendants.

The appearance of this procession was exceedingly grand and imposing. The contrast between the people themselves, and their large umbrellas (seventy in number) of various colours, which they waved and jerked up and down in the air, together with the dark green foliage of the large banyan-trees, under and among which they passed, formed a scene of that novel and extraordinary character, which I fel unable to describe.

[I gazed on this concourse of Heathens with feelings of sorrow and joy. I sorrowed in the reflection, that most (perhaps all) of them were totally ignorant of the great Author of their being, without one ray of divine consolation to cheer them amid the changing scenes of this visionary world. Are they laid on a bed of languishing? They have nothing to comfort them or buoy up their drooping spirits. Does death, which stalks through the land in horrid forms, rob them of their friends? Alas for them! they must sorrow as men without hope. They never hear the shouts of departing Christian friends, as they ascend the steep of the heavenly Zion, to

"Hark! Do you hear the drum? A sacrifice has just been made, and the drum says, King, I have killed him!'"

join the Church triumphant above. Neither do they see, with the eye of faith, the blood-bought throng standing in the presence of God, " clothed with white robes and palms in their hands." Does death stare themselves in the face, and ask the panting breath? Alas for them! they have no Christian hope beyond the grave, blooming with immortality! Is it not so? Tell it, ye murdered human victims, whose blood disfigures the streets, and whose putrefying bodies taint the air! Tell it, ye midnight revellers, who vainly strive to draw the anguish from your hearts by the fumes of intoxication! Tell it, ye carnivorous birds, and ye wild beasts of the forest, that feed on the mangled corpses of the thousands of victims of superstitious cruelty! And, lastly, tell it, ye human bones, that lie bleaching in the open day!

Have these poor victims no voice? Have they no tale of woe to tell? Methinks I hear them lifting up their voices, and crying to British Christians especially, "Come, pray come, and look at our unhappy country! See how it groans beneath the iron despotism of the prince of darkness! It is true, that it is a beautiful country, its fertile soil producing an hundred fold; but what avails its beauty or fertility, when it is converted into one immense slaughter-house! O ye who enjoy the high blessings of Christianity, allow us to entreat you to direct your energies towards this scene of moral desolation." Thus brooding in melancholy over the bloodstained wilds, fancy carries me to my native land, where, entering into a wellknown place in imperial London, I hear the cause of Christian Missions ably advocated, in the presence of assembled thousands, whose hearts burn with love to their perishing fellow-creatures. I hear them speaking of unhappy, degraded Africa; of the pressing wants of its perishing millions; and of the vital importance of increased exertions on the part of British Christians, for the extension of the blessings of Christianity among this mass of immortal men. Methinks I hear a Resolution moved and supported, that much more shall be immediately done for Africa; and especially for Guinea. Returning again to this immense field of labour, I feel encouraged, cry, Oye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!" "The captive of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered." Yea," He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretch

eth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in," He hath said, "Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God." "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited." O ye dry bones, hear the words of the Lord's people! Their prayer for you to God, our Saviour, is

"The servile progeny of Ham

Seize as the purchase of thy blood."

Yes, for Africa they pray, and over approaching; a day, when the deathAfrica they weep. A brighter day is drum shall give place to the Bible; and when, instead of feeling the terror and dismay carried in the footsteps of the bloody executioner, the peaceful native shall exclaim, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"

"The watchmen join their voice,

And tuneful notes employ:
Jerusalem breaks forth in songs,
And deserts learn the joy."]

The arduous duties of the day being over, I immediately repaired to my quarters; and, spreading a cloth upon the floor, sunk, tired and weary, into the arms of sleep.

Tuesday, 2d.-I rested myself, and arranged things in my new quarters.

Wednesday, 3d.-This being the King's Fetish-day, I heard nothing from him. Two Moors visited me, and told me they came from Mosou.

Thursday, 4th.-This morning the King sent his linguists (some of whom were heavily laden with golden ornaments) to make every inquiry as to my object in visiting him. I gave them all necessary information; but found much difficulty in making them understand

me.

And no wonder; for how can those who are buried in superstition, and who witness scarcely any thing but scenes of cruelty arising from that superstition, form any just idea of the motives which stimulate the Christian Missionary to visit them? "O that they were wise, that they understood this!

Friday, 5th.Finding the place