ASHANTI.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11558, 11 June 1900, Page 2

ASHANTI.

Accoeding to latest advices Kumassiis still besieged, and severe fighting has taken place. The force of British officers and men in the Gold Coast is not a strong one, but there is a very useful body of native constabulary, from 1000 to 1300 men, who were called into existence after Wolßeley's expedition of 1873-74, and who have rendered excellent service in the defence of the Gold Coast territory., These, trained by British offioers and inured to a malarial olimate, have been turned to as good an account as Kitchener's fellaheen. In addition Lagos bas been drawn on for men to help in the quelling of the Ashanti rising. When Lagos became a separate jolony in 1886, -a correspondent of Vhe Times informs us, a similar force of wmed native constabulary was set up ;here; and this now comprises some 800, latives under the oharge of about 20 Europeans, these being British officers sonneoted either with the regular' army >r with the militia. Primarily, this force : s for the defence of the Lagos territory ; rat it is available for use elsewhere, and, is already announced, 250 Haußas, mem- { >ers of the Lagos force, were sent to > Icora, and despatched up country to ftuaassi. The . newest and most in> \

portant; of the forces which are being drawn upon is, however, the one known as the West African Frontier Force, whioh j represents to-day a body or something like 2500 native combatants with 200 ! European officers and non-oommissioned officers. It comprises two battalions of infantry, three batteries of artillery, a company of engineers, 100 mounted infantry,, a telegraph seotion, and medical, transport, and accounts departments. From this frontier force 300 men have' been already despatched overland en route to the Gaman country from Nigeria, and 160 more have proceeded by way of Foroados to the Gold Coast. The work of getting together and bringing to a thoroughly serviceable stage such a force aa this, in bo short a time and in so enervating a olimate, is an achievement that reflects infinite credit on every one concerned, and most certainly rank among the best illustrations of British powers of organization, and also of British success in dealing with native tribes, that have yet been afforded. Of the conditions under whioh the officers in question did the work one may judge from the fact that of those who left England in 1897 to create the force only 60 per cent completed their year in the country, for 18 per oent of them died, and 22 per cent were invalided. On the other hand, the very dangers of the olimate to Europeans only afforded additional reason for the formation of as efficient a native force as possible, in order that the needful employment of British troops in West Africa could be reduced to a minimum. King Frempeh's Golden Stool, the possession of whioh is reported to be the cause of the present trouble, is a symbol of royal authority, just as King Coffee's Umbrella, whioh Woheley brought baok with him to England, was. Information as to its supposed whereabouts has been received from time to time, and in the searoh expeditions sent oat by the Governor, Sir F. Hodgson, no opposition has been offered by the natives, who, it is conoluded, knew that the precious artiole was in safe keeping. It may be asked, why should the British authorities trouble about gaining possession of the Stool? Wolseley, as a matter of polioy, brought Prempeh's Umbrella back with him, for wherever the wonderful umbrella was placed, it was bound to be the centre of disaffection amongst the superstitious natives, and the Golden Stool no doubt now serves tte jurpose that the Umbrella did in Wolseley's time. Kitchener was taken to taßk by certain people in England for blowing up the Mahdi's tomb, but it was. in the light of subsequent event 3, a wise policy, for whilst the tomb was there to inspire the fanatical Soudanese tribes, it was always a menace to peace. According to native superstitions, the Golden Stool, whioh is the hereditary royal throne, once taken away from them, destroys all hope of the restoration of a native monarchy, with all its terrible sacrifices of human life. Sir Frederiok Hodgson, knowing that it would be used for hostile purposes, sent a detachment of constabulary to take possession of the relic The defeat of the detaohment was the beginning of the present little war. After the last war many of King Prempeh's treasures were taken to England, but the Golden Stool oould not be found. A story was told at the time that two men buried it somewhere, that one was beheaded by order of the King, and that the other, fearing the same fate, fled to parts unknown. The fugitive, it is supposed,' has now returned, revealed the hiding-place of the Stool, and so brought about the existing unrest,