THE ASHANTI WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10085, 21 March 1896, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE ASHANTI WAR.

GHASTLY CUSTOMS OP THE LATE

KING PREMPEH.

The British demands on King Prempeh include the abolition of human sacrifices, which Prempeh has persisted in keeping up, in spite of an undertaking not to do so. When the king dies certain of his subjects who happen to have had the misfortune to bo born on the same day, and to bo associated with him during his lifetime, are despatched to accompany him to the land of spirits, whiio the messengers who convoy the news of his death to tho feudatory kings and chiefs aro instantly beheaded on delivering their message, in ordor that they may inform the doceased of tho grief his death has caused. The defunct monarch is conveyed with weird ceremonies to the sacred mausoleum at Bantama. So sacred, in fact, is this building that even if a bit of the roof falls down slaves are sacrificed. Here every king has his own small room, which is hung round with cloths and velvets. His skeleton is placed in a chair, or basket, and fresh food is placed bofore it every day. The late unlamonted King Kofi, after making himsolf mad with palm wine and gin, used to wash the stools of his ancostors in tho blood of two or three men specially murdered for the occasion. When a prince of tho blood dies all the other princes possess the right of slaughtering every human boing they may encounter. This right, however, is not supposed to have been exercised since the thrashing administered by Sir (Sarnoc Wolsely in IST! Still, during certain ceremonies, when the king is carried through the main thoroughfares of his capital, any man found on the street or looking out of his house is immediately decapitated.

THE FETISH WORSHIP, to which the Ashanti peoplo are entirely given up, is responsible for these ghastly customs. The fetish house of Kumasi is an adjunct to the king's palace, and in it are performed tho barbaric ceremonies of his religion. The structure is built of wattle, daubed both inside and out with a thick stucco of clay, the exterior being ornamented with rough mouldings, some of which, as in the porch entering the build ing, are pierced to show tho various forms of birds and animals used in the design. The upper part of the outer wall is whitewashed, the lower part, for a few feet, above the ground, is coloured with red earth. The outer door is carefully screened with thick cloths, and the roof is of thatch. Inside wo find littlo ornamentation, unless we can consider the skulls, thigh-bones, and jaw -bones which are attached to the inner frame of the door and the Avails, and the stains of blood everywhere, in the light of decorations. Arqund tho apartment are ranged the fetishes on gods themselves. Just what the particular fetish may mean at any given time rests solely with the fetishmen or priests to explain. Here wo have a rudelycarved figure, armed with a gun and dagger, which has doubtless some potent influence in war, while close by is

THE SEMBLANCE OK A WOMAN'S HEAD, with an expression on her face worthy of Bellona herself. There again the leopard figures, his spots carefully burned into his wooden carcase, which probably plays an important part when proceedings involving extra cunning, treachery, and ferocity are in hand. Hugo figures of men and women, executed without the suspicion of a regard for decency, which preside over orgies perfectly indescribable, are in evidence; and earthen balls stuck all over with feathers, rude representations of birds, and calabashes, or gourds, full of what wo should term rubbish, tell talcs of propitiatory offerings to the spirits of departed ancestors or minor fetishes. These tales can only be told by the human demons who are a terror to the people through their profession of occult power.