THE TROUBLE IN ASHANTEE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10599, 20 February 1896, Page 3

THE TROUBLE IN ASHANTEE.

SIR FRANCIS SCOTTS ADVANCE.

, The expeditionary force nnder the command of Sir Francis Scott, which left Cape Coast Castle at the end of December for Coonutfie, the capital of Ashantee, was a long time in preparation, on account of tha extraordinary can wjtfa which all the, details affecting the health acd wellbeing of the troops were carried out. The experience gained by Sir Garnet Wolseley in 1873, when he wi* sent to Coomaesie, at ths time when the Ariiao tees, taking offence by our occupation of Elmiua, attacked onr allies, the Funtia, led to a very much better equipment— medical especially—to guard against the fevei which works such havoc in tbeae regions. The present (or, rather, past) war was considered more an affair cf engineers, dootors, and porters, than of strategy, e&valry, or infantry. Tbe road from Caps Coast Castle to the river Prah was considered by some to be a narrow path way ouly wide enough for two men to walk abreast, while others considered it good for West Africa; but from the encampment at Prasu, which was the base of operations, all were agreed that for over a hundred miltis the route, lies through a dense and gloomy forest oC a kind more dreaded by the traveller in Africa than any other description of country. Tbe party in advance would be bußy in. making clearances and opening up the roads, and -» trying time it would be ere tbey prepared suitable places for camps. Large huts were built to protect the men against the heavy dews and deadly gases which rise from the soil, and the water supply was carefully organised. Tbe expedition had a daily supply of oranges and bananas. As no baggage animals could b« employed on account of the tsetse fly, the question of porterage was a large and troublesome one, and no less than 10,000 Native carriers were employed to convey to the Prah the enormous quantities of stores and supplies, and there was expected to be some trouble in preventing' these men from deserting, as haa been the case in other places. It appeared doubtful whether King Prempeh would fight, although he was reported to be still defiant. Probably he did not understand onr motives. Few of our own countrymen could give a cleat account of the casus belli, as notwithstanding our horror of human sacrifices being advanced aspne r.asaafor war. it is questionable whether this had really- as much to do with it as King Prempeh!s disposition to yield to French influence, which our demand that he should receive a British Resident and agree to a British protectorate, seems to point to.

< i_ir Francis Scott aod stiff reached Hamu ) irom.Akroful on Sunday, 29th December, after jan arduous march of 21 miles. The road for a . gie»tpart of the way was through forest and j bush, and the difficulties of the route wera j increased by the large number of carriers who t were still on their way to the front. The heat ! wa6 very oppressive. On Monday (30th j December) they reached Assin Yankumasi 1 after a long aud tedious march of 22 miles, j the route lying through thick African forest. i Tbe following day a palaver was held between ; Sir Francis, Scott and the King of Akim, ! Ashantee, who went with a powerful following j to pay his respects to the commander-in-chief. i Iv the course of tbo palaver Sir Francis Scott j informed tbe King that be was proceeding to j Coomassie to enforce the commands of Qoeen j Victoria, and that as a result of the expedition ! A shantee would be annexed and the countrj j opmtd np''to trade; also, that when ha i reached Coomassie he would appoint a governor, I who would take measures for tho pacification jof tho country. These remarks excited coni Biddable astonishment among the native chiefs i present, and the feslinE was increased when I (Sir' Francis introduced to tbe King-the late j lamented Prince Henry of Battenberg as tha } husband of one of Queen Victoria's daughters, j all the chiefs and hend men in attendance [ craning their necks to catch a glimpse |of his Royal. Highness. A London, cable, ! dated - I_h inst., informs us that " King | Prempeh and the other prisoners who were j brought to the coast .from Coomassie wiß be i interned at Blmina, a fortified British seaport jon the Gold Coast"; so we await further i particulars of the details of this expedition, which must prove interestins;, and we trust that J the victory has been a blocdleis one. It was on j the 4th February 1871 that Sir Garnet Wolseiey j entered Coomassie, having commenced bis { march on the very same day aud montt (27th I December) as this expedition left the coast; so ; that the work, has now been accomplished in j very much shorter time. The population of I Gold Coast colony i- estimated at between j.i; 500,000 and 2,000,000, of whom about 160 j are Europeans. The seat of Government is : Accra.