ASHANTI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2429, 3 October 1900, Page 64

ASHANTI.

HUMAN .SACRIFICE.

In no part of the world does slavery appear to be more detestable than in Ashanti. rilaves, other than those obtained by raids into neighbours' territory, have here to be smuggled tmough the various "spheres,"' French, German, and English, which are beginning to hem the country in on every side. The climate they are brought to is a sickly one for men bred up-country. They are not required for currency, since gold dust is the medium here. Nor are they icquired to any considerable extent as labourers, since the Ashanti lives meiely on vegetables, which in this country want little or no cultivation. And yet there is a strong demand for slaves. They arc wanted for human sacrifice. Stop human sacrifice, and you deal a fatal blow to the slave trade, •uhile you rendei raiding an unprofitable game. In England we scarcely realise the extent to % which human sacrifice has been carried on in Ashanti previous to- the late e>pedition, but evidences were not wanting to show it.

Kumassi means "the Death Place." The town possessed no less than three places of execution — one, for private executions, was at the palace ; a second, for public decapitations, was on the parade ground; a third, for fetish sacrifice^, was in the sacred village of Bant ana. Close to the pardeb giound was the grove into which the remains of the victims were flung, and which very aptly was known as "Golgotha" to the members of the force. The ground here was found covered with skulls and bones of hundreds of victims. At Bantama was_ the celebrated execution bowl, -\\lnch was fully described by Bowdich in his account of Kuma.^i in 1817. It is a large brass basin some sft in diameter. It is ornamented with four small lions, and a number of rcmnd knob.s all around its rim, except at one pail, where there is a space for the victim's neck to rest on the edge. The blood of the victims was allowed to putreiy in tho bowl, and leaves oi certain herbs being added, it was. considered a very valuable^fetish medicine. 'Ciw ho^l bus now been brought to England. TVcn in Kumassi are two blocks of houses occupied entirely by the executioner.-. — one being assigned to the sacrificial, the other to the criminal execution's. Among the loot taken in Uio houtc.-i of Prcmpch and of his chiefs avcic several "blood stools,'" or stool 1 which had beer, u&cd j- blocks foi *xccutions and which boc 1 very visible signs ox having been so used. In these note*, be it remembered, we arc only dealing with Kumassi, lout every king — and there were some half a dozen of them in the As-hanti JEmpiic — had powers of life und daub, nyer liis subjects, and f r '; rial rail his human sacrifices or. a minor scnlc in his own capital. In fact, the ex-King of jjekwai was deposed

on account of his over-indulgence in that form of amusement !

When once a man had been selected and seized for execution, there were only two ways by which he could evade it. One was to lopeat the "king's oath"' — a certain formula, of words — before they could gag him ; the oilier was to break loose from his caplnrs and run as far as the Bantama-Ku-ma.-si cross-road; if he could reach this point before being overtaken, he was allowed to go free, in order to ensure against then- pmonei-j getting off by either of these methods, the executioners used to spring on the intended victim from behind, and while one bound his hands behind his back, another drove a knife through both his cheeks, which effectually prevented him from opening his mouth to speak, and in this hoirible condition he had to await his turn for execution. FETISHES AND ORACLES. The Ashanti ■» recognise the existence of a Superior Bsin , whom they adore, but in a vague mri.iucr. ... At the commencement el the world, in the night of time, Onyaine (God) was in daily relations vi ith men. He came on the earth, conversed with nwnkind, and all went well; but one day the women, m poimding their fufu, U'-ed too long pestles and struck God, who in anger retired from the world, leaving its management to subaltern divinities. These are spirits (fetifhes), who dwell everywhere, in waters, wood«, rocks, and it is necessary to conciliate them, unless one is willing to ci counter (heir displeasure. Hence bhe woi.-^hip rendered to fetishes. Let ih take a concrete example and see how things pass when one goes to consult the fctisK Ds'iite at Krakre, the most known Tuid mest powerful 021 the Gold Coast. This fetish is served by two priests. One lives in public and is well known, while the ether lemains concealed, is known to nobody, and considered as tho yveai priest of tha fetish. For tho rest, all the inhabitants of Kiakye are affiliated to the fetish, and labour to augment his prestige and renown. If a ptranger airives in the town to consult tho iVlish, he is nnde to talk, interiogated ; inform ition is obtained concerning the object of his journey, his family crcum&tances. — all this without display; a .id these details, it is unnecessary to say, arc carefully communicated to the priest, who derives from them all possible profit. In the night, when all the world is asleep, he £oes to find his secret companion, relates to him all he knows, and prepares with him the seance of the morrow. In fact, it is not possible to interrogate the fetish every day : monsieur has his hours of consultation, and that but once a wctk. He inhabits a great cavern, in which during the day is kept his secret pries*-, and ihithsr come the people to consult him under the direction of the public priest.

Atia-Yaw, the moat important fetish of Okwnou, wa» known and feared for leagues about. Up to the tune of the arrival of the missionaries none contested his poM er , none had the idea of doubting his existence and potency. Some affirmed that he was a spirit ; others saw in him an animal. These lest, for a period, were right; it was said that during Veverai successive years a gorilla played the part of the fetish. In fact, no one lidd seen him, none had touched him, except the king or the chiefs, to whom at times he extended a little hand, hairy and nnreeognisaMe. without revealing himself. |. This divinity also lived in a cave, where he gave responses afier the manner of Virgil's Sibyl. '. . . Atia-Yaw did not remain confined in his cavern ; he allowed himself promenades. Preceded by a forerunner, who announced his approach by means of a shrill whistle, and cried, " Here is the father ! "' he traversed the town in every direction, and woe to those who encountered him! A stab, a shot, made them comprehend that it is never Avell to be curious. He generally arrived at the fall of night, between half-past 6 and 7 in the evening. At such time every one fled into his house and put out his fire, for it was supposed that the fetish could not bear fire. At other thn°s he took malignant pleasure in chasing the inhabitants out of the city to dung-heap'-i where they became i lie victims of the ants constantly found there. He presented himself under all sores of forms. Sometimes he came furious, and made every one tremble ; sometimes he tranquilly promenaded the streets, even presented himself before die king and discupsd politic 0 , naturally always through the medium of his priest.