THE ASHANTEE TREATY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1803, 23 May 1874, Page 4

THE ASHANTEE TREATY.

Portsmouth has welcomed home the first batch of troops returning from Ashantee. The plain old town, of so many historical associations, has put on its gala dress, and is doing its best to represent the Queen and the nation, for Her Majesty has sent down her special congratulations. Sir Garnet Wolseley has brought the expedition bo an erTd by the very day he had named, and will quickly follow his soldiers back. After the burning of Coomassie, and the hnrried retreat of our troops to the coast, it seemed for a moment doubtful whether any treaty c oild he extorted from tho fugitive king, But the messenger overtook Sir Garnet at Detchiasu, asking for peace, and accordingly he halted there, retailing only the native troopp, in order to communicate with the king, who was required to send 5,0000z., of gold dust, "as an earnest of Ms sincerity, and a first instalment of the indemnity.". The messengers who came back brought only 1,0400z., but pleaded that the amount was more than had ever been demanded of them before. Sir Garnet had asked for 50,0000z., as an indemnity, but he was not careful to make it understood that it must be paid in instalements, although, while insisting, he is doubtful whether the full sum will ever be forthcoming. The terms of the treaty were then settled.

The first article declared that there should thereafter be "perpetual peace; " the second required the payment of 50,0000z., of gold as indemnity — I,OOOoz. to be paic at once, and the remainder as from time to time demanded. The third engaged the king to renounce all right and title to any tribute or homage from the Kings of Denkera, Assin, Akim, and Adansi, and our other allies formerly his subjects ; the fourth compelled him to surrender all claim to Elmina ; the fifth bound him to withdraw from the coast line ; the sixth established freedom of trade. In addition, the king is required to keep open a road fro n Coomasaie to the Itiver Prah, 15ft. wide through the bush ; and lastly, he is to " use his best endeavours to check the practice of human sacrifice, with a view to hereafter putting an end. to it altogether, aa the practice is repugnant to the .feelings of all Christian nations." This last point, if achieved, would be ample compensation in the eyes of Christian Europe fur the cost and peril of the expedition The king was to send the treaty signed by himself to Cape Coast within a foment, and we have not yet heard of this final act, Sir Garnet Wolseley, however, "inclines to believe that the danger of breaking up to which his kingdom is exposed, unless we are on friendly terms with him, will induce him to fulfil, with as much punctuality as he is capable of, the condition of the treaty." No sooner was the destruction of Coomassie known than the natives who had before deserted our troops came voluntarily] to offer their services. The King of Adansi, one of the great divisions Of

Ashantee asked permission to pass over with his people into our protectorate, and at last arranged terms of his own with the Wassaw people. The most striking evidence of the complete demoralisation of Ashantee was, however, afforded by a gallant deed of Captain Sartorius, who belonged to Captain Glover's force, and was sent forward to ascertain the position of Sir Garnet. He started>with only 20 men, entered Coomassie from the north, pushed on, following the traces of the road and the fight through the bush till he overtook our troops at Fommanah, after a ride of 55 miles unmolested through the heart of this savage country. Captain Glover had no special correspondents with him to describe his exploits, but it now appears he contributed largely to the success of the campaign. He had collected a native army, but coixld only bring a portion of this force into the field north of the Prah, owing to the cowardice of these tribes. With great skill, however, he advanced towards Coomassig, and so created a diversion, which was not known at first, in favour of Sir Garnet Wolseley. Overcoming all obstacles, he led a force of 4.600 men into the ruined town. The next day the King of Ashantee sent him I4ooz. of gold on a salver, begging him to retire. He refused the gold, but withdrew his troops. It was, in all probability, the appearance cif this second army in his capital which made the King send messengers after Sir Garnet, for peace. The spoils brought from Coomassie are of comparatively small value. " Every iittle oniament in Coomassie is almost recklessly mended and patched vvithgoM. Common pieces of crockery which niiylit be, perhaps, repaired in England by the not very elegant process of sewing in brass wire are found quite as roughly or even more roughly repaired in Coomassie, but with g-.ld instead of brass." We are told that the available wealth of the kingdom has been enormously over-estimated, l>ut that its gold fieMs are appareu:ly the richest in the world.