With the exception of replenishing the supplies of ammunition,
cleaning rifles, and burying the dead, nothing further was done
that afternoon. In the evening a consultation was held, in the
fort, among the principal officers. The situation was a difficult
one. An immense amount of ammunition had been expended, and it was
decided that it was out of the question to draw upon the supplies
that had been sent up for the garrison. There were still two
strongly-entrenched positions, and strong opposition was
anticipated to the clearing of the main road. Every round would,
therefore, be required for this work. This seemed to preclude the
idea of taking the other two stockades.
The choice therefore remained of making the assault upon these, and
then returning through Pekki; or of leaving them and going back by
the main road, the route laid down in their instructions. Neither
of these plans was satisfactory, for each left half the programme
undone.
It was suggested that a night attack might be attempted. In that
case, not a shot must be fired, and the attack must be made by the
bayonet alone. The moon rose early, and it was almost high at eight
o'clock.
Of course, it was extremely risky to venture upon such a plan, with
superstitious black troops. The object of assault, however, could
be located the next day, and the danger of losing their way would
thereby be reduced to a minimum. Further, it was decided that no
dependence, whatever, be placed on any native guide. Finally, it
would be eminently undesirable to leave Coomassie again in a state
of siege.
It was clear that only one of the stockades could be carried in
this manner, as the other would be placed on its guard. It was
therefore decided that the one on the Accra-Coomassie road was the
most suitable; first because it joined the main road to Cape Coast,
and secondly because the capture of the stockade would isolate the
remaining one on the Ejesu road, which the Ashantis would probably
abandon, as both the adjacent camps had fallen into our hands.
As the result of this decision Captain Loch was sent out, at twelve
o'clock on the following day, to reconnoitre the position. His men,
by creeping through the tall grass and clambering among the tall
trees, succeeded in reaching a large cotton tree within seventy
yards of the enemy's entrenchment. Climbing this, they obtained a
good view of the enemy's stockade and camp behind it.
At that moment a roar of voices was heard, and hostile scouts
poured out from the camp. The object of the expedition, however,
had been attained; and the soldiers retired rapidly, without
casualties.
At five in the afternoon the officers assembled at Colonel
Burroughs's quarters. Here the details of the work were explained
to them. They were to fall in at eight o'clock, and deliver the
attack between nine and ten. The Maxims were to follow in rear of
the infantry, and no other guns were to be taken.
Only five hundred men were selected to go. Captain Loch's company
were to take the lead, as a reward for the scouting they had done
in the morning. Major Melliss' company was to follow. The companies
in the rear were to move to the flanks, when the stockade had been
taken, so as to guard against an attack from the other war camp.
An early meal was taken, and then the officers sallied out for a
last inspection of the company; which was, by this time, assembling
outside the fort gate. Silently the troops fell into their allotted
position. Then the word was passed down the line that all was
ready. The officers gave their final orders to the men--no smoking,
no talking, no noise, no firing, bayonet only. As if nothing
unusual was occurring, the bugle from the fort sounded the last
post.
At the start the pace was for some time good but, after passing
Prempeh's palace, the road became a tortuous track and, at every
yard, the tall grass became thicker and, here and there, a fallen
tree lay across the path. The dead silence that prevailed rendered
every one nervous. At last they came in sight of the great cotton
tree. Here all halted, and crouched down.
Two leading companies formed up and were awaiting orders when,
suddenly, two signal guns were fired and, instantly, the line of
timbers was lit up by a glare of fire, and a crashing volley of
slugs was poured in. Lieutenant Greer, who was in front of the
column, fell, seriously wounded. Then, with a shout of rage that
almost drowned the order, "Charge!" they leapt to their feet and
dashed forward.
Nothing could stop the impetuous charge and, when they reached the
stockade, they scaled it and poured headlong over it. In front of
them was the war camp, through which ran a road, now crowded with
the panic-stricken defenders. As the enemy ran from their huts,
they were cut down in numbers with swords and bayonets. The din was
tremendous; yells, shouts, and groans rent the air. The path was
strewn with corpses.
The headlong race continued. Three villages had been passed, but
there was a fort behind. This also was carried. Then there was a
halt, on account of the exhaustion caused by the speed with which
all had run. There was no fear that the panic-stricken foe would
rally; but there was the possibility of a counter attack, by the
Ashantis from the war camp to the left; for it was not known that
the panic had spread to these, also, and that they too had fled in
disorder, never to return.
The four camps were burnt, one after another; the stockades pulled
down; and the force, still half mad with the excitement of the
fight, marched back to the fort. The number of casualties was very
small. Hardly one, indeed, had taken place, except those caused by
the first volley of the enemy.
In one of the houses they entered, a child was found asleep. It had
been left behind, and had not been aroused by the noise. Terrified
as it awoke, it clung to a white man for protection, and was taken
by him to a place of safety.
The force reached camp at eleven o'clock, having accomplished their
work with a success altogether beyond expectation. At eight o'clock
next morning, the column paraded for its march down. All the
wounded who were unfit for duty were left in the fort.
Not long after the start, the scouts sighted another stockade. The
troops formed up for the attack; but they found, to their surprise,
that it was deserted. Both the stockade and the war camp behind
were destroyed, without opposition.
Pressing forward they passed entrenchment after entrenchment, but
all were deserted. River after river was forded, breast high, but
no enemy was met with; although some of the entrenchments were
exceedingly formidable, and could not have been carried without
very heavy loss.
The scouts captured a young girl, from whom valuable information
was obtained. She had been sent out, like many of the other women,
to get supplies for the army at Ejesu, where the queen mother was.
It appeared that the queen had been greatly upset by the night
attack, and the capture of all the entrenchments; and had collected
all her chiefs to decide what had best be done, now that the siege
of Coomassie had been raised. Then it was understood why the
advance had not been opposed. But for this council, we should have
found every stockade occupied in force.
The expedition pushed on, and arrived at Bekwai without having to
fire a shot. The garrison there was formed up to receive and cheer
them and, what was still more appreciated, a ration of fresh meat
and another round of medical comforts were served out.
"Well, Bullen," Hallett said, the next morning, "here we are again.
I wonder how long we shall get to rest our wearied bodies."
"For my part," said Lisle, "I sha'n't be sorry when we are afoot
again. It has been hard work, and there has been some tough
fighting; but anything is better than being stuck in one of these
dreary towns. Fortunately we have both escaped bullets, and have
merely had a slight peppering of slugs and, as we have both been
put down in the reports as slightly wounded, on three occasions, we
may feel grateful, as it always does a fellow good to be mentioned
in the casualty list; and it should help you to attain that
position we spoke of, the other day, of commander-in-chief."
"I renounce that dream utterly, and aspire to nothing higher than
colonel. It must really be an awful bore to be commander-in-chief.
Fancy having to go down to your office every morning, and go into
all sorts of questions, and settle all sorts of business. No, I
think that, when I get to be a colonel, my aspirations will be
satisfied."
"I don't know that I should care even about being a colonel,
Hallett. Long before I get to that rank, I am sure that I should
have had quite enough of fighting to last for a lifetime, and would
be quite content to settle down in some little place at home."
"And marry, of course. A fellow like you would be sure to be able
to pick up a wife with money. My thoughts don't incline that way. I
look forward to the Rag as the conclusion of my career. There you
meet fellows you know, lie against each other about past campaigns,
eat capital dinners, and have your rub of whist, regularly, of an
evening."
"But, my dear Hallett, think how you would fatten out under such a
regime!"
"Oh, hang the fat, Bullen; it would not matter one way or another,
when you haven't got to do yourself up in uniform, and make
tremendous marches, and so on. I should not want to walk, at all; I
should have chambers somewhere close to the club, and could always
charter a hansom, when I wanted to go anywhere. Besides, fat is
eminently respectable, in an elderly man."
Lisle laughed merrily.
"My dear Hallett, it is useless to look forward so far into the
future. Let us content ourselves with the evils of today. In spite
of your grumbling, you know that you like the life and, if the
bullets do but spare you, I have no doubt that you will be just as
energetic a soldier as you have shown yourself in this campaign;
although I must admit that you have sometimes taken it out in
grumbling."
"Well, it is very difficult to be energetic in this country. I
think I could be enthusiastic, in anything like a decent climate,
but this takes all the spirit out of one.
"I think I could have struggled over the snow in the Tirah, as you
did. I can conceive myself wearing the D.S.O. in European war. But
how can a man keep his pecker up when he is wet through all day,
continually fording rivers, and exposed all the time to a pelting
rain and, worse than all, seeing his friends going down one after
another with this beastly fever, and feeling sure that his own turn
will come next?
"I should not mind so much if we always had a dry hut to sleep in,
but as often as not we have to sleep on the drenched ground in the
open and, consequently, get up in the morning more tired than when
we lie down. I have no doubt that, after all this is over, I shall
become a cripple from rheumatism, or be laid up with some other
disorder."
"I don't suppose you will do anything of the sort, Hallett. Of
course this fever is very trying but, although men are being
constantly sent down to the coast, the number who die from it is
not great. Only some six or seven have succumbed. I expect myself
that we shall both return to our regiments in the pink of
condition, with our medals on our breasts, and proud of the fact
that we have gone through one of the most perilous expeditions ever
achieved by British troops; and the more wonderful that, except for
a handful of English officers and non-commissioned officers, it has
been carried through successfully by a purely native army.
"I don't think we quite recognize, at present, what a big affair it
has been. We have marched through almost impenetrable bush; we have
suppressed a rebellion over a great extent of country, admirably
adapted for the mode of warfare of our enemies; and we have smashed
up an army of well-armed natives, in numbers ranging from six, to
ten to one against us."
"Yes, yes, I know all that; and I don't say that it has not been a
well-managed business; and I dare say I shall look back on it with
pleasure, some day, when I have forgotten all the miseries we have
suffered. Besides, though I do grumble, I hope we are not going to
stick here long. I could do with a week of eating and drinking--that
would be the outside. It is wretched enough tramping through swamps,
but I think I should prefer that to a prolonged stay in this hole."
"For once I agree with you thoroughly, Hallett. It is bad enough to
march in West Africa, but it is worse to sit still. It is only when
you try to do that, that you find how much you are pulled down; and
the longer you sit still, the less disposed you are to get up;
whereas, on the march, you are so full of the idea that you may be
ambushed, at any moment, that you have no time to think of your
fatigues."
"Yes, there is no doubt of that, Bullen; so I mean to spend all the
time I have to spare here on my back; and sleep, if I can,
continuously."
"Don't flatter yourself that you will be allowed to do that. You
may be sure that they will find ample work for lazy hands to do.
Now it is time to buckle on our swords, and go out and inspect our
fellows. I can see that they are mustering already."
"I wish those white non-commissioned officers would not be so
disgustingly punctual," Hallett grumbled. "They are splendid when
it comes to fighting, but they never seem to know that there is a
time for work and a time for play--or, at any rate, they never let
others play."
"They are splendid fellows," Lisle said. "I really do not know what
we should have done without them. There would be no talking of
lying down and going to sleep, if they were not there to look after
the men."
"I don't think it would make any difference to you," Hallett said,
"for it seems to me that you are always looking after your men."
"So are you, Hallett. You are just as keen about getting your
company into order as I am, only you always try to look bored over
it. It is a stupid plan, old man, for I don't think that you get
the kudos that you deserve."
"My dear Bullen, you may argue forever, but if you think that you
can transform me into a bustling, hustling fellow like yourself, I
can tell you that you are mistaken. I know that I do what I have to
do, and perhaps may not do it badly, but I don't go beyond that.
"When they say 'Do this,' I do it; when they don't say so, I don't
do it; and I fancy it comes to about the same thing, in the end."
"I suppose it does," Lisle laughed, as they issued from their hut.
"These poor fellows look as if they wanted a rest more than we do,
don't they?"
"They look horribly thin," Hallett said.
"Yes, it is well that the blacks have such good spirits, and are
always ready to chatter and laugh when the day's work is over--that
is, if it has not been an exceptionally hard one.
"Well, though I don't care about staying long here, myself, I do
hope they will give the poor fellows time to get into condition
again, before starting. I fear, however, that there is very little
chance of that."
This, indeed, turned out to be the case. Two days later,
reinforcements arrived from the coast, to increase the total
strength available for punitive expeditions. Two strong parties
then started, under Colonel Haverstock and Colonel Wilkinson. They
were to travel by different routes, and to join hands in the
neighbourhood of the sacred fetish lake, where large numbers of
Ashantis and Kokofu were reported to have assembled. The Hausa
companies did not accompany them, the columns being largely
composed of the newly-arrived troops--who were, of course, eager to
take their share of the fighting.
Lisle and Hallett did a little grumbling, but they really felt that
they required a longer period of rest, and they could not help
congratulating themselves when the columns returned, ten days
after, without having exchanged more than a shot or two with the
enemy.
They found that the country round the lake was thickly inhabited.
Many of the villages had been burnt and, in all cases, the sacred
trees had been cut down. It was quite clear that the spirit of the
enemy was greatly broken, and that the end was approaching.
"We must certainly congratulate ourselves upon having a comfortable
time of it, here," Lisle said, "instead of a ten days' tramp,
without any great result. We can manage to keep ourselves dry in
this hut, now that our men have covered it thickly with palm
leaves; whereas they have had to sleep in the open, pretty nearly
every night."
"It was good for them," Hallett said; "the fellows looked
altogether too spick and span, when they marched in. It is just as
well that they should get a little experience of the work we have
been doing, for months. I saw them, as they marched in, look with
astonishment at the state of our men's garments--or rather, I may
say, their rags. They would have grown haughty, if they had not had
a sample of the work; and their uniforms looked very different,
when they came back, from what they were when they marched away.
There is nothing like a fortnight's roughing it in the bush to take
a man, whether white or black, a peg or two down in his own
estimation.
"I was amused, the first day they arrived, when I saw their faces
at the sight of their rations. It was quite a picture. Thank
goodness we have had nothing to grumble about, in that way, since
we got our box from the coast. Chocolate for breakfast, brandy and
water at dinner, preserved meat, are quite a different thing from
the stuff they manage to give us--two or three ounces of meat,
about once a week. Those boxes of biscuits, too, have been
invaluable. The ration biscuits were for the most part wet through,
and there wasn't a wholesome crunch in a dozen of them. We have
certainly improved a lot in appearance, during the last fortnight;
and I believe that it is due to the feeding, more than the rest."
"It is due, no doubt, to both," Lisle said; "but certainly the
feeding has had a good deal to do with it."
"Those tins of soup," said Hallett, "have been really splendid. I
believe I have gained seven or eight pounds in weight, in spite of
this sweltering heat."
"You have certainly filled out a bit. I was rather thinking of
asking you to hand over all the soups to me, so that you should not
gain weight so fast."
"That would have been a modest request, indeed, Bullen!"
"It was a case of true friendship," Lisle laughed. "I know how you
have appreciated your loss of flesh."
"You be blowed!" Hallett said. "If they would run to half a dozen
tins a day, I can tell you I would take them, whatever the
consequences."
"Well, really, I do think, Hallett, those few cases have saved us
from fever. I felt so utterly washed out, when we arrived here,
that I began to think I was in for a bad attack."
"Same here, Bullen. I fought against the feeling because I dreaded
that hospital tent and, still more, being carried down country."
"Yes; we certainly did a clever thing, when we bought up everything
we could, that day we were in Cape Coast. Our servants, too, have
turned out most satisfactory. Poor beggars! though the weather has
been so bad, there has scarcely been a night when they have not
managed to make a little fire, and boil water either to mix with
our tot of rum, or to make a cup of tea."
"Yes, they have turned out uncommonly well. We must certainly make
them a handsome present, when this is all over. It was awfully
lucky we brought up a good supply of tea with us, and condensed
milk. I am certain that the hot drink, at night, did wonders in the
way of keeping off fevers."
"That is so, Lisle; there is nothing that will keep the wet out, or
at least prevent it from doing harm, like a cup of hot tea with the
allowance of rum in it. I am sure I don't know what we should have
done, without it. That tea and milk were all that we could bring,
especially as our carriers were cut down to one man, each."
"That was your idea, Lisle, and I agree that it has been the saving
of us. I was rather in favour of bringing spirits, myself; but I
quite admit, now, that it would have been a great mistake. Besides,
half a dozen pounds of tea does not weigh more than a couple of
bottles of spirits; which would have been gone in four or five
days, while the tea has held out for months. I never was much of a
tea drinker before. It is all very well to take a cup at an
afternoon tea fight, but that was about the extent of my indulgence
in the beverage. In future I shall become what is called a votary,
and shall cut down my spirits to the narrowest limit."
"That would be running to the opposite extreme, Hallett. Too much
tea is just as bad as too much spirits."
"Ah! Well, I can breakfast with coffee or cocoa. The next time I go
on the march, I shall take two or three pounds of cocoa in my box.
Many a time I have longed for a cup, when we have started at three
o'clock in the morning, and have felt that it would be well worth a
guinea a cup. Now I shall have the satisfaction of always starting
with a good warm drink, which is as good for hunger as thirst. I
have often wondered how I could have been fool enough not to bring
a supply with me."
"Yes, it would have been very comforting," Lisle agreed; "we shall
know better, another time."
"I trust that there will never be another time like this for me. I
shall be ready to volunteer for service in any part of the world,
bar Western Africa. They say that the troops at the Cape are going
through a hard time, but I am convinced that it is child's play in
comparison with our work here. Why, they have hours, and indeed
days, sometimes, without rain. Just think of that, my dear fellow!
Just think of it! And when the rain does fall, it soon sinks into
the sandy soil and, if they lie down at night, they only get wet on
one side, and have waterproof sheets to lie on. Just think of that!
And yet, they actually consider that they are going through
hardships!
"They say, too, that the commissariat arrangements are splendid.
They get meat rations every day--every day, mind you--and I hear
they even get jam. It is enough to fill one with envy. I remember I
was always fond of jam, as a boy. I can tell you that, when I get
back to civilization, one of my first cries will be for jam. Fancy
jam spread thickly on new bread!
"And men who have all these luxuries think that they are roughing
it! Certainly human ingratitude is appalling!"
Lisle laughed.
"But you must remember that there are compensations. We get a fight
every two or three days, while they have often to tramp two or
three hundred miles, without catching sight of an enemy at all."
"There is certainly something in that," Hallett said. "I must admit
that that is a great consolation; and it is satisfactory, too, that
when we do fight we are fired at principally with slugs; which we
both know from experience are not pleasant customers, but at any
rate are a great improvement upon rifle bullets, pom poms, and
shells of all sizes.
"Yes, I don't even grudge them the jam, when I think how awful it
must be to be kept, for months, at some miserable little station on
the railway, guarding the roads. We get restless here at the end of
three or four days, but fancy spending months at it!"
"Besides, Hallett, in such places they get their rations regularly,
and have nothing to do but to eat and get fat. If you were living
under such conditions, you would be something awful at the end of
six months of it."
"There is a great deal in that," Hallett said, thoughtfully. "Yes;
I don't know that, after all, the gains and advantages are not with
us; and indeed, if we had our time to go over again, we could make
ourselves fairly comfortable.
"In the first place, I should purchase a large ground sheet, which
I might use as a tent. I would have a smaller one to lie upon, and
the biggest mackintosh that money could buy. Then, as you say, with
a good supply of tea and chocolate, I could make myself extremely
happy.
"I cannot think why the authorities did not point out the necessity
for these things, before we started. They must have known it was
going to rain like old boots, all the time. I don't mean, of
course, the authorities at Cape Coast, because I don't suppose any
of these things could have been picked up there; but we should have
been told, when we got our orders, that such things were essential.
Really, the stupidity and thoughtlessness of the War Office are
beyond belief."
"I should advise you to draw up a memorial to them, pointing out
their want of thought and care; and suggesting that, in every room,
there should be a printed reminder that mackintoshes and ground
sheets are essential, in a campaign in Western Africa in the wet
season."
"Yes, and cocoa and tea," Hallett said, with a laugh. "I should
like to hear the remarks of the War Office, when my communication
was read. It would flutter the dove cot, and the very next steamer
would bring out an intimation that Lieutenant John Hallett's
services were no longer required."
"No doubt that would be the case, Hallett; but think what an
inestimable service you would have done, in campaigning out here!"
"That is all very well, Bullen, but I should recommend you to try
your eloquence upon someone else. Perhaps you might find someone of
a more self-sacrificing nature who would take the matter in hand."
"Perhaps I might, but I rather fancy that I should not. The only
man who could do it is Willcocks. After the victories he has won,
even the War Office could hardly have the face to retire him from
the service for making such a suggestion. Besides, the public would
never stand it; and he is just the sort of fellow to carry out the
idea, if he took to it."
"I agree with you, Bullen, as in the end I almost always do, and
should suggest most strongly that you lay the matter before him. No
doubt, if he applied, the War Office would send out a hundred
waterproofs and two hundred ground sheets, for the use of the
officers, by the next ship sailing from England."
"I might do it," Lisle laughed, "if it were not that the rainy
season will be at an end before the things arrive here."
"That is a very good excuse, Bullen; but I hope that, at any rate,
you will carry out your idea before the next wet season
begins--that is, if we are kept on here, as a punishment for our
sins."
At this moment one of the non-commissioned officers came in with a
letter, and Hallett opened it.
"Oh dear," he said, in a tone of deepest disgust, "we are off
again!"
"Thank goodness!" Lisle said. "You know we were just agreeing that
we have had enough of this place."
"I often say foolish things," Hallett said, "and must not be taken
too literally. Here is an end to our meat rations, and to all our
other little luxuries. Besides, I have been getting my tunic
washed, and it will certainly take three or four days to dry in
this steaming atmosphere."
"Well, my dear fellow, you can put it on wet, for it is certain to
be wet before we have gone a quarter of an hour. My tunic has gone,
too, but at any rate they will both look more respectable for the
washing.
"Well, I suppose we had better go across to headquarters and find
out what the route is, and who are going."
As they went out, they saw the return of the Central African
Regiment. They had been more fortunate than the other regiments,
having captured and razed Djarchi. They had taken the enemy by
surprise, and run them right through the town, with only a single
casualty. They had ascertained that the enemy had been commanded by
the brother of the Ashanti commander-in-chief, and that he had been
killed in the fight.
A very large amount of spoil had been captured, the first haul of
any importance that had been made during the campaign. Among the
loot were the king of the Kokofu's iron boxes, containing much
official correspondence; union jacks, elephant tails, and other
symbols of royalty, together with gold ornaments, gold dust, and
two hundred pounds of English money; numbers of brass-nailed,
vellum-backed chairs, part of the Ashanti chief's regalia; robes,
guns, ammunition, drums, and horns, and also sheep and poultry.
A company was at once despatched to the Sacred Lake, to join Major
Cramer's levies, which had been told off to act as locusts and eat
up the country. Colonel Wilson was ordered to go to Accra, to
reorganize and recruit the remnant of the Gold Coast Force; so
that, when the campaign was over, they could again take over the
military control of the colony. It was also decided that Bekwai
could no longer be occupied, and that all the stores there should
be removed to Esumeja, as the whole main road up to Coomassie would
shortly be open.
At last all was in readiness for the general and final advance. All
the Adansi country to the south, and Kokofu to the east had been
conquered, and the roads cleared. The next step was to clear
Northern Ashanti; neglecting altogether, for the present, the
parties of the enemy between the southern boundaries of Ashanti
territory and their capital.
It was therefore decided to move the whole of the headquarters
staff and the advance base to Coomassie, Esumeja being selected as
the point, between it and Kwisa, to be held in force. The general
plan was to send up all the stores, carriers, and troops via Pekki,
as had been done on both previous occasions. This would reduce the
chance of attack and loss to a minimum while, simultaneously, a
fighting column with the smallest possible transport would follow
the road through Kokofu and take Ejesu, which was the residence of
the queen mother, and the headquarters of the remnant of the
Ashanti army.
The general opinion was that it would be the last fight of the
year. Colonel Brake, who was the last arrival, having had no chance
of a fight hitherto, was selected for the command. The whole force
was to advance, and five thousand carriers were required to effect
the movement.
There was general joy when it was known that Bekwai was to be
evacuated. It was a dull, dirty place, surrounded by dense, dark
forests, and was in a terribly insanitary state. Europeans were
rapidly losing their strength, and an epidemic of smallpox was
raging among the natives, of whom a dozen or more died daily.
On the 28th of August Colonel Burroughs left Bekwai, with seven
hundred and fifty men, and three thousand carriers taking
ammunition and baggage. The column was fully two miles long. They
had an extremely heavy march, and did not arrive at their
destination till night. The carriers returned to Bekwai the next
day, so as to be ready to march out at daylight, on the 30th, with
the second column.
The troops at Pekki being in enforced idleness, half of them
marched out to attack the enemy's war camp, which had for so long
threatened Pekki. The place was found to be evacuated, and it and
the bush camps on the way were all burnt.
The second column had now well started. The downfall of rain
continued without intermission, and the roads became worse than
ever. The day after the first column left Pekki, Colonel Brake
started with eight hundred men and two guns.
The news came in that the king of Akim had been asked, by a number
of the Kokofu, to intercede on their behalf for peace; and a
messenger with a flag of truce came in from the Djarchi district.
The appearance of the messenger was singular. He was completely
clad in white, even his skin being painted that colour, and he
carried an enormous white flag. He was well received, but was sent
back with a message that the chiefs must come in themselves.
On the 30th Colonel Willcocks arrived and, the next day, the whole
force started in fighting formation for Coomassie, where they
arrived after twelve hours' march. The distance was only twelve
miles, so the condition of the roads may be well imagined by the
time the column took to traverse them.