His main difficulty was about
clearing the path; he had issued strong orders upon the subject, but
African kings often command and no one cares to obey. The monarchy is
essentially limited, and the lieges allow no stretch of power, unless the
ruling arm be exceptionally long and strong.
Hearing that the gold-hilted official swords of the King of Bein were for
sale, and wishing to inspect the place, we set off at 3.30 P.M. to cover
the 4,769 yards measured along the sands by Mr. Graham. Reaching our
destination, eighteen miles distant from Axim, we were carried up the long
straight street-road which leads to the old English fort. It is the normal
building, a house on bastions, both well and solidly made of stone and
lime. Amongst the materials I found a fine yellow sandstone-grit and a
nummulite so weathered that the shells stood out in strong relief. Both
were new to us on this trap-coast, and no one could say where they were
quarried; many thought they must have come from Europe, others that they
are brought from inland. The masonry of the sea-front was pitted with
seven large wounds, dealt by as many shells when we broke down our own
work. Such was the consequence of sympathising with the Ashantis in 1873,
when Axim also was bombarded.
Pages:
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173