In 1853 the Ashantis again crossed the Prah, but, being met with
firmness, retired again. After ten years' quiet, in 1863 they again
invaded the country, burnt thirty villages, and slaughtered their
inhabitants. Governor Price then urged upon the home authorities the
necessity for the sending out from England of two thousand troops
to aid the native army in striking a heavy blow at the Ashantis,
and so putting a stop to this constant aggression. The English
government, however, refused to entertain the proposal. In order
to encourage the natives some companies of West Indian troops were
marched up to the Prah. The wet season set in, and, after suffering
terribly from sickness, the survivors returned five months later
to Cape Coast.
Up to this period the Dutch trading ports and forts upon the coast
were interspersed with ours, and as the tribes in their neighborhood
were under Dutch protection constant troubles were arising between
the Dutch tribes and our own, and in 1867 an exchange was effected,
the Dutch ceding all their forts and territory east of the Sweet
river, a small stream which falls into the sea midway between
Cape Coast and Elmina, while we gave up all our forts to the west
of this stream.
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