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Henty, G. A. (George Alfred), 1832-1902

"By Sheer Pluck, a Tale of the Ashanti War"

The army had for the most part broken
up into small parties and gone to their villages. The wrath of the
king was great, and all the chiefs who accompanied the army had
been fined and otherwise punished. Mr. Kuhne said that when Sir
Garnet's letter arrived, the question of peace or war had been
hotly contested at a council. The chiefs who had been in the late
expedition were unanimous in deprecating any further attempt to
contend with the white man. Those who had remained at home, and who
knew nothing of the white man's arms, or white man's valor, were
for war rather than surrender.
Mr. Kuhne was unable to form any opinion what the final determination
would be. The German missionary had no doubt been restored as
a sort of peace offering. He was in a bad state of health, and as
his brother and his brother's wife were among the captives, the
Ashanti monarch calculated that anxiety for the fate of his relatives
would induce him to argue as strongly as possible in favor of peace.
Frank left the camp on the Prah some days before the arrival of
the white troops, having moved forward with the scouts under Lord
Gifford, to whom his knowledge of the country and language proved
very valuable.


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