"Ramseyer, Werner, Weimer to Basel from Kibi"

A letter informing the committee of their hesitations about going forward to Kwahu, because of the war. Much of the informations are in Mohr’s letter number 255 of 1875. Additional points: The Juabenhene had visited Ramseyer on the mission station in Kibi several times – they were already acquainted from the period of Ramseyer’s captivity. The story circulating about the course of the war is that the Asantes were only victorious on the fourth day through the Juaben's running out of powder. According to the Asantes themselves they suffered heavy losses, and Adu Bofo was on the point of blowing himself up with his own last 6 barrels of powder when news came that the Juabens were quite without further ammunition. Many menbers of the Juaben royal family have been captured, including the heir to the throne - a boy of 9. They have been assigned the stretch of land between Atrawante and Kukurantumi for settlement. A rumour has now reached that Gouldsberry is safe in Cape Coast after all, and had been well-handled in Kumasi. A slave of a sister of the Juabenhene’s having just escaped and arrived in Kibi reports that the streets of Kumasi are covered with grass and that many of the houses are fallen in - there are few people living there. The main problem, however, concerns the advisability of going forward into Kwahu. There have been rumours which have turned out to be untrue that there had been fighting between the Kwahus and the Asantes. There is another rumour that the Kwahus have seized Agogo or plan this. A messenger was sent to the King in Abetifi recently asking him if the missionaries should come, and his reply was that they should, and not be frightened of the Asantes. The missionaries feel, however, that there is a danger that if the Kwahus are not put under some formal kind of protection by the Colonial Government they may decide to accept Asante subjection once more. There are evidently divisions in Kwahu over this question. The recent Asante embassy was merely sent back by the Obos, but imprisoned and sent down to the coast by the chief in Abetifi acting on the advice of the Akwapims. The Kwahu wish for protection has existed for some time – there are rumours that at the time of the recent campaign they sent some money to the Akims (Kibi) in return for which the Akims were to sponser their case with the colonial government (there is now some anxiety in Kibi that they might want the money back). If Kwahu became once more subject to Asante (and no doubt all the chiefs of Kwahu know that their heads depend on their making the right decision over this problem) then the Asantehene is as likely to let the missionaries work in Abetifi as in Kumasi.

03.01.1876

03.01.1876

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