"Kromer to Basel"

Reporting a palaver in the second half of July. About 80 people brought as embassy from the Governor and 3 different Fante kings. Among them were 2 locally born officers, and a local preacher of the Methodist Church in Anomabu called Gyade. For the first few meetings of the palaver the missionaries were present, later they were not requested to attend by the Okyenhene, and so did not, but heard what transpired. Kromer refused to translate a letter from the Government when there was an official interpreter there. The Governor sent a letter which threatened Abuakwa with withdrawal of English protection if peace was not concluded with Kotoku. Ata's initial reaction was protest - and then the statement that he would put the matter in the lands of the –Government to arbitrate. The embassy said that was not something they were interested in - they wanted to know if it was peace or war with Kotoku, and gave Ata 4 days to think it over. Asase spoke in a very coarse and hostile way, and the embassy protested that if he were not silenced they would leave without waiting for an answer whereon the king and his elders apologised for him. In the end the king acceded to all the demands made on him, and swore loyalty to the English by the Thursday god. In many ways the embassy seem to have linked themselves to the mission - Gyade preached in the chapel, and large numbers of the Fante came to Sunday morning service and the Sunday night street preaching, which was held under the very tree where 7 Asantes had been executed, and where there skulls were currently lodged. Kromer also seems to have tried to do his bit to emphasise what he saw as the threat implied by the embassy of a Fante attack advising elders with whom he had conversation that if the embassy was rebuffed then Kibi would be in ruins in 14 days.

01.11.1863

01.11.1863

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