"Lodholz to Basel"

Transmitting information about the missionary prisoners obtained from an Asante released after capture by the Crepes who was in Kibi. The missionaries had been taken prisoner, and before chief Openten it had had to be decided whether they were to be killed or set free. Eventually the decision was taken to send them to Karikari, and their belongings were sent ahead of them. After two days journey Ramseyer had protested about the conditions of the march, and they were provided with 14 carriers for the three adults (they were now with a Frenchman) with two carrying baskets, and two men to carry the child. The missionaries asked what had happened about their clothes and headgear, and whether their heads had been shaved, since alarming rumours had been circulating on this point. The refugee replied that they had kept their clothing and headgear and had not been shaved. At the Asante attack, the Anums and Crepes had fled to a hill called Tatabari Nyampon, from where they made frequent attacks on the Asantes, and had taken many prisoners. They had also killed many Asantes by sending stones down on them as they attacked the hill. When hunger became a problem they sent slaves to the more distant farms, but many of these had been captured by the Asantes. The situation had become difficult, with sickness and hunger making great inroads in the numbers of armed men. The Anglos had fought with the Asantes at first, but now had left them after gaining little success, and suffering the misfortune of running out of bullets and having to use instead cowries and little stones. The Asantes now stand in danger of being cut off from their homeland through an Akim army, which is standing in the Nort-West of Begoro. The Asantes' main objective is the head of the Crepe king, Kwadwo Dee. The Akwamus are especially concerned to take Dompere dead or alive. The source of this information had been twice captured, twice escaped, and on his return to Kwahu had found his wife had been taken away with a small piece of cloth tied around her loins, to indicate that she was a sacrifice at the next great festival in Kumasi. At this he had expressed himself in such a way that severe punishment would follow, and had fled. He had been an eye witness of the state of the white prisoners, and had seen the missionaries' goods being transported to Kumasi. He had also been in Kwahu shortly after their passage through Kwahu to Kumasi. As for the situaition in Akim - there were reports of an Asante army in North-West Akim, but this turned out to be only a group of Kwahus. Fining from Begoro and Diedu from Asiakwa are encamped on the North-West border, and Ampao of Kukurantumi is on the North-West border following the Kwahu activity, but expects to be there only a week. Mrs Kromer had been sent to Accra, and the missionaries had secured their movable possessions.

04.09.1869

04.09.1869

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