"Kromer's Report for the First Quarter 1870"

Reports that reconciliation with the Okyenhene was bound up with Asante’s mission in Begoro. When Asante eventually made contact with the Kwahu man who was to take the message to Kumasi the Okyenhene heard of it and required the man to be arrested and brought to Kibi. Asante asked the Kibi missionaries to intervene to prevent this, and the Okyenhene agreed on condition that they took full responsibility in the event that the British Government regarded this as a breach of their instructions that Akim should break of all relations with any Asante state. On a recent visit to Kukurantumi the people had not even bothered to gather for street preaching. Meanwhile in Asiakwa the people want to know if they are ever going to get a teacher. Attached to this reports as Postscripts are comments by Widmann dated 15 June 1870 and Mader dated 29 Jun 1870. Widman argues that Kukurantumi’s only importance is its geographical position – the meeting points of roads to the coast from Begoro, Kwahu, Kibi, and Asiakwa. It was only settled in the difficult situation following the destruction of Gyadam – and the settlement of Gyadam in turn would not have occurred had the missionaries gone about establishing the Akim mission in the proper way. Asiakwa would be the better place for an outstation. Mader remarks that Begoro would be the place for a second station staffed by missionaries. It has a good climate, it is one day's journey from Kwahu, and could therefore be the fore-post of-the Asante Mission. It is also possibly the most populous town in Akim. Asiakwa could hardly be the station for more missionaries, it is too close to Kibi. With reference to other Akim places visited in the quarter Kromer remarks that Pano is a fanatical fetish town.

30.04.1870

30.04.1870

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