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PASS.

OLD HUMPHREY ON THE PEOPLE WHO | boot on his leg. He can speak pleasantly to the poorest man he meets, and yesterday I saw him exchanging, in the same spirit, a few words with the governor of the Bank of England. I take him to be an upright, respectable, contented, and worthy man; and I hope that he is looking heavenward, for it is indeed time he should do so, seeing that, like myself, he carries years on his brow. He has my blessing.

WHETHER at home or abroad, in the country or the town, in the highways or byways of the retired village or crowded city, it is to me a source of unceasing interest and pleasure to observe the people who pass. Talk of pictures! Why the fellow beings that people our pathways form some of the most interesting pictures in the world, ever new and ever changing! When you see people in company, or meet them by appointment, they adapt their manners to the occasion; they are on their guard; they have a part to perform; but when they pass by it is otherwise; they are free from restraint, and they are themselves. Again I say, that the people who pass form some of the most interesting pictures in the world.

Whether the passer by is a rich man or a poor man, a lady in satin or a woman habited in a threadbare cloak, is not of material consequence. Scores that I often meet, though neither remarkable for riches nor poverty, are full of character, and I have very little doubt that Old Humphrey himself has points and peculiarities enough about him to attract the attention, and excite the complacent smile of many a passer-by. I love to think so, and for this reason: that when fully persuaded my neighbours are amused at my peculiarities, I feel more at liberty to indulge in a goodhumoured smile at theirs.

For years I have been accustomed to see, at a certain hour, a little gentlemanly man, of the old school, go by, carrying a walking stick, and wearing an ample waistcoat, with drab-coloured breeches, light stockings, buckles at the knee, and strings in his shoes. He is evidently what is called "well to do in the world;" for he walks leisurely, and seems always in good humour with himself and all around him. There is no hurry, no bustle, no care visible in his demeanour; but he seems to have a contented, affable, and unperturbed spirit. On he goes, seeing every body and every thing; now looking at a shop window or a passing vehicle; now turning round to take a retrospective glance, apparently measuring with his eye the distance he has walked. The sun may shine, and the shower may fall, but he makes no difference in his clothing. Winter and summer find him the same; for never yet have I seen a great coat on his back, or a

I often meet, in my evening walk, a short, fat, clumsy-looking, ill-favoured man, dressed in a corduroy jacket with huge pockets, a blue apron, white cotton stockings not over clean, and ill-made, high-topped shoes. With a pipe in his mouth, he lounges at a corner, or leans over a gate, seemingly looking out for some one to exchange a word with him. He is the landlord of a small public house, that does, I fancy, very little business. I really do pity the man, for the long hours of his lazy life must hang heavy on his hands. I wonder whether he has a Bible! One would think it would be the greatest blessing in the world to him. Rather than lead such an idle life as he does, I would gladly work in a saw pit, or break stones on the highway.

Among the passers-by who have attracted my attention, is an old lady in faded mourning, who not only looks hopeless, but seems like one who never had any hope, so wo-begone is the expression in her face. Her eyes appear to be looking for what she has no expectation of finding. She is evidently walking in the shade, with a heavy heart, and knows not, perhaps, that affliction cometh not forth of the dust, nor trouble of the ground. Mourner as she is, may she be led in her weakness to the Strong for strength, and be taught that God is her "refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble," Psalm xlvi. 1.

For some years I had noticed, driving by in a phaeton and pair of horses, morning and evening, a portly-looking gentleman, with a broad-brimmed hat, peaked before and behind, and curled up at the sides. He was said to be either a stock broker or a wholesale dealer in tobacco; but how that might be, I cannot tell. It happened that in mounting an omnibus I found him sitting beside me, when that appearance of health in his face which had often caught my attention at a distance, assumed, in my eyes, a different

man.

character; he was evidently an ailing | He spoke to me freely of his ill health, and of some matters which had caused him much anxiety. Alas! in a few days after he was borne past me in his phaeton, in a dying state, and expired in a few hours. There is, indeed, but a step between us and death; and happy is he who can say, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God," Job xix. 25, 26.

habited in a light cloak, with an umbrella in his hand, when the heavens, in my judgment (but I am not over weather wise) have had little in them prognosticating rain. It may be that he has some cause for carefulness, though he has a good broad back of his own, a round face, and a cheerful expression of countenance. All are not strong who appear so; and I would that he had a little more colour in his cheeks. He walks with a steady pace, like one whose communings with himself are of a peaceful kind. Now and then he looks up at the clouds so earnestly that I have sometimes thought he was looking beyond them. Some weeks ago, I saw him a little way in the country, and the green trees, the blooming flowers, the rippling brook, and the bees and butterflies seemed by turns to engage his attention. Not an aged person passed with

Not unfrequently do I see pass by a well-dressed lady, whose cheerful countenance and sunny smile are like a cordial to my heart. Two or three times have I seen her stop to speak to poor people. I have taken it into my head that she must be well known to the sick, the afflicted, and distressed; and that, by add-out his speaking to him, and for every ing to their comforts, she increases her own. I know her in the distance, feel respect for her as she passes by, and know her when she is out of sight.

Two or three times in the course of the week I have been in the habit of meeting a tall, pilgrim-like looking man, of some fifty or sixty years, dressed in well-brushed, dark-blue clothes, his coat having long skirts. His appearance is His hat is striking and interesting.

rather broad in the brim, his knees are somewhat wide apart, and he carries in his hand a stick or staff, of the olden fashion, too tall by far for the top to be held in the hand like a common walking stick while his dexter grasp secures his staff, his weaker hand carries a blue bag. His fresh colour, healthy appearance, and lightness of foot, betoken temperance, while the intellect and thought visible in his face, bespeak him to be a man of talent and sober reflection. I may be wrong in supposing him to occupy some place of trust and importance in the city; but I can hardly err in pronouncing him to be a peculiar character. Latterly he has excited more than ordinary interest in my heart; for not only is he clad in deep mourning, with the symbol of sorrow on his hat, but his walk has been slower than before, and his face impressed with a greater degree of seriousness. Whoever he may be, he has my sympathy. We are both aged, and I hope we are both pilgrims to the city with the golden gates.

There is another that I have often seen

little boy or girl he had a book with a picture in it, and no doubt also some profitable, instruction. As I passed by him in the churchyard, I saw some children around him, whom I guessed to be his own Sunday scholars: he was pointing to a little grassy mound, and was teaching them to recite this verse:

"Putting off till to-morrow, Will lead us to sorrow; Beginning to-day

Is the very best way."

"Oh," thought I, "if that is the nature of your communications, Peace be with you;' I wish you 'success in the name of the Lord.''

Among those who pass by of an objectionable character, I notice a tall thin man, dressed in shabby black clothes. He has some claim to superior manners, but poverty and bad habits have set their mark upon him, not only soiling and destroying his dress, but also branding his brow. The first time I saw him, he affected to mistake me for a certain member of Parliament: then came his ready tale of distress; and last, his appeal to my pocket. The next time we met, he repeated his flattering mistake, and again I was accosted by him as a member of the legislature. The third time I saw him, he was in the very act of playing off the same prank on another, and thus I became better acquainted with his daily avocation. I often see him prowling about in the city, gaunt, seemingly hungry, and keen as a sportsman after

his game. What an execrable compact is that formed by poverty and deceit ! I might give you fifty other specimens, but, for the present, let the few that I have enumerated suffice. Once more I say, that the people who pass form some of the most interesting pictures in the world.

THE KING OF ASHANTEE.

THE king has the property, as well as the lives of his people within his power. He is the legal heir of all his subjects, whose gold he can claim at their death. Bowdich's story of Aga recognizes this peculiarity in Ashantee law, and shows too that the king is not always patient enough to wait for the natural death of his rich subjects. On one occasion, it appears, Osai Tutu Quamina acknowledged that he entertained a prejudice against a wealthy captain; when his principal linguists, always inclined to support him, said, "If you wish to take his stool from him, we will make the palaver." But Aga, who had singularly gained the king's confidence, immediately sprung up and exclaimed, "No, king, that is not good. That man never did you any wrong. You know, all the gold of your subjects is yours at their death; but if you get all now, strangers will go away and say, 'Only the king has gold;' and that will not be good. But let them say, 'The king has gold, all his captains have gold, and all his people have gold;' then your country will look handsome, and the bush people will fear you.'

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It is recorded to the honour of Osai Tutu Quamina, who, whatever might be his faults, possessed some noble qualities, that this individual, Aga, had secured his confidence by his fearless honesty. He was a poor boy who carried salt from Hituomo to Coomassie for sale; and, being taken into the service of the caboceer of that place, he was present when his master was brought before the king on a charge wrongfully preferred against him at the instance of the government. The caboceer being confused by the misrepresentations of the king's officers, the boy Aga suddenly started up and said, King, you have people to wash you, to feed you, to serve you; but you have no people to speak the truth to you, and tell you when God does not like your palaver." Immediately an unanimous cry arose in

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the assembly, that he ought to be carried out, and have his head struck off; but the king commanded him to proceed: and Aga, in a speech of three hours, convinced the king of the innocence of his master, and obtained his acquittal. The king then took Aga into his own service; and, having had further proof of his ability and integrity, appointed him to the office of linguist, and presented him with wives and slaves, a house, and gold to support his establishment. And as an additional reward for his honesty in the case first mentioned, the king raised him to the rank of second linguist, and greatly increased his property. Mr. Hutchinson had an opportunity of witnessing the boldness of this individual. The king having detected the misconduct of one of his captains, wrought himself up to such a height of passion, that none of the chiefs dared to arise in his presence, till Aga stood up, and, in his usual energetic manner, requested his majesty to remember that an Englishman was the witness of his conduct.

To return from this digression. It is stated that the king usually takes a considerable portion of the gold which a deceased caboceer has left behind him in dust, leaving to his successor only a small amount. Sometimes a chief will attempt to defraud the king of his claim, by presenting to his children large sums of gold, when he imagines himself to be near death; and Bowdich mentions the son of one who displayed with impunity the property which he had thus acquired; but this, it may be presumed, was a somewhat hazardous experiment.

The rich nobles, however, convert a considerable portion of their gold into ornaments, which usually descend to their successors; although not invariably; for even these, whether manufactured or otherwise, are occasionally taken away. The principal matter of which Apia Nanu had complained against the king was, that on the death of his brother, to whose stool he had succeeded, the king had claimed some rock gold, which belonged to the inheritance, and had doubtless been worn among the ornaments of the family; for, on state occasions, many of the nobles appear with rude lumps of rock gold suspended from their left wrists. But, it is to be remarked, that if the ornaments of the chiefs are generally allowed to descend to their heirs, the king has a check upon his subjects to prevent

them from multiplying such articles so as wholly to defraud him of his claims at their decease. On every occasion, when a chief adds to his stock of ornaments, he has to pay a tax to the king, amounting, as appears from an instance quoted by Bowdich, to one-fifth of the value of the gold thus appropriated.

Once in their lifetime, those caboceers and principal men who are favourites of the king, and believe themselves to be free from palavers, make a public exhibition of their riches, in a noisy procession through the public places of the capital. Mr. Hutchinson had the opportunity of witnessing the display which Apóko made on such an occasion. Among the articles which he noticed were gold chains for the neck, arms, and legs; ornaments of all descriptions for the ankles, consisting of manacles with keys, bells, chains, and padlocks; armlets and various ornaments for his numerous family of wives, children, and captains; a superb war cap of eagles' feathers, fetishes, (which will be hereafter explained,) Moorish charms, caps, and silk dresses; purses, bags, and other articles made of monkey skin; fans, with ivory handles, made of tiger skin, and decorated with silk; gold swords, and figures of birds, beasts, and fishes, of the same metal; ivory arrows and bows, covered with silk and skin; drums, and various instruments of music, covered with tiger skin, and having red belts; and many other weapons of war, and articles suited to the taste of the owner. The ornaments made of gold weighed upwards of sixteen hundred

ounces.

The income of the king must be very large, for the produce of the gold mines is not private property, but belongs to the crown; although this would be much greater were the mines better worked. The customs paid by those who engage in trade, the taxes from the provinces, and tribute received from conquered nations, are a further augmentation of the royal revenue. The gold contained in the soil of the market place of Coomassie is also the property of the king. On two occasions, in the reign of Osai Tutu Quamina, the washing of the soil yielded about sixteen hundred ounces of gold. Frequently after a heavy rain, lumps of gold are laid bare, but they are carefully covered up again, as the person who should take any would expose himself to the penalty of death. While Bowdich was at

the capital, an individual was actually beheaded for picking up a piece of gold in the market place.

The court of Ashantee (As-hánti) affords a more striking display of barbarous splendour than any of the principal courts in the interior. Those of Eyeo, or Yarriba, Sackatoo, (Sakátu,) and Bornou, as they are described by travellers, are far less imposing in appearance. The court of Ashantee is seen to advantage on the public reception of visitors at the capital. The king is magnificently attired in silk, with necklaces, bracelets, kneebands, and ankle strings of gold and beads, and many other ornaments, some of which are in massive gold, and others are ingenious devices and representations delicately wrought in the same metal. With these a variety of charms are intermingled. His fingers are covered with gold rings, and he has been seen to wear on his finger and thumb a pair of gold castenets, by the clapping of which he enforced silence. The manners of all the Ashantee kings known to Europeans have been uniformly represented as dignified yet courteous.

The royal throne, or "stool," is literally covered with plates of gold. Behind the king are his guards, with belts encased in gold, having ornaments of the same metal representing jaw bones; and the muskets of the guards are also covered with gold. There too are placed the royal messengers, with breast plates of gold, holding in a reversed position their large crooked sabres, so as to render conspicuous the golden hilts. The principal officers of the king's household display a splendour in accordance with their rank. The keeper of the treasury is known by the blow pan, boxes, scales, and weights, all of solid gold, which are exhibited in his retinue. Gold canes, tied in bundles like fasces, and elevated in all directions by their numerous attendants, distinguish the four linguists. The chamberlain, the gold horn blower, the captain of the messengers, the captain for royal executions, the captain of the market, the keeper of the royal burial ground, all sit surrounded by the emblems of their respective offices, and attended by a large retinue. The royal cook also displays a number of table services, punch bowls, tankards, waiters, and other utensils of massive silver plate. The okras, slaves peculiarly devoted to the king, and various other officers, are

adorned with large stars, crescents, and gossamer wings of solid gold. And, to complete the list of persons in immediate attendance upon the sovereign, as well as to exhibit the union of barbarism and magnificence, must be mentioned the royal chief executioner, a man of gigantic size, bearing a massive golden hatchet, and having exhibited before him the execution stool, clotted with human blood, and partly covered with a caul of fat.

the thigh, and fastened by small chains to their cartouch or belt. The caboceers, as well as the king, are shaded by immense umbrellas, many of which are large enough to cover twenty or thirty persons. These are made of the most showy cloths and silks, and are crowned at the top with emblematical representations of birds and beasts, either gilt or of solid gold.

The interest on public occasions is not unfrequently heightened by the presence of some of the tributary kings and princes. Bowdich saw the court of the king of Dwabin, or Jubábin, when on a visit at Coomassie, and represents it as almost equally crowded with that of the king of Ashantee. And when Dupuis made his public entrance into the capital, he wit

numerous and splendid retinue, seated near to his liege lord. The stool of this monarch was covered with silver plates, none being permitted to sit enthroned in gold but the sovereign prince of the whole empire.

Every caboceer or noble has his band of music, and, as the visitant approaches, it plays his own peculiar air or tune, by which he is distinguished from his compeers; and in these bands are drums, adorned with thigh-bones, teeth, and other human relics. Each of these drums is carried on the head of one man, and beaten by two others. The simultaneous playing of such a number of bands, accompanied with discharges of musketry and other sounds, produces an almost deafening noise.

The appearance of the caboceers and their principal captains and attendants is imposing. Many of them wear Ashantee cloths of great value, manufactured from costly foreign silks, which have been unravelled, in order to weave them anew with every variety of colour and figure. These robes are of greatnessed the king of Banna, surrounded by a size and weight, and are thrown over the shoulder like the Roman toga. A profusion of gold necklaces, and other ornaments, mixed with charms, are also worn by the nobles; and to their left wrists are attached rude lumps of rock gold, which, on account of their weight, are supported on the heads of their handsomest boys, who are selected for this office. Like the sovereign, they wear sandals of leather, of various colours. They are also surrounded by a great number of attendants, some bearing goldheaded canes, and others swords with gold handles, from which are suspended representations of the heads of wolves and rams, as large as life, cast in gold. And their stools, the emblems of their dignity, which descend to their successors, made of wood, elaborately carved, from each of which two bells are suspended, are on these occasions conspicuously exhibited on the heads of confidential officers, around whom are seated crowds of boys flourishing elephants' tails curiously mounted. The tails of elephants are ensigns of distinction, which are sometimes borne by sons of the king before the principal caboceers. Osai Tutu Quamina had, when a boy, carried an elephant's tail before Apóko. The elephants' tails waved before the sovereign are spangled with golden ornaments. The captains attend in their war-dresses, each of which consists of a cap with gilded horns projecting in front, and adorned with immense plumes of ostrich feathers; a vest of red cloth covered with fetishes, charms, and various ornaments; and loose cotton trousers, with immense boots of dull red leather, reaching half way up

After the visitant has performed the laborious task of saluting in succession all the distinguished personages present, and last of all the king, he is then conducted to a distance, and placed in a convenient situation to receive their salutations in return. Another scene then takes place, baffling all adequate description. The caboceers pass, according to their respective ranks, followed by their captains and retinue. Each noble is attended by his flatterers, who proclaim, in boisterous songs, the "strong names' of their master, while his band plays in warlike strains, and various dances are performed. The chiefs courteously salute the stranger as they pass. occasion alluded to, when the king of Banna was present, as that monarch approached Dupuis, having commanded silence by an authoritative wave of the hand, he snatched a scimitar from one of his attendants, and, commencing a violent

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