moment paralyzed all progress in those countries.

Such, Sir, are the interests which inspire the policy of our august Master in Central Asia; such is the object, by his Imperial Majesty's orders, of the action of his Cabinet.

You are requested to take these arguments as your guide in any explanations you may give to the Government to which you are accredited, in case questions are asked or you may see credence given to erroneous ideas as to our action in these distant parts,

It is needless for me to lay stress upon the interest which Russia evidently has not to increase her territory, and, above all, to avoid raising complications on her frontiers, which can but delay and paralyze her domestic development.

The programme which I have just traced is in accordance with these views.

Very frequently of late years the civilization of those countries which are her neighbours on the continent of Aria has been assigned to Russia as her special mission.

No agent has been found more apt for the progress of civilization than commercial relations. Their development requires everywhere order and stability; but in Asia it demands a complete transformation of the habits of the people. The first thing to be taught to the populations of Asia is that they will gain more in fa

vouring and protecting the caravan trade than in robbing them. These elementary ideas can only be accepted by the public where one exists; that is to say, where there is some organized form of society, and a Government to direct and represent it.

We are accomplishing the first part of our task in carrying our frontier to the limit where the indispensable conditions are to be found.

The second we shall accomplish in making every effort henceforward to prove to our neighbouring States, by a system of firmness in the repression of their misdeeds, combined with moderation and justice in the use of our strength, and respect for their independence, that Russia is not their enemy, that she entertains towards them no ideas of conquest, and that peaceful and commercial relations with her are more profitable than disorder, pillage, reprisals, and a permanent state of war.

The Imperial Cabinet, in assuming this task, takes as its guide the interests of Russia. But it believes that, at the same time, it is promoting the interests of humanity and civilization. It has a right to expect that the line of conduct it pursues and the principles which guide it will meet with a just and candid appreciation. GORTCHAKOW.

(Signed)

No. 1.

COLONEL HARLEY TO THE EARL OF KIMBERLEY.

Received May 9.

The Castle, Cape Coast, April 14, 1873.

MY LORD, I had, on the morning of the 12th instant, the satisfaction of receiving from the King of Ashantee a letter, of which the inclosed is a copy, with others, from Mr. Dawson, my special messenger to the King. I venture to use this expression, my lord, as I think it will be satisfactory for your lordship to learn from the King himself the cause which has led him to the invasion of the Protectorate.

2. Your lordship will perceive that the cause stated by the King is the transfer of Elmina, and I think not a little to the singular selection made by Mr. Hennessy of Mr. Plange (an Elmina man and a Dutch agent) as the first English Commissioner to Coomassie after the transfer, whom he despatched to the King with many valuable presents, amounting to some 6001. or 700l., and amongst them a monster mirror. Well, my lord, there were people here who could have told Mr. Hennessy, had it suited him to learn it, that Mr. Plange's loyalty to the flag was more than suspected, and that he had been known to say Elmina is transferred, but not in heart." He had been, I am told, in some way previously con

nected with the King, and we now, fortunately, know something of his mind and feeling towards British rule; but it seems to me, from the King of Ashantee's statement, that whatever Mr. Plange did say produced great irritation, and led to his sending his army across the Prah against the tribes of the Protectorate.

3. The news of the safety of the European missionaries who have all signed this letter will, I am sure, be a source of much gratification to your Lordship, and their signatures are already sufficiently known to me to leave no doubt of their being reliable.

4. Your lordship will observe in the second paragraph that the King of Ashantee distinctly claims the Fort of Elmina as his by descent. I am well aware how absurd this plea is, but, nevertheless, it is a plea sufficient for the savage Monarch to act upon, and the threat which he states was made to him by the messenger sent by Mr. Hennessy-"the King says he could not understand the Administrator-in-chief's sending Attah, alias Mr. H. Plange, to tell him of his having taken possession, and notifying him also that in four months he, the Administrator, would come to Ashantee to take away power from him." How can we now tell, but that this man, to favour the policy of the King of Elmina, may not have made some such statement as alleged, to enrage the King of Ashantee, and to induce him to move to the assistance of Elmina by invading the Protectorate. And here I would mention to your Lordship the evidence given by Coffee A. Kell, the cane-bearer, sent with my messenger, Mr. Dawson, to the King of Ashantee in December last, when negotiations were pending for the release of the European missionaries:-" Mr. Plange, Commissioner and an Elmina, told the King that the British Government intended giving Quake Fram, King of Denkera, power in four months' time, and the King said in reply, if any blood shed Plange would be responsible for it, as he had brought him that message. The King says he has a palaver with the Assins, the Denkeras, and the Akins, but not with white people, but Mr. Dawson thinks it is all false, as the King means war against the British authority. Mr. Dawson tells the Governor, as soon as he gets this message, to make prisoners of the King of Elmina and King Amakie, of Appolonia, as they are the cause of this war." In his diary, he adds, the King explained how the Elminas had sent to ask his succour on a previous occasion, which led to his sending Atjiempon with money, &c. Mr. Dawson left Cape Coast on the 28th November

(and here, my lord, the dates are important), he states, "three days after leaving the Prah, they met the invading army, which had left Coomassie on the 9th December; it was the whole Ashantee force now at Yancoomassie." This at once discloses the treachery of the King of Ashantee, who was at the time professing friendship towards the Government through his envoys at Cape Coast. He also states "that the King of Elmina sent his brother Intehkohte, asking the King of Ashantee to send an army to him, and when the Fantees were busy away from Cape Coast they would come and overrun and plunder it. Amakie, King of Appolonia, sent also to Ashantee asking the King to send down and help him, and the notorious Atjiempon, who was sent back to Coomassie at such trouble and expense in December, is now on his way there with 3000 men. Moreover amongst the traders at Coomassie, British Elminas were put in log, but the Dutch Elminas went away with Atjiempon," and that he has gone to Kinjarbo, the trading town on the Asinee River." Thomas Cochrane, the Fantee policeman, sent with my letter and proclamation to the King on my assumption of the Government, has been sent back, also with two other Fantees and two boys of Mr. Dawson's, in all six persons, and the King told the cane-bearer to say "that he has plenty of Fantee prisoners, but he has not killed any, he only kiils the Assins, the Denkeras, and the Akims."

5. These two and another Fantee whom I examined confirm Mr. Dawson's reports, and they state further that they saw with their own eyes the brother of the King of Elmina at Coomassie, and the messengers of Amakie, King of Appolonia. It will thus be evident to your lordship that this scheme of invasion had been for some time intended by the Ashantees, and that Elmina and Appolonia were to rise to support it. All this only confirms the information I had the honour to convey to your lordship in my despatch No. 39 of the 2nd instant, at paragraph 4, in which I drew attention to the King of Elmina having issued an order for the Ashantees to arm, and I then ventured to express my own opinion "that the invasion was a preconcerted scheme between Ashantee and Elmina, and that when the invading army had advanced to a given distance of the coast, the whole of the Dutch natives of the Windward Settlements would rise en masse against the British rule."

6. The diary of Mr. Dawson will give your lordship more detailed information, and especially with regard to the part

Mr. Plange seems to have taken, so that he has lost the confidence of the King, and has even been ill-treated, which is a most exceptional thing in the case of special messengers or envoys sent to Coomassie. I shall recall him provided the King will allow him to return, leaving Mr. Dawson, with the Missionaries, to carry out any negotiations which may be necessary with the King.

7. The letter of Mr. Dawson to Prince Ansah, of which I submit a copy,* conveys the impression that Governor Ferguson's letter to the King, announcing the intended transfer, was not opened until after the receipt of Mr. Hennessy's Proclamation, and that this has led to a misapprehension, but whether this be so or not, I am satisfied the King intended war, and his whole effort was directed to deceive the Government here, and to conceal his movements until he was ready, and they could no longer remain unknown.

8. Your lordship will now see how fortunate the timely arrest of the King of Elmina has been, and I propose sending instructions to the Civil Commandant at Axim to take exactly the same course towards Amakie, King of Appolonia, as adopted with him; i.e. to summon him and administer the oath of allegiance, and, should he refuse, to arrest him and send him to Cape Coast. For this service I shall request the Senior Naval Officer to send down a gun-boat, with a small reinforcement of the detachment of troops withdrawn from Secondee, which I intend replacing with policemen; as they will be better adapted I think, my lord, in the proposed changes there, which I have submitted for your lordship's consideration. I have, however, requested the officer commanding the troops on the Gold Coast to allow Dr. Horton to remain at Secondee for the present, and until your lordship's decision with regard to the new arrangements is received, as his services would be required to assist in carrying them out.

9. It will be seen from the date of the King's letter (20th March), that it was written after receiving the news of the success of his army at Yancoomassie on the 10th, and accounts, no doubt, in a great measure for the exaggerated demands which he makes. I shall consult the Council as to the reply to be sent to that letter, and your lordship may rely upon its being most carefully considered. I have, &c.

(Signed) R. W. HARLEY, Colonel, Administrator-in-Chief.

Not inclosed.

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Coomassie, March 20, 1873.

SIR, His Majesty, Kalkaree, sends his best respects to your Honour, also to Messrs. Ossoo Ansah and G. Blankson.

2. His Majesty states that, he being the grandson of Ossai Tutu, he owns the Elminas to be his relatives, and consequently the fort at Elmina and its dependencies being his, he could not understand the Administrator-in-Chief's sending Attah, alias Mr. H. Plange, tɔ tell him of his having taken possession of them for Quake Fram, and notifying him also that in four months, he, the Administrator, would come to Ashantee to take away power from him.

3. He states that he has been made angry by this, and it was this which led to his sending his great captains and forces to bring him, Quake Fram, of Denkerah, who dares to take his Elmina fort, &c., and also the Assins and Akims, who are his own slaves, and who have united with the Denkerahs to take power from him.

4. His Majesty further states that, your Honour's restoring him these tribes, viz., Denkerahs, Akims, and Assims, back to their former position as his subjects, and also restoring the Elmina fort and people back in the same manner as they were before, will be the only thing or way to appease him, for he has no quarrel with white men; but should your Honour come in to interfere, as he hears you are, that you have not to blame him, because he will then start himself.

5. That his Majesty having heard of some false information being brought to your Honour respecting your messengers and the white captives, he has requested their attesting this letter with their own signatures, of their being in health. We have, &c.

For his Majesty, (Signed) KOFI KALKAREE.

Linguist YAWOO NANKWI, his mark.

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Coomassie, March 21, 1873. SIR,-Your Honour will find my letter dated 19th December last as a sort of diary informing your Honour everything down to the reading of the letters I brought from you to the King. The bearer of the cane being intelligent, and having been with me every time in my interviews with the King, through good interpreter will be able to answer your Honour some plain questions.

There has been a letter here, brought by a Court crier nearly two months ago, I have heard, but nobody has been called to open it before now, what for I do not know. Henceforth, I think, your Honour's letter-bearers should not know the contents of the letter, especially if they be Ashantees.

I have not had the chance of communicating with your Honour; the cause will be perceived from my diary letter referred above. I now beg to embrace this chance to return your Honour my humble thanks for having sent that ungrateful Atjiempon ere the Ashantee forces were seen on the frontier. Your Honour could not have acted wiser. By that act your Honour saved me from a great deal of trouble, and, not only that, but also exonerated the Government from being blamed; and it has, I am glad to say, led to a question among the Ashantees, "what for do we go to this war?"

Your Honour will see from my private interview with the King that this invasion has purely risen from the cession of the Elmina Fort and its dependencies, and for which I see no reason, seeing there is no loss sustained in any way by the Kingdom of Ashantee, as the Elminas never succoured in its attacks upon the coast or anywhere else with arms.

I must go no further for fear of being stopped altogether. We are starving: the King's allowance does not reckon 2d. per day for each person. I beg to enclose to your Honour a receipt for 301. which must be all in silver coins, as gold coins do not pass here. Silver we can exchange for gold dust. I have also given a small order for 8l. to Mr. Dawson. I am in want of stationeries, as I brought but very few sheets of paper, &c., with

me.

Trusting this to find your Honour and family in good health,

I have, &c. (Signed) Jos. Dawson. His Honour Colonel ROBERT WM.HARLEY, C. B., Administrator of Her Majesty's Forts and Settlements on the Gold Coast.

Coomassie, December 19, 1872.

SIR, I regret very much the having to report to your Honour the sad state of affairs in Coomassie against people under your Honour's protection and rule, viz., Assins, Denkerahs, and Akims. Against these, as I am apparently told by the King Kalkeree, he has war; and his forces left here last Monday, the 9th instant, to invade. I have also heard privately that he had sent the petitioned succour to Amakie, the King of Fort Appolonia, against Birey of Attuanboo, a very loyal British subject.

2. I was only allowed to enter here last Saturday, the 14th instant. The centre force, which is against the Assins, from some cause seem to be slow in their movement. I met the vanguard at Ajabbimsah (about 3 miles within Coomassie); whereas those against Akim have already sent forty persons, chiefly children and women-only half a dozen young men amongst them.

3. The King could not help broaching out his mind publicly to me at my reception last Saturday when returning to me the compliment. When he came with a few steps to where I was seated to receive him, he came down from his basket and began a dance, when he came just before me making a certain motion, he had a musket handed to him, he did as though he was loading it, wearing for necklace silver bullets, which is a sign of a determination for war. A little while he demanded audience and told me, with very affable face, that he has no war with white men, neither Fantees, but Denkerah, Assims, and Akims, who are his own slaves, and who have turned to rob him so greedily he will not allow; he danced a little more and passed away home.

4. True, as the reports circulated on the coast, he seems to have been preparing for this long ago, but he has been waiting for a certain period. That Occra, the King's servant, as he was reported to your Honour, who came with the last messengers, Ossoo, Eddoom, and Ossai, was despatched by the envoys at Cape Coast to convey certain messages to the King before my arrival at Coomassie, and although I left him at Eddoomfa when I came on to Dunkevaah to sleep the same day I left Cape Coast, he passed in the night, and travelled, I believe, day and night and conveyed to the King my being

on the way coming to him, who then sent a sword-bearer and another man to hasten me on to see him on the following Monday. These met me on the declivity of Kivissah mountains on Saturday morning of the 7th, about 11 a.m.; their errand was, "He who administers war affairs having heard of his best friend's messenger coming to him, desires us to come and welcome you, and to take you to see him on Monday even dark." I hastened on; I was not allowed to stay more than half-an-hour with the gentlemen at Formannah but passed on to Danpoassi, about threequarters of an hour's walk from Formannah.

5. On Sunday the 8th, judging the King being very anxious to see me, I was on the way, travelled over an hour, when close to a second village, Essang Inquanta, another messenger from the King met me. His errand was that the King had gone to perform an annual service at Bantoomals, and, "finding that he will not have time to receive you, desires that you wait at Danpoassi for other messengers, who will be coming to-morrow (Monday) to take you and the white men from Fammana together to see him." I was therefore brought back to Danpoassi again.

6. Early on Monday morning three captains, a sword-bearer, and four servants with gold plates on their necks, one of whom is a son of the late King, arrived and confirmed the errand of yesterday, and passed to Formannah, and desired me to wait their return on the next day for going to Coomassie. About 7 a.m. of Tuesday I was called out with all my people, even my cook was not exempted, to a certain fetish house. There came one man, and presently the Occra, the servant who passed on to Coomassie. After putting heads together with the head men of the town a little, I was told that the King, having heard of my people complaining for want of food (falsehood), desires that all my people should be distributed to the care of his head men at Danpoassi to have special care taken of them, that they may be in want of nothing. They must, therefore, be taken by fours to see the respective houses of the head men, and return back to me. I knew it to be making them prisoners, and told them so. But still I made no resistance, knowing it to be against their national law to hurt messengers in case of war. They were all put into irons or logs directly. After a little consideration, they brought me back my cook and a boy. I learnt afterwards that the missionaries were all plundered of their property, and that Mr. Plange had been severely beaten and put into irons.

They made no attempt upon me, neither on my cane-man. I here concluded a war being declared, and that his forces were being sent out to invade.

7. On Wednesday morning Ossoo Kokoli, who was detained at Essiamman by looking after some loads belonging to the King, passing called to see, and condoled with me hastening himself onward to see the King about me, and that I am not to mind what has taken place. About three hours after him, a messenger arrived with orders from the King to have all my people released to me. The messenger passed on, after acquainting me to tell the captains at Formannah to come and obey. He returned towards evening to report their coming directly.

8. On Thursday, the 12th, twenty-two Fantees and one Akim were brought to pass for Coomassie in logs. The messenger being disappointed by the captains, and seeing no sign of them, ordered the releasement of all my men, called me and gave them to me according to his instructions; and left me to wait the white captives, &c., to go together to Coomassie. The treatment was true, as I heard, against the gentlemen. They were, however, brought in the afternoon to Danpoassi.

9. Being anxious to know the cause of this hostile movement, I prayed for a private interview with the King on my arrival, which prayer was answered on Tuesday last, the 17th. I told him that it is known on the coast that he is constantly troubled by his people to attempt an invasion on the coast, which of course will bring disturbance between him and white men; this I pray him, as the friend of his late grand uncle, not to yield to, because I know the white men respect him, and desire always peace with him, as to give free course to trade. I also begged to be intermedial to bring about peace, and get him redressed, if necessary, when he makes known to me what his grievances are. He appeared to have listened to me with interest, but said: "Why were you not sent before? I am going; ready now;" and then began relating his grievances; and although he told me over and over again that he has neither war with the white men nor the Fantees, I was left to infer that it is to disguise, from the grievances he enumerated.

10. "My people," said he, "when they run away from me to the Coast, why are they not sent back to me, if they are my good friends? but what I hear is, they have taken hold of the English flag,' consequently, they keep them, as in the case of Gennim, whom Kwarki, the King of Denkerah (here he shook his head with