quality, though less equivocally appointed, brings these charges against Mr. Bowdich.

"Since these sheets were written," says Mr. Dupuis, "accounts have been transmitted to England of the death of Mr. Bowdich, upon the Gambia. As an author, it is for the public to determine how his untimely end may affect the world of African literature. As a private man, and a laudable adventurer in the pestilential climates of that continent, all men of feeling will deplore a loss that adds another name of some little distinction to the list of travellers, whose existence is now. only to be found in the pages of history. I, too, can mourn, because there are few to be found possessing so much zeal, enterprise, and literary talent as Mr. Bowdich, notwithstanding the blunders I lay to his charge, in the volume he wrote on Ashantee, or the revolting egotism and misrepresentation with which it abounds. While I disclaim the influence of prejudice, in regard to this unfortunate gentleman, I am free to declare, that I look to his publication only, the false colouring it has given to matters of importance, and the consequent false impression it is calculated to make on the understanding of the reader; and whether its author be living or not, I conceive my duty is the same. I will venture to assert, that had he been still in existence, it would have been impossible, by any effort of the pen, to have extricated his name, with satisfaction, from the obloquy associated with my charges. As he is dead, no degree of censure can affect him. Let him slumber, therefore, in a peaceful, and distant grave; but let me undeceive the world in matters connected with the public interest." Part II. p. xxiv. Note.

It will be merely necessary to premise, that about the close of the year 1817, Mr. Dupuis, whose long previous residence in Morocco, and other African states, had peculiarly qualified him for such a function, volunteered to Government his services as resident consul in the capital of Ashantee. Such a tender from such a quarter was, as might be expected, embraced by the ministry, and Mr. Dupuis's appointment took place on the 26th of January, 1818. It will appear, by the following extract from his instructions, what was the nature and object of his mission, and of what sort were the powers with which he had been invested, as the representative of the British nation at Coomassy.

'It must be almost superfluous to point out to you, that the most important object to attain, is, to establish mutual confidence; since upon this basis alone can mutual interest be raised. And with this view, it may be good policy to defer the prosecution of any plans for immediate profit that may have a tendency to excite the suspicion or

jealousy of the natives. For though the promotion of our commercial relations with the interior is, undoubtedly, a consideration of the first importance, yet in a country with which we have had so little intercourse, that should be but a secondary object. Your particular care should be to satisfy the minds of the king and his ministers, that our professions of friendship and good-will are sincere, before you allow it to be understood that the intention is to pursue our enquiries, and to extend the trade beyond the boundaries of his dominions.

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• The duties of a British consul at Coomassy must necessarily be of a peculiar nature. He must, therefore, for a time, be almost wholly guided by circumstances as they arise, bearing however always in mind as the general rule of his conduct, his duty and allegiance to his sove→ reign and country, the promotion of the Christian religion, and the interest of British commerce.

"Your acquaintance with the characters of the Moors or Arabs (obtained during your long residence in Barbary,) renders any suggestions for your government, with respect to them, wholly unnecessary; further than it will be deserving of much consideration, how far it may be politic to place confidence in any of those who are resident at Coomassy, by making use of them as interpretters or otherwise, as they must, both from their religious principles and self-interest, be rather disposed to prejudice, than to promote our interests. You may, however, find them to be less bigoted than self-interested, and by prudent measures may be able to turn their influence with the government very much to the advantage of this country.

"One object most desirable to obtain, as it would essentially assist in the realization of the views of government, might perhaps be a grant from the king of Ashantee, of a district, about twenty-five miles from the coast, subject to a perpetual annual rent, with full liberty to clear and cultivate the same, and to erect houses, &c. Such a spot, if judiciously chosen, might open an extensive field for the employment of the youth educated at the Company's schools, and be the beginning of a system which might eventually extend to the cultivation and civilization of the whole coast. You will will, therefore, keep this object constantly in view, and seize every favourable opportunity of impressing upon the mind of the king, the signal advantages that would result to the Ashantees as a people, and the immense accession of riches and strength which would be acquired by the sovereign, from the country being brought into such an improved state. It hardly need be observed to you, that this is a matter which will require to be treated with the greatest delicacy, and that no opinion upon it should ever be hazarded by any other person attached to the mission.

"The enclosed are copies of the treaties entered into with the kings of Ashantee and Drabin: upon reference to which, you will see that they pledge themselves to continue on terms of friendship with the British, to permit a British officer constantly to reside at Coomassy; to encourage trade with Cape Coast Castle, and its dependencies, and to commit their children to the care of the governor in chief

(of the Company's establishments) for education at Cape Coast Castle, &c. &c.

"You will be sensible how necessary it is to get geographical information, and therefore you will carefully treasure up every thing you can learn, without showing that you attach any importance to the obtaining of it.' &c." P. iii.

From these instructions, we shall perceive that Mr. Dupuis is not to be regarded as a consul, in the ordinary acceptation, but rather as an ambassador from the court of England, furnished with plenary and discretional powers, to be guided almost wholly by circumstances as they arise.' Will it be credited, then, that the main obstacles which he had to encounter in the execution of this trust, emanated, according to this author's statement, almost exclusively from the British authorities resident at Cape Coast? Mr. John Hope Smith, the uncle of Mr. Bowdich, was at that time president of the council*, and governor of Cape Coast castle. The appointment of Mr. Bowdich, moreover, had been the work of Mr. Smith and the council, seconded subsequently by the concurrence of the African committee; while Mr. Dupuis appeared in a loftier character, and bore the commission of the king of England. It should also be kept in mind that Mr. Bowdich was not originally the coryphoeus of his own mission, but that he had taken upon himself to supersede his superior officer, Mr. James, upon their arrival at Coomassy; and that he had concluded with the Ashantee monarch a convention of his own framing, which, when he pretended afterwards to give it to the world, he did not faithfully and truly transcribe. It will be found in the appendix, No. 2., where it is inserted from the original in my possession, which differs materially from that published by Mr. Bowdich as the treaty in question." The original, Mr. Bowdich left with the king of Ashantee.

Mr. Dupuis landed upon the Gold Coast about a year after the date of his commission. A fever of great malignity and danger kept him during many months suspended between life and death, and at last he was obliged to embark on board a king's ship, to try the effect of sea air for his restoration.

"The rains chased us from the coast to the bight of Benin, whither we were bound, and for five ensuing week the strides of death among the crew were considerable. My health continued to be seriously * The other members of the Council were ex-officio, the governors of the forts of Accra, Fantum, Annamaboe, and Dixcove. Mr. James, who superintended the first mission to Coomassy, and was there superseded by Mr. Bow dich, was the governor of Accra.

bad, and the cruise becoming irksome, I availed myself of an opportunity that offered to trans-ship myself to the Snapper gun-brig, (commanded by a late lamented friend) then on her passage back to Cape Coast. A tornado which we experienced, and the set of the current together, carried us to our destination in two or three days, and when I set foot again on shore at the close of November, I was little improved in health. The rains, however, had ceased, and in less than a week my disorder wholly subsided. I recovered, seemingly, to the most perfect state of health, and my anxiety to take upon myself the duties for which I was sent out to Africa, was proportionate to the now alarming state of public affairs in relation to our connexions with Ashantee; for this was the period when the king, exasperated to the highest pitch of indignation against the servants of the Company as well as the native population of Cape Coast, demanded satisfaction of both in sums of money equivalent to 12,800l., the half of which was, as he termed it, the assessed penalty for a violation of the treaty made by Mr. Bowdich." P. vi.

Mr. Dupuis was thrice attacked with fever, before he was enabled to set forward on his journey into the interior.

"During my third illness, a few days antecedent to the journey to Coomassy, I gave Mr. Hutton a temporary power to act for me, mainly because I was apprehensive that measures would be taken to supersede me in my command upon the score of ill health-a step which might be imputed to motives of humanity. I therefore authorised Mr. Hutton to proceed to Doonqua, with the presents under his charge. Finding subsequently, however, that the influence of the governor and council still endangered my possession of the charge, and as my indisposition for several days continued obstinate, rather than allow any authority in that country to interfere with the powers which had been granted to me, I increased that which I had granted to Mr. Hutton, authorising him now to jog forward at a gentle pace, if my illness should still increase in severity, to relieve me from the uneasy thoughts arising from the daily and hourly interference of the castle with duties which belonged to me alone.

"My recovery, two or three days afterwards, rendered this precaution unnecessary, and I had the satisfaction to assume the command at Doonqua." P. viii.

At the period of Mr. Dupuis's arrival in Africa, the king of Ashantee was busied in preparations for his approaching war with the Gaman people; a large province, or kingdom, confining upon Ashantee, and tributary to it; but whose sovereign, Dinkera, had thrown off his allegiance, and refused to do the customary golden homage for his dominions. Up to this juncture, the Ashantee king had not neglected to cultivate those

friendly and commercial relations with our people upon the coast, which, by his treaty with Mr. Bowdich, he had pledged himself to encourage. On the contrary, trade was now flourishing between the towns of Cape Coast and Coomassy, although,' says Mr. Dupuis, chiefly it must be admitted, in the governor's warehouses. For when the tributary sovereigns and Caboceers assembled their retainers, preparatory to the meditated invasion of Gaman, they were all directed to procure supplies from Cape Coast, so that Mr. Smith's stock of rum, powder, and cloth, was metamorphosed into gold dust in the lapse of a few days only!' These, however, were special court favours; and inasmuch as no prohibitory edict forbade the exercise of a free trade among the inferior merchants, could not be deemed an absolute monopoly. It ought to be observed now, that when Messrs. Bowdich and Tedlie took their departure from Coomassy, they left their coadjutor, Mr. Hutchison, in the quality of resident at the black court: and that, when the king of Ashantee was obliged to march to the Gaman frontier, this gentleman returned to Cape Coast, to superintend the mercantile concerns of Mr. Smith.

"Mr. Hutchison's occupation, as warehouseman, was found profitable to his employer, as it attracted a private connexion from Coomassy, who chose that gentleman for their broker in preference to one they did not know. This preference excited much dissatisfaction among the merchants and inferior traders. Without the castle walls the treaty itself was bewailed in serious lamentations, reproachful to its authors, although, in truth, a few of the complainants had no cause to be dissatisfied, unless by comparison with the channel that absorbed so much gold in mass. Be this as it may, the evil, real or imaginary, vibrated in my hearing, shortly after I landed on the coast, and the treaty was unreservedly condemned as the cause of the public grievance. The mission which gave existence to that treaty was represented to have been conceived in mercantile enterprize and intrigue; the expence of which was cast upon the government, while the profit was almost exclusively pocketed by the few leading servants of the African Committee. It was boldly affirmed, that the document dignified with the name of treaty, was in reality a shadow, although not an innoxious one; and although it could deceive no one versed in the tortuous politics of the country, yet it was reasonably calculated to stand the test of criticism in the meridian of London; where the organs of its supporters (who were liable to the same imposition) afforded the only channel from which information could be elicited: that to effect the sinister purposes of a plot deeply laid, a meritorious officer, such as the late Sir James Yeo described Mr. James to be, was recalled with censure, at the instance of his young aspiring associates, the companions of his dangers and fatigues." P. x.