The news from the West Coast of Africa is still
very serious, though Colonel Festing, of the Royal Marine Artillery, and Captain Fremantle, of the Barracouta, have given the Ashantees sear Elmina the severe check described elsewhere, and have destroyed Elmina itself as disaffected. Elmina Castle is still, however, besieged, while the King, with 30,000 troops, lies within twelve miles of Cape Coast Castle, and is making long bamboo. ladders for an escalade, in which he may succeed, if he makes his attack quickly and at night, when he would certainly destroy the Fantees in the town, numbering 30,000. If not, however, the reinforcements of supplies,_weapons, and Marines despatched in the Himalaya, the Simoom, and the Congo will be sufficient to enable Colonel Festing, who has hurried up from Elmina, to drive back the Ashantees out of the protected district. Even then it may be doubted whether the simplest plan, if We had an Administrator experienced enough to manage it, would not be to march on Coomassie, defeat the Ashantees, depose and confine the King, and declare the Aahantee kingdom at an end. Our own tribes, numbering, it is stated, a million, could then settle down to cultivation in peace and comfort, merely contributing a trained militia when called upon.
