or ceased.

If the invasion of the protectorate had ended with an attack upon the
Fantis and other races, Britain might well have continued her policy of
aloofness, for she had nothing to gain by invading Ashanti. She had
tried to do so on former occasions, and had failed disastrously. And so
she was minded now to leave matters till King Koffee and his armies had
settled their quarrel with their neighbours, when perhaps there would be
a satisfactory ending to the negotiations, and peace would result. Then
trade would be reopened, guns and ammunition excepted, and the white men
on the coast would have ample opportunities of reaping a harvest, for,
as has been said, Ashanti was a wealthy country. However, matters did
not stop at invasion of our protectorate. While Dick was at the mine,
looking after the affairs of his employers, the forces of King Koffee
attacked Elmina. They induced the natives of that town and other places
bought by us from the Dutch, to join them, and Britain suddenly awakened
to the fact that the enemy was at her very door, and that they meant to
wage war with the white man. If there had been any doubt as to the
intentions of the Ashantis, the attacks made by their friends and allies
on the boats of the _Rattlesnake_ were sufficiently convincing proofs.
It was war, and Britain found herself, as is too often the case, utterly
unprepared for it. But she girded on her sword, and preparations were
pushed forward so as to enable us to drive the Ashantis back, and march
on their capital.

That was the condition of affairs existing when Dick reached the coast,
and it was only because of the isolated position of the mine that he had
failed to hear earlier of the Ashanti invasion. There were few troops
at Cape Coast Castle, and few officers. There were practically no
stores, and certainly insufficient to support an expedition. All was
being prepared in Britain, while ships were loading every sort of item
likely to be serviceable in the coming campaign.

Sir Garnet Wolseley, a brilliant officer, and one of our youngest
generals, had been chosen to command, while a staff of officers had been
appointed who would help him in the campaign and make success as sure as
possible.

And now a few words more before we leave the subject of Ashanti history.
Cape Coast Castle was settled by the Portuguese, and was ceded to the
Dutch in 1641. In 1655 we captured it, and it was secured to Britain by
treaty. Th