Journal of a residence in Ashantee

This firsthand account opens with the tangled political and commercial history of Britain’s involvement on the Gold Coast. It examines the Royal African Company’s control of coastal forts and trade, the competing interests of governors, merchants, and African rulers, and the growing tension between British authorities and the powerful King of Ashantee. The narrative sets the stage for an embassy sent inland to Coomassy, the Ashantee capital, where diplomacy was expected to secure peace and commercial advantage.

Alongside the journal itself, the work promises observations on the peoples, customs, military organization, and religious practices of western Africa. Descriptions of courts, ceremonies, clothing, architecture, weapons, and daily life are complemented by research drawn from Arabic manuscripts and information gathered from Muslim communities farther inland. Maps and detailed illustrations add visual context to a journey through regions that were little known to contemporary European readers, while the author’s official perspective brings particular attention to treaties, political authority, and the origins of the conflict threatening the Gold Coast.