author
Joseph Dupuis
A British diplomat and keen observer of West Africa, Joseph Dupuis drew on his travels and firsthand encounters to write one of the early English-language accounts of the Ashanti Empire. His 1824 book offers a vivid record of Kumasi, regional politics, trade, and life along the Gold Coast.
1 Audiobook
Journal of a residence in Ashantee
by Joseph Dupuis
About the author
Joseph Dupuis (1789–1874) was a British diplomat whose career included postings in North Africa and West Africa. He served as vice-consul in Mogador, where part of his work involved negotiating the release of shipwrecked British and other Christian sailors held in slavery, and later became consul to the Asante Empire.
In 1820, Dupuis traveled to Kumasi to negotiate with the Asante ruler. He later published Journal of a Residence in Ashantee in London in 1824. The book combines an account of his journey and diplomatic mission with observations on the Gold Coast, the interior of West Africa, regional history, trade, and information gathered from Arabic manuscripts and Muslim communities in Guinea.