_Part of Two Letters from Mr. _J. Hillier_, dated _Cape Corse_, _Jan. 3. 1687/8._ and _Apr. 25. 1688._ Wrote to the Reverend Dr. _Bathurst_, President of _Trinity Colledge, Oxon_; giving an Account of the Customs of the Inhabitants, the Air, _&c._ of that Place, together with an Account of the Weather there from _Nov. 24. 1686._ to the same Day 1687._ _Cape Corse, Jan. 3. 1687/8._ I Thought the Custom of destroying Slaves at the Death of great People had been abolish'd, and I was so inform'd; but we have seen that it is not; for _Oct. 3._ this Year, died _Ahen Penin Ashrive_, King of _Feton_, here at _Cape Corse_, where he had been long sick; the Fetishers had done all they could to save his Life, which was nothing at all to purpose; their Physick scarce extends to any thing but the Flux, and what we call the French Disease; his was a Consumption and an Asthma (if I mistake not the Word) of a great continuance: so they fled to the Aid of their Religion, and according it seems to the Rules of that, they made several Pellets of Clay, which they set in his Room, in Rank and File, all sprinkled with blood; besides the several Muttons which they eat to his good Health. But that was of too little Force; so the Man died, having delivered his Sword to the Dy, who in the _Interregnum_ was to be the principal Man, for the Kingdom is Elective, contrary to what we wrote before, and commanding him to be constant to the _English_, of whom himself had been a great Favourer, with a Threat, if he was not, of haunting him after his Death; he also appointed one of his Wives, whom he thought worthy of that unlucky Honour, to accompany him to the other World; the next Day he was carried to _Feton_, and buried there, _Nov. 2._ with the poor Woman we spoke of. Presently after, they that were considerable, or had a mind to seem so, sent in them that they had a mind to Murder in Honour of the King: how many there were 'tis hard to say, the highest Account gives 90, the lowest 50, the middle 70; the Blacks do not understand Arithmetick, so the Numbers they give in all Cases are very uncertain. I think there were about Eight from this Town, which will not hold Proportion to the highest rate; but 'tis like near _Feton_ there might be more. They say also, that many more will follow at half a Years distance from his Death. The manner of the Execution of these poor Creatures I have not yet learnt, only that they make them drink and dance, with a great deal of Bravery all the begining of the Day, and towards Night cut off their Heads, but whether by that they mean the common way of their Executions I am yet to seek.