They were to travel by different routes, and to join hands in the neighbourhood of the sacred fetish lake, where large numbers of Ashantis and Kokofu were reported to have assembled.

The Hausa companies did not accompany them, the columns being largely composed of the newly-arrived troops--who were, of course, eager to take their share of the fighting.
Lisle and Hallett did a little grumbling, but they really felt that they required a longer period of rest, and they could not help congratulating themselves when the columns returned, ten days after, without having exchanged more than a shot or two with the enemy.
They found that the country round the lake was thickly inhabited.
Many of the villages had been burnt and, in all cases, the sacred trees had been cut down.

It was quite clear that the spirit of the enemy was greatly broken, and that the end was approaching.
"We must certainly congratulate ourselves upon having a comfortable time of it, here," Lisle said, "instead of a ten days' tramp, without any great result.

We can manage to keep ourselves dry in this hut, now that our men have covered it thickly with palm leaves; whereas they have had to sleep in the open, pretty nearly every night." "It was good for them," Hallett said; "the fellows looked altogether too spick and span, when they marched in.

It is just as well that they should get a little experience of the work we have been doing, for months.