▁British ▁Governor ▁attempted ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁their ▁freedom , ▁he ▁was ▁h inder ed ▁by ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁mission aries ▁were ▁not ▁British ▁subjects . ▁Second ly , ▁they ▁were ▁captured ▁in ▁commune ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁Vol ta ▁River ▁which ▁was ▁under ▁German ▁rule ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁The ▁As ante ▁kingdom ▁proposed ▁a ▁r ans om ▁of ▁£ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁later ▁reduced ▁the ▁fee ▁to ▁£ 1 0 0 0 . ▁Ram se yer ▁rejected ▁this ▁option ▁since ▁in ▁his ▁view , ▁pay ing ▁a ▁r ans om ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁their ▁freedom ▁“ w ould ▁only ▁rein force ▁the ▁imm oral ▁habit ▁of ▁ab duct ing ▁people ▁for ▁r ans om .” ▁ ▁The ▁negoti ations ▁st alled ▁for ▁almost ▁half - a - de cade . ▁However , ▁the ▁As ante ▁permitted ▁them ▁to ▁pre ach ▁on ▁a ▁limited ▁basis ▁and ▁start ▁an ▁infant ▁school . ▁▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁royal ▁household ▁at ▁the ▁Man hy ia ▁Palace , ▁the ▁mission aries ▁found ▁a ▁diplom atic ▁al ly ▁in ▁O w us u ▁An sa , ▁a ▁Western - ed uc ated ▁prince ▁whose ▁father , ▁O se i ▁B ons u ▁( 1 8 0 1 – 1 8 2 4 ) ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁As ante h ene . ▁ ▁O w us u ▁An sa ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁handed ▁over ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁as ▁sure ty ▁in ▁a ▁peace ▁accord ▁that ▁was ▁signed ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁the ▁As ante ▁authorities ▁at ▁the ▁conclusion