Chapter IV

Katunga — Mansolah, King of Katunga — Precautions to avoid detention by the King — Apathy of the natives — Markets of Katunga — Delayed by neighbouring war — Custom relating to presents — Reserve of the people concerning their country — Their general character — Progress of the Falátahs — Preparations for departure by a new route — Farewell visit to the King.

Information of our coming had been previously sent to the monarch, and we waited with much patience for a considerable period till he had put on his robes of state. Meantime, to amuse us and beguile the hour away, the head drummer and his assistants, with the most benevolent intention, commenced a concert of the most bewitching melody; and long drums, kettle drums, and horns, were played with little intermission, till Mansolah made his appearance, when all noises were suddenly hushed, and we were desired to draw nearer to pay our respects to his Majesty. We did so after the English manner, much to the entertainment and diversion of the king, who endeavoured to imitate us, but it was easy to perceive that he is but a novice in the European mode of salutation, bowing and shaking hands. We have no doubt that it was owing to the rusticity and awkwardness of our address, that Mansolah’s risible faculties were so strongly excited; but he laughed so long and heartily, and his wives, and eunuchs and subjects of all sorts, joined him with such good will, and such power of lungs, that we were constrained to unite our voices to the general burst of kindly feeling, although if we had been asked the cause of such jollity and obstreperous mirth, we should have been at a loss for an answer.

Mansolah’s headpiece was something like a bishop’s mitre, profusely ornamented with strings of coral, one of which answered the purpose of a ribbon, for it was tied under the chin, to prevent the cap from being blown off. His tobe was of green silk, crimson silk damask, and green silk velvet, which were all sewn together like pieces of patchwork. He wore English cotton stockings, and neat leathern sandals of native workmanship. A large piece of superfine light blue cloth, given the chief by the late Captain Clapperton, he used for a carpet. The eunuchs and other individuals who were present at the interview prostrated themselves before their prince, agreeably to the custom of the country, and rubbed their heads with earth two separate times, retreating at some distance to perform this humiliating and degrading ceremony, and then drawing near the royal person, to lie again with their faces in the dust. They saluted the ground also near which he was sitting, by kissing it fervently and repeatedly, and by placing each cheek on it. Then, and not till then, with their heads, and faces, and lips, and breasts, stained with the damp red soil, which still clung to them, they were allowed to seat themselves near their monarch, and to join in the conversation. Two or three of the inferior eunuchs, not satisfied with this servile prostration, began to sport and roll themselves about on the ground; but this could not be effected without immense labour and difficulty, and panting and straining, for, like Sir John Falstaff, they could be compared to nothing so appropriately as huge hills of flesh. There they lay wallowing in the mire, like immense turtles floundering in the sea, till Ebo desired them to rise. We observed among the individuals present, a very considerable number of bald-headed old men, their hair, or rather wool, having most likely been rubbed off by repeated applications of earth, sand, gravel, filth, or whatever else may be at hand, when the prince happens to make his appearance.

The conference having ended, a kid, a calabash of _caffas_, and two thousand cowries in money were presented to us; and cheered by a flourish of music, we laughed in concert and shook hands with the king, and walked away towards our own dwelling, which had been repaired and thoroughly cleaned out for our sole use. Here we lay down to repose our aching limbs. In the evening the king returned our visit, and immediately took a fancy to my brother’s bugle horn, which was readily given him. He was vastly pleased with the present, and by smiles and words, returned us many thanks for it; said that he was quite delighted; and that it made his heart glad to see us; hoped we should make ourselves comfortable whilst we remained in Katunga; shook hands; made a bow, and “smiling in heart and soul content,” the sovereign departed, followed by a suite of wives, eunuchs, and other attendants. The premises we occupy are the property of Ebo, who has, we believe, done everything in his power to render our stay as agreeable as possible; they were formerly occupied by Captain Clapperton. The yard adjoins his own, with which it communicates by a door-way without a door; so that it will enable us to have frequent opportunities of seeing his numerous unhappy wives, and a number of little boys and girls, who are his personal attendants. The eunuch has given us a very fat sheep as a further token of his good-will.

_Friday, May 14th._—Accompanied by Ebo, and the other unwieldy eunuchs, my brother took a present to the king this morning, which was pretty well received, Mansolah, out of compliment I suppose, remarking that if we had not brought with us the value of a single cowry, we should have been favourably received at Katunga and well entertained at his own cost. We had previously sounded our friend Ebo on the subject of our journey to the Niger; but he strongly advised us by no means even to hint such an intention to the king, whose suspicions, he assured us, would immediately take the alarm, so that instead of being forwarded on our way thither, we should either be detained in the town for an indefinite time, or sent back again to the coast. We therefore conceived it prudent to give him the following statement only:—‘That the king of England, anxious to procure the restoration of certain papers which belonged to a countryman of ours, who perished at Boossà about twenty years ago, which papers were supposed to be in the possession of the sultan of Yàoorie, we had been despatched hither by our sovereign, in the hope that the king of Katunga would forward us to the latter state, for the purpose of obtaining them from the sultan of Yàoorie, and taking them back with us to England.’ Mansolah displayed neither eager curiosity as to our object in coming to his country, nor surprise when we had informed him of it; but very promptly observed, that in two days’ time he would send a messenger to Kiáma, Wouwou, Boossà, and Yàoorie, to acquaint the rulers of those provinces of our intention to pay them a visit; and that on the man’s return we should have his permission to depart. This was promised after my brother’s repeated solicitations and importunities that we should not be detained here longer than necessary, because in a very short time the violent rains will render the road to those countries impassable; and in consequence we shall be unable to travel till the return of the dry season.

It has been expressly and repeatedly told us, that the monarch of this empire is brother to the king of Benin; but, notwithstanding this near relationship of the two sovereigns, not the slightest intercourse or communication is maintained between Yarriba and that power; so at least the inhabitants of this place have informed us; and the reason they ascribe for it is, that the distance between the countries is too great. Friends and acquaintances are oftentimes called brothers in Yarriba; and to make a distinction in the above instance, they assert that Mansolah and the king of Benin ‘were of one father and one mother.’ We interrogated Ebo on the subject, but he soon silenced our remarks by observing that we were too inquisitive, or, to use his own words, ‘that we talked too much.’ We intend, after leaving Yàoorie, to proceed direct to Guarie, the prince of which country will, no doubt, send us to Funda, from whence we must endeavour to discover the termination of the Niger, agreeably to our written instructions.

_Saturday, May 15th._—Instead of the jarring noise of women’s tongues, which has annoyed and followed us at every stage of our journey from Badágry, we at length enjoy as much of composure and tranquillity as we can well desire, for Ebo’s wives residing at some distance from the part of our yard which we occupy, the shrill sounds of their voices are pleasant, contrasted with the former loud, discordant, and perpetual din which rang in our ears from morning till night. Our male visitors, likewise, are few and select, and do not remain with us any very considerable time together. An order has been issued by the king, that if any impertinent individual troubles us at any time with his company when it is not desired, Ebo is at liberty to behead him; and no one shall have the effrontery, says Mansolah, to tax the eunuch with injustice or cruelty in the performance of his duties. This proclamation, if it may so be termed, has had the desired effect, for dreading the even-handed Ebo, who is public executioner as well as chief eunuch, the inhabitants of Katunga have hitherto repressed their curiosity, and have confined themselves to their own abodes.

We have received a present of a sheep to-day from the ‘master of the horse,’ an elderly person that possesses some influence over his master; but although his pompous title would lead one to infer that his lofty situation is highly responsible and important, a few rough, ragged- looking ponies are the only ‘horse’ of which he has the superintendence.

All seems quiet and peaceable in this large, dull city; and one cannot help feeling rather melancholy, in wandering through streets almost deserted, and over a vast extent of fertile land, on which there is no human habitation, and scarcely a living thing to animate or cheer the prevailing solemnity. The walls of the town have been suffered to fall into decay; and are now no better than a heap of dust and ruins; and such unconcern and apathy pervade the minds of the monarch and his ministry, that the wandering and ambitious Falátah has penetrated into the very heart of the country, made himself master of two of its most important and flourishing towns, with little, if any, opposition; and is gradually, but very perceptibly, gaining on the lukewarm natives of the soil, and sapping the foundations of the throne of Yarriba. The people cannot, surely, be fully aware of their own danger, or they never could be unconcerned spectators of events which are rapidly tending to root out their religion, customs, and institutions, and totally annihilate them as a nation. But since they have neither foresight, nor wisdom, nor resolution, to put themselves in a posture of defence, and make at least a _show_ of resistance, when danger, real or imaginary, menaces them; since neither the love of country, which stimulates almost all nations to heroic achievements in defence of their just and natural rights, and all that is truly dear to them in the world; and since neither affection for their defenceless wives and unprotected offspring, nor love of self, can awaken a single spark of courage or patriotism in their bosoms, can scare away that demon sloth from among them, or induce them to make a solitary exertion to save themselves and posterity, from a foreign yoke; why then, they are surely unworthy to be called a people; they deserve to be deprived of their effects, children, and personal liberty, to have their habitual sloth and listlessness converted into labour and usefulness, in tilling, improving, and beautifying for strangers that soil, which they have neither spirit nor inclination to cultivate for themselves.

A market is held daily in different parts of Katunga, but twice in the week it is much larger, and better attended than on either of the other days. I visited one of the latter this morning, which is styled the ‘Queen’s market;’ but as it is shifted to another place towards evening, it is then called the ‘King’s market.’ The sellers were by far more numerous than the buyers; and, on the whole, the articles exposed for sale by no means realised the expectations which we had formed of them. Among them we observed three or four different kinds of corn; beans, peas, and vegetables in abundance; the mi-cadania butter; ground or guinea nuts; country cotton cloths, indigo, red clay, salt, and different varieties of pepper; besides trona, snuff and tobacco, knives, barbs, hooks, and needles, the latter of the rudest native manufacture. There were also, finger rings of tin and lead; and iron bracelets and armlets; old shells, old bones, and other venerable things, which European antiquaries would gaze on with rapture; besides native soap, little cakes of cheese and butter; an English common blue plate, a great variety of beads, both of native and European manufacture, among the former of which we recognised the famous _Agra_ bead, which at Cape Coast Castle, Accra, and other places, is sold for its weight in gold, and which has vainly been attempted to be imitated by the Italians and our own countrymen. Provisions also were offered for sale in abundance; and besides beef and mutton, which were made up into little round balls, weighing about an ounce and three-quarters each, and presented not the most delicate or tempting appearance, we observed an immense quantity of rats, mice, and lizards, dressed and undressed, all having their skins on, and arranged in rows.

I met with and purchased a very curious and singular kind of stone in the market. The natives informed us that it was dug from the earth, in a country called _Iffie_, which is stated to be ‘four moons’ journey from Katunga, where, according to their tradition, their first parents were created, and from whence all Africa has been peopled. Ignorant of mineralogy, as I am of most other sciences, I am unacquainted with the nature and properties of the stone alluded to, and therefore I grieve to say I am incapable of giving a scientific description of it. It consists of a variety of little transparent stones, white, green, and every shade of blue, all embedded in a species of clayey earth, resembling rough mosaic work.

On my return from this visit, and since writing the first part of to- day’s journal, Ebo came to us with the news that a body of Falátahs from Soccatoo had arrived at the _Moussa_, which is a river dividing Yarriba from Borgoo, and that they had attacked a town on its borders, through which our route lies. Therefore, continued Ebo, the Yàoorie messenger will of necessity be compelled to wait here till authentic intelligence be received of the truth or falsehood of the rumour before he sets out on his mission to Kiáma; this will take three days, at the end of which the fact will certainly transpire, and the man will immediately be despatched on his errand.

It appears to us not a little strange, that the day after our arrival here, the Falátahs should so opportunely attempt the seizure of a town, through which we are to pass; and that information of the approach of an enemy so greatly dreaded should not have reached this place at an earlier period, when news of no moment whatever flies through the country with the swiftness of an arrow from a bow. We imagine that it is only a feint of Mansolah to detain us here longer than we desire, and until the rains shall have rendered the road impracticable. It is possible that we may be unjust in our suspicion; but many circumstances appear to confirm it.

_Sunday, May 16th._—As it is the Sabbath, we have confined ourselves to- day within doors, in order to employ it in the most proper manner that circumstances permit. Ebo has visited us, under various pretences, several times since morning; and has had the door-way which leads to the women’s apartments closed up with mortar, alleging as a reason, that he was convinced the curiosity of his women was troublesome to us. But the truth of the matter is, that he has been induced to block up the communication from the yard, under an apprehension that our attendants might interfere with his domestic arrangements, by prying into the secrets of his seraglio. We have likewise been favoured with the company of several Hàussa Mallams, who, notwithstanding the irksome restraint to which they are subjected by the jealousy of the king and his people, are content to remain so far from their native country, and reside among strangers and pagans as long as they live. Whether the priests have taken this step purely from religious motives, or, which is the more likely reason of the two, that they have exiled themselves from their home and families, for the mere purpose of being enriched at the expense of the credulity and ignorance of the inhabitants, we have been unable to discover. At all events, the intentions of these missionaries are effectually concealed under a cloak of piety and devotion; and thus they are tolerated by the common consent of the monarch and his subjects. It rained incessantly for several hours this morning.

_Monday, May 17th._—Besides presents to the king and his chief eunuch, it is expected that something will be given to three ‘head men,’ as they are styled, who advise with the prince, and lead his soldiers to battle. Previous to visiting their habitations for this purpose, Ebo informed me that it was necessary to carry the intended presents for the inspection of his master, that nothing might be given them but such articles as would obtain his approbation and consent. This was accordingly done, and Mansolah saw nothing objectionable in the goods which we have selected. As evening drew near, I rode to the residence of the head men, by each of whom I was well received; and they accepted their presents with abundance of thanks. Their huts were larger and more carefully built, and their yards more commodious than even those of the king,—all kept in excellent order, clean, and neat. The head men are in much more affluent circumstances than their neighbours;—they have numerous wives, and large flocks of sheep and goats, in which the wealth of the natives principally consists. A goat and two large pots of country beer were laid at my feet; and after expressing my acknowledgments, I returned home.

We are of opinion, that it would require a long residence in this country, and a perfect acquaintance with its language, to enable a foreigner to form a correct judgment of its laws, manners, customs, and institutions, as well as its religion and the form and nature of its government. So innumerable are the mistakes which the smattering of ignorant native interpreters never fails to occasion, that we despair of getting much accurate information on any of these heads. We can only answer for what we _see_. Perhaps few despots sully their dignity by condescending to consult the inclination of their subjects, in personally communicating to them their most private as well as public concerns. Yet, the sovereign of Yarriba appears to be so obliging, as to make this a common practice. In return, however, the people are expected and compelled to satisfy the curiosity of their prince by adopting a similar line of conduct towards him; and all the presents they receive from strangers, how trifling soever they may be, are, in every instance, taken to his residence for inspection. Every thing, indeed, that relates to their personal interests, and all their domestic concerns, he listens to with the most patriarchal gravity. Thus, our present to the king has been exhibited to his people two or three times; Ebo’s also, and those of the head men, have been shown to them as well as to their sovereign. The common people were all anxious to know whether, among the other things they had received, we had given their king or his ministers any coral; and their curiosity was immediately gratified without hesitation or remark. If a stranger, from a remote part of the empire, wishes to visit Katunga, in order to pay his respects to his sovereign, the chief or governor of every town through which he may happen to pass is obliged to furnish him with any number of carriers he may require; and in this manner his goods are conveyed from village to village, until he arrives at the capital. A similar indulgence is likewise extended to any governor who may have the like object in view.

The most laughable mistakes are frequently made here, by one of our Badágrian messengers, who acts also as interpreter, as regards the gender and relationship of individuals, such as father for mother, son for daughter, boy for girl, and _vice versâ_. He informed us to-day, that a brother of his, who was the friend of Ebo, and resided with him, begged our permission to come to see us: of course we expected to see a gentleman of some consequence enter our yard; but to our surprise the _brother_ proved to be an old shrivelled woman, neither more nor less than one of the eunuch’s wives.

_Tuesday, May 18th._—About three years ago, Adooley, the Badágrian chief, despatched a messenger with a valuable present to the king of Katunga, requesting the latter to forward him on his journey to Benin, as he had some little business to transact with the sovereign of that state. The man, however, purloining for his own use the principal part of the articles intrusted to him, delivered a bottle of rum only to Mansolah with a false message—and, instead of proceeding on his errand, took up his abode in one of the towns between this city and Badágry. Adooley wondered at the silence and extraordinary delay of his messenger, and sent a man in our train to the king, to ascertain what was become of him. The preceding answer has been returned, with the addition that Mansolah had made the man a present fifteen sheep, and distinguished him in a very particular manner. Every one here appears uneasy at the very mention of Benin; and though we have endeavoured by various indirect means to ascertain the number of days it would take a person to travel thither from Katunga, evasive or equivocating answers are the utmost we can obtain; one of the people asserting that the journey might easily be accomplished in twelve days, and another declaring, a moment afterwards, that it would occupy a period of not less than four months. As to the reason of all this jealous apprehension, we have not been able exactly to make up our minds. These particular evasions might be considered as a punishment which the Yarribeans thought fit to inflict upon strangers when they evince more than usual curiosity for information respecting a rival and detested power. But, in truth, nothing seems to be a greater grievance to the natives than the answering of any questions which are put to them, be they never so familiar and unimportant. They dislike, nay abhor to do it; and instead of satisfying the inquirer, they study to mislead him by falsehood or misrepresentation. This strange aversion is entertained by the prince as well as by the meanest of his subjects; but rather than offend us, when we are unconsciously over-inquisitive about any little matter, Ebo answers for his monarch and companions by shaking his head, and saying, ‘Ask no questions.’

Katunga has by no means answered the expectations we had been led to form of it, either as regards its prosperity, or the number of its inhabitants. The vast plain also on which it stands, although exceedingly fine, yields in verdure and fertility, and simple beauty of appearance, to the delightful country surrounding the less celebrated city of Bóhoo. Its market is tolerably well supplied with provisions, which are, however, exceedingly dear; insomuch, that with the exception of disgusting insects, reptiles, and vermin, the lower classes of the people are almost unacquainted with the taste of animal food.

Owing to the short time we have been in the country, which has been employed chiefly in travelling from town to town, the manners of the people have not sufficiently unfolded themselves to our observation; so that we are unable to speak of them with confidence: yet, the few opportunities we have had of studying their characters and dispositions induce us to believe that they are a simple, honest, inoffensive, but weak, timid, and cowardly race. They seem to have no social tenderness, very few of those amiable private virtues which would win our affection, and none of those public qualities that claim respect or command admiration. The love of country is not strong enough in their bosoms to incite them to defend it against the irregular incursions of a despicable foe; and of the active energy, noble sentiments, and contempt of danger which distinguish the North American tribes, and other savages, no traces are to be found among this slothful people. Regardless of the past as reckless of the future, the present alone influences their actions. In this respect they approach nearer to the nature of the brute creation, than perhaps any other people on the face of the globe. Though the bare mention of an enemy makes the pusillanimous Mansolah and his unwarlike subjects tremble in every limb, they take no measures to prevent whole bands of strangers from locating in the finest provinces of the empire, much less do they think of expelling them after they have made those provinces their own.

To this unpardonable indifference to the public interest, and neglect of all the rules of prudence and common sense, is owing the progress which the Falátahs have made in gaining over to themselves a powerful party, consisting of individuals from various nations in the interior, who had emigrated to this country; and the great and uniform success which has attended all their ambitious projects. They are now effectually and firmly seated in the very centre of the kingdom; they have entrenched themselves in strong walled towns; and have recently forced from Mansolah a declaration of their independence, whilst this negligent and imbecile monarch beholds them gnawing away the very sinews of his strength, without making the slightest exertion to apply a remedy to the evil, or prevent their future aggrandizement. Besides _Ráka_, which is peopled wholly by Falátahs, who have strengthened it amazingly, and rendered it exceedingly populous, another town of prodigious size has lately sprung into being, which already far surpasses Katunga in wealth, population, and extent. It was at first resorted to by a party of Falátahs, who named it _Alórie_, and encouraged all the slaves in the country to flee from the oppression of their masters, and join their standard. They reminded the slaves of the constraint under which they laboured, and tempted them by an offer of freedom and protection, and other promises of the most extravagant nature, to declare themselves independent of Yarriba. Accordingly, the discontented many miles round eagerly flocked to Alórie in considerable numbers, where they were well received. This took place as far back as forty years, since which, other Falatahs have joined their countrymen from _Soccatoo_ and _Rabba_; and notwithstanding the wars (if mutual kidnapping deserves the name) in which they have been engaged in the support and maintenance of their cause, Alórie is become by far the largest and most flourishing city in Yarriba, not even excepting the capital itself. It is said to be two days’ journey—that is, forty or fifty miles, in circumference, and to be fortified by a strong clay wall with moats. The inhabitants have now vast herds and flocks, and upwards of three thousand horses; which last will appear a very considerable number, when it is considered that Katunga does not contain more than as many hundreds. The population of Alórie has never been estimated, but it must be immense; lately, it has been declared independent of Yarriba; and its inhabitants are permitted to trade with the natives of the country, on condition that no more Falátahs be suffered to enter its walls. It is governed by twelve rulers, each of a different nation, and all of equal power; the Falátah chief not having more influence or greater sway than the others. _Ràka_ is but one day’s journey north-east of Katunga; and _Alórie_ three days’ journey to the south-west. The party of Falátahs which was reported to have taken possession of a Yarriba town on the banks of the Moussa are said to have abandoned it, and to have joined their countrymen at Ràka. This intelligence has been brought hither by market-people, no one having been sent by the king to ascertain the number of the adventurers, or the object of their visit.

_Wednesday, May 19th._—The king has sent us nothing since the day of our arrival; and the present then given was disgraceful in the extreme, as coming from the monarch of a large and mighty kingdom. His treatment of the late Captain Clapperton was altogether the reverse of this: a bullock was sent him immediately after the first interview, and a live goat, or something equivalent, every day till his departure, which included a period little short of seven weeks. Nor, in other respects, has the conduct of Mansolah been such as to give us pleasure; but we can no otherwise account for this, than by supposing our present to have fallen far short of his expectations, and so failed to awaken those good-natured qualities which were displayed at sight of the infinitely more valuable as well as showy one of Captain Clapperton. But whatever may be the reason of it, certain it is that Mansolah and his subjects have seen quite enough of white men; and that the rapturous exultation which glowed in the cheeks of the first European that visited this country on being gazed at, admired, caressed, and almost worshipped as a god,—joined to the delightful consciousness of his own unmeasurable superiority, will, in the present age at least, never be experienced by any other. Alas! what a misfortune! The eager curiosity of the natives has been glutted by satiety,—an European is shamefully considered no more than a man! and hereafter, without doubt, he will be treated entirely as such; so that, on coming to this city, he must make up his mind to sigh a bitter farewell to goat’s flesh and mutton, and familiarise his palate to greater delicacies, such as lizards, rats, and locusts, caterpillars and other dainties, which the natives roast, grill, bake and boil, and which he may wash down, if he pleases, with draughts of milk-white water, the only beverage it will be in his power to obtain.

I was desired by a messenger this morning to visit the king at his residence, and on my arrival there, found a great number of people assembled together. The object of this summons was explained by Ebo, who said I had been sent for to see that the present he (the eunuch) had received should be shewn to the people without any reservation whatever. It was accordingly spread out on the floor, together with the king’s. Even a bit of English brown soap, which we had just before given to Ebo, was exhibited along with the other things; for so great a degree of jealousy exists among the eunuchs and others, arising from the apprehension that one might have received more than another, that Ebo himself, powerful as he is, would dread the effects of it on his own person, should he be found to have concealed a single thing. They all, in fact, endeavour to disarm censure by an appearance of openness and sincerity.

_Thursday, May 20th._—Last night, to our infinite surprise and pleasure, Ebo entered our yard in a great hurry, with the agreeable information that the king had consented to our departure on Friday morning, and that he would wish us to get our things in readiness by that time. So confident had we been that we should be unable to start hence for a month to come, at the shortest, that we not only sowed cress and onion seed the day after our arrival, which are already springing up, but had actually made up our minds to abide here during the continuance of the rains. But now we are in hopes of reaching Yàoorie in twelve or fourteen days; and intend to remain in that city a short time, before proceeding further into the interior. The only drawback to our pleasure is the misfortune of having all our horses sick, which may seriously inconvenience us in our progress.

The old route to Kiáma is considered so dangerous, that it is understood we are to be sent back to _Atoopa_, which is two long days’ journey from this city, and thence proceed on a safer path. Although we now require but five men, besides our own, to carry the luggage, the king scruples and hesitates to supply us even with these, and the youngest of our Jenna messengers has been nominated to fill the place of one of them. We are told that it is on account of the vast number of people that have emigrated from Katunga to Ràka and Alòrie, that a sufficient number of carriers cannot be procured for us; but in so large a place as this, where two-thirds of the population are slaves, this reason seems quite ridiculous, and we suspect the real one is the same original sin—the humble character of our present. The king, however, has promised to take his farewell of us to-morrow morning; and, thank God! our health is so far established that we hope soon to accomplish the object of our undertaking, and return in safety to old England.

_Friday, May 21st._—Instead of a visit from the king, which we were yesterday told he was to honour us with, we were requested this morning to repair to his residence. Accordingly, having first saddled our horses and packed up the luggage, between six and seven o’clock A.M., we walked together to the royal premises. On our arrival, we were introduced, without any ceremony, into a private yard, wherein the king had been patiently waiting our coming for some time previously. He was rather plainly dressed in the costume of the country, namely, a tobe, trousers, and sandals, with a cap very much resembling in shape those which were worn by elderly ladies in the time of Queen Elizabeth, and which are still retained by some in the more remote parts of England. On his right the eunuchs were reposing their huge limbs on the ground, with several of the elders of the people; and his left was graced by a circle of his young wives, behind whom sat the widows of more than one of his predecessors, many of whom appeared aged. A performer on a whistle was the only musician present, so that, during a very long interview, a little whistling now and then was the only amusement which the prince could afford us. A good deal of discussion ensued, and much serious whispering between the monarch and his wives, in the course of which both parties quitted the yard two or three times to hold a private conference, followed by the eunuchs with their hands clasped on their breasts. Mansolah at length scraped together two thousand cowries (about three shillings and sixpence of our money), which he presented to the four men that had accompanied us from Badágry and Jenna as messengers, guides, &c., to enable them to purchase provisions on their journey homeward. This sum had been collected from among the king’s wives, each having contributed a portion, because their lord and master did not happen to be in a liberal mood. Poor souls! they possess scarcely the shadow of royalty, much less the substance; the exterior forms of respect which they receive from the male portion of the people alone distinguishing them from their less illustrious countrywomen. They are compelled to work in order to provide themselves food and clothing, and besides which part of the earnings is applied to the king’s use. To effect these objects they are necessitated to make long and painful journies to distant parts of the empire, for the purpose of trading. They have, however, the privilege of travelling from town to town without being subjected to the usual duty, and can command the use of the governor’s house wherever they go. The boasted industry of ancient queens and princesses in more classic regions sinks into nothing when compared to the laborious life which is led by the female branch of the royal family of Yarriba.

Mansolah, after some time, beckoned to us to draw near him, for we were sitting at some distance on a bundle of sticks, and with a most benevolent smile playing upon his wrinkled features, he slowly, and with great solemnity, placed a goora nut in the right hand of each of us, and then asked our names. Richard and John, we replied. ‘Richard-_ee_ and John-_ee_,’ said the king, for he was unable to pronounce our Christian names without affixing a vowel to the end of them, ‘you may now sit down again.’ We did so, and remained in that posture till we were both completely wearied, when we desired Ebo to ask the king’s permission for us to go home to breakfast, which was granted without reluctance. So, having shaken hands heartily with the good old man, and wished him a very long and happy reign, we bade him farewell for the last time, bowed to the ladies, and returned with all haste to our hut.