All the houses belonging to the king and his family are surrounded by a lofty mud wall, which converts the whole into a kind of citadel. The interior is subdivided into different courts. At the first place of entrance I observed a man standing with a musket on his shoulder ; and I found the way to the presence very intricate, leading through many passages, with centinels placed at the different doors. When we came to the entrance of the court in which the king resides, both my guide and interpreter, according to custom, took off their sandals ; and the former pronounced the king’s name aloud, repeating it till he was answered from within. W e found the monarch sitting upon a mat, and two attendants with him. I repeated what I had before told him concerning the object o f my journey, and my reasons for passing through his country. He seemed, however, but half satisfied. The notion of travelling for curiosity, was quite new to him. He thought it impossible, he said, that any man in his senses would undertake so dangerous a journey, merely to look at the country, and its inhabitants : however, when I offered to shew him the contents of my portmanteau, and every thing belonging to me, he was convinced ; arid it was evident that his suspicion had arisen from a belief, that every white man must o f necessity be a trader. When I had delivered my presents* he seemed well pleased, and was particularly delighted with the umbrella, which he repeatedly furled and unfurled, to the great admiration of himself and his two attendants; who could not for some time comprehend the use of this wonderful machine. After this I was about to take my leave* when the king, desir- ing me to stop a while, began a long preamble in favour of the whites; extolling their immense wealth* and good dispositions. He next proceeded to an eulogium on my blue coat, of which the yellow buttons seemed particularly to catch his fancy ; and he concluded by entreating me to present him with i t ; assuring me, for my consolation under the loss of it, that he would wear it on all public occasions, and inform every one who saw it, of my great liberality towards him. The request of an African prince, in his own dominions, particularly when made to a stranger, comes little short of a command. It is only a way of obtaining by gentle means, what he can-, if he pleases, take by force ; and as it was against my interest to offend him by a refusal, I yery quietly took off my coat, the only good one in my possession, and laid it at his feet. In return for my compliance* he presented me with great plenty of provisions, and desired to see me again in the morning. I accordingly attended, and found him sitting upon his bed. He told me he was sick, and wished to have a little blood taken from him ; but I had no sooner tied up his arm, and displayed the lancet, than his courage failed ; and he begged me to postpone the operation till the afternoon, as he felt himself, he said, much better than he had been, and thanked me kindly for my readiness to serve him. He then observed, that his women were very desirous to see me, and requested that I would favour them with a visit. An attendant was ordered to conduct me ; and I had no sooner entered the court appropriated to the ladies, than the whole seraglio surrounded me ; some begging for physic, some for amber; and all of them desirous of trying that great African specific, blood-letting. They were 10 or 12
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