30G FROM ISHOaO TO ASHAXGO-LAXD. Chap. XV. 



astonishment, the cliildisU wonder and mystification 

 of tnese piiniitive people, wiio had probably never 

 yet seen any article of civihzed manufacture, except 

 beads and articles of brass, may easily be imagined. 

 Beer-bottles are to be seen now and then in the 

 interior, and it is astonishing how far inland they 

 have penetrated. Tliey are held in very high estima- 

 tion by the chiefs, who covet nothing so mncli as a 

 black bottle to hang by their side, and contain their 

 palm wine ; they consider the bottle far snpei'ior to 

 the native calabash for this purpose ; no doubt, be- 

 cause it comes from a foreign country. If any of 

 the wives or slaves of a chief have the misfortune 

 to break a bottle, there is a fearful row. The per- 

 formances had an exceedingly good effect on the 

 minds of the people with respect to the feelings with 

 which they regarded us. In return I asked the 

 king to let me see his alumbi-house, to which he 

 went every day, both in the morning and also a 

 little before dark. In the evening he always liglited 

 a fire, tJien beat his kendo, and spoke to the spirits 

 of his ancestors. As the little hut was close to my 

 lodging, I could hear what was going on ; and could 

 now and then distinguish my own name in his 

 invocations. Though he had promised to take me 

 into his alumbi-house, he always put off doing so 

 with one excuse or other. 



The king was blessed with numerous wives, and 

 one of them, the queen (Jconde, or head wife) was 

 a nice-looking young girl, not more than seventeen 

 or eighteen years of age. She was not shy, as 

 most of the wives of chiefs were in the countries 



