22 THE FERNAND VAZ. Chap. 11. 



by another friend* in England to lay out in presents 

 for African chiefs, which I thought I could not better 

 bestow than on the King of the Eenibo. Amongst 

 them were a quantity of silks and fine cotton goods, 

 silver knives, forks, and spoons, gunpowder, trade 

 guns, kettles, and beads for his numerous wives. All 

 were packed in chests secured with lock and key ; 

 the chests being an important part of the donation, 

 for the property of an African chief, in this part, is 

 estimated in slaves, wives, and chests. The sight of 

 ail this wealth almost dumbfoundered the old man. 

 When I commenced showing the contents of the 

 chests to him he stopped me, and said — " Do you 

 love me, Chaillie ? Then do not tell the people what 

 you have given me, or they will bewitch me." There 

 was an internal struggle between avarice and fear 

 expressed in his countenance. His fear of witchcraft 

 was a great defect in his character as a chief, for it 

 had led to the depopulation of Goumbi, his capital on 

 the Rembo. Going to the door, he looked out to 

 see that no one was listening ; then he knelt down, 

 and clasped my feet with his hands, and, with the stern 

 lineaments of his face distorted by fear, begged me 

 again to keep secret the account of the wealth I had 

 given him. No sooner had he left me than I heard 

 him declaring to his people that the white man had 

 brought him nothing. As I approached, instead of 

 being disconcerted by my appearance on the scene, 

 he repeated the same statement, in a louder voice, 

 but looked towards me at the same time with an 

 expression of countenance that was clearly meant to 



* Henry Johnson, Esq., of 39, Crutched Friara. 



