306 FROM ISHOGO TO ASHANGO-LAND. Chap. XV. 



astonisliment, tlie cliildi>sli wonder and mystification 

 of these primitive people, who had probably never 

 yet seen any article of civilized 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. They are held in very high estima- 

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

 black bottle to hang by their side, and contain their 

 palm wine ; they consider the bottle far superior 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 lighted 

 a fire, then 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 {konde, 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 



