THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 253 



few minutes, antil, by degrees, they resumed their position. 

 Everybody was dressed up for a grand occasion, mostly in new 

 clothes of bars-cloth, and many were in skins of wild animals, 

 with their heads fantastically ornamented with the horns of goats 

 or antelopes. The sorcerers were an important element. These 

 rascals, who are the curse of the country, were, as usual, in a 

 curious masquerade, with fictitious beards, manufactured out of a 

 number of bushy cow-tails. 



Kabba Rega was about five feet ten inches in height, and of 

 extremely light complexion. His eyes were very large, but pro- 

 jected in a disagreeable manner. A broad but low forehead and 

 high cheek bones, added to a large mouth, with rather prominent 

 but exceedingly white teeth, complete the description of his face. 

 His hands were beautifully shaped, and his finger-nails were 

 carefully pared and scrupulously clean. The nails of his toes 

 were equally we'l attended to. He wore sandals of raw buffalo- 

 hide, but neatly formed, ana turned up round the edges. 



SUSPICIOUS. 



THE young king did not appear comfortable, but he was bold 

 enough to ask Baker's assistance in expelling Rionga. Baker 

 tried \o turn the conversation, and offered him a handsome 

 Tn'-kish pipe, trimmed with blue silk and gold ; but the king 

 said he did not smoke for fear it would make his teeth black. 

 Coffee and sherbet were then handed him, but he declined both, 

 tnd insisted upon two of his chiefs drinking the whole, and 

 luring the operation he watched them attentively, as though in 

 expectation of some evil effect. 



The young king renewed his solicitation for assistance to cap- 

 ture or kill Rionga, declaring that no improvement in the country 

 could take place until the rebel was exterminated ; but with equal 

 persistence Baker refused to consider the proposition, and in 

 order to change the unpleasant subject again, he ordered in a 

 metal box that was filled with an assortment of presents, includ- 

 ing a watch. The new toy was ticking loudly, and it was, of 

 course, handed round and held to the ear of each chief. 



Kabba Rega said he knew Baker was a ^reat friend of his 



