92 MISSION FROM KING OBIE, 



" Rum and tabac." Such a request, coming from 

 such lips, was perfectly irresistible, and they ac- 

 companied us alongside of the Quorra for it, but 

 could not be prevailed on to come on board. 

 However, they enjoyed the *' rum and tabac" to 

 their hearts' content in their canoe. Boy in- 

 formed me, with much earnestness, that he had 

 been several times robbed at the town which we 

 had attacked, and that the trading canoes always 

 passed it in the night. He also gave me to un- 

 derstand, that accounts of us had reached Eboe, 

 and that a good '' palaver" would come down 

 the river to meet us to-morrow. 



On the following morning, in accordance with 

 Boy's prediction, we were agreeably surprised by 

 the appearance of three large Eboe canoes, each 

 paddled by forty men, coming down the river 

 with flags flying. This was the " palaver " which 

 Boy had announced, consisting, as we found, 

 of two chiefs with their attendants, whom King 

 Obie had despatched to meet and welcome us 

 into his country. They remained on board the 

 Alburkah for a few hours, and then left to pro- 

 ceed and give notice of our approach to Eboe, 

 about twenty miles distant. They said that 

 King Obie was to present us on our arrival with 



