OUR EBOE VALETS. 145 



— and let no traveller sneer at the accomplish- 

 ment. 



In our own case, as we had been without such 

 an assistant for a considerable time, and had only 

 a Krooman to cook for us, his abilities in this line 

 had been and were frequently in requisition for our 

 mutual comfort. Whenever Mr. Lander visited 

 us, we were better off, as he always brought his 

 own cook, Pascoe, with him, who might have 

 studied under Ude himself. As both our stewards 

 were gone, we had promoted two boys we found 

 at York to their office, and they had been our 

 only attendants during sickness. These two were 

 both Eboes, and spoke the language very well. 

 My valet's name was Friday, and the Doctor's 

 Saturday. Friday was about fom'teen, and his 

 history was somewhat curious. He was once 

 sold in the Bonny to a slaver, and made a voyage 

 to Havannah. Being a sharp intelligent lad, the 

 captain kept him as a cabin-boy ; and on the 

 next voyage to the coast the vessel was captured, 

 and Friday was landed at Sierra Leone, and from 

 thence sent to the Banana Islands. He there 

 gave himself out as being the son of the King of 

 Eboe ; and our hospitable friend Mr. Pratt of 



VOL. I. L 



