AMUSE THE NATIVES. 151 



US. I suppose it was nothing more nor less than 

 a slaving expedition on a larger scale than usual. 

 They complained bitterly of Mr., Lander, for not 

 allowing them to go alongside of his vessel, and 

 for threatening to fire into them, who, they 

 added, were his best friends. By way of amus- 

 ing them, I directed a twenty-four pounder to be 

 loaded, and discharged a shot along the surface 

 of the water ; and their delight on seeing it strike 

 and ricochet to the opposite bank was equal to 

 their surprise. At their earnest request, I sent 

 a shot by them to their king, as a specimen of 

 the kind of bullets which we were in the habit of 

 using. 



In the evening our boat returned with a letter 

 from Mr. Lander, informing me that the war 

 palaver was over ; but his imagined enemies had 

 already told me that it had never existed on 

 their side at all events. Both Dr. Briggs and 

 myself were suffering under a violent attack of 

 ague. 



On the 15th, we re-shipped the greater part of 

 our cargo. As a proof of the security of trade in 

 that part of Africa, I may here mention that the 

 goods had been lying on shore for three weeks, 

 and we had not lost a single package of any de- 



