200 PALAVER WITH THE KING. 



had come, though ill and unable to walk ; that I 

 was anxious to give him our goods for ivory, and 

 had brought with me a great quantity for that 

 purpose. 



Having finished my speech, he rose, and said in 

 the Houssa language, that he was glad to see the 

 face of a white man — it was what he had long 

 wished for ; that he had abundance of ivory, and 

 that all that he had was mine : to which senti- 

 ments twelve grey-headed negroes, who appeared 

 to form his privy council, bowed assent. I then 

 complained of the reception which I had met 

 with, the miserable hut in which I was lodged, 

 and requested that I might be provided with 

 another in a more private situation immediately. 

 To all this he readily assented, and moved off 

 amidst a horrible din of trumpets, drums, and a 

 kind of fife-music. — But I had yet to learn 

 a lesson : it seems that everything which the 

 nether end of this royal personage touches is 

 sacred, and has the broad aiv^ow affixed upon it. 

 As soon as the king rose from his seat, v/hich most 

 unfortunately happened to have been the tin-box 

 that contained my clothes, covered with a Turkey 

 rug, his attendants deliberately shouldered my 

 unfortunate box, and strode off after their mas- 



