206 DISAPPOINTMENT AT FUNDAH. 



from the king's by a wall, but a doorway allowed 

 free communication. 



The huts and verandahs allotted to us were 

 in bad repair and swarming with vermin of all 

 sorts : but by hanging my hammocks between the 

 posts that supported the verandahs, I kept tolera- 

 bly clear of those that crawl upon the face of the 

 earth : to the winged annoyances I was pretty 

 well inured. 



After being in my new quarters a few days, I 

 began to suspect that my Fundah trip would 

 turn out an unprofitable speculation, as two or 

 three natives had been severely flogged for at- 

 tempting to sell me some ivory, and the king, 

 who visited me every day, evidently had none, — 

 or if he had, thought it" better to keep it and my 

 goods also. I had, in short, been completely 

 decoyed, and had only myself to blame, as I had 

 put myself entirely in the king's power, and, from 

 my excessive debility and emaciated condition, 

 was evidently becoming an object of contempt 

 to men who pride themselves above all things 

 on their personal appearance, and also consider 

 rotundity of figure as a sure sign of rank and 

 condition. In addition to my skeleton-like ap- 

 pearance, I was suffering under a complaint 



