208 RESIDENCE AT THE COURT. 



US eat was the summit of curiosity with the 

 natives ; and if they could manage to work me 

 into a passion, — which, I am ashamed to say was 

 too easily done, — their delight was beyond mea- 

 sure. After being subject to this annoyance for 

 some time, I threatened to shoot any one who 

 came into my court without my permission ; and 

 the king seeing I was in earnest, stopped the 

 street that led down to my quarters, and during 

 the remainder of my stay no one could enter 

 without my being made aware of it. 



After sunset the most diabolical noises com- 

 menced in all quarters of the town, but parti- 

 cularly in the court next to mine, where the 

 king's musicians, as they called themselves, per- 

 formed every night. The band was made up of 

 native drums, fifes, triangles, and trumpets, and 

 effectually prevented me from obtaining any rest 

 until two or three in the morning : and if to this 

 be added the annoyance from myriads of mos- 

 quitoes, whose everlasting hum was to me ten 

 times more painful than the severest bite ; the 

 constant screeching of those African scavengers, 

 the Turkey buzzards ; the legion of ants, which, 

 justifying Solomon's praise of them, are con- 

 stantly on the watch for anything living or dead ; 



