RESIDENCE AT THE COURT. 209 



the squadrons of enormous rats, that immediately 

 after sunset commence their evolutions beneath 

 one ; and the croaking of thousands of bull-frogs 

 from a neighbouring wood, some idea may be 

 formed of the pleasures attendant on a visit to an 

 African court. 



I saw a great deal of the king ; indeed I had 

 far more of his company than I desired. He 

 generally came to me in the afternoon, attended 

 by several eunuchs and boys, who carried the 

 keys of his various huts. His occupation, when 

 with me, was to ridicule my weakness, and mimic 

 my attempts to walk ; for I had so far recovered 

 as to walk a few steps with the assistance of two 

 sticks. I cannot describe the disgust I had of 

 this man's presence ; and if he had persevered in 

 his behaviour, I should certainly have shot him 

 in some moment of irritation, as he stood before 

 me. To my repeated applications for horses to 

 remove myself and my goods, he only replied 

 that his gods would not allow him to part with 

 me. It was with difficulty that I prevailed on 

 him to permit Sarsfield and the Kroomen to 

 return, under pretence of bringing more goods 

 from the vessels. I kept a Krooman named 

 " Pea Soup ;" a mulatto, named Smith, who was 



VOL. I. p 



