218 THE WHITE MAN'S FETISH. 



rations, in order to impress on the minds of these 

 people an idea of its importance. 



In the evening I was carried out about seven 

 o'clock, and seated in the street opposite the 

 tree, the king and his chief men close by, sur- 

 rounding Sarsfield and the Kroomen, who were 

 holding the rockets and blue lights that we had 

 brought out for the occasion. As a commence- 

 ment of the proceeding, I took a piece of paper 

 and with great solemnity fastened it to one of 

 the rockets and gave it to Sarsfield ; we agreed 

 that the signal for firing the rockets and blue 

 lights, should be the discharge of my pistol. 

 An immense crowd of natives was assembled to 

 witness the ceremony of the white man's fetish ; 

 the wide street was filled, and the roofs of the 

 houses and tops of the walls were crowded with 

 spectators, all full of wonder and speculation as 

 to what they were to see. 



Everything being ready, I fired my pistol, and 

 up flew four beautiful two pound rockets, the 

 discharge of which was immediately followed by 

 the blaze of six blue lights, throwing a ghastly 

 glare over the whole scene. The effect was per- 

 fectly electric ; the natives had no idea of what 

 was coming, and fled in all directions. The king, 



