388 SUBMISSIVE CEREMONY. 



drummer, who made a most horrible noise in his 

 avocation, and a youth bearing a horse's tail sus- 

 pended to a pole. On each side of us were a 

 great number of soldiers armed with spears and 

 muskets, and on the way to the water-side we 

 were met by upwards of five thousand of his 

 subjects. It is the custom at Eboe, when the 

 king is out, and indeed in-doors as well, for the 

 principal people to kneel on the ground and 

 kiss it three times when he passes. We were 

 met by several of the superior class of people, 

 who performed this submissive act without hesi- 

 tation. Among those who knelt was a female, 

 the largest woman I ever saw. When this pon- 

 derous machine of human flesh knelt down, her 

 breasts touched the ground, and she even rivalled 

 the celebrated Daniel Lambert. I could not help 

 stopping to look at this Hottentot Venus several 

 minutes. 



The king s state canoe is a very large one, ca- 

 pable of containing eighty or ninety persons. 



We now embarked. A lofty pole bore the 

 union jack ; and as we left the creek, the natives 

 crowded in great numbers to the different landing- 

 places to look at us. King Obie appeared glad 

 to see Mr. Lander, and, as a matter of course. 



