KING ABBOKA. 403 



until one, when we ran aground. A canoe was 

 descried making in the direction of our boat, 

 and as the messengers had not returned, we con- 

 cluded they were in it. On coming alongside, 

 however, Abboka and a messenger from the King 

 of Attah appeared. Abboka is a fine old man, 

 with a long grey beard, and is very stout. He 

 was dressed in a striped tobe, and on his fingers 

 he displayed six rings of silver and four of cop- 

 per. He wore several charms of leather round 

 his neck, containing seeds and scraps of the 

 Koran written on paper by his Mallams : he also 

 wore round his wrists four strings of Nufie beads. 

 He stated that the king, his brother, had sent 

 two horses to the water-side, and was much dis- 

 appointed at our having departed without pre- 

 viously paying him a visit. He sent us a young 

 bullock and a goat, to which the queen and the 

 eldest princess had added a goat each. 



Abboka left us about 4 p. m., at which time 

 our canoe had not returned. Being extremely 

 partial to rum, he had taken so much of it as to 

 render it necessary for him to lie down, with his 

 interpreter Al Hadge, and both went fast asleep. 

 Shortly after we made sail, the canoe returned, 

 having left Mr. Brown and Jowdie behind. 



2 d2 



