HIS PERSON AND DRESS. 413 



vious to our quitting the vessels, we determined 

 that he should have more white men's heads than 

 one, if he was anxious for them : we all carried 

 our swords with us, and Lieutenant Allen and 

 myself each armed ourselves with a brace of 

 pistols. 



After waiting a short time, we were conducted 

 through more apartments, and at length reached 

 the court-yard, where the king was ready to 

 receive us. This he did with a kind of stiff for- 

 mality and distrust, that determined us still more 

 to be on our guard against a surprise. He was 

 habited in a most peculiar manner. His dress 

 consisted of a rich silk tobe, resembling in colour 

 and pattern the skin of a leopard. Underneath 

 this, he wore two or three others. On his head 

 he had a large cocked-hat trimmed with tinsel 

 lace. His legs were adorned with brass fenders 

 projecting about four inches from the tibia, and 

 these leggings were finished with sandals covered 

 with red cloth. On his breast was a rude orna- 

 ment of brass, apparently intended for the sun ; 

 and a number of other brazen ornaments hung 

 suspended from his neck, with several dozen 

 strings of blue beads and alternate rings of coral. 

 In place of ear-rings, he wore plates of ivory. 



