THE KING — HIS DRESS. 191 



as a charm, I was told, to prevent the entrance 

 of bad people. 



The queen, who always took my arm (under- 

 standing it to be the custom of the white peo- 

 ple), accompanied me. On being introduced, 

 his majesty, whose eyes sparkled with good 

 humour, accosted me as yesterday with " Senoo, 

 senoo, Sullikeen Maghony ? amalee ?" (How do 

 you do. King of Medicine ? how have you slept ?) 

 This inquiry is considered to be a very great 

 compliment, and the reply was, " Etashee" (very 

 well). He was habited in a very large pair of 

 Houssa trousers, the hind part reaching to the 

 ground ; they were made of yellow cotton, some 

 of which he had procured from Mr. Lander. 

 The remainder of his dress consisted of a silk 

 tobe and an amazing quantity of beads. 



There were present, the king and his sister, the 

 queen, Abboka, some chiefs from the neighbour- 

 hood, several of his daughters, and about twenty 

 eunuchs, whose heads were entirely shaved, with 

 the exception of a small circular patch on the 

 crown. They were all seated on some mats and 

 cotton spread out in the yard. The king was 

 seated in a chair which he obtained from Mr. 

 Lander on his first voyage up the river. 



