Q56 PLOTS AGAINST THE VESSEL. 



board and said they had something very import- 

 ant to communicate to me. I desired them to 

 state what it was, when they made the following 

 communication: — The slave of a man named 

 Gabbreducco had been to Abboka, and declared 

 that he had accompanied his master to the King 

 of Iddah two nights before, and that Gabbre- 

 ducco went there for the purpose of persuading 

 the king to declare war with me and my people, 

 with an intent to kill us and plunder the vessel : 

 that Attah having refused to accede to this pro- 

 posal, Gabbreducco said, *' If you don't, I will 

 raise the whole town and my own people." At- 

 tah then said, " Let me send for Abboka :" but 

 Gabbreducco interrupted him, saying, " No, no ; 

 if you do so, Baturee (white man) will know it." 

 The slaves further stated, that as Attah had 

 not sent for Abboka, they had taken the earliest 

 opportunity of letting me know. The old man 

 enjoined me not to allow any canoe to come 

 alongside ; and if any arrived with ivory, to make 

 them stay outside of the vessel : and moreover, 

 that no native should be admitted on deck, as in 

 an unguarded moment I might receive a stab 

 from a knife. It was the intention of Gabbre- 

 ducco first to kill me, and then to plunder the 



