VISIT FROM THE QUEEN. 269 



Early on the morning of the 17th, I was sur- 

 prised to see the queen at the landing-place, ac- 

 companied by several persons, among whom I 

 noticed the head Mallam, several eunuchs, and 

 four of her maids of honour, in mourning. She 

 came in a canoe, appeared very civil, and brought 

 some yams as a present, and told us that Ab- 

 boka was coming down and would be on board 

 presently. In about half an hour he arrived at 

 the landing-place, and I sent a boat ashore to 

 bring him on board. 



The queen seemed reserved, and appeared to 

 have much to say, but did not know how to com- 

 mence ; but at last she said, with respect to Gab- 

 breducco, that she would swear that she knew 

 nothing whatever of his going to the king her 

 brother to induce him to make an attack upon 

 the ship. She asked several times for the Book 

 of Common Prayer (or our Allah's book) ; but 

 I told her that I believed that she was ignorant 

 of the matter, and that an affair of such import- 

 ance, and of a nature so disgraceful, would 

 never have been intrusted to her ; and moreover, 

 that after what I had heard, I could place no 

 more confidence in their oaths, when the king 

 had broken the oath made by him, the Mallam, 

 and Abboka on their own book the Koran, as 



