HIS SUPERSTITION. 287 



board in order to obtain a present ; but I told 

 him I had made very little trade, and that when 

 I went down I would give him something, for 

 that then I could not afford it. We were still 

 short of provisions, and living upon one pound 

 of yams per day. 



My friend Abboka, like most of his country- 

 men, places great confidence in charms, and is 

 literally covered with them. A few days ago 

 he asked me for one that would have the power 

 of preventing sickness, and of rendering his 

 enemies powerless. Although I disliked the 

 thought of perpetuating such error, I knew that 

 I could not remove it, and therefore considered 

 it best to comply with his desire : I also gave 

 him a watch-paper, which I took out of my 

 watch and presented to him. This morning he 

 showed me a piece of leather in which he had en- 

 closed the watch-paper ; and in order that he 

 might wear it night and day, he had placed it on 

 his forehead, secured by two leather strings at 

 the back part of the head. 



The king's head man came on board the next 

 day, telling me to send the Kroomen on shore to 

 kill a bullock the following morning. I was a 

 little incredulous at first, but he assured me that 

 it was true, and that the queen would be on 



