CONGO KING AND QUEEN. 



27 



male and female negroes, habited in cotton 

 dresses of colours and of white, with flags flying 

 and drums beating ; and as they approached we 

 discovered among them the king and queen, 

 and the secretary of state. Each of the former 

 wore upon their heads a crown, which was partly 

 covered with gilt paper, and painted of various 

 colours. The king was dressed in an old- 

 fashioned suit of divers tints, green, red, and 

 yellow ; coat, waistcoat, and breeches ; his 

 sceptre was in his hand, which was of wood, 

 and finely gilt. The queen was in a blue silk- 

 gown, also of ancient make ; and the wretched 

 secretary had to boast of as many colours as 

 his master, but his dress had evident appear- 

 ances of each portion having been borrowed 

 from a different quarter, for some parts were 

 too tight and others too wide for him. 



The expense of the church service was to be 

 provided for by the negroes ; and there stood in 

 the body of the church a small table, at which 

 sat the treasurer of this black fraternity (irman- 

 riade), and some other officers, and upon it 

 stood a box to receive the money. This was 

 produced but slowly, much too slowly for the 

 appetite of the vicar, who had not break- 

 fasted, though it was now nearly mid-day, for 

 he and his assistant priests were to chaunt high 

 mass. Therefore he approached the table, and 

 began to expostulate with these directors, de- 



