450 
RESIDENCE AT LATTAKOO. [181S. 
In the forenoon we visited a district of the city, 
about half a mile to the eastward of our waggons. It 
had also a square for public resort, like that in which our 
waggons stood, where some of the men were employed 
in stretching skins with pins on the ground ; others in 
rubbing the inside of skins with rough bones, which 
gives them much the appearance of woollen cloth. Some 
skins were extended and covered with cow dung in or- 
der to tan them. Four men were employed in sewing 
a skin cloak, which they did with a straight awl, much 
in the same way as shoemakers in England. The 
women had made something like porridge, which they 
sent us in the pot in which it had been made, but un- 
accompanied with spoon or any instrument with which 
to eat it : we made signs that we had lately been eat- 
ing. They sent us also thick milk in a calabash, of 
which we took a little. Though the young people ap- 
peared very anxious to see us, yet the timidity of most 
of them prevented them from gratifying their curiosity. 
The parents, however, brought some of them by force, 
when they screamed excessively, and seemed as terri- 
fied as if we had intended to eat them. We gave the 
people some tobacco, which they immediately began 
to grind into snuff. 
We next visited the wife of Salakootoo, the kings 
uncle. She was sitting in the inclosure in front of the 
house, grinding tobacco between two stones. Except- 
ing the queen, she was the best looking woman we had 
seen in Lattakoo, and had some fine children around 
her, who were so alarmed at our appearance; that they 
