54 TRAVELS IN THE 
All the houses belonging to the king and his family are sur- 
rounded by a lofty mud wall, which converts the whole into a kind 
of citadel. The interior is subdivided into different courts. At 
the first place of entrance I observed a man standing with a mus- 
ket on his shoulder ; and I found the way to the presence very 
intricate, leading through many passages, with centinels placed 
at the different doors. When we came to the entrance of the 
court in which the king resides, both my guide and interpreter, 
according to custom, took off their sandals ; and the former pro- 
nounced the king's name aloud, repeating it till he was answered 
from within. We found the monarch sitting upon a mat, and 
two attendants with him. I repeated what I had before told 
him concerning the object of my journey, and my reasons for 
passing through his country. He seemed, however, but half sa- 
tisfied. The notion of travelling for curiosity, was quite new to 
him. He thought it impossible, he said, that any man in his 
senses would undertake so dangerous a journey, merely to look 
at the country, and its inhabitants : however, when I offered to 
shew him the contents of my portmanteau, and every thing be- 
longing to me, he was convinced ; and it was evident that his 
suspicion had arisen from a belief, that every white man must 
of necessity be a trader. When I had delivered my presents, he 
seemed well pleased, and was particularly delighted with the 
umbrella, which he repeatedly furled and unfurled, to the great 
admiration of himself and his two attendants; who could not 
for some time comprehend the use of this wonderful machine. 
After this I was about to take my leave, when the king, desir- 
ing me to stop a while, began a long preamble in favour of the 
