12 
PICTURESQUE VIEWS ON THE NIGER. 
The costume of the better class of people in the interior, consists in one or more tobes — a dress like a surplice, — very wide trowsers, and a cap 
of scarlet cloth, if they can procure one. The rich and royal personages usually put on so many of these tobes of different colours — principally blue 
or white — that they appear quite unwieldy. Those who cannot afford thus to incumber themselves, wear a striped blue and white cotton cloth 
round the waist, or thrown in various graceful Avays over the shoulder ; and there is some art in arranging the folds, so that it shall not fall off. 
Indeed, they frequently reminded me of the manner in which some of the best statues of antiquity are draped. 
In the accompanying plate, I have grouped together all the principal characters of whom I had individual sketches. Tliey are, I believe, 
likenesses ; though I must confess, that the foreheads have expanded to a more noble contour under the pencil. I witnessed such a scene as is here 
represented, when the King of Attah sent a deputation to assure us of his friendly intentions, although he had threatened the inhabitants of the surround- 
ing villages with his vengeance, if they supplied us with provisions ; whereby he nearly reduced us to a state of starvation. He moreover subsequently 
caused our intrepreter, old Pasco, and two or three Krumen, to be poisoned. The principal man in the deputation delivei-ed a very long speech, 
with great volubility, good action, and emphasis ; as, however, it had to pass through two languages before I could understand it, all the poetry and 
flowers of rhetoric were lost in the double translation, especially as Pasco made a very lame affair of his English version ; while the Malem Kitab, who 
rendered it into the Haussa language, appeared to catch all the eloquence and impassioned manner of the orator. He was indeed so ready in giving 
every sentence as it was uttered, with precisely the same tone and action, that one might have imagined it to be the result of frequent rehearsals. 
The figure in the centre of the group is from a sketch of Abokko, the brother of the King of Attah, but our most faithful and devoted friend. 
