20 INTERVIEW WITH THE KING OF CAYOR. 
this guard -house » we passed through several courts, the ave- 
nues to and from which were not placed opposite to each 
other. At length we arrived at the royal hut : it is of an oval 
form, and the door of it is so low, that it is necessary to crawl in 
on all fours. With our hats on our heads, and our muskets 
in our hands, we presented ourselves before the Darnel, who 
made us a sign of protection. After he had heard the object 
of our visit, he told us to be seated. The sight of a tyrant' 
whatever may be his colour, always produces a certain shud- 
der, which I confess I could not prevent. Among the persons 
who were with us in the hut, there was a Moor, seated near 
the monarch, to whom he often whispered, an old negro 
Marabout, a child, the prince who had introduced us, and 
another black who performed the office of cup-bearer. All 
these personages were courtiers, as might easily be guessed 
from the approving smile which appeared on their lips when- 
ever the king opened his mouth. 
The Damel is a very corpulent man, about twenty-six 
years of age, his voice is sweet, but his look has something- 
wild and ferocious. His fingers were covered with rings of 
silver, his dress resembled that of other negroes ; on his head he 
wore a blue cotton cap ; and he was seated cross-legged on a 
mat. The Moor placed near him had very fine, animated 
features. There is not a country inhabited by Blacks, in 
which the superiority of the Moors is not strikingly mani- 
fested; they everywhere enjoy with the princes a favour which 
