INTERVIEW WITH THE KING OF THE JOLOFFS. 
the seams of which appeared to astonish him. Sometimes 
he raised one of my arms, sometimes one of my legs ; and if 
I had suffered him, would have entirely undressed me, to 
satisfy himself that my clothes were not sewed to my skin. 
He then asked if the king of the white men was as powerful 
as himself ; enquiring particularly the number of his wives. 
" He has but one," I replied. " And thou boastest to me of his 
riches," replied he ; " what is the grandeur of a sovereign 
who is not even able to keep several wives ?" He did not 
suspect that the whites had horses, and his astonishment was 
extreme when I told him, they were so common, that the 
coverings for our legs and feet were made of the skins of 
those animals. 
Notwithstanding the favour his majesty did me of pulling 
my hair, and taking me by the nose to measure its length, I 
retired very much shocked by such liberties. During our 
interview I had endeavoured to explain to him thé advantages 
which he would derive from collecting and sending to St. Louis, 
on his own account, the gum which the Moors procure from 
his kingdom. He approved my advice ; but in Africa as in 
Europe, a project adopted with eagerness is often quickly 
forgotten. 
February 16th. At sunrise the king's griot awoke me 
with his songs ; he was accompanied by a great number of 
female singers. I dare not repeat the excessive panegyrics 
which they bestowed upon me ; they called me Son of the 
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