MISSION TO CONCOBELLA. 
91 
of his subjects, who, at the instigation of a Sin- 
ghiiii, had been excited to revolt. According to 
the established practice of the country, the bodies 
of persons thus condemned were sent to the king's 
favourites to be used as food ; in which capacity, 
they were considered as the most delicate of any 
that could be procured. The king, willing to pay 
a compliment to his new visitor, selected the best 
conditioned of these subjects, and sent him to the 
father, hoping that he would find him afford some 
excellent meals. Jerome, though he had no relish 
for this diet, deemed it prudent to take the com- 
pliment in good part, and sent back polite thanks 
for so handsome a present. He soon found him- 
self in high favour at the court of Concobella. 
The king, to testify his regard, proposed, and 
even urged, that he should accept his daughter 
in marriage ; and this example was followed by 
all the chiefs, who were eager to illustrate them- 
selves by an alliance with one whom they consi- 
dered as holding a high rank in his native country. 
The father assures us, that, notwithstanding the 
force of the climate, it cost him nothing to reject 
positively all these proffers. He even succeeded 
in converting the king, and in prevailing upon 
him, out of five wives and innumerable concu- 
bines, to retain only one. The nobles, however, 
and the rest of the people, declared, in the most 
decided manner, that the immemorial practice of 
