THE GIAGAS ZINGHA. 
101 
into the mass of the people. Merit, of that bar» 
barous kind, which is vakied in such a society, is 
said to have been the sole ground of promotion. 
The queen had three hundred women, ten of 
whom, by turns, attended constantly upon her 
person. Unless when indisposed, she ate con- 
stantly in public. Before the door of the palace 
was spread a large table, covered with numerous 
dishes, placed on vessels of earthen ware. At 
this table there was neither plate, knife, fork, nor 
spoon. The royal fingers were the sole instru- 
ments employed in taking up the food and con- 
veying it to the mouth. In the utmost height of 
her religious zeal, and notwithstanding her ad- 
vanced age, she took always peculiar delight in 
adorning her person. Besides the finest cloths 
which her own country produced, she constantly 
wore the richest stuifs and brocades of Europe. 
In the days of her idolatry, she was accounted 
not only the greatest queen, but the most eminent 
magician and conjuror in this part of Africa. This 
character was maintained by the most extensive 
system of espionage, and by then making a display 
of the secret information thereby acquired. So 
strongly rooted in the minds of her subjects was 
this behef of her supernatural knowledge, that 
persons often came to throw themselves at her 
feet, imploring the forgiveness of crimes, of the 
existence of which she had not entertained the 
slightest suspicion. 
