CUSTOMS. 
275 
placed. The scene was marked with all the splendor of our own 
entre, and many additional novelties. The crush in the distance 
was awful and distressing. All the heads of the kings and cabo- 
ceers whose kingdoms had been conquered, from Sai Tootoo to 
the present reign, with those of the chiefs who had been executed 
for subsequent revolts, were displayed by two parties of execu- 
tioners, each upwards of a hundred, who passed in an impassioned 
dance, some with the most irresistible grimace, some with the most 
frightful gesture : they clashed their knives on the skulls, in which 
sprigs of thyme were inserted, to keep the spirits from troubling 
the King. I never felt so grateful for being born in a civihzed 
country. Firing and drinking palm wine were the only divertisse- 
mens to the ceremony of the caboceers presenting themselves to 
the King ; they were announced, and passed all round the circle 
saluting every umbrella : their bands preceded ; we reckoned 
above forty drums in that of the King of Dwabin. The effect of 
the splendor, the tumult, and the musquetry, was afterwards 
heightened by torch light. We left the ground at 10 o'clock ; the 
umbrellas were crowded even in the distant streets, the town was 
covered like a large fair, the broken sounds of distant horns and 
drums filled up the momentary pauses of the firing which encircled 
us : the uproar continued until four in the morning, just before 
which the King retired. I have attempted a drawing, (No. 2.) it 
is by no means adequate, yet more so than description could be. 
On the left side of the drawing is a group of captains dancing 
and firing, as described in our entre. Immediately above the 
encirchng soldiery, is a young caboceer under his umbrella, borne 
on the shoulders of his chief slave ; he salutes as he passes along, 
and is preceded and surrounded by boys (with elephants tails, 
feathers, &c.) and his captains, who, lifting their swords in the air, 
halloo out the deeds of his fore-fathers ; his stool is borne close to 
