ARCHITECTURE, &c. 
307 
Drawing No. 3, is one of the oldest houses in Coomassie, inhe- 
rited by the unfortunate Bakkee, and part of the quarters of the 
Mission. Its comparative rudeness is evident. 
No. 4, is a more modern part of the same house, being one side 
of a small area about 15 feet square, allotted to the chief officer of 
the Embassv. These areas are all distinct, and a house consists of 
an indefinite number of them, some 36 feet square, with several 
long courts. In paying a visit to a principal man, the state was 
to detain us some minutes at the door of each area, as he generally 
received us in the innermost. The figure is one of the King's 
body guards, which have been described before. The figures are 
introduced to shew the proportion of the buildings, and to give 
some idea of the costume. 
No. 5, is the exterior of a bed room of Odumata's, which is one 
side of an oblong area in a very retired angle of his house, about 
25 feet by 8. The cloth suspended to the left of the door on the 
top of the steps, hides the bloody stools which are in the recess. 
The small gallery in front of the upper room is only wide enough 
for one person to walk in. The recess and small room below ac- 
commodate confidential slaves. The bed room was very small, about 
8 feet square^ but being hung round with a variety of gold and 
silver ornaments, had a very rich appearance. The bed is gene^ 
rally about 5 feet high, and composed entirely of large silk-cot- 
ton pillows piled one above another. The King of Gam an, we 
were assured, had steps of solid gold to ascend to his bed. A man 
wearing a crier's cap, is playing the sanko. 
No. 6, is a perspective view of the entrance area to Apokoo's 
house ; the fourth side is an open fronted building like those on 
the right and left for attendants to wait in, and for the hearing of 
palavers. The opposite closed side is a bed room. The figure m 
playing the bentwa (see Music.) 
