JOURNEY FROM BADAGRY TO KATUNGA. 
37 
they appeared as glad to see us as their master. The king was 
dressed in a white tobe, or large shirt, with a blue one under ; round 
his neck some three strings of large blue cut-glass beads ; and on his 
head the imitation of an European crown of blue cotton covered 
over pasteboard, made apparently by some European, and sent up 
to him from the coast. We waited about half an hour until all 
inquiries had been made respecting our health and the fatigues of 
our journey. We were then conducted by his chief eunuch and 
confidents to apartments in the king’s house, and asked if we liked 
them. They certainly were very good ; but our servants would have 
been too far removed from us. We looked out for one in which 
we could be more comfortably stowed, and one by which both ser- 
vants and baggage would be under our own eyes ; which is an im- 
portant matter, in this country especially, and never to be neglected, 
however good the servants may be. After this we had dinner and 
tea, to which we had good new milk ; and when it got fairly dark we 
had a visit from the king in person : he was attended by his favourite 
eunuch, the ladies remaining outside. He was very plainly dressed, 
so that he would not have been known outside but as one of the 
people, with a long staff in his hand. He said he could not sleep 
until he saw us, but that we should only talk about our health, and 
not about business now. After a short stay he went away. We re- 
quested before he went that we should be left undisturbed for two 
days, that we might rest from the fatigues of our journey. 
