80 
JOURNEY FROM KATUNGA TO ROUSSA. 
town, to the gate of the governor’s house, where I halted under a 
large spreading tree for upwards of an hour. I then desired Yarro’s 
messengers to tell the governor that if I was kept longer waiting 
outside I should return to Kiama ; that I was the king of England’s 
messenger, and would not be kept outside of any door in this way. 
They went in and told the governor, who sent out to say he was 
dressing to receive me, and would be out immediately. In a few 
minutes a number of men came out of the house, and sat down in 
two rows outside the door ; then a high stool was brought out, and 
placed in the entrance ; after which the great man came slowly out 
of the gate, with a long staff in his hand, and seated himself on the 
stool. He sent for me. Until then I had not dismounted. I went 
up and shook hands with him : he kept his hand wrapped up in the 
sleeve of his tobe, for fear the touch of a white kaffir should kill 
him. I told him at once who I was, and what I wanted. He said, 
every thing I wished should be done, and as I must be fatigued 
with my journey, 1 should see him again to-morrow. I was shown 
to a very good house, but found it excessively hot : the thermo- 
meter in the shade was 105° of Fahrenheit, which is higher than it 
has been since I have been in Africa this time. In the afternoon, 
the governor sent me a present of a goat, yams, honey, and eggs, 
and the same from his head man. 
I was not a little surprised, towards sunset, by a visit from the 
king of Dahomey’s messengers. I thought that all my prospects 
were now blasted ; that they had been sent to detain me, and bring 
me back ; but my fears were soon allayed, by their saying that they 
w ere on their way home ; that they had heard white men had 
arrived here, and they had come to pay their respects to me ; that 
they had been in Youri, and twelve months since had left Daho- 
mey ; that the king of Dahomey had sent them to get a camel, but 
the war betw een the people of Youri and the Fellatas prevented 
any camels coming to Youri. These men brought two muskets to 
salute me with ; they had been here twelve days, and were in- 
