A PROPER KING. 
229 
SO close together as to give the appearance of one 
town. 
We were kept waiting here also a long while for the 
sable chief ; who doubtless, like other great men, 
thought that our opinion of his importance would rise 
in proportion to the time we were held in anxious expec- 
tation of his appearance. To our frequent inquiries 
why he did not come, we were told “ the king wash him 
face” and would come “ one time,” i. e., directly. 
Our original information of his being on the island, 
proved to be correct, as we saw him land, and walk 
up the hill in very stately guise, surrounded by a few 
attendants, and his own person protected, not only 
by an umbrella, but by a large double-caped boat- 
cloak. He saluted us in the English fashion, by 
shaking hands; but seemed very anxious to impress 
us at once with the idea of his magnificence, drawing 
our attention particularly, and with great complacency 
to the evidences of his w'ealth and power around the 
room, displayed in the form of pots and pans and 
chamber utensils, which he said made him look like a 
“ proper king,” whereas if he had not all these things 
the “bushmen” would think him a “ small man.” He 
apologized for having kept us waiting so long, and said 
he had recently lost his son, and five of his people. 
All his women were consequently in mourning, that is, 
they had heightened the extreme ugliness of their 
features, by plastering their faces with indigo. We 
saw one lady of the court, with a mirror, before which 
