230 
NATIVE FEUDS. 
she was laying it on pretty thick ; and with much care 
if not taste. The object of our visit was for the simple 
and homely purpose of purchasing fresh provisions, and 
of opening a better system of traffic than had hitherto 
prevailed. His Majesty however entered at once 
into subjects of high diplomacy. He denounced with 
great eloquence or volubility the inhabitants of one of 
the islands in the Bay of Amboises, who being rendered 
“saucy,” by the impregnable nature of their position, 
had set his authority at nought. After having drunk 
fetiche water, and made an agi-eement with him that 
the islands should be his, they had fired at his people, 
stolen some of his wives, and caused the death of his 
son. Moreover, they invariably attacked canoes which 
they thought not strong enough to resist them, and had 
even killed two Krumen ; they were therefore enemies 
equally of the black and the white man. This latter 
part of the charge was not likely to be true; but it 
was found that the natives of Bimbia, sometimes 
assume the Kru mark, and pretend it had been con- 
ferred on them by some head Kruman. For all these 
crimes and treasonable practices, he threatened ven- 
geance in very energetic terms, and suggested the 
propriety of Her Britannic Majesty’s steam-vessel, 
‘ Wilberforcc,’ declaring war upon the refractory 
subjects of our firm ally, and that we should at once 
proceed to burn their town as a lesson to them. 
Captain Allen endeavoured to explain to him the 
disadvantage of being in continual hostility with his 
