254 
AFRICAN RECEPTION. 
of people awaited our arrival, and no sooner had M^e 
reached our destination than we found ourselves en- 
closed in a dense mass of men, women, and children ; 
even the branches of the old tree in the middle of the 
street, and in front of the chief’s house, were loaded 
with dark urchins; yet, eager as they were to have a 
glimpse of the Eiu-opcans in this inland African vil- 
lage, no annoying act or insulting jest was indulged in 
at our expense. We could not help thinking of the 
difference in this respect between these untutored 
savages and the mobocracy of civilized lauds. 
When the ceremonial for our reception was com- 
pleted, the crowd gave way, and the chief, a power- 
fully-built old man, whose grey loool “ told of many a 
scorching summer’s sun,” came forward and con- 
ducted us to seats in front of his own door; a chair 
was placed for Captain Allen in the centre, Mr. Lilly 
and King Bell being provided with stools on each 
side; the rest of the party had to accommodate them- 
selves on a long piece of timbei’, taking precedence of 
the sable warriors who formed the escort. By this 
arrangement we had the advantage of keeping the 
crowd in front, and at an agreeable distance, considering 
the peculiarly strong odour which emanates from masses 
of coloured people. The red glare of a large palm- 
oil lamp, fixed to the wall immediately behind us, 
played upon the moving assemblage of black skins, 
causing the deep shades of night to fall in still deeper 
tone in the back-ground, and producing, by the lurid 
