AFRICAN TOILET. 
•28.9 
islands Abobbi and Daraeb, sent an invitation to Cap- 
tain Allen, who landed with Commander Ellis. On our 
way up, we met large parties of men with cutlasses, 
clearing the road of grass and underwood, while the 
women were preparing for our reception, by sweeping 
their huts and clearing the square of weeds. Although 
the houses were neither large, nor commodious, there 
was an appearance of neatness about them. The 
“ Chief of the woody hill,” is said to be rich in four- 
teen wives, thirteen children, and about five hundred 
people, besides many goats and some cows. Our 
early visit, — profiting by the deliciously cool land- 
wind,— had taken him rather by surprise, as he was 
dressing to receive us ; the most important part of his 
toilet, being the amngement of a Union Jack, which 
Mr. Beecroft had given him and which he wore as a 
kilt. We were much pleased with his great civility. 
The soil on the summit is of the richest description. 
But the villages have no water except at the foot of 
the hill, where a delicious stream gushes out from 
rocks, a considerable distance along the margin of the 
sea. Our Sappers cleared them away, so as to enable 
the people to fill their casks. This slight operation 
will be of advantage to the natives, and a very little 
trouble in blasting the rock would make an excellent 
watering-place. 
In the woods adjacent to this locality, we shot 
some of the pretty rufous-necked king-hunters; the 
large grey-headed bush shrike; the Senegal swallow ; 
VOL. IT. 
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