PRESENTS TO OBI. 
343 
circumstances, it was impossible to delay six hours, 
which was the time required by the king in compli- 
ance with Ibu -etiquette; Lieutenant Webb liaTing 
therefore waited until noon, without any appearance 
of the royal visitor, sent on shore by Prince Edjeh the 
following articles as a present, in the name of Her Bri- 
tannic Majesty, viz. : — one double-barreUed gun, two 
single-barrelled ditto, one helmet, and twenty-two 
thousand cowries; after which, having already pro- 
cured a native pilot, and being very anxious about 
the safety of those at the settlement, he hastened his 
departure from Abbh. In coming down the creek, a 
number of large canoes had been observed, and on 
inquiry, the pilot stated that they belonged to King 
Boy of Brass, who was said to be then on board one 
of them. This of itself was sufficient to authorize a 
doubt about Obfs conduct, since he had never men- 
tioned that this person was at Abbh, although his 
name had been frequently referred to in the late con- 
versation. On learning this. Lieutenant Webb imme- 
diately proceeded to the canoe in which Boy was 
staying, and requested to be furnished with any infor- 
mation he might possess respecting Mr. Carr. Boy’s 
statement was just as unsatisfactory as that obtained 
from Obi ; for while he acknowledged that Brown (a 
coloured man, employed as an interpreter in the expe- 
dition, and who had accompanied Mr. Carr a short way 
up the Brass Creek) had communicated with some of the 
Brass people about eight moons back, he disavowed 
