156 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
the canes and the English flag. We stopped to take 
the hand of every caboceer (which, as their household 
suites occupied several spaces in advance, delayed us 
long enough to distinguish some of the ornaments in 
the general blaze of splendour and ostentation). The 
caboceers, as did their superior captains and atten¬ 
dants, wore Ashantee cloths of extravagant price, from 
the costly foreign silks which had been unravelled to 
weave them, in all the varieties of colour as well as 
pattern; they were of an incredible size and weight, 
and thrown over the shoulder exactly like the Roman 
toga ; a small silk fillet generally encirled their temples, 
and massy gold necklaces, intricately wrought, sus¬ 
pended Moorish charms, enclosed in small square cases 
of gold, silver, and curious embroidery. Some Avore 
necklaces reaching to the navel, entirely of aggry 
beads; a band of gold and beads encircled the knee, 
from which several strings of the same depended ; small 
circles of gold, like guineas, rings, and casts of animals, 
were strung round their ankles; their sandals were of 
green, red, and delicate white leather ; manillas, and rude 
lumps of rock gold, hung from their left wrists, which 
were so heavily laden as to be supported on the head of 
one of their handsomest boys. Gold and silver pipes and 
canes dazzled the eye in every direction. Wolves’ and 
rams’ heads, as large as life, cast in gold, were suspended 
from their gold-handled swords, which were held around 
them in great numbers ; the blades were shaped like 
round bills, and rusted in blood ; the sheaths were of 
leopardskin, or the shell of a fish like shagreen. The 
large drums, supported on the head of one man, and 
beaten by two others, were braced around with the thigh 
bones of their enemies, and ornamented with their skulls. 
The kettle-drums, resting on the ground, were scraped 
with wet fingers, and covered with leopard-skin. The 
wrists of the drummers were hung with bells and 
curiously-shaped pieces of iron, which jingled loudly as 
they were beating. The smaller drums were suspended 
from the neck by scarves of red cloth ; the horns (the 
teeth of young elephants) were ornamented at the 
