chap, xiv.] THE KING IN LOVE WITH A TOOTH-COMB. 393 
he did precisely as I had anticipated, by making pre¬ 
sents to his surrounding friends out of my stock, and 
monopolizing the remainder for his share : the division 
of the portions among his people was a modest way of 
taking the whole, as he would immediately demand 
their return upon quitting my hut. No sooner were 
the beads secured than he repeated the original demand 
for my watch and the No. 24 double rifle; these I 
resolutely refused. He then requested permission to 
see the contents of a few of the baskets and bags that 
formed our worn-out luggage. There was nothing that 
took his fancy except needles, thread, lancets, medi¬ 
cines, and a small-tootb comb; the latter interested 
him exceedingly, as I explained that the object of the 
Turks in collecting ivory was to sell it to Europeans 
who manufactured it into many articles, among which 
were small-tooth combs such as he then examined. He 
could not understand how the teeth could be so finely 
cut. Upon the use of the comb being explained, he 
immediately attempted to practise upon liis woolly 
head; failing in the operation, he adapted the instru¬ 
ment to a different purpose, and commenced scratch¬ 
ing beneath the wool most vigorously: the effect being 
satisfactory, he at once demanded the comb, which was 
handed to each of the surrounding chiefs, all of whom 
had a trial of its properties, and, every head having 
been scratched, it was returned to the king, who handed 
it to Quonga, the headman that received his presents. 
So complete was the success of the comb that he pro¬ 
posed to send me one of the largest elephant’s tusks, 
which I was to take to England and cut into as many 
small-tooth combs as it would produce for himself and 
his chiefs. 
The lancets were next admired, and were declared to 
be admirably adapted for paring his nails—they were 
therefore presented to him. Then came the investiga¬ 
tion of the medicine chest, and every bottle was applied 
to his nose, and a small quantity of the contents was 
requested. On the properties of tartar-emetic being 
