I VISIT THE KING 
223 
Indala—for red oval beads with a white eye. They refused to 
barter for any other beads. They also sold us a pumpkin for a 
charge of powder; but we were very chary of dealing in this 
article, for if once it became known that we used powder as a 
marketable article, we were well aware that the natives would 
refuse to sell for anything else, and our supply was limited. 
On the morning of September 1st, the messenger came from 
the king to request my presence on the island. Of course 
there was no alternative but to go; but Franz, whose pluck had 
oozed out from his anatomy, was in a terrible state of mind at 
accompanying me. In vain I told him to put a bold front on 
matters, as any child might see the state of mind he was in ; but 
he kept up his scare, much to the delight of the king’s emis¬ 
saries, and, with an air of one who is going to execution, entered 
the canoe in which we were ferried over. I had a good Colt’s 
frontier pistol revolver hidden under my jacket in case of 
emergencies, and when we landed on the island took exact note 
of several canoes tethered to the shore, expecting, perhaps, that 
the king might endeavour to levy blackmail before allowing me 
to return, in which case I intended to enter a canoe by force, if 
necessary, and paddle over to the camp. 
We were guided to a roofed hut without walls, and told to 
sit down in its shelter, where, after waiting a 
few minutes, the king, accompanied by four 
of his staff, came up, and without offering 
any greeting quietly sat down opposite on a 
mat placed ready for him, and stared at us. 
He was a finely proportioned man, 
six feet in height, thirty 
years old, with a rather 
expressionless-looking 
face, added to a copper 
yellowish complexion: he 
had a slight stammer in 
his speech, and a quick, 
nervous manner. He goes attended by his head men, one the 
