An African Despot 
guns, gunpowder, cowries, rich cloths, valuable 
presents from foreigners and all sorts of provi¬ 
sions. Much of the last was obtained from his 
own farm worked by his own slaves, but the 
most part came as a tax on farm produce. About 
daybreak every morning the people began to 
pour by myriads through the gates on their way 
to the farms, and when they returned in the after¬ 
noon during the gathering season, they carried 
baskets on their heads filled with farm produce. 
Two of Areh’s officers stood on either side of 
each gate and extracted a yam, an ear of corn, a 
sweet potato or a small quantity of whatever the 
basket contained. It took a large number of 
slaves each day to transport what was obtained 
in this way to Areh’s storehouses. 
The place for the reception of visitors to Areh 
was a large space enclosed by a high wall which 
was also used as a place of public assembly and 
for the public trial and execution of criminals. 
Our company consisted of Mr. Phillips, my 
wife and myself with our necessary attend¬ 
ants in the way of hostlers and interpreters. 
We arrived at the gate of the court in a satis¬ 
factory degree of state, but just here, while the 
people standing there were gazing curiously at 
us, the condition of things was suddenly much 
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