When I
Advanced The King Desired Me To Come And Sit By Him Upon The Mat;
And, After Hearing My Story, On Which Be Made No Observation, He
Asked If I Wished To Purchase Any Slaves Or Gold.
Being answered in
the negative, he seemed rather surprised, but desired me to come to
him in the evening, and he would give me some provisions.
This monarch was called Almami, a Moorish name, though I was told
that he was not a Mohammedan, but a kafir or pagan. I had heard
that he had acted towards Major Houghton with great unkindness, and
caused him to be plundered. His behaviour, therefore, towards
myself at this interview, though much more civil than I expected,
was far from freeing me from uneasiness. I still apprehended some
double-dealing; and as I was now entirely in his power, I thought it
best to smooth the way by a present. Accordingly, I took with me in
the evening one canister of gunpowder, some amber, tobacco, and my
umbrella; and as I considered that my bundles would inevitably be
searched, I concealed some few articles in the roof of the hut where
I lodged, and I put on my new blue coat in order to preserve it.
All the houses belonging to the king and his family are surrounded
by a lofty mud wall, which converts the whole into a kind of
citadel. The interior is subdivided into different courts. At the
first place of entrance I observed a man standing with a musket on
his shoulder; and I found the way to the presence very intricate,
leading through many passages, with sentinels placed at the
different doors. When we came to the entrance of the court in which
the king resides, both my guide and interpreter, according to
custom, took off their sandals; and the former pronounced the king's
name aloud, repeating it till he was answered from within. We found
the monarch sitting upon a mat, and two attendants with him. I
repeated what I had before told him concerning the object of my
journey, and my reasons for passing through his country. He seemed,
however, but half satisfied. When I offered to show him the
contents of my portmanteau, and everything belonging to me, he was
convinced; and it was evident that his suspicion had arisen from a
belief that every white man must of necessity be a trader. When I
had delivered my presents, he seemed well pleased, and was
particularly delighted with the umbrella, which he repeatedly furled
and unfurled, to the great admiration of himself and his two
attendants, who could not for some time comprehend the use of this
wonderful machine. After this I was about to take my leave, when
the king, desiring me to stop a while, began a long preamble in
favour of the whites, extolling their immense wealth and good
dispositions. He next proceeded to an eulogium on my blue coat, of
which the yellow buttons seemed particularly to catch his fancy; and
he concluded by entreating me to present him with it, assuring me,
for my consolation under the loss of it, that he would wear it on
all public occasions, and inform every one who saw it of my great
liberality towards him.
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