Travels Of Richard And John Lander Into The Interior Of Africa For The Discovery Of The Course And Termination Of The Niger By Robert Huish
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The Landers Determined To Sleep In The Canoe
That Night, Notwithstanding The Want Of Room Would Render It An
Intolerable Grievance.
Previously to embarking, they had taken a
little boiled yam with palm oil at Obie's house, and they remained
two hours lying on the bank.
At seven in the evening they settled
themselves for the night, but found that they were exceedingly
cramped up for want of room, occasioned by the yams being stowed
badly.
During the night a great tumult arose between the natives and the men
of Brass, which might have had a serious and fatal termination, if
the latter had not taken timely precaution to convey their canoe from
the beach into the middle of the stream, whither the natives could
not follow them. The former had flocked down to the water's edge in
considerable numbers, armed with muskets, spears, and other offensive
weapons, and kept up a dreadful noise, like the howling of wolves,
till long after midnight; when the uproar died away King Boy slept on
shore with his wife Adizzetta, who was Obie's favourite daughter, and
on her account they waited till between seven and eight o'clock in
the morning, when she made her appearance with her husband, who, they
understood, had embraced the present opportunity of making an
excursion with her to his native country, to vary her life a little
by a change of air and scene, and to introduce her to his other wives
and relatives residing at Brass. She had besides expressed a desire
to see white men's ships, and it was partly to gratify her curiosity
in this particular that she was going with them. On stepping into the
canoe, with a spirit of gallantry, Boy handed her to the best seat,
which was a box, close to which he himself sat, and which the
Landers, from motives of delicacy, had relinquished in her favour.
Her face was towards the bow, whilst the two Landers sat directly
vis-a-vis on a heap of yams, but they were So close to the opposite
party that their legs came in continual contact, which threatened to
produce much inconvenience and confusion. They were still further
detained by removing various heavy articles into another canoe, which
was lying alongside, because the canoe in which they were was
pronounced too deeply laden to be safe, but after all she did not
appear to be lightened very considerably. This being all
accomplished, at half-past seven they pushed off the Eboe shore, and
for a little while, with forty paddles dashing up the silvery foam at
the same moment, they glided through the water with the speed of a
dolphin. To the Landers it was altogether a scene of considerable
gratification.
"The eyes of man," says Richard Lander, "are so placed in his head,
that it has been frequently observed, whether sitting or standing, he
can behold earth and sky at the same moment without inconvenience,
which is an advantage, I believe, that no other animal possesses in
an equal degree, if it does at all. As I was reflecting on this
circumstance I happened to cast my eyes towards the horizon, to
convince myself of its reality, when I found the tall, masculine
figure of Obie's favourite daughter intercepted it entirely from my
view. Being thus balked for a moment in my intentions, I was
instantly diverted from them, and I deemed the opportunity favourable
for studying the physiognomy and person of King Boy's 'ladye love.'
Adizzetta may be between twenty and thirty years of age,[Footnote:
There is a discrepancy in the account given by Lander respecting Obie
and Adizzetta, which we cannot reconcile. Obie is represented to be a
sprightly young man, and yet his favourite daughter Adizzetta is
married, and between 20 and 30 year of age. Obie then could not be a
young man.] or perhaps younger, for she takes snuff, and females
arrive at womanhood in warm countries much sooner than in cold ones.
Her person is tall, stout, and well proportioned, though it has not
dignity sufficient to be commanding; her countenance is round and
open, but dull and almost inexpressive; mildness of manners, evenness
of temper, and inactivity of body also, might notwithstanding, I
think be clearly defined in it; on the whole she has a perfect
virginity of face, which betrays not the smallest symptoms of
feeling. Her forehead is smooth and shining as polished ebony, but it
is rather too low to be noble; her eyes full, large, and beautiful,
though languid; her cheeks of a dutch-like breadth and fullness; her
nose finely compressed, but not quite so distinguished a feature as
the negro nose in general; there is a degree of prettiness about her
mouth, the lips not being disagreeably large, which is further
embellished by a set of elegant teeth, perfectly even and regular,
and white as the teeth of a greyhound; her chin - but I am unable to
describe a chin; I only know that it agrees well with the other
features of her face.
"Adizzetta seldom laughs, but smiles and simpers most engagingly,
whenever she is more than ordinarily pleased, and she seems not to be
unconscious of the powerful influence which these smiles have over
the mind of her husband. Her dress and personal charms may be
described in a few words; the former consisting simply of a piece of
figured silk, encircling the waist, and extending as far as the
knees; her woolly hair, which is tastefully braided, is enclosed in a
net, and ends in a peak at the top; the net is adorned, but not
profusely, with coral beads, strings of which hang from the crown to
the forehead. She wears necklaces of the same costly bead; copper
rings encircle her fingers and great toes; bracelets of ivory her
wrists, and enormous rings, also, of the elephant's tusks decorate
her legs, near the ankle, by which she is almost disabled from
walking, on account of their ponderous weight and immense size.
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