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 Old Chief Wore An English Superfine
Beaver Hat, And An Old Jacket, That Once Belonged To A Private
Soldier,
But the latter was so small that he was able only to thrust
an arm into one of the sleeves,
The other part of the jacket being
thrown upon his left shoulder. These, with the addition of a cotton
handkerchief, which was tied round his waist, were his only apparel.
By far the most showy and conspicuous object in the yard, was an
immense umbrella, made of figured cotton of different patterns, with
a deep fringe of coloured worsted, which was stuck into the ground.
But even this was tattered and torn, and dirty withal, having been in
Forday's possession for many years, and it is only used on public and
sacred occasions. I had been sitting amongst the revellers till the
speaker had finished his harangue, when I embraced the opportunity,
as they were about to separate, of entreating King Boy to hasten our
departure for the vessel. He was highly excited and elated with
liquor, and being in excellent temper, he promised to take us
to-morrow.
"It required little time on the following day, to take leave of a few
friends we have at Brass, and we quitted the town not only without
regret, but with emotions of peculiar pleasure. King Boy, with three
of his women, and his suite in a large canoe, and our people and
myself in a smaller one. Adizzetta would gladly have accompanied her
husband to the English vessel, for her desire to see it was naturally
excessive; but she was forbidden by old Forday, who expressed some
squeamishness about the matter, or rather he was jealous that on her
return to her father's house in the Eboe country, she would give too
high and favourable an opinion of it to her friends, which might in
the end produce consequences highly prejudicial to his interests.
"We stopped awhile at a little fishing village, at no great distance
from Brass, where we procured a few fish, and abundance of young
cocoa nuts, the milk of which was sweet and refreshing. Continuing
our journey on streams and rivulets intricately winding through
mangroves and brambles, we entered the main body of the river in time
to see the sun setting behind a glorious sky, directly before us. We
were evidently near the sea, because the water was perfectly salt,
and we scented also the cool and bracing sea breeze, with feelings of
satisfaction and rapture. However, the wind became too stormy for our
fragile canoe; the waves leaped into it over the bow, and several
times we were in danger of being swamped. Our companion was far
before us, and out of sight, so that, for the moment, there was no
probability of receiving assistance, or of lightening the canoe, but,
happily, in a little while we did not require it, for the violence of
the wind abating with the disappearance of the sun, we were enabled
to continue on our way without apprehension.
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