There Was No Great Reason After All, For Their Modesty To Be Offended Either At The Splendour Or Numbers Of

Their retinue, for happily it consisted only of a few ragged individuals on foot, and eight on horseback; with the

Latter was a single drummer, but the former could boast of having in their train, men with whistles, drums and trumpets.

Richard Lander sounded his bugle, at which the natives were astonished and pleased; but a black trumpeter jealous of the performance, challenged a contest for the superiority of the respective instruments, which terminated in an entire defeat of the African, who was hooted and laughed at by his companions for his presumption, and gave up the trial in despair. Amongst the instruments used on this occasion, was a piece of iron, in shape exactly resembling the bottom of a parlour fire shovel. It was played on by a thick piece of wood and produced sounds infinitely less harmonious than "marrow-bones and cleavers."

The leader of the escort was a strange looking, powerful fellow, and might very well serve the writer of a romance as the hero of his tale, in the character of keeper of an enchanted castle, when fierce, scowling looks, terrific frowns, and a peculiarly wild expression of countenance are intended to be naturally described, for the man's stature was gigantic; his eyes large, keen, piercing, and ever in motion, his broad nose squatted over both cheeks; his lips immensely large, exposing a fine set of teeth; the beard was thick, black and gristly, and covering all the lower part of his face, reached to his bosom; the famous Blue Beard was nothing to him; and in gazing on his features, the observer might almost be inclined to believe, that all the most iniquitous and depraved passions of human nature were centered in his heart.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 773 of 1124
Words from 211673 to 211981 of 309561