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
- Page 841 of 1124 - First - Home
The Wives And Younger Children Of The Chief, Sat Near Them
In A Group By Themselves, And Were Distinguished From Their
Companions By Their Superior Dress.
Manchester cloths of an inferior
quality, but of the most showy patterns, and dresses made of common
English bed-
Furniture, were fastened round the waist of several sooty
maidens, who, for the sake of fluttering a short hour in the gaze of
their countrymen, had sacrificed in clothes the earnings of a twelve
months labour. All the women had ornamented their necks with strings
of beads, and their wrists with bracelets of various patterns, some
made of glass beads, some of brass, and others of copper, and some
again of a mixture of both metals; their ankles were also adorned
with different sorts of rings, of neat workmanship.
The distant sound of drums gave notice of the king's approach, and
every eye was immediately directed to the quarter whence he was
expected. The cavalcade shortly appeared, and four horsemen first
drew up in front of the chiefs house, which was near the centre of
the course, and close to the spot where his wives and children, and
themselves were sitting. Several men bearing on their heads an
immense number of arrows in large quivers of leopard's skin, came
next, followed by two persons, who, by their extraordinary antics and
gestures, were concluded to be buffoons. These two last were employed
in throwing sticks into the air as they went on, and adroitly
catching them in falling, besides performing many whimsical and
ridiculous feats.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 841 of 1124
Words from 230420 to 230678
of 309561