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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On
The Following Day, Richard Lander Was Taken Very Ill With The Fever,
And Was Consequently Unable To Attend The Summons To The King's
House, He Therefore Sent His Brother In His Stead, Who Gave The
Following Account:
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"On my arriving there this morning, to my infinite surprise I found
King Boy (Gun's eldest brother,) with a number of his attendants
already assembled. He was dressed in a style far superior to any of
his countrymen, and wore a jacket and waistcoat over a neat shirt of
striped cotton, to which was annexed a silk pocket handkerchief,
which extended below the knees. Trousers are not permitted to be
worn, either by natives or strangers, of the same hue as themselves,
the kings alone being an exception to the rule. Strings of coral and
other beads encircled his neck, and a pretty little crucifix of seed
beads hung on his bosom. This latter ornament, which has probably
been given him by a slave captain, had by no means an unbecoming
appearance. King Boy introduced himself to me with the air of a
person who bestows a favour, rather than soliciting acquaintance, and
indeed his vanity in other respects was highly amusing. He would not
suffer any one to sit between him and the platform, but squatted
himself down nearest the king's seat, which, as a mark of honour, had
been previously assigned to us; and with a volubility scarcely
imaginable, he commenced a long narrative of his greatness, power,
and dignity, in which he excelled all his neighbours, and to this I
was constrained to listen with assumed composure and attention for a
considerable time.
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