The King Sat Under A Verandah, With Two
Umbrellas Spread Above Him, Surrounded By Above 400 Of His Wives, And
Many Of His Chief Men.
He was dressed in two long cotton robes, decorated
with strings of glass beads, with a pasteboard crown, covered with
cotton, upon his head.
They dismounted at about 20 yards distance, and
walked up close to the monarch, who rose and cordially shook hands with
them, repeatedly vociferating, "Ako! ako!" which means, "How do you do?"
at which his chief men and wives gave loud cheers. A house was assigned
to the English, and each day they received a plentiful supply of
provisions.
Under various pretences they were detained at this place for the space of
seven weeks. The Quorra or Niger was only about thirty miles distant to
the eastward; but though the king had promised to afford them every
facility for reaching it, one delay took place after another. He
endeavoured to deter them by false accounts of the dangerous nature of
the route, in consequence of an alleged incursion of the Fellatahs, and
insurrection of the Houssa slaves. At last, however, he suffered them to
set out, by the kingdom of Borgoo, towards Houssa.
They now entered the Borgoo country. They passed several villages which
had been pillaged and burnt by the Fellatahs; indeed, the whole country
bore testimony to the ravages of war. Lander gives a spirited account of
an adventure which happened to him in this part of the country.
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