ily obtained my pardon,
laughing heartily at the scene, and at my apprehension.

The repast being over, I was ordered to follow my mistress, who retired
to another hut, according to their custom, to sleep during the heat of
the day. I was placed before the door to prevent her being disturbed.
My only duty now was to attend upon my young mistress. She was the
king's favourite wife, and as she was uniformly kind and gentle, I
should have almost ceased to lament my loss of liberty had it not been
from the fear I had of the old monarch. I knew that my preservation
depended entirely upon my mistress's favour, and I endeavoured all I
could to conciliate her by the most sedulous attentions to please.
Young and generous in disposition, she was easily satisfied by my ready
obedience and careful service. I do not think that she was more than
seventeen years of age; but they are women at fourteen in that country,
and even earlier. She was a Negress as to colour, but not a real
Negress; for her hair, although short and very wavy, was not woolly, and
her nose was straight. Her mouth was small, and her teeth beautiful.
Her figure was perfect, her limbs being very elegantly formed. When she
first rose in the morning, I attended her to the brow of a hill just
without the palisades, where with devout but mistaken piety she adored
the rising sun--at least it appeared to me that she did so. She then
went down to the river to bathe, and as soon as her hair was dry she had
it dressed. This office, after a short time, devolved upon me, and I
became very expert, having to rub her hair with a sweet oil, and then
roll it up in its natural curls with a quill, so as to dispose them to
the most fanciful advantage as to form.

After her toilet was complete, she went to feed her poultry, and some
antelopes and other beasts, and then she practised at a mark with her
bow and arrows and javelin till about ten o'clock, when she went to the
king's hut, and they all sat down to eat together. After the repast,
which lasted some time, if she did not repose with the king, she retired
to her own hut, where she usually refreshed herself till about four
o'clock, when she returned to the king, or ranged the woods, or
otherwise amused herself during the rest of the evening. I will say for
the old savage that he did not confine his wives. Such was our general
course of life, and wherever she went I attended her. The attachment I
showed and really fel