e vessel. I felt somewhat surprised
at his leaving in this manner without an explanation.

In the afternoon some Indians came on board who had been in the habit of
bringing the king's verbal orders for goods, and said the king had sent
them to get a ten gallon keg of rum for him; not wishing to offend him,
I asked the Indians where he, the king, was, they replied, "We must
paddle up the river a little bit, and then ride horse a little bit."
Determined to know if there was any fraud in the verbal order, I started
with the Indians to see the king.

We paddled up the river about four or five miles, when we landed. A
horse was brought for each man; our leader mounted, taking his ten
gallon keg up before him; each was supplied with a bunch of plantain
leaves for a saddle. The night being dark, and the rain falling in
torrents, we groped our way through thick woods, my horse acting as my
guide. I kept my hand extended before my face to protect my eyes from
the limbs of the trees for some distance, when we arrived at a small
creek; we dismounted and crossed over in a canoe, the Indians swimming
their horses across. Being mounted again we rode about three miles
further through a level prairie land. The foot-path being covered with
water about four inches deep, and the rain falling incessantly. At
length we arrived at the king's house, his majesty not having a dry
thread of clothes about him. On entering I found an Indian by the name
of Thompson, an old acquaintance, acting as door-keeper, who conducted
me into the house and presented me with a hammock; and being very much
fatigued, begged him not to tell the king that I had arrived. He
promised he would not. Soon after I got in my hammock, the king, who lay
in an adjoining room, called for a drink of water, which was brought.
The servant at the same time telling him that the American captain had
arrived (that being the name by which I was known on the Indian coast.)
He immediately arose, told his servants, called quarter-masters, to
bring the women for a dance. To please him I had to put on an Indian
dress, have my face painted, and my head ornamented with feathers. The
king took the lead in the performances, which lasted until morning; he
ordered a bullock to be killed for breakfast, which made a very good
repast, after which I retired, much fatigued, to a hammock, where a
sound sleep soon refreshed me. The king retired to rest, slept until
dark, when, springing up suddenly,