obstinately bent on deferring her exit, sent a messenger to her
native village, to make known to her relatives, that should she make
her escape, they would take all of them into slavery, and burn their
town to ashes, in conformity to an established and very ancient law.
They therefore strongly advised the relatives of the old woman for
their own sakes, and for the sake of the public, to use all their
endeavours to prevail upon her to meet her fate honourably and with
fortitude. A deputation was expected from the village on the morrow,
when no doubt, after a good deal of crying and condoling, and talking
and persuading, the matter will eventually be decided against the old
lady. It was well understood that she had bribed a few of the most
opulent and influential inhabitants of Jenna with large sums of
money, to induce them to overlook her dereliction from the path of
duty, and by their representations that she had obtained the tacit
consent of the king of Katunga to live out the full term of her
natural life. But the people for many miles round, horror-struck at
such impiety and contempt for ancient customs, rose to enforce the
laws of her country against her.

On Tuesday April 13th, the town of Jenna was visited by one of those
terrific thunder storms, which are so prevalent in those latitudes.
The thatched hut in which the Landers resided, afforded but an
insecure and uncertain asylum against its fury. Part of the roof was
swept away, and the rain admitted freely upon their beds, whence the
most awful lightning flashes could be seen, making "darkness
visible." It appeared as if the genius of the storm were driving
through the murky clouds in his chariot of fire to awaken the
slumbering creation, and make them feel and acknowledge his power. It
was, indeed, a grand lesson to human pride, to contemplate the
terrors of a tornado through the trembling walls and roof of a gloomy
dilapidated hut in the interior of Africa. It is scenes like these,
which make the traveller think of his home, his friends, and his
fireside enjoyments, and by comparison, estimate the blessings which
are his portion in his native land. In civilized countries, when men
are visited by an awful calamity of this kind, the distinctions of
rank are levelled, and numbers flock together, for the purpose of
keeping each other in countenance, and strengthening each other's
nerves; but here all was naked, gloomy, desolate.

They passed the night, as may be