f the
performance, challenged a contest for the superiority of the
respective instruments, which terminated in an entire defeat of the
African, who was hooted and laughed at by his companions for his
presumption, and gave up the trial in despair. Amongst the
instruments used on this occasion, was a piece of iron, in shape
exactly resembling the bottom of a parlour fire shovel. It was played
on by a thick piece of wood and produced sounds infinitely less
harmonious than "marrow-bones and cleavers."

The leader of the escort was a strange looking, powerful fellow, and
might very well serve the writer of a romance as the hero of his
tale, in the character of keeper of an enchanted castle, when fierce,
scowling looks, terrific frowns, and a peculiarly wild expression of
countenance are intended to be _naturally_ described, for the man's
stature was gigantic; his eyes large, keen, piercing, and ever in
motion, his broad nose squatted over both cheeks; his lips immensely
large, exposing a fine set of teeth; the beard was thick, black and
gristly, and covering all the lower part of his face, reached to his
bosom; the famous Blue Beard was nothing to him; and in gazing on his
features, the observer might almost be inclined to believe, that all
the most iniquitous and depraved passions of human nature were
centered in his heart. Yet, with so unlovely and forbidding an
appearance, this man was in reality as innocent and docile as a lamb.
He wore on his head a small rush hat, in shape like a common
earthenware pan inverted, or like the hats, which are worn by the
lower class of the Chinese. His breast was enveloped in a coarse
piece of blue cloth; from his left shoulder hung a large quiver of
arrows, and in his right hand he held a bow, which he brandished like
a lance; a short pair of trousers covered his thighs, and leathern
boots, fantastically made, incased his feet and legs. His skin was of
jetty blackness, his forehead high, but his tremendous beard, which
was slightly tinged with grey, contributed, perhaps, more than any
thing else, to impart that wildness and fierceness to his looks,
which at first inspired the travellers with a kind of dread of their
leader.

Thus escorted they travelled onwards, and after a hasty ride of six
hours from Eetcho, they beheld from a little eminence, those black
naked hills of granite, at whose base lay the metropolis of Youriba.
About an hour afterwards, they entered the gates of that ext