them very gravely, and with rueful
countenances, that they had both been weeping in the morning for the
death of Captain Clapperton, whose untimely end they would never
cease to lament. It is true, they might have been so engaged, but as
on their entrance, no outward signs of tears appeared, they rather
mistrusted the information which had been imparted to them.

On the day subsequently to their arrival, they were visited by the
noted widow Zuma, who presented herself to them without the slightest
pretensions to finery of any kind, either in her dress or ornaments,
for she was clad in very humble apparel of country cloth. She related
to them with great good humour, her quarrels with her prince, the
ruler of Wowow, and her consequent flight from that city to escape
his resentment. It appeared that in order to effect this, she was
actually obliged to climb over the city wall in the night, and travel
on foot to Boossa, which was a very long journey, and to a woman of
her size, must have been an arduous task. She alleged that she had
done nothing whatever to merit the displeasure of the Wowow chief,
notwithstanding which, he had robbed her of all her household
furniture and a number of her slaves. But from another quarter, they
learnt that one of her sons had committed a theft in the city, for
which he would have suffered death, if he had not made his escape
with his mother, who, it was said, had instigated him to the deed.
The widow complained sadly of poverty and the hardness of the times;
she had fought with the Youribeans against Alorie, but instead of
receiving a recompense for her bravery; she had lost half of her
slaves in an engagement, which so disgusted her with the military
profession, that she immediately abandoned it and returned home. Yet
in spite of all her losses and misfortunes, she had gained so much in
corpulency, that it was with the utmost difficulty she could squeeze
herself into the doorway of their hut, although it was by no means
small. The widow Zuma was a very good-looking person of matronly
appearance, and her skin of a light copper colour.

After the widow had left them, Richard carried the presents which had
been selected for the king and queen. Each appeared delighted with
them, and the former more especially was extravagant in his
expressions of admiration and thankfulness. A pair of silver
bracelets, a tobacco pipe, and a looking-glass, seemed to rivet the
attention of the king, who could