river in their lives
before. The Brass people affirm that the Bonny Creek, which is a
small branch of the Niger, was dried up, and that the main river,
which runs to Brass, belongs to King Jacket, who permitted no
foreigners whatever to pass up and down the Niger, without exacting
the accustomed fees or duties. The Brass people, therefore, would
have a very plausible reason for taking them entirely out of the
hands of Obie and the Damaggoo people.

In the evening, Antonio and five other Bonny people came to their hut
with tears in their eyes. On asking them, what was the matter, "The
chief," they said, "is determined to sell you to the Brass people,
but we will fight for you, and die rather than see you sold." "How
many of you Bonny people are there?" Richard Lander asked. "Only
six," was the reply. "And can you fight with two hundred Brass
people?" Lander asked. "We can kill some of them," they answered,
"and your people can assist." Lander then asked Antonio the reason
why he did not interpret what was going forward to-day at the king's
house. He said, that he was afraid it would have made their hearts
sore--that it was "a bad palaver." "We have all been to the chief,"
he added, "crying to him, and telling him that black man cannot sell
white man, but he will not listen to us, he said, he would sell you
to the Brass people."

The Landers felt much hurt at their situation, for they did not
expect that it would be so bad as it turned out to be, but they made
up their minds to prepare themselves for the worst, for it was
impossible to foresee the lengths to which the savages would go. On
the following day, Richard Lander was taken very ill with the fever,
and was consequently unable to attend the summons to the king's
house, he therefore sent his brother in his stead, who gave the
following account:--

"On my arriving there this morning, to my infinite surprise I found
King Boy (Gun's eldest brother,) with a number of his attendants
already assembled. He was dressed in a style far superior to any of
his countrymen, and wore a jacket and waistcoat over a neat shirt of
striped cotton, to which was annexed a silk pocket handkerchief,
which extended below the knees. Trousers are not permitted to be
worn, either by natives or strangers, of the same hue as themselves,
the kings alone being an exception to the rule. Strings of coral and
other beads encircled his neck, and a pretty little crucifix of seed
beads hung on his