ic figures, which so completely metamorphosed him, as to
render his identity rather questionable, at the distance of only a
few yards. His usual dress had been thrown aside, and he was allowed
to wear nothing but a narrow silk handkerchief tied round his waist;
on his head a little close cap was placed, made of grass, and
ornamented with large feathers. These they found to be the wing
feathers of a black and white buzzard, which is the fetish bird of
Brass Town. Two huge spears were also chalked and put into his hands,
and thus equipped his appearance was wild and grotesque in the
extreme. The same operation was performed on the rest of the party,
and the fetish priests were chalked in the same manner. The people
belonging to the Landers were merely marked on the forehead, and the
Landers themselves, perhaps from being already white, although their
faces were not a little tanned, were exempted from the ceremony.

They were now ordered into King Forday's canoe, to sit down with him.
The old man asked them immediately in tolerably good English, to take
a glass of rum with him; and having observed them wondering at the
strange appearance of King Boy, and the rest of the party, gave them
to understand that in consequence of no man having come down the
river as they had done, the fetish ceremony was performed to prevent
any thing happening to them. They also understood from him, that a
certain rite would be performed to _Dju-dju_, the fetish or domestic
god of Brass Town, in honour of their coming.

The tide was now fast returning, and preparations were made for
proceeding to Brass Town. For this purpose the canoes were all
arranged in a line, that of King Boy taking the lead; the Landers and
King Forday in the next, followed by King Boy's brother; Mr. Gun and
the Damaggoo people in others, and in this order they proceeded up
the river. Gun was styled the _little military king_ of Brass Town,
from being entrusted with the care of all the arms and ammunition,
and on this occasion, he gave them frequent opportunities of
witnessing his importance and activity, by suddenly passing a short
distance from the rest of the canoes, and firing off the cannon in
the bow of his own, and then dropping behind again.

The whole procession formed one of the most extraordinary sights that
can be imagined. The canoes were following each other up the river in
tolerable order, each of them displaying three flags. In the first
was King Boy, st