potentate, as African kings went.

For nearly a week I was kept closely confined to the hut which had been
assigned to me, never being permitted to go beyond the door of the
building, where, when the sun had worked round far enough to cause the
building to cast a shadow, I soon got into the way of sitting for an
hour or two, doing my best to ingratiate myself with the inhabitants of
the place, many of whom used to come and stare at me with never-ceasing
curiosity and wonder, and with whom I used to laugh and chat, although
of course neither party understood a word of what was said by the other.
That is to say, neither understood the other _at first_; but in the
course of a few days I found that, with the more intelligent of the
natives, it was possible for me to convey by signs, and by speaking with
much emphasis, some sort of general idea of my meaning. It was
undoubtedly by diligent practice in this direction that, after strict
confinement to the interior of my hut for some five or six days, I was
permitted, first of all, to wander at will about that portion of the
town which was enclosed by the palisade, and ultimately to pass outside
and go practically whither I would, always accompanied, however, by two
armed guards.

One of the greatest discomforts from which I suffered at this time was
the outcome of the peculiar musical taste of King Banda's subjects.
Though I was then happily unaware of the fact, the period of the great
annual festival, or Customs, was approaching, and the joy of the
populace began to find vent in nocturnal concerts inordinately
prolonged, the musical instruments consisting of tom-toms, each beaten
by two, three, or four performers--according to the size of the tom-
tom--with a monotony of cadence that soon became positively maddening,
further aggravated by the discordant squealing of a number of flageolet-
like instruments made of stout reeds.

Now, although I have not hitherto had occasion to mention the fact, I
was passionately fond of music, and rather fancied myself as a performer
upon the flute; one night, therefore, when one of these hideous concerts
was in full blast, and when, consequently, it was useless to attempt to
sleep, I sallied forth, accompanied as usual by my guards, and made my
way round to the great square in front of the king's house, where,
squatted round a huge fire, some twenty of these enthusiasts were
tootling and thumping with a vigour that I could not help regar