hen we
heard footsteps approaching, and Captain Roderick, accompanied by the
king himself and several of his attendants, opened the door. The king
made a speech, intending, as we supposed, to apologise to us. He then
led the way to another house, far superior to the hut we had occupied.
It was clean and airy, with a veranda in front and a garden full of
fruit trees and vegetables behind. Shortly afterwards an ample supply
of all sorts of provisions was brought to us, and what we valued in no
less degree, some huge bowls of water. I shall not forget in a hurry
the satisfaction of washing, though we each of us had only a pocket
handkerchief with which to dry ourselves, and that none of the cleanest.
After breakfast, we summoned the slaves who had brought us the water to
procure a further supply, in which we washed our under garments, hanging
them up afterwards to dry in the garden. This they did in a very few
minutes, for the sun in that latitude does its work with marvellous
rapidity.

In consequence of meeting with Captain Roderick we abandoned our idea of
attempting to get off by stealth, thinking that it would be wiser to
take our departure openly with the leave of the king. We had not been
long in the house when Captain Roderick, accompanied as he always was by
Growler, came to see us and advised that we should remain indoors. "I
have a rival here in that ugly rascal Mundungo. He is jealous of the
favour shown to me by the king, to whom I have recounted the true
history of your capture, and I told his majesty that, instead of being
taken after a tremendous fight, you were surprised and surrounded before
you had time to defend yourselves. Mundungo has found that I have told
the king the truth, and he is exceedingly indignant, although he is too
much afraid of me to say anything. He will not, however, scruple to
injure you if he has the opportunity."

While he was speaking, Mundungo himself appeared, his countenance
exhibiting the hatred which raged in his bosom.

"Beware what you are about," he exclaimed. "You have attempted to
malign me to the king. Remember I possess the most powerful fetish in
the world."

"A fig for your fetish!" exclaimed the captain, drawing his huge dagger.
"I possess a more potent fetish than you do. Look at that, and then
look at this animal. What do you think of him? In two minutes, if I
were to tell him, he would tear you limb from limb, and your wretched
fetish could no