lso
Canada under Queen Victoria. Me trabel bery much. Now, sar, dinner come.
Time to eat not to talk. After dinner white gentlemen tell me what they
came here for. Me tell dem if they like about my trabels, but dat berry
long story."

The dinner consisted of two fowls cut in half and grilled over a fire,
fried plantains, and, to the astonishment of the travelers, green peas,
followed by cold boiled rice over which honey had been poured. Their
host had placed plates only for two, but they would not sit down until
he had consented to join them.

Two girls waited, both neatly dressed in cotton, in a fashion which was
a compromise between European and negro notions.

After dinner the negro presented them with two large and excellent
cigars, made, as he said, from tobacco grown in his own garden, and the
astonishment of the travelers was heightened by the reappearance of one
of the girls bearing a tray with three small cups of excellent black
coffee.

Their host now asked them for the story of their journey from the coast,
and the object with which they had penetrated Africa. Mr. Goodenough
related their adventures, and said that they were naturalists in search
of objects of natural history. When he had finished Ostik, in obedience
to a whisper from him, brought in a bottle of brandy, at the sight of
which the negro broke into a chuckle.

"Me tree months widout taste dat. Once ebery year me send down to coast,
get coffee, tea, sugar, calico, beads, and rum. Dis time de rum am
finish too soon. One of de cases get broke and half de bottles smash.
Dat berry bad job. Dis chile calculate dat six dozen last for a year,
dat give him one bottle each week and twenty bottles for presents to
oder chiefs. Eighteen bottles go smash, and as de oder chiefs expec'
deir present all de same, Sam hab ta go widout. De men start three weeks
ago for coast. Me hope dey come back in six weeks more."

"Well," Mr. Goodenough said, "you need not go without it till they
come back, for I can give you eight bottles which will last you for two
months. I have got a good supply, and as I never use it for trade unless
a chief particularly wants it, I can very well spare it."

The old negro was greatly pleased, and when he had drank his glass of
brandy and water he responded to Mr. Goodenough's request, and, lighting
a fresh cigar, he began the story of his adventures.

"I was born in dis berry village somewhere about seventy years ago. I
not know f