We waited about half an hour until all inquiries had been made respecting our health and the fatigues of our journey. We were then conducted by his chief eunuch and confidents to apartments in the king’s house, and asked if we liked them. They certainly were very good; but our servants would have been too far removed from us. We looked out for one in which we could be more comfortably stowed, and one by which both servants and baggage would be under our own eyes; which is an important matter, in this country especially, and never to be neglected, however good the servants may be. After this we had dinner and tea, to which we had good new milk; and when it got fairly dark we had a visit from the king in person: he was attended by his favourite eunuch, the ladies remaining outside. He was very plainly dressed, so that he would not have been known outside but as one of the people, with a long staff in his hand. He said he could not sleep until he saw us, but that we should only talk about our health, and not about business now. After a short stay he went away. We requested before he went that we should be left undisturbed for two days, that we might rest from the fatigues of our journey. CHAPTER II. RESIDENCE AT EYEO, OR KATUNGA, THE CAPITAL OF YOURIBA. Tuesday, January 24th.—Early this morning the king paid us a visit, accompanied by his favourite eunuch and Abaco the messenger. He had received previous information that he wished to have the presents intended for him this night; and such is the crooked policy of these petty sovereigns of Africa, that no present can be given, no business or transaction of importance can be done openly: all must be conducted under the cover of night, and with the greatest secrecy, from the highest to the lowest. We first began inquiring after his health. I then told him that I was the king of England’s servant, sent by his majesty to beg his acceptance of a present, which then lay before me; that we had heard his (the king of Youriba’s) name mentioned in England as a great king; that we now experienced the truth of the report; that three white men, two of them my companions, and one a servant, had died on the road; that another of my companions was at Dahomey, to ask the king of that country to allow him a passage through his dominions. I told him that all the Youriba people had behaved well to us; that the caboceers of the different towns through which we had passed supplied us with every thing we wanted, especially the chief of Jannah, his friend, who had shown the greatest attention to us, and had given us a good man for a messenger, who had conducted us with safety and attention to his majesty’s capital. Upon this the messenger was ordered to make his prostrations, and his majesty rubbed his shoulders with his hand. I then told him that the king of England would be glad to make him his friend, and that whatever he, the king of Youriba,