His Majesty had given orders that as soon as I was quite ready to march, a messenger, who was in waiting, should be despatched to the palace to inform him. The messenger, upon his return, communicated the King’s desire that I should remain a few minutes longer, when, to my surprise, another messenger arrived with two more heads of cowries and a keg of rum, although he had already furnished me with a good supply. The King had made arrangements that, upon my passing through my own gate to commence the march, one gun was to be fired as a warning; upon which, twenty-one guns of heavy ordnance were fired in succession, accompanied with a continuous rattle of small arms, my band striking up. One half of my guard marched behind me, the other in front. Thus we marched for the Kong Mountains. Mayho, and several more of the King’s household and principal caboceers, as well as many of the principal traders and merchants of the town of Abomey, accompanied me about a mile on the road, all of whom seemed to evince a lively interest in my safety and success. After passing through the gates of the town, my friends halted, and gave me a hearty shake of the hand, wishing me every success. They then returned, and I resumed my journey. The path, after leaving the gates of the town a few yards, turns short from S.E. to N., and passes through beautifully cultivated fields of corn of various sorts, as well as many different sorts of beans and peas. Many sorts of ground beans are also cultivated here, some of the size and shape of a large marble, and of a delicious flavour, commonly used by the natives in soups and stews, as well as separately. This scene was truly beautiful, the corn full six feet in height, with beautiful white and red flowers about a foot in height, so numerous that at a little distance the ground appeared a continuous bed of flowers. At short distances were many small but neat krooms, from which issued the sable inhabitants to get a sight of the King’s stranger, as they termed me. Many of the most courageous came close to the path to pay respect to me. I cannot express the delight I now felt, to find myself, after all my disappointments, marchings and countermarchings, fairly on the road to the far-famed Mountains of Kong, and under such favourable auspices, more especially after the King of Ashantee had refused to let me pass through his country for the purpose.