The King now sent for me to the palace, where he received me with every mark of kindness and respect; and after shaking me heartily by the hand, immediately proposed the health of the Queen of England and all the royal family. In return, of course, I proposed the health of himself. My own health was next drank, after which the King gave me a familiar slap on the back with his open hand, saying, “White man don’t know proper fear, nor take proper care. In black man’s country,” he said, “I make him much fear, when he hear I go into far country beyond Mahee,” meaning the Fellattah country. This was conveyed to me by my own interpreter. He asked me, what the Queen of England would say if I had been killed, when in his care or under his protection. He added, that all white men would say, his own people had killed me, and that would bring shame upon his head. He, however, expressed his great satisfaction at my safe return, and put a thousand questions to me respecting the Fellattah country, and whether they mentioned his name there, together with numerous questions respecting their soldiers. He next spoke upon the Slave Trade, and asked if I could not make intercession with Her Majesty of England to send an order to our men-of-war not to take any slave ships till they had entirely left the coast. I told him that it would be more for his advantage that the slaves should be captured by English men-of-war, as a greater number would be required to fill their places. His reply was very different to what I had expected. He explained, that although he supposed many white men believed he sold the greater part of the slaves sent from that country, he could assure me it was not the case; but the caboceers, whose soldiers captured them, were always considered to be the owners of slaves taken in war, when the enemy were the aggressors, with the exception of those who were considered unfit for the market. These latter were considered to be his (the King’s) property, and were sent to the different palaces to assist in the duties of those establishments; but he admitted that all prisoners taken by his wives, or female soldiers, were his property, and that the caboceers always pay a nominal duty upon all slaves taken in war when sold. From various inquiries I was informed that by far the greater number of slaves transported from this country are either the property of those on whose establishments they are bred, or are purchased from the parents who are free; though at the decease of any caboceer, the whole of his property is considered as belonging to the King. The present King, however, seldom exercises his authority on these occasions.