He begged me to join in drinking the health of the Queen of England and the whole of the Royal Family, in cherry brandy, which he strongly recommended as beneficial in all cases of fever. This I did: he then informed me that he had a regiment of female soldiers (his wives), as well as a regiment of males, on the parade in front of the palace, waiting to show me how they procured their food when in the bush. At that moment, I felt myself a much fitter subject for my mat or bed; but, as this parade was got up entirely for my gratification, I determined to remain as long as possible. Accordingly, I accompanied the King to the parade-ground, where we found the male and female soldiers formed in line, with front and rear ranks, the latter on the right. At seventy yards’ distance from their front was a high swish, or clay wall, parallel with the line of soldiers. Close to this were fastened, by pegs driven into the ground, a number of sheep, goats, ducks, guinea-fowls, and the common fowl. The whole were placed in that position for the purpose of illustrating the method by which the army procured its food when on march in the bush, which abounds with game. Each of the soldiers was armed either with a long Danish or English musket, charged with iron bullets. The females commenced firing from the right, advancing one pace to the front in succession, as they came to the present. I was certainly much surprised to see the certainty of their deadly aim. Although at seventy yards distance, very few missed their object; and I did not observe one who fired wide of a man’s body. The female commanders presented me with eight large Muscovy ducks and some Guinea-fowls. The male soldiers fired with even more precision than the females, but I believe that the whole of them were picked shots; but even if that were the case, the feat was astonishing, and would have done credit to our best riflemen. I became so much exhausted and sick at the stomach at last, that I was obliged to be immediately carried home. My leg, also, was now very much swollen, and darker in colour, and became very painful, with every symptom of gangrene or mortification. I confess I felt considerable alarm at observing these symptoms so rapidly increasing. By this time, however, I had become inured to hardships and suffering, and had learned to set little value upon my life, and could very readily have reconciled myself to share the same grave with poor Maurice. My principal anxiety was respecting my Journal, a great part of which was only in notes; consequently the probability was that my kind and generous patrons would never get possession of it, though this was the only tribute of gratitude I should ever have it in my power to return them. I, therefore, made up my Journal and papers in the form of a parcel, addressed to the Geographical Society, with strict injunctions to my servants to forward them to Mr. Hutton of Cape Coast.