The inmates are permitted to work at their trade, whatever it may be, and are allowed the price of their labour, besides their subsistence while they are within the walls. They are constantly attended by priests, who visit the towns and markets within a certain distance, and there levy contributions upon all articles of consumption, as well as a duty which they demand upon cloths and ornaments, for the support of their establishment. No doubt a great share of this sort of plunder falls to themselves. Our company of trading-women left us here. After partaking of some refreshment we again marched. No man could experience more anxiety than I did myself during this part of my journey; for the next town we reached would decide the success of the object I had in view. Many were the doubts and fears that assailed me. Sometimes I thought Terrasso-weea might have gone on, and have taken another direction; and again, even if he were there, perhaps my information at Abomey respecting Mungo Park might be incorrect, and Terrasso-weea might know nothing of the circumstances about which I was interested. At other times my spirits were buoyed up with the idea of seeing the white man, as he was represented to be. But, again, the thought of returning to Dahomey, and of incurring the King’s displeasure, who had been my best friend, and perhaps, also, of being instrumental in causing the caboceer of my guard, an excellent man, to lose his head, oppressed me. However, to balance this trouble, I had the consolation of having visited a country which I should not otherwise have seen; for even if I should survive the climate and dangers incident to travellers in so barbarous a country, I might not again have an opportunity of visiting it. While thus absorbed in varied reflections I had forgotten my sand-glass, by which I measured the distance we marched, but my poor fellows had been long accustomed to call out the number of quarters, or glasses, which I caused every man to do aloud immediately after myself. My glass was of a very simple construction. I took two small phials, which had contained peppermint essence, which had been given to me by an American captain. I measured my sand by time; then, when I had ascertained the proper quantity, I poured out the remainder from the opposite phial, and again secured the piece of tin between the mouths of the phials, sealing them both together hermetically, and fixing them lengthwise into a piece of palm stem, hollowed out on one side, leaving one side of the phials exposed. This allowed me to observe when the glass was run out. The moment we halted any where I slipped the string, which was attached to each end, and hung about my neck, a little round, so as to place the glasses in a horizontal position, and stop their running until I again commenced marching.