er quietly followed the
chief, to his principal hut, under whose verandah we were served with
goora nuts in a huge pewter platter."

Presently the chief squatted himself down on a handsome rush mat, of
native manufacture, and they were desired to sit by him, on an
elegant Turkey carpet, which had been laid there for the purpose. He
was rather fancifully dressed; and wore two tobes, the one nearest
the skin being of black silk velvet, and the other of crimson velvet,
lined with sarsenet; his boots were of yellow leather, neatly worked,
and his wrists were loaded with bracelets of silver and copper. The
countenance of the chief betrayed much seriousness and solidity, and
the diverting laugh of his countrymen was suspended by a sober
cheerfulness. Many of his wives sat behind him in rows, some of whom
were of a bright copper colour, indeed a great number of the
inhabitants of Larro have fairer complexions than mulattoes. The yard
of the hut was crammed full of curious and inquisitive people, who
stood with open mouths during the audience. The chief wished to
imprint strongly on their minds his own dignity and power; he said he
was greater than the governor of Jenna, inasmuch as the latter was a
slave to the king of Katunga, but himself was a free man. He would
give them permission to depart to-morrow, he continued, and in the
mean time would supply them with provisions. The chief was as good as
his word, for shortly after they had quitted the hut they received a
goat and some game, and he returned their visit in the cool of the
evening. It appeared that it was not his general practice to drink
spirituous liquors in presence of his people, as it may be against
the law to do so, for having carefully excluded all prying eyes from
their dwelling, and ordered a mat to be hung over the door-way, he
even then turned his face to the wall, whenever he attempted to
swallow the brandy that was offered to him. He remained with them
rather better than an hour. On the presentation of the chief to them,
a religious ceremony was performed, which was not observed in any
other part of the country. A chapter from the Koran was repeated to
him by a mahommedan priest, to which both he and his people seemed to
pay great attention.

Public schools are established in the town of Larro, for the avowed
purpose of teaching the rising generation the rudiments of the
mahommedan religion.

A singular custom prevails in the town, of compelling child