, as well as a very handsome suit of
clothing, evidently made expressly for me, which, he intimated, it was
the queen's wish I should wear during my stay in the country; told me
that by clapping my hands I could summon a servant who had been detailed
to attend upon me; and then bowed himself out.

Left at length to myself, I instructed the people who had brought my
belongings where to put them, satisfied myself that nothing was missing,
and then, dismissing the men, proceeded to take stock of my
surroundings. The apartments assigned to me were very spacious, lofty,
cool, and airy, and were furnished with a degree of elegance and luxury
that was simply astounding, especially in view of the fact that I was in
a part of Africa which, so far as I knew, but one white man had ever
visited before, and from which no white man had ever emerged; and I felt
that I was fully justified in regarding myself as very highly honoured.
Then, when I had completed my inspection, I clapped my hands, and, upon
the appearance of the attendant, intimated that I should like a bath;
whereupon the man withdrew a wooden plug from a hole in the wall, and in
a few minutes the immense bath was full to the brim of bright, cold,
sparkling spring water, into which I at once plunged, completely
submerging myself for about half a minute, to the amazement and
consternation of my attendant, who afterward confessed that he feared I
was bent upon drowning myself, none of the Bandokolo, it appeared,
possessing the slightest knowledge of natation. My use of soap, too,
and the facility with which by its aid I was enabled to remove the dust
and grime accumulated during the day's travel, was another revelation to
him; as was also the comb wherewith I arranged my now much too luxuriant
locks. My bath towels likewise came in for a share of his admiration;
but the thing which, next to my stature, most excited the fellow's
astonishment was the whiteness of my skin, where it had been protected
by my clothing, compared with the deep bronze of my face and hands.
Having bathed to my satisfaction I proceeded to clothe myself in the new
garments which had been so thoughtfully provided for me--and for which I
was indeed grateful, for the best of my own clothes were by this time
little better than rags. These new garments consisted of a pair of
bathing drawers--at least that is what they were like, for they only
reached down to just above the knees--a tunic-like, sleeveless