and tossed about during the night in my berth, unable to
sleep, both on account of the heat, and, strange to say, of the perfect
quiet which prevailed. Next morning a large canoe was seen coming off
from the shore, in which was seated a white headed old negro in a glazed
cocked hat, a red hunting coat on his shoulders, a flannel petticoat
round his waist, and a pair of worsted slippers on his feet. The pilot,
who had remained on board, notified to the captain, with great
formality, that he was King Dingo, coming to receive his dash or payment
for allowing us to trade with his people. His majesty was received with
due ceremony, and conducted into the cabin, when, as soon as he was
seated, notwithstanding the early hour of the day, he signified that it
was his royal pleasure to be presented with a bottle of rum. Having
taken two or three glasses, which seemed to have no other effect on him
than sharpening his wits, he handed it to one of his attendants, and
then applied himself to the breakfast, which had just been placed on the
table, and I dare not say how many cups of coffee, sweetened to the brim
with sugar, he swallowed in rapid succession. Having received half a
dozen muskets, as many kegs of powder, brass pans, wash basins, plates,
gunflints, and various cotton articles, as his accustomed dash, and
requested a dozen bottles of rum in addition, he took his departure,
promising to come again and do a little trade on his own account.

The subjects of the sable potentate were now allowed to come on board,
and several canoes were seen approaching us from different parts of the
shore. One brought a tusk of ivory, others jars of palm oil, several
had baskets of India-rubber, or gum-elastic, as it is called. Besides
these articles, they had ebony, bees'-wax, tortoise-shell, gold-dust,
copper-ore, ground nuts, and others to dispose of.

We soon found that the business of trading with these black merchants
was not carried on at the rate we should have desired.

The trader, having hoisted his goods out of his canoe, would place them
on deck, and seat himself before them, looking as unconcerned as if he
had not the slightest wish to part with them. Some would wait till the
captain came forward and made an offer; others would ask a price ten
times the known value of the article, extolling its excellence, hinting
that very little more was likely to be brought down the river for a long
time to come, and that several oth