The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-05

Scrlpes the king as one or the most M
tluentlal on the west coast, with the
prestige of a sovereignty which once
extended from the Niger to Ashanti.
King Adola died some eighteen months
before my expedition, and his success
sor, Obbah, OF Adubowa, after sending
-four hundred slaves to accompany his
father TO wherever he might be loca-
ted, was then firmly settled on the
throne, On arriving at Egwatun, the
decided to go ashore and interview
Ahoorakoo the kings lieutenant, The
whole population attended us TO the
chiefs house and entered with us,
The chief sat In raised alcove, and
we Informed him that we had come to
give the king service, that Mamma and
1.-THE Jakrimen would not help us, and
that we had come in our own. canoe.
Would he send mouth to the king OF
our arrival, so that If the king wished
to see us he could send messengers
and carriers? Ahoorakoo would do
what we wanted, but did not seem to
think that we need wait for any an
sWer from the king, as we were sure or
a welcome On arrival at Benin we
were taken to house, the owner of
which was one Ejomun, second In I'M
portance to the king. The chief was
man of yellow tint. Anything more
unlike the popular idea Of a negro
could not be imagined. He had an air
of perfect dignity and self-possession,
combined with manner of rather cold
reserve, as one who knew his own po-
sition, At the close of this interview,
a G Harlynngc N fall went TO
the house set apart for us. After a
distracted night, we woke to find our
apartment crowded with visitors, who
had come to inspect the white men.
When the royal messengers arrived,
four in number, named Agbe. Agura-
masse, Idehan and Magboi, we made it
understood that we wanted to see the
king, and that if he wished to see us
he must send some one who knew Eng
lish. We sat in state all the morning,
shaking hands and saying How do
you do?" or rather "Owo," and waited
| the kings good pleasure. After break
fast next morning we started off to
visit the king. We were first taken to
see an old chief named Ewagwe. At
4;30 we were finally summoned to see
| the king. We crossed a kind of COM
| mon, passed down some streets, and
| finally arrived at courtyard with a
high wall of red clay. We passed
through gateway, and found our
selves in a large open court, one end of
which was covered over, and in the
center we could distinguish teeth of
ivory springing from heads, as in
Ewagwe's house. There was a large
STANDARD of wrought iron, supporting
basin. This was really a lamp, used
on occasions of the kings plays, as
they facetiously call them, when a
score or two of human victims are
massacred ''for the king to make his
fathers with" We We're led up to this
lamp and told to stop.
The crowd formed a lane up to a re-
spectful distance of the covered shed
In one part Of this shed was an ar
rangement of red baft like the box of
a theater. Seated in this we could
dimly see figure in a large hat, which
we We're told was the king. We. took
off our hats and bowed The messen-
gers now came down the lane of popu-
lace, and informed us that the king
sent greeting; he was glad to see us;
had we, been been properly treated
while in his country? George, the in
terpreter, gave us the hint that the
correct method of salutation In this
country was to raise the right hand.
Not wishing to appear ill-bred, we did
so. We replied that we had been well
treated, and thanked him, but would
like to see His Majesty at closer quar-
4 tiers. After much talking, for he want
ed to put off the interview till to-mor-
row, he finally agreed to a less formal
meeting We were again led through
several more eourtyards, each with Its
| wrought-iron standard lamp, anG
taken up to one of these, where We
We're told to wait
Being at last informed that the king
was ready, we were led through a
gateway into what suppose was his
house. 1t was of the same shape as
the other Benin houses, only larger
and loftier. A number of natives were
assembled in the first half, or court
but we were ushered into second
into the kings presence. The scene
which met our view was weird anC
bizarre enough to be described by Ri,
der Haggard. The hall was of consid
cradle size and height, and the ROO
was open, as usual There was a large
well or bath in the center of the foo,
to catch the water from the roof Al
first, in the hazy light of the smoky
palm-oil cressets, we only noticed {
large hall. with people crowding rount
it. But as we looked up the length q
the hall we saw the king standing or
a raised step, with his arms supported
by members of his court. On his right
along the hall, We're arranged the per
sonal attendants of his household
None of these were allowed to wear 81
much as a waist cloth, but all hat
necklaces of Benin coral and agate.
On his left were the nobility of hi:
court, their costumes of silk and cot
ton skirts padded out to look big, ant
the upper part of their bodies bare
save for many necklaces of coral anC
agate,
| Right in front of the king was
'juju" altar, composed of some white
looking compound, the top studded
with nail-like protuberances. In tn,
center of these and smeared with red