rancid palm-oil, clay and dust, the whole producing an effluvium little inferior to that which Sir John Falstaff describes to have been generated in his ducking-basket, ’The rankest compound of villanous smells that ever offended nostrils.’  Besides, as our guests were all dressed in buff, it was necessary to clean, after them, the chairs and other places on which they might happen to sit.  Cut-throat, and one of his tribe, slept on board, on a sail placed between two guns.

Monday, 3.—­After breakfast, our visitors took their leave, accompanied by Mr. Jeffery, who, in consequence of a previous arrangement, was going to spend a couple of days with them, at a village about eight miles in the country, and from which he returned at the expiration of the appointed time, well pleased with the attention and hospitality that had been shewn him.  A remuneration of bar-iron was the price of these civilities.

Our fishing party have taken in their seine to-day, two flying-fish of the gurnet species, and a hawksbill turtle.  A party of natives from King Cove, headed by a chief named Toby Limp, came on board with a native woman, who was far advanced in that happy teeming state which is peculiar to females in all parts of the world.  This was, in fact, one of the few instances of any female coming on board:  for, although old Bottle-nose had once brought two alongside the ship, he kept them concealed at the bottom of his canoe:  we have some reason, however, to believe that his original intention was to have honoured us with a full introduction, but that he waived it in consequence of finding the chief of another tribe in close conference with Captain Owen.  With respect to Mr. Toby Limp’s lady, the general opinion, drawn from various signs and appearances, was, that she was intended as a sort of present, or peace-offering, to the Captain; and what amused us exceedingly, was the peculiar mode which Toby adopted of recommending her more fully to his good opinion, by frequently passing his hand over her abdomen, while, regarding Captain Owen with a most animated countenance, he seemed to express something like the following:  ’Look here! surely this is worthy of your attention.’  But, however powerful the native charms of this lady might have been, and in spite of the above felicitous mode of ’showing her off,’ the speculation proved totally ineffectual.  Another circumstance concurred in diminishing the effect of any impression that might have been made, namely, that three or four clay-coloured chiefs appeared to be co-partners with Mr. Toby in the affections of the lady.  The whole party passed the night together on board, between two guns.  So much for the delicacy of sentiment among savages.

The following is a specimen of the delicacy of this people in another respect.  On the occasion of Captain Owen visiting the brother of the King of Baracouta, a calabash of palm-wine was produced, which, in consequence of some imperfection in the vessel, leaked out its contents; in order to cure this defect, the hospitable chief took off his hat, and, scraping with his thumb-nail a portion of the clay and grease from his head, effectually checked further leakage, with this veritable Fernando Po cement.