“Monday, March 5th.—­This being the day appointed for the inauguration of the new king, it was ushered in with the firing of musketry and other demonstrations of joy.  At 10 A.M. the chiefs and headmen assembled, and immediately proceeded to the performance of certain mysteries, which take place in the depths of the bush; and to which the initiated only are admitted.

  “At noon they emerged from the bush, having the new king with them;
  whom they now regarded as a complete stranger, providentially sent
  them from heaven to be their ruler.

“A deputation now requested my presence at the Palaver House, to which they were then conducting the king; the headmen and people dancing around him, as he passed through the streets, in the most fantastic manner.  On my arrival the late Regent pronounced a very long harangue in the Boollam language, which was repeated sentence by sentence in the Mandingo and English by the respective interpreters.  In this speech, which however I did not note down, Nain Banna rehearsed what had from time immemorial been the practice of the Boollams, in cases such as the present, and declared that all the rites and mysteries proper for the occasion, had been duly performed.  He then pronounced a long encomium on the virtues of their late king, and concluded by paying his respects to the new king, and myself, respectively, which he ended with the highest term of respect which the Boollams know:—­’May you live for ever.’

“He then requested permission to introduce to the assembly, a stranger whom they were in future to revere, ’King Bey Sherbro;’[16] after which, Bey Sherbro received the homage of his subjects.  During this time a number of minstrels played upon their several instruments, some of which were very ingenious and musical.  Those in particular, who had come a long distance from the interior, executed with spirit and taste some very beautiful airs; much finer, indeed, than any native music I had yet heard.  They accompanied their instruments with extempore recitatives in praise of those chiefs whom they knew.  I was, of course, included, as they expected that I would be inclined to reward them handsomely.  Each minstrel of any repute had a person attached to him by way of fool or jester, several of whom acted their parts very well, and strongly reminded me of Shakspeare’s clowns.

  “Dalmahoumedii was in the assembly, surrounded by a number of
  followers, but he appeared to feel that he had lost ground.  He took
  no part in the proceedings.

“If it were fair to estimate the character of a people, by their conduct during a period of unbounded license, I should say that they were generally, almost universally, a nation of thieves, idlers, and drunkards.  It was with difficulty, indeed, I could preserve my own private stock of wines, &c.  I was assured, however, that such is not their general character, although they are,