and vigour of body, and bore a package containing
their tent, &c., which though very heavy, was yet by
far the lightest load of the whole. Conceiving
that corporeal strength, rather than bulk or height,
should in this case be taken into the account, a bag
of shot weighing 28lbs, was extracted from Jowdie’s
burden, and clandestinely added to his. The little
man trudged along merrily, without dreaming of the
fraud that had been practised on him, till they arrived
within a short distance of Leoguadda, when imagining
that one end of the tent felt much heavier than the
other, he was induced to take it from his head, and
presently discovered the cheat, for the bag having
been thrust simply inside the covering, it could be
seen without unlacing the package. He was much
enraged at being thus deceived, and called his companions
around him to witness the fact, and said he was resolved
to proceed no further than Leoguadda. He then
succeeded in persuading them to follow his example,
and thus a kind of combination was instantly formed
against the travellers. As was usual with them
on entering a village, they rested a little while
under a shady tree in Leoguadda, and here they were
presently surrounded by the murmuring carriers, with
the little man at their head. They were furious
at first, and gave them to understand that they would
go no further, and were determined, let the consequence
be what it might, to remain in the town all night.
Leoguadda contained no accommodations whatever for
them, and a storm seemed now to be gathering over
their heads. Atoopa was the town in which the
king of Katunga had advised them to spend the night;
they therefore resolved to go on to that town, and
strenuously endeavoured by gentle means to bring over
the carriers to their views, but, these failing, they
resorted to their own mode of argument, namely, fierce
looks, violent action, vociferous bawling, and expressive
gesture, which intimidated so much, that they snatched
up their burdens, without saying a word, and ran away
with alacrity and good humour. These carriers
Were to accompany them as far as the frontier town
of the kingdom.
It was market day at Atoopa, and at a distance of
some miles from the town, the hum of human voices
could be distinctly heard. Just after their arrival,
a man of note, who was a public singer and dancer,
stood before the door of their hut to entertain them
with a specimen of his abilities, and he entered with
so much warmth and agility into the spirit of his
profession, that his whimsical performance really
afforded them much diversion. The musician had
two assistant drummers in his train, whose instruments
were far from being unmusical, and likewise several
other men, whose part was to keep time by clapping
with their hands. The dancing was excellent of
its kind, and resembled more the European style, than
any they had before seen in the country. The
singing was equally good, the voices of the men being
clear and agreeable; they sang the responses, and likewise
accompanied the chanting of their master with their
voices; in fact, they performed their part of the
entertainment to admiration. A Fatakie,
a smaller number than a coffle of merchants, left Atoopa
on the preceding day for Kiama, and it was most likely
that they would overtake them at the next town.