The business of the day was entered into with spirit, and a violent altercation arose between the Brass and Bonny people, and although not much was communicated to the Landers, of the conversation that passed between them, yet a sufficiency was imparted to them to let them know, that they would never leave the country without a high ransom.

Bonny was the real place of their destination, and they had with them a messenger from the present and a son to the late ruler of that state, (King Pepper,) whilst on the other hand, they knew nothing of Brass, never having heard the name of such a river in their lives before.  The Brass people affirm that the Bonny Creek, which is a small branch of the Niger, was dried up, and that the main river, which runs to Brass, belongs to King Jacket, who permitted no foreigners whatever to pass up and down the Niger, without exacting the accustomed fees or duties.  The Brass people, therefore, would have a very plausible reason for taking them entirely out of the hands of Obie and the Damaggoo people.

In the evening, Antonio and five other Bonny people came to their hut with tears in their eyes.  On asking them, what was the matter, “The chief,” they said, “is determined to sell you to the Brass people, but we will fight for you, and die rather than see you sold.”  “How many of you Bonny people are there?” Richard Lander asked.  “Only six,” was the reply.  “And can you fight with two hundred Brass people?” Lander asked.  “We can kill some of them,” they answered, “and your people can assist.”  Lander then asked Antonio the reason why he did not interpret what was going forward to-day at the king’s house.  He said, that he was afraid it would have made their hearts sore—­that it was “a bad palaver.”  “We have all been to the chief,” he added, “crying to him, and telling him that black man cannot sell white man, but he will not listen to us, he said, he would sell you to the Brass people.”

The Landers felt much hurt at their situation, for they did not expect that it would be so bad as it turned out to be, but they made up their minds to prepare themselves for the worst, for it was impossible to foresee the lengths to which the savages would go.  On the following day, Richard Lander was taken very ill with the fever, and was consequently unable to attend the summons to the king’s house, he therefore sent his brother in his stead, who gave the following account:—­

“On my arriving there this morning, to my infinite surprise I found King Boy (Gun’s eldest brother,) with a number of his attendants already assembled.  He was dressed in a style far superior to any of his countrymen, and wore a jacket and waistcoat over a neat shirt of striped cotton, to which was annexed a silk pocket handkerchief, which extended below the knees.  Trousers are not permitted to be worn, either by natives or strangers, of the same hue as themselves, the kings alone being an exception to the rule.  Strings of coral and other beads encircled