Among these ladies, Irving saw many whom, as a slave-merchant, he would have been happy to have obtained at a high price. Four days being elapsed, the grandees, with their usual train, and a great concourse of people, repaired to the village, to conduct the Ardrah nobleman, in great state, to Sabi; where he was received by a salute of the king’s guns, and the loud and continued acclamations of the multitude. He was then conducted to the apartments prepared for him near the palace, where he was splendidly entertained by the grandees, and received visits from the principal officers of the court. He continued here five days, but, at the close of the third, he entered the palace with the chief of his train, without taking off any part of his dress or ornaments. He remained [[44]]standing, also, when he spoke to the king, while all others prostrated themselves, as usual.
On the evening of the fifth day, nine guns were fired, at the palace, to announce to the people that the king would be crowned on the following day, and that he would show himself in public, seated on his throne, in the court of the palace, the gates of which would be left open for the admission of all ranks of people. It was with the utmost astonishment that Irving beheld the immense population assembled in the streets of Sabi, on this occasion; every avenue towards the palace being completely crowded by the natives, to obtain a sight of their new monarch.
On the evening of the following day, the king came forth from his seraglio, attended by forty of his favourite wives, dressed in the most sumptuous manner; being rather loaded than ornamented, with gold necklaces, laces, pendants, bracelets, foot-chains of gold and silver, and the richest gems. The king, who was a good-looking, but, apparently, very indolent young man, was magnificently [[45]]dressed, wearing a gilt helmet, decorated with red and white feathers. He was attended by his guards, and proceeded from his seraglio to the throne, which was placed in an angle of the court, to the east of the palace, and styled the court of the coronation.
The throne itself was something like a large armed chair, finely gilt, and elevated a little above the ground; the negroes choosing very low seats, not more than ten inches high, and six in diameter, and not unfrequently in the shape of an hour-glass. The most valuable and curious part of the throne we are now describing, was the seat, consisting of an entire lump of gold; not cast or formed by art, but a product of nature alone, weighing thirty pounds. It had been bored and fitted as a seat to the royal throne: upon this was a velvet cushion, richly laced and fringed with gold, and a foot-cushion to correspond. On the left were ranged the forty wives of the monarch, and on the right the principal grandees; and in a line with them, the Europeans from the English [[46]]factories; therefore, Irving had a complete view of every part of the ceremonial. One of the grandees held in his hand an umbrella: this, however, was more for ornament than use, as the ceremony took place at night. It was formed of the richest cloth of gold, the lining embroidered with the same precious material, and the fringes and tassels the same. On the top of it was the figure of a cock, as large as the life. The pole of this pavilion, or umbrella, was six feet long, richly embossed and gilded. Another grandee kneeled before the king, constantly fanning him during the ceremony. Opposite to the monarch stood two of his dwarfs, who represented to him the good qualities of his predecessor; extolling his justice, liberality, and clemency, and exhorting the king not only to imitate, but to excel him; concluding their harangue with wishes for the king’s happiness, and that his reign might be long and prosperous.
These ceremonies concluded, the grandee of Ardrah was summoned to attend. When arrived at the outer gate of the palace, the [[47]]cannon were discharged, and the band began to play. He entered the court, surrounded with his attendants, and was guarded by them to a certain distance. He then advanced, singly, to the throne, saluting the king by courteously bowing the head, but not prostrating himself. He then addressed a short speech to the king, relative to the ceremony he was called to perform; and removing the helmet from his head, turned to the people, holding it in his hands. A signal was then made, and the music instantly ceased. A profound and most impressive silence ensued. The grandee of Ardrah, then, with a loud and distinct voice, repeated, three times, these words to the assembled multitude: “Here is your king: be loyal to him, and your prayers shall be heard by the king of Ardrah, my master.” After this he replaced the helmet on the head of the king, made a low reverence, and retired. The cannon and small-arms were instantly fired, the music again struck up, and the acclamations were renewed. The grandee of Ardrah, in the meantime, was reconducted, in [[48]]great state, to his apartments; after which, the new-crowned king, attended by his wives, his guards, and the Europeans, returned to the seraglio, where the latter made their compliments to the king as he entered the gate; and, on the following day, the monarch sent, as usual, a rich present to the Ardrah grandee, previously to his return home, which he must immediately do, the law not permitting him to remain three days longer in the kingdom.
The rejoicings which followed the coronation lasted fifteen days, and the whole was closed with a grand procession to the temple of the great serpent. The grandee with whom Irving resided during the period of these ceremonies, was one of the principal officers of the palace, and possessed a disposition peculiarly open to the enticement of spirituous liquors, as well as dreadfully acted upon by the pernicious stimulus they gave to his passions. He also had such a propensity for their use, that Irving easily found, that, by supplying him well, he might render him subservient to his purposes; and, in fact, he [[49]]very soon disclosed to the wily merchant, that he had in his possession a number of valuable slaves, intended for the service, or to purchase the favour of the young king. The appearance of this negro courtier was pleasing and imposing. He was, in person, tall and well shaped; his dress was that usual in the country, but the material fine, and the colour perfectly white: his cap was also white and small. He wore large gold earrings, which, together with the pure white of his light dress, contrasted well with the jet black of his polished skin. In disposition he was so cruel and vindictive, that when he received an affront, even in the most trifling instance, he scrupled not to sacrifice the aggressor by shooting him.
He possessed several wives, of whom he was very jealous, and whom he treated as slaves. He had also several brothers, to whom he seldom spoke, or even permitted them to enter his presence; but when he did grant them admission, they were obliged to take off their caps, prostrate themselves at his feet, and throw dust on their heads. [[50]]
It may readily be imagined, that a disposition so cruel and arbitrary, would be stimulated almost to fury and madness by the powerful influence of ardent spirits; and the fact was, that his thirst for brandy was so insatiable, that, to procure it, he scrupled not to execute any act of oppression, cruelty, or treachery. He had even been known, in order to procure slaves, with which to purchase brandy, secretly to set fire to a village, and then send the ministers of his cruelty to seize the distracted people as they rushed from destruction, to bind and to send them to the European factories, or to the joncoes, (or black slave-merchants,) and sell them for brandy and rum; which he would continue to drink till expended, without any cessation but that forced upon him by stupefaction or sleep.
It would not be consistent with the plan of our tale, to make any remarks upon the probabilities of what this man might have been, had not the slave-trade existed; or what direction his cunning and arbitrary disposition might have taken; but we may venture [[51]]to say, that he could not have had so extensive opportunities of oppression, nor could his cruelties have created such incalculable misery. “For it has been proved, on the most convincing evidence, that the demand for slaves has had the most fatal effect in exciting and developing every vice and every bad passion among these people; of perverting their rude institutions, and poisoning their domestic relations. It has been proved by evidence unquestionable, that, as we have asserted, the tyrant chiefs of Africa were daily induced to condemn, indiscriminately, whole families, for trivial or imaginary crimes, with the sole object of obtaining possession of the individuals composing those families, and exchanging them for bad powder and bad muskets; to station their soldiers in ambush, on the roads, with orders to rush on the unarmed traveller, and load him with chains; to attack, at night, villages sunk in repose, dragging into slavery men, women, and children, of an age suited to their purpose, and mercilessly butchering the aged and the infant. It has been proved, [[52]]upon authority equally good, that famine, devastation, and continual warfare, undertaken for the sole purpose of taking prisoners, were the inevitable consequences of the slave ships’ presence on the coast; and that the Europeans not only were witnesses of this desolation, but furnished the arms, nourished the hatred, fomented the discord, and were the communicaters of the moral blast, which shed its pestilential influence over the population of a country, which, under the benign protection of a fair and legitimate commerce, is assuredly capable of being civilized, enlightened, and happy; and which, in return for the inestimable gifts of instruction and religion, would cheerfully and gratefully pour its riches into the bosoms of its benefactors. But, can the arts which embellish life, can the virtues which expand the heart, can the principles that elevate the soul, can these find rest, or even enter a region devoted to blood, oppression, and desolation? Alas! while the slave-trade exists, we are compelled to unite in the fear expressed by an enlightened patriot, [[53]]that ‘there is no prospect of civilization or happiness for Africa.’ ”