The king was so amused with the very different style with which the Englishmen saluted him that he burst out in a fit of laughter, in which his wives and subjects joined him.
They parted with the worthy monarch, who forwarded them on their journey.
Avoiding Avawa, at which place the widow Zuma had laid siege to the hearts of Clapperton and his attendant, they proceeded on to Boussa, which, greatly to their surprise, they found standing on the mainland, and not on an island as Clapperton’s journal had stated.
The king asserted, when they had presented themselves, that he and his court had been weeping all the morning for the death of Clapperton; but, as no outward signs of tears were visible, the travellers rather mistrusted the monarch’s assertion.
A hut having been selected for them, they repaired to it, and were well supplied with dishes of meat, rice, and corn for supper.
What was their astonishment the next day to receive a visit from the widow Zuma! who appeared, however, woefully changed, being clad in very humble apparel of country cloth. Having quarrelled with the ruler of Wawa, she had made her escape over the city wall in the night, travelling on foot to Boussa, where she had since taken up her abode.
The king was highly pleased with the presents which the
Landers had brought him, and he and his wife, his chief counsellor and only confidant, honoured them with a visit at their hut. The queen was dressed in a check shirt, with several pieces of blue cotton—one tied round her waist, another hanging over her shoulder, and one covering her head—brass rings ornamenting her great toes, and bracelets her wrists; besides which she wore a necklace of coral and beads of gold, and small pieces of coral stuck in the lobe of each ear. Coral appeared to be in great demand wherever they went, and the queen was disappointed on finding that they had brought none.
Lander, concealing the object of his journey, informed the king that his purpose was to go to Bornou by way of Youri, and requested a safe conveyance through his territories.