- sation, he led me round the village, and finally halted
before a hut, which he asked me to enter, saying it was his. As I thought he had been unusually civil and obliging for an English-speaking negro, I did not like to refuse, though I do not care to invade the sanctity of such houses and inhale the odour thereof. I saw some six or seven women suckling babies and pounding kous-kous, whom I learned were the wives of my host, and sat down as far from them and as near to the door as possible; while their lord and master produced a dirty-white piece of paper and a lead pencil, and began writing away most laboriously.
After waiting a few minutes, and finding that my obliging friend was still hard at work, I got up and said I was going. He added a few finishing touches to his manuscript, came forward, and handed it to me. I read as follows:—
Thomas Henry, services to European stranger from steamer.
<poem>
£ s. d.
1. To showing city of Bakko and houses 0 15 0
2. To hunting information given as to deer 0 2 6
3. Use of house for purpose of resting 0 10 6
4. To loss of time in performing above services 0 1 0
£1 9 0
