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Later on in the day the news that Bartja and his friends were soon to be executed arrived among the crowd; they were under the influence of the palm-wine, which was liberally distributed on the king's birthday and the following days, and could not control their excited feelings; but these now took quite another form.
Later on in the day the news that Bartja and his friends were soon to be executed arrived among the crowd; they were under the influence of the palm-wine, which was liberally distributed on the king's birthday and the following days, and could not control their excited feelings; but these now took quite another form.
"Surely, uncle, you must have some fairy cook to prepare all these good things," said Emily. "I confess without the aid of Tanda they could not be produced," he answered. "I am greatly helped by him, though occasionally I have given a hint or a little assistance. And now let us drink each other's health in this palm-wine," he said, producing a very nice-looking liquid from a huge shell.
Then Prince's River would become an excellent highway. Here navigation ends in the dry season. It faces a splendidly wooded mound upon the right or opposite bank. Mrá Kwámi, the headman, received us hospitably, cleared a house, and offered us the usual palm-wine and snuff: the powder, composed of tobacco, ginger, and cloves, is boxed in a round wild fruit.
My cook is renowned through Calcutta for his skill. While I am on the subject of the cuisine, I may as well say all that I have to say about it at once. The tropical fruits are wretched. The best of them is inferior to our apricot or gooseberry. When I was a child, I had a notion of its being the most exquisite of treats to eat plantains and yams, and to drink palm-wine.
After the king had thus given vent to his feelings, whatever they were, he returned and seated himself near us at the fire, when he ordered another jug of palm-wine to be brought One of the courtiers suggested that his majesty was taking a little too much, on which the king, who was now certainly beyond the point at which discretion is retained, told him to mind his own business, and looking in his face, swallowed down another cup.
However, before we had proceeded far, the assemblage of natives had become so great, and their importunities to purchase palm-wine and other commodities so annoying, that I was glad when he returned, under the expectation that his separation from me would prove, as it did, a diversion which, by drawing off a considerable part of the natives, would permit me to continue my journey with less interruption.
We were afterwards informed, that these songs were in our praise, and implied the following meaning: "Truly you are come to do us good." We entertained them with palm-wine, Madeira, biscuit, fish, and yams; we found, however, on this, as on all other occasions, that these unsophisticated people preferred their native viands to our European delicacies.
The following are, perhaps, the average terms on which our barter has been conducted: an axe would purchase a sheep, or a goat; and three or four inches of iron hoop, from two to four fowls, from eight to twelve yams, or two or three calabashes of palm-wine, each containing about one gallon. Saturday, 17.
At first matters were conducted quietly enough, the guests eating to their heart's content; but when the palm-wine began to circulate freely, they, like persons in more civilised communities under similar circumstances, became uproarious.
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