front his "champion" rode a coal-black charger, bearing the royal shield
of massive silver, with the cross upon it, and dressed in a panther's hide.
The two chief officers of his army rode either side of the crimson
umbrella; at the palace gates, a deputation of priests in white robes
received the conqueror with a benediction and a volley of musketry
announced his arrival. The leader of the royal matchlock-men performed a
war dance before the Ark as it was borne along, and in the inner court the
principal warriors, each carring some human fragment on his lance, flung
then on the ground before the royal footstool, and shouted their war
praise.

The embassy at length attained personal distinction by the death of an
elephant, which one of the party brought to the ground by a two-ounce ball.
The "warriors" were all in astonishment at this feat, to which all had
predicted the most disastrous termiration; and "Boroo, the brave chief of
the Soopa," exclaimed in his delight, "The world was made for you, and no
one else has any business in it!"

The chief object of the embassy was still to be accomplished--the
formation of something that approached to a treaty of commerce. Beads,
cutlery, and trinkets, had been received from the coast; but the beggary
of the nobles for those things was perpetual and intolerable. They called
those ornanents pleasing things, and the cry was constant, "show me
pleasing things," "give me delighting things," "adorn me from head to
foot." It is scarcely surprising that the natives should be enamoured of
European conmodities; for, though an old commerce had subsisted with
Arabia, the supplies brought by the English were of the most exciting kind.
Detonating caps were in great request; treble strong canister powder was
also much in demand. Yet there was some ingenuity amongst themselves; for
a young fellow was taken up for making dollars of pewter. Every spot and