The different tribes on the coast of Guinea have each their king, whose
power is not greater than that of the negro prince mentioned in the
preceding anecdote. These monarchs often name themselves after ours, or
adopt the titles of great men, whose exploits they have heard of.
In the year 1743, there was among them a “King William,” whose august
spouse called herself “Queen Anne.” There was another who styled himself
the “Duke of Marlborough.”
This king William was a little Cæsar. For twenty years he had carried on
a war against one Martin, who had dared to attempt to become his equal.
At length, after a famous and decisive general engagement, wherein
William lost three men, and his rival five, Martin made overtures for a
cessation of hostilities, which was agreed to, on the following
conditions:
1. That Martin should renounce the title of king, and assume that of
captain.
2. That captain Martin should never more put on stockings or slippers
when he went on board European ships, but that this brilliant
distinction should thenceforth solely belong to king William.
3. That captain Martin should give the conqueror his most handsome
daughter in marriage.
In pursuance of this glorious treaty, the nuptials were solemnized, and
king William went on board a Danish ship in stockings and slippers,
where he bought silk to make a robe for his queen, and a grenadier’s cap
for her majesty’s headdress. Captain Martin paid a visit of ceremony to
his royal daughter on occasion of her finery, and declared she never
appeared so handsome before. This wedding ended a feud, which had
divided the sable tribe into combatants as sanguinary and ferocious as
the partisans of the white and red rose in England.