Wherever， as in Japan and West Africa， it is supposed that the order of nature， and even the existence of the world， is bound up with the life of the king or priest， it is clear that he must be regarded by his subjects as a source both of infinite blessing and of infinite danger. On the one hand， the people have to thank him for the rain and sunshine which foster the fruits of the earth， for the wind which brings ships to their coasts， and even for the solid ground beneath their feet. But what he gives he can refuse； and so close is the dependence of nature on his person， so delicate the balance of the system of forces whereof he is the centre， that the least irregularity on his part may set up a tremor which shall shake the earth to its foundations. And if nature may be disturbed by the slightest involuntary act of the king， it is easy to conceive the convulsion which his death might provoke. The natural death of the Chitomé， as we have seen， was thought to entail the destruction of all things. Clearly， therefore， out of a regard for their own safety， which might be imperilled by any rash act of the king， and still more by his death， the people will exact of their king or priest a strict conformity to those rules， the observance of which is deemed necessary for his own preservation， and consequently for the preservation of his people and the world. The idea that early kingdoms are despotisms in which the people exist only for the sovereign， is wholly inapplicable to the monarchies we are considering. On the contrary， the sovereign in them exists only for his subjects； his life is only valuable so long as he discharges the duties of his position by ordering the course of nature for his people's benefit. So soon as he fails to do so， the care， the devotion， the religious homage which they had hitherto lavished on him cease and are changed into hatred and contempt； he is dismissed ignominiously， and may be thankful if he escapes with his life. Worshipped as a god one day， he is killed as a criminal the next. But in this changed behaviour of the people there is nothing capricious or inconsistent. On the contrary， their conduct is entirely of a piece. If their king is their god， he is or should be also their preserver； and if he will not preserve them， he must make room for another who will. So long， however， as he answers their expectations， there is no limit to the care which they take of him， and which they compel him to take of himself. A king of this sort lives hedged in by a ceremonious etiquette， a network of prohibitions and observances， of which the intention is not to contribute to his dignity， much less to his comfort， but to restrain him from conduct which， by disturbing the harmony of nature， might involve himself， his people， and the universe in one common catastrophe. Far from adding to his comfort， these observances， by trammelling his every act， annihilate his freedom and often render the very life， which it is their object to preserve， a burden and sorrow to him.
Of the supernaturally endowed kings of Loango it is said that the more powerful a king is， the more taboos is he bound to observe； they regulate all his actions， his walking and his standing， his eating and drinking， his sleeping and waking. To these restraints the heir to the throne is subject from infancy； but as he advances in life the number of abstinences and ceremonies which he must observe increases， until at the moment that he ascends the throne he is lost in the ocean of rites and taboos. In the crater of an extinct volcano， enclosed on all sides by grassy slopes， lie the scattered huts and yam-fields of Riabba， the capital of the native king of Fernando Po. This mysterious being lives in the lowest depths of the crater， surrounded by a harem of forty women， and covered， it is said， with old silver coins. Naked savage as he is， he yet exercises far more influence in the island than the Spanish governor at Santa Isabel. In him the conservative spirit of the Boobies or aboriginal inhabitants of the island is， as it were， incorporate. He has never seen a white man and， according to the firm conviction of all the Boobies， the sight of a pale face would cause his instant death. He cannot bear to look upon the sea； indeed it is said that he may never see it even in the distance， and that therefore he wears away his life with shackles on his legs in the dim twilight of his hut. Certain it is that he has never set foot on the beach. With the exception of his musket and knife， he uses nothing that comes from the whites； European cloth never touches his person， and he scorns tobacco， rum， and even salt.
Among the Ewe-speaking peoples of the Slave Coast the king is at the same time high priest. In this quality he was， particularly in former times， unapproachable by his subjects. Only by night was he allowed to quit his dwelling in order to bathe and so forth. None but his representative， the so-called 'visible king，' with three chosen elders might converse with him， and even they had to sit on an ox-hide with their backs turned to him. He might not see any European nor any horse， nor might he look upon the sea， for which reason he was not allowed to quit his capital even for a few moments.
