Senior Ambassador

Last week, Britain's senior ambassador, the Prince of Wales, moved on the Repulse down the long coast of Africa.

The Repulse steamed from Gambia, stopped off Sierra Leone and the Gold Coast Colony and steamed on to Nigeria (TIME, Mar. 23).

At Freetown, Sierra Leone, a dense crowd of Negroes, whose blackness was illuminated by a riot of colored dress, greeted the Prince. Many came arrayed in top hats and wedding clothes and were transported in Ford cars; big black mammies carried their toothless babes on their backs. Cries of "King Pikkin" (the King's Baby Son) welcomed the Prince as he read an address and distributed the King's medal.

At Seccondee, the Prince landed in the sweltering heat of 118DEG for a four-day visit in the Gold Coast Colony. But the heat was not great enough to melt the ardor of the natives, who gave him a prodigious welcome and a great display of African wealth. From Seccondee, a visit was made to the hinterland of Ashanti where "talking drums"* beat out salutes. Ashanti chiefs presented him with a gold sword, a gold stool (emblem of sovereignty), a gold umbrella and a cloth of gold. A mighty oath of allegiance to the British crown was sworn in the name of the Ashantis on the sword; the umbrella was marked "Yokoma" (King of Cloths), the cloth "Okoasa" (no more wars).

Throughout the whole Ashanti visit, white-toothed, white-eyed mammies displayed their smiling picaninnies to the Prince on every possible occasion. The greetings which he received were as diverse as they were amusing: Ohene ba (the great King's son), "Cheerio!" "Nightio!" and finally Yaba dsogban (farewell and return again).

After the visit was over, the Repulse steamed for Nigeria and the Prince landed at Lagos, but did not stay in that port owing to a recent outbreak of plague. It was previously thought that the whole Nigerian trip would have to be canceled on this account, but the Prince insisted on visiting the country. At first, objections were put forward that the Prince's presence would endanger the health of many thousands of natives; but later, a strict quarantine was ordered and the Prince was enjoined to pass rapidly through Lagos for the hinterland where he is to stay for a week.

*"Talking drums" are the most ancient form of wireless communication; the messages which they boom out can be heard for many miles.