Chapter III (1)

Tornado. — Departure from Jenna. — The Journey into the Interior continued through various Towns and Villages. — Illness of the Travellers. — Bohoo, the former Capital of Yarriba. — Arrival at Katunga.

_Tuesday, April 13th._—Last night we were visited by one of those terrific thunder-storms which are so prevalent in these latitudes. Our thatched hut afforded but an insecure and uncertain asylum against its fury; part of the roof was swept away, and the rain admitted freely upon our beds, whence the most awful lightning-flashes could be seen, making, as Milton says, ‘the darkness visible.’ It seemed as if the Genius of the Storm was driving through the murky clouds in his chariot of fire, to awaken the slumbering creation and make them feel and acknowledge his power. It is indeed a grand lesson to human pride, to contemplate the terrors of a tornado through the trembling walls and roof of a gloomy, dilapidated hut in Africa. In civilized countries, when men are visited by an awful calamity of this kind, the distinctions of rank are levelled, and numbers flock together for the purpose of keeping each other in countenance, and strengthening each other’s nerves; but here all is naked, lonely, and desolate.

We passed the night, as may be supposed, uncomfortably enough. The roof of our dwelling had long been infested with numbers of rats and mice, and these vermin being dislodged from their haunts by the violence of the wind and rain, sought immediate shelter between our bed clothes, and to this very serious inconvenience was added another still greater, viz., the company of lizards, ants, and mosquitoes, besides worms and centipedes, and other crawling, creeping, and noxious things, which the tempest seemed to renovate with fresh life and motion. After a long, long night, the morning at length appeared, and the terrors of the storm were forgotten.

Not long after sunrise two fresh legions of women entered our yard to mourn with their old mistress, and the shrieks and lamentations of these visiters were more violent than any of their predecessors. It made us shudder to hear them. The piercing cries that assailed the ears of Telemachus at his entrance into the infernal regions were not more dolorous or fearful. Their eyes were red with weeping, their hands were clasped on the crown of the head, their hair was in frightful disorder, and two channels of tears were plainly seen flowing down over the naked bosom of each of the women. In this manner they passed before the threshold of our hut, in two close lines, and in this manner we observed them bend the knee to the venerable matron without uttering a word. They then rose and departed, and we could hear their cries long after they had been out of sight.

Matters were arranged for our departure in good time this morning, and after breakfast we went to pay our last respects to the good governor. Of course we were obliged to wait a tiresome length of time outside his residence before admittance could be obtained, but when the doors were opened, the band that was in attendance inside played a native tune as a token of welcome. We observed a greater number of drummers assembled than on any former occasion. Some of their instruments were something in the shape of a cone, and profusely ornamented with plates and figures of brass. On one of these were represented the busts of two men, with a tortoise in the act of eating out of the mouth of one of them. The tortoise had a cock by its side, and two dogs standing as guardians of the whole. These figures were all ingeniously carved in solid brass. Both ends of the larger drums were played on with the palms of the hand; hundreds of little brass bells were suspended round their edges for ornament rather than use, for being without clappers they could produce no sound. The common native drum is beaten on one of its ends only, and with a stick shaped like a bow.

After a little conversation, the chief and his principal people shook us affectionately by the hand, and wished us every blessing, and as soon as we got outside the yard we mounted our horses and rode out of the town. The Chief of Larro had broken his promise, but we were fortunate enough to meet with and purchase another horse this morning, so that we cared little about it. Our pathway led through a champaign country, partially wooded, and after a pleasant ride of three-quarters of an hour, we entered the small village of _Bidjie_[8]. Here our carriers dropped their loads, nor could they be induced to resume them by the most pressing solicitations. Nor would the villagers, as their duty required, take them up, but when we begged them to do so, laughed at us, so that here we are compelled to remain till to-morrow. This is very provoking; and such is the tiresome mode of travelling through this country. No consideration will induce any of the natives to shake off their habitual indolence; they would not do so, I am persuaded, for a voice from Heaven. Pleasure and sloth are with them synonymous words, and they are scarcely alive to any other species of gratification. In the meantime the chief, who seems to be a very good sort of man, although he has little authority over his people, has sent us an excellent fatted goat, and being in health, and having very encouraging prospects held out to us as to our future progress, we are determined to forget our little troubles and vexations, and spend the evening as cheerfully as we can.

Hawks and vultures are exceedingly numerous, both at Jenna and this place; the former are bold and disgusting birds, but the latter are so hungry and rapacious, that they pounce fearlessly in the midst of the natives when at their meals. This evening one of them darted at a piece of meat which one of our men held between his fingers, and snatched it from him whilst he was conveying it to his mouth.

_Wednesday, April 14th._—At an early hour this morning, to our infinite surprise and pleasure, the man from Badágry made his appearance with one of our horses and an English saddle. The latter was as acceptable to us as the horse; yesterday, for want of one, I had been obliged to substitute a simple cloth, and the back of the animal being sharp as a knife, it was no very pleasant thing to ride him; walking would have been the less irksome exercise of the two. Paskoe, whose sagacity and experience have proved of infinite value to us, has been lamed in his endeavours to walk as fast as the rest of the party, and as he has also the misfortune of having one leg shorter than the other, he became the general butt and laughing-stock of his more robust companions. To-day, however, we placed him on the back of the extra horse, from whence he has retorted their revilings, and the whole of them are now envious of his dignity as they were before facetious at his expense.

We set off from Bidjie while the morning was yet cool and pleasant, and arrived at _Chow_ before eleven o’clock in the forenoon. The natives have an unaccountable fancy that white men are fond of poultry to an excess, insomuch that whenever we enter a village or town, all the fowls are immediately seized, and confined in a place of security till our departure.

Several strangers accompany us from town to town, in order to evade the duty which is exacted at the turnpike-gates, by stating themselves to be of the number of our attendants. Women have also placed themselves under the protection of our men from Cape Coast Castle, that they may enjoy the like advantage; in return for this favour they do us many little kind offices, and are useful in making fires, preparing food, &c., for our people.

Our journey to-day has been exceedingly pleasant. Sometimes the path ran in a serpentine direction through plains covered with green turf; sometimes it led us amidst large groves of stately trees, from whose branches a variety of playful monkies diverted us by their mischievous tricks; and the grey parrot, with other beautiful birds,

‘Warbled their native wood-notes wild.’

The chief of Chow who received and entertained the last mission has been dead some time, and is succeeded by a humble, good-natured, and active individual, who has treated us more like demi-gods than men. At the time of our arrival he was engaged in superintending the slaves at his corn and yam plantations, but hastened to us the moment he was informed of the circumstance. He has a number of horses, amongst which is one of the smallest and most beautiful we have ever beheld.

In the evening the chief visited us again with a present of provisions, and a few goora nuts. My brother took the opportunity of playing on a bugle horn in his presence, by which he was violently agitated, under the supposition that the instrument was nothing less than a snake!

For the first time since our landing we have observed the loom in active operation. The manufacture of cotton cloth is carried on here exclusively by women.

_Thursday, April 15th._—The path to-day has winded through a country charmingly diversified by hill and dale, woods and open glades, and watered by streams flowing over beds of fine white sand. A horseman from Katunga met us about ten in the morning, whose dress and accoutrements were highly grotesque. He neither stopped nor spoke, but couched his lance as he galloped past us. We found numbers of people of both sexes in the path, who were returning from Egga to Chow, and several naked boys on their way to the coast, under the care of guardians. These are slaves, and will be sold most likely at Badágry. Women bore burdens on their heads that would tire a mule, and children not more than five or six years of age trudged after them, with loads that would give a full- grown person in Europe the brain fever.

We departed from Chow before sunrise; a surprising dew had fallen during the night, and distilled from the leaves and branches in large drops. We passed, during the forenoon, over three or four swampy places covered with reeds, rushes, and rank grass, which were inhabited by myriads of frogs of prodigious size. On crossing streams we were invariably saluted by a loud and unaccountable hissing, as if from a multitude of serpents. We could not account for this extraordinary noise in any other way than by supposing it to have proceeded from some species of insect whose retreats we had invaded.

With very trifling manual labour, the path, which is little better than a mere gutter, formed by repeated rains, might be converted into a good and commodious road; and were a tree simply thrown over them, the streams and morasses might be crossed with ease and safety. But the natives appear to have no idea whatever of such improvements; and would rather be entangled daily in a thick underwood, and wade through pools of mud and water, than give themselves any concern about repairing the road. Trees not unfrequently fall across the pathway, but, instead of removing, the people form a large circuit round them; even a small ant- hill is an object too mighty to be meddled with, and it is left in the centre of the narrow road, so inconsiderate and indolent are the natives of this part of the world.

Many women with little wooden figures of children on their heads passed us in the course of the morning—mothers who, having lost a child, carry such rude imitations of them about their persons for an indefinite time as a symbol of mourning. None of them could be induced to part with one of these little affectionate memorials.

We entered _Egga_, which is a very large town, in the early part of the afternoon. On our arrival we were introduced into the house occupied by Captain Clapperton in the last mission, in the yard of which repose the remains of an Englishman named Dawson, who died here of fever when that officer was passing through the country. Both hut and yard are filled with people, and are in a state of filth which defies description. We cannot rid ourselves of sheep, goats, and fowls, with their train; they will be our companions in spite of us, and this grievance, with the tongues of a hundred visiters, makes our situation all but intolerable.

Egga is the principal market-town in this part of Africa, and is attended by buyers and sellers for many miles round. Women here are the chief, if not the only traders; most of them are of graceful and prepossessing exterior, and they all practise those petty tricks and artifices in their dealings with which the market-women of more civilized countries are not unacquainted.

_Friday, April 16th._—Yesterday was comparatively cool, owing to the thick dark clouds which obscured the sky; but on our setting out this morning, as if to make amends for his partial concealment, the sun showed his broad, burning face with uncommon clearness, and the day was one of the hottest we ever remember to have felt. We found the path in much better condition than those behind it, and it lay almost entirely through plantations of yams, calavances, and pumpkins, and three or four different varieties of corn, which a number of labourers were employed in weeding, &c. The hoe is the only implement of husbandry in use, and indeed they can well dispense with every other, because the soil during the rainy months is so soft and light that but very little manual exertion in working it is required. Population is abundant,—labourers may be hired to any number,—and in our opinion, the introduction of the plough would scarcely be a blessing—but on the contrary furnish new encouragement to the besetting sin of sloth.

Having crossed at noon a small but agreeable river, flowing from east to west, in which several females were bathing, and washing clothes, we shortly afterwards entered the capacious and populous town of _Jadoo_. Here we were informed that the chief had been in the grave more than a twelvemonth, and that no one having yet been nominated to succeed him, everything continued in a state of confusion and misrule. We were conducted, after we had waited a little, into a large yard belonging to the late governor, and presently received a visit from his brother, in company with all the elders of the place; but their conversation was unpleasant, and their whole behaviour much cooler than was agreeable, the more so as such a reception had been entirely unexpected.

The yard wherein we reside is perfectly round, and walled with huts, all tenanted by the late chief’s widows, who employ their time and earn their livelihood by spinning and weaving. Not less than a hundred of the king of Katunga’s ladies are lodging in the yard with them. They have all passed the bloom of life, and arrived here lately with loads of trona and country cloth, which they barter for salt, and various articles of European manufacture, particularly beads; with these they return home, and expose them for sale in the market, and afterwards the profits are taken to their husbands. These royal ladies are distinguished from their countrywomen only by a peculiar species of cloth, which is wrapped round their goods, and which no one dares to imitate, on pain of perpetual slavery. This severe punishment is often inflicted, for, as the king’s wives pay no tribute or turnpike dues whatever, and must besides be entertained by the chiefs of every town through which they pass, strong inducements are offered for others to attempt to deceive by using the forbidden cloth, and hence examples are necessary. As a contrast to the afflicted females of Jenna, the wives of the king of Katunga all fell to crying for _joy_ this evening, on recognising a few old acquaintances in the yard, who soon joined them in the melancholy music. It was laughable enough to see them; yet after the first burst had subsided, they began to chat with a garrulity far beyond that of the most talkative of their European sisters. The conversation lasted more than an hour, till at last it resolved itself into a violent quarrel, which has not yet terminated.

It is now ten o’clock at night, and the women are sitting in groups round the several wood-fires. We ourselves occupy only a verandah, which is simply the projection of the roof of a thatched hut; our horses are fastened to wooden stakes in the centre of the yard; our men are lying round them, warming themselves at their own fires. Sheep, beautiful sheep, with tinkling bells hung round their necks, are chewing their cud in peace and happiness. But although it is the hour of repose, the tongues of our female fellow-travellers are making a clatter which all the _Graces_ of Billingsgate could not rival, and together with the squalling of brats innumerable, it spoils the emotions which the wild and pleasing scene around us would otherwise awaken in our breasts. Sheep here are regarded with as much partiality, and treated much in the same manner as ladies’ lapdogs are in England. Great care is taken to keep them clean and in good condition; they are washed every morning in soap and water; and so greatly are they attached to their masters or mistresses, that they are constantly at their heels, following them in- doors and out, from town to town, and in all their peregrinations. Goats, sheep, swine, and poultry, are in great plenty here, and in every one’s possession, notwithstanding which they are always excessively dear, because the people take a pride in displaying the number and quality of their domestic animals.

The inhabitants of Jadoo are, generally speaking, very tidily clad in cotton dresses, of their own manufacture. In their persons they are much more agreeable than those who reside nearer the sea. European goods are brought hither from Dahomey and Badágry, but more especially from Lagos; and are daily exposed for sale in the markets of Jadoo and Egga. Several chiefs on the road have asked us the reason why the Portuguese do not purchase as many slaves as formerly; and make very sad complaints of the stagnation in this branch of traffic. Hippopotami abound in the rivers in the vicinity of the town; when young, the flesh and skin of these animals are sold as food; and whips and other articles are made of the skins of the old ones.

_Saturday, April 17th._—At the usual hour this morning, we quitted Jadoo, and in the middle of the day arrived at a clean, pretty little village called _Pooya_. The appearance of the country between these places is extremely fine, and resembles a magnificent orchard. On our way we met many hundreds of people of both sexes and all ages, with vast quantities of bullocks, sheep and goats, together with fowls and pigeons, which were carried on the head in neat wicker baskets. Several of the travellers were loaded with packages of country cloth, and indigo in large round balls. They are all slaves, and were proceeding to the coast, from the interior, to sell the goods and animals under their charge. One old woman had the misfortune to let a large calabash of palm-oil fall from her head: on arriving at the spot we found a party of females, her companions in slavery, wringing their hands and crying; the old woman’s own affliction was bitter indeed, as she dreaded the punishment which awaited her on her return to her master’s house. I compassionated her distress, and gave her a large clasp knife, which would more than recompense her for the loss of the oil, whereat the women wiped away their tears, and fell down on the dust before us, exhibiting countenances more gladsome and animated than can be conceived.

The mortality of children must be immense indeed here, for almost every woman we met with on the road, had one or more of those little wooden images, we have before spoken of. Whenever the mothers stopped to take refreshment, a small part of their food was invariably presented to the lips of these inanimate memorials.

Although Pooya is considered by the natives a day’s journey from Jadoo, we only halted to pay our respects to the chief, and then continued our journey over gentle hills, and through vallies watered by streams and rivulets, so as to reach _Engua_ in the afternoon. The soil between the two towns is mostly dry and steril; and large masses of iron-stone, which looked as if they had undergone the action of fire, presented themselves almost at every step. This day has been oppressively warm; and as we had been exposed to the sun for a great number of hours, when we reached Engua, our skin was scorched and highly inflamed, so that we were very uncomfortable. For my own part, I was sore, tired, and feverish, and longed to lay myself down in a hut; but we were obliged to remain under a tree above three hours before we could be favoured with that opportunity, because the chief of the town was engaged in making a fetish to counteract any evil intentions that we might entertain towards him. All our people were fatigued and exhausted on the road, complaining much of the heat, and one of them was brought to us in the evening in a high fever. Engua is the town wherein the lamented Captain Pearce breathed his last; and here also Captain Clapperton felt quite disheartened, and almost despaired of penetrating further into the interior of the country. The chief sent us only a little Indian corn and water, and obstinately refused to sell us either a goat, sheep, or any other animal, although there are many thousands in the town.

_Sunday, April 18th._—Our reception had been so truly inhospitable at Engua, that we arose at a much earlier hour this morning than we generally do, and proceeded on our way by starlight. In place of the iron-stone of yesterday, the country over which we have travelled to-day is partially covered with large and unshapely masses of granite. Mountains and elevated hills were observed to the right of us, whose sides were thickly wooded, and their summits reaching above the clouds. At 9 A.M. we passed through a neat and cleanly village, named _Chakka_, which has lately lost its chief; and an hour afterwards crossed a small river called _Akeeny_, which is full of sharp and rugged granite rocks, and is said to fall into the Lagos. We were carried over on men’s shoulders without much difficulty, but the horses were a long time in getting across. From hence, the path winded up a high and steep hill, which we ascended, and entered the town of _Afoora_ about mid-day. The governor gave us a hearty welcome, and said it made him extremely happy to see us, which the joy and animation of his countenance also expressed. The best hut in the town, which is the most airy and commodious of any we had seen, was presently got ready for us, and shortly after we had taken possession of it we received a quantity of excellent provisions from the chief.

This is the first day of his government. His father, the late chief, has been dead some time, but from motives of delicacy he refused to take upon himself his authority till this morning. In honour of the event a large company of women have been dancing, rejoicing, and making merry all the evening outside our hut. It is somewhat strange that the chief or governor of almost every town through which we have passed since leaving Badágry, who was alive and well on my return to the coast three years ago, has been either slain in war, or has died from natural causes. Scarcely one of them is now alive.

_Monday, April 19th._—An easy, pleasant ride of three hours brought us to the first walled town we have seen, which is called _Assinàra_. The wall is of clay, and so diminutive, that a person might easily jump over it; a dry ditch, about eighteen inches deep, and three or four feet in width, also surrounds the town. Over this a single plank is thrown, which answers the purpose of a draw-bridge, and is the only means the inhabitants have of getting in and out of the place. Assinàra too has lately lost its chief in some battle, and all business is transacted by a benevolent, elderly man, who has volunteered his services till a successor shall be appointed. From him we have received the warmest reception and the most hospitable treatment. The climate has already had a debilitating effect upon my brother, and from a state of robust health and vigour, he is reduced to so great a degree of lassitude and weakness that he can scarcely stand a minute at a time. Every former pleasure seems to have lost its charm. He was attacked with fever this afternoon, and his condition would have been hopeless indeed, had I not been near to relieve him. He complained of excessive thirst. I gave him ten grains of calomel, and afterwards a strong dose of salts. Rain, thunder, and lightning during the night.

_Tuesday, April 20th._—My brother was much better, and free from fever this morning, but too weak to travel, and we shall therefore remain at Assinàra till to-morrow. The acting governor visited us to-day with a long face, and intreated us earnestly to discover a certain wizard, whom he imagined to be concealed somewhere in the town. By this sorcerer’s influence numbers of people, it is said, pine away and die; and women with child are more especially the objects of his malevolence. These victims drop suddenly, without the slightest warning; and the deaths have lately been so numerous, that the old man himself is grievously alarmed, and begs a charm to preserve him and his family.

_Friday, April 23rd._—My brother finding himself considerably invigorated and refreshed by a day’s rest at Assinàra, and sufficiently recovered to pursue our journey, I had all hands in readiness to start at an early hour. The morning was cool and pleasant, and we travelled onwards in excellent spirits. Without meeting anything particular in the path, or perceiving any object sufficiently novel or striking to demand attention, we entered the town of _Accodoo_ in the forenoon, having had an agreeable ride of a few hours’ duration only. At this time my brother seemed to be free from any kind of complaint whatever, and enjoyed an unusual cheerfulness and buoyancy of spirits, which led me to form the most flattering anticipations. In the course of a few minutes, however, his body was overspread with a burning heat, and he suffered under another attack of fever, more violent than any of the former. I resorted to the most powerful remedies I could think of at the time. I bled him and applied a strong blister to the region of the stomach, where the disorder seemed to be seated. It was swollen and oppressed with pain, and he felt as if some huge substance lay upon his chest. His mouth being dry and clogged, and his thirst burning and unquenchable, he drank so much water, that his body was greatly swollen. In the evening his ideas were confused, and he became delirious. He afterwards described to me the horrible phantoms that disturbed him whilst in this state; and the delicious emotion that ran through his whole frame when the dreadful visions had passed away. Tears gushed from his eyes; a profuse perspiration, which had been so long checked, gave him immediate relief, and he has since continued to improve.

Whilst my brother was so ill, the natives made a most hideous noise by singing and drumming in the celebration of their fetísh. I went out in the hope of inducing them to be quiet, but they only laughed at him, and annoyed us the more; for they have no compassion for the sufferings of a white man, and if they can mortify him by any means, they consider it a praiseworthy deed. Yesterday was one of the hottest days we have yet felt, the thermometer at noon being 99° of Fahrenheit.

_Saturday, April 24th._—A hammock was prepared for my brother before day-break, this morning, because he was too weak to ride on horseback; and shortly afterwards we quitted the town of Accodoo in much better spirits than circumstances had led us to hope for. The hammock-men found their burden rather troublesome; nevertheless, we travelled at a pretty quick pace, and between eight and nine o’clock halted at a pleasant and comfortable village called _Etūdy_. The chief sent us a fowl and four hundred cowries; but we stopped only to take a slight refreshment on horseback and pay our respects. We then proceeded through large plantations of cotton, indigo, Indian corn, and yams, and over stony fields, till between ten and eleven, when we entered the town of _Chouchou_. We were almost immediately introduced to the chief, and from him into a ruinous hut, in a more filthy state than can be imagined. No pig-stye was ever half so bad. Its late occupier had incurred the displeasure and hatred of his chief, because he happened to be very rich, and rather than pay a heavy fine, he ran away and has joined his former enemies; and this may partly account for the destitution and wretchedness around us.

Since leaving Jenna, we have met an incredible number of persons visited with the loss of one eye. They assign no other reason for their misfortune than the heat and glare of the sun’s rays.

_Sunday, April 25th._—It rained heavily during the whole of last night; but our hut, although of the very worst description, had a pretty good thatched roof, and sheltered us much better than we had expected. There are periods and seasons in our lifetime in which we feel a happy complacency of temper and an inward satisfaction, cheerfulness, and joy, for which we cannot very well account, but which constrain us to be at peace with ourselves and our neighbours, and in love with all the works of God. In this truly enviable frame of mind I awoke this morning to proceed onwards on horseback; it was a morning which was fairly entitled to the epithet of ‘incense-breathing;’ for the variety of sweet-smelling perfume which exhaled, after the rain, from forest flowers, and flowering shrubs, was delicious and almost overpowering. The scenery of to-day has been more interesting and lovely than any we have heretofore beheld. The path circled round a magnificent cultivated valley, hemmed in almost on every side with mountains of granite of the most grotesque and irregular shapes, the summits of which are covered with stunted trees, and the hollows in their slopes occupied by clusters of huts, whose inmates have fled thither as a place of security against the ravages of the _war-men_ that infest the plains. A number of strange birds resort to this valley, many of whose notes were rich, full, and melodious, while others were harsh and disagreeable; but, generally speaking, the plumage was various, splendid, and beautiful. The modest partridge appeared in company with the magnificent Balearic crane, with his regal crest; and delicate humming birds hopped from twig to twig with others of an unknown species; some of them were of a dark, shining green; some had red silky wings and purple bodies; some were variegated with stripes of crimson and gold; and these chirped and warbled from among the thick foliage of the trees. It is the contemplation of such beautiful objects as these, all so playful and so happy—or the more sublime ones of dark waving forests, plains of vast extent, or stupendous mountains, that gives the mind the most sensible emotions of delight and grandeur, leading it insensibly

‘To look from nature up to nature’s God.’

For myself I am passionately fond of them, and have regretted a thousand times over that my ignorance incapacitates me from giving a proper representation of them, or describing the simplest flower that adorns the plains, or the smallest insect that sparkles in the air. This consideration gives me at times many unhappy reflections, although my defective education arose from circumstances over which my boyhood had no control.

Having passed through the immense valley before-mentioned, we had not travelled far before we arrived and halted at a large village, called _Fudibu_; here we rested awhile, and then continuing our journey for two hours, over even ground between high hills, we rode into the town of _Gwendekki_, in which we purpose passing the night. The chief is either very poor or else very ill-natured, for the only thing he sent us was a little boiled yam, with a mess of unpalatable gravy, which he would not have given, if he did not expect ten times its value in return. Divine service was performed in the course of the day, as usual, and this is a duty which to persons in our situation is inconceivably pleasant. It renders us happy and resigned in the midst of our afflictions, refreshing our confidence in the all-protecting arm of that beneficent Being who is the author and disposer of our destinies, and in whom alone, thus widely separated from home and kindred and civilization, the wanderer can place his trust.

_Monday, April 26th._—A thick mist obscured the horizon this morning, and hid in deep shade the mountains and hills; every object indeed was invisible, except the pathway, and the trees, &c., growing on each side, which we could barely distinguish as we passed along. It continued hazy for two hours after leaving Gwendekki, when the mist dispersed, and the atmosphere became clear. Preparatory to ascending a steep granite hill, we halted to refresh our horses under the branches of a high spreading tree, near a town called _Ecó_. Here we were visited by several of the inhabitants, who, as soon as they were informed of our arrival, came flocking to the spot. They formed themselves into a line to pay their respects, and entreated us to wait a little for the coming of their chief, who was momentarily expected. But, after staying as long as we conveniently could, and no chief appearing, we mounted our beasts and began the toilsome ascent. On attaining the summit of the hill, the _coup d’œil_ was magnificent indeed, and the fog having been dispersed by the sun, the eye was enabled to range round an extensive horizon, bounded by hills and mountains of wonderful shapes. Some of them bear a very striking resemblance to the Table Mountain, at the Cape of Good Hope, and another is not unlike the ‘Lion’s Head and Rump’ of the same place. Our course was north-east, and those two mountains bore due west of us. There was no continued range of hills, but numbers of single unconnected ones, with extensive valleys between them. In some places several were piled behind each other; and those most distant from us appeared like dark, indistinct clouds. Nothing could surpass the singularity, perhaps I may say the sublimity, of the whole view from the top of the granite hill which we had ascended; and we contemplated it in silence for a few seconds with emotions of astonishment and rapture.

Descending the hill, we continued our journey over a noble plain, watered with springs and rivulets; and in the afternoon entered _Dūfo_, which is a most extensive and populous town. The inhabitants appear to be industrious and very opulent, as far as regards the number and variety of their domestic animals, having abundance of sheep, goats, swine, pigeons, and poultry; amongst the latter of which we observed, for the first time, turkeys and Guinea fowl. They have likewise horses and bullocks. The chief did not make his appearance for a long while; but as soon as he had introduced himself, he desired us to follow him into a cleanly-swept square, a house in which he desired us to occupy. Presently after his departure, he sent us a quantity of yams, a basket of ripe bananas, and a calabash of eggs, which we soon discovered to be good for nothing, although sand had been mixed with them, that they might feel heavier than they really were.

_Tuesday, April 27th._—My brother is now, thank God, perfectly recovered from his late attack of fever, and feels himself getting stronger every day. Late last night four Burgoo traders paid us a visit at our house; they informed us of their having crossed the Niger at [9]Inguazhilligee not more than fourteen days ago; and that although the rains had commenced, the river had as yet received no great addition to its waters.

We were on horseback early this morning, and at six o’clock, preceded by the carriers of our luggage, we rode out of the town of Dūfo. The country seemed inferior indeed as to the boldness and beauty of its scenery to that traversed yesterday; but still it possesses features of no common interest. Another ‘Table Mountain’ was observed to the left of our path in the course of the morning, and another ‘Lion’s Head and Rump.’ Ponderous masses of granite rock overhang the roadway; these were almost black, and seem to have been washed by the rains of thousands of years; in many of them were deep and gloomy caverns, which, were they in Cornwall instead of Africa, would, I am sure, be pointed out as the scenes of dark and bloody stories of the elder time. Hundreds of the natives followed us a long while, and annoyed us so much by their noises and curiosity, that we were compelled to resort to violent measures to drive them away; but this is a line of conduct which we rarely adopt towards them, and never without extreme reluctance. We at length frightened them away, and we saw them no more. About eight miles from Dūfo, we arrived at a large straggling village, called _Elekba_, where we halted a little, as the path had been so stony, rugged, and irregular, that a few minutes’ rest was absolutely necessary to recruit ourselves. From this place the road became excellent, not at all inferior to a drive round a gentleman’s park in England; and continued to be good till we came in sight of a capacious walled town called _Chāadoo_, which we entered about mid-day. Outside the walls is a little Falàtah village, the huts of which are constructed in the circular or _coozie_ form. Its inhabitants employ themselves solely in the breeding of cattle—an occupation to which they are passionately addicted. They are simple in their manners, and extremely neat in their dress and appearance.

Not long after our arrival, three or four young Falàtah shepherdesses from the village came to our hut to pay their respects. We felt much pleased with their society, for they were extremely well-behaved and intelligent; but they remained with us a very little time, their customary avocation not permitting a longer stay. The hair of these females was braided in a style peculiarly tasteful and becoming; and the _contour_ of their oval faces was very far from disagreeable. Their manners also were innocent and playful; the imaginary shepherdesses of Fenton are not more modest, artless, and engaging in description, than these in reality; and they left behind them an impression very favourable both as regards their morals, _naïveté_, and rustic simplicity.

On the road from Dūfo, my brother unthinkingly fired at and shot a crane, which fell in an adjoining field. The report of his gun brought out a number of natives from the ‘bush,’ who, being in continual dread of an attack from the ‘war-men of the path,’ imagined it to be a signal of one of these marauders. They were all armed, like their countrymen, with bows and arrows; and with a threatening aspect, would have lodged a few shafts in the person of my brother, if it had not been for the timely interference of one of our Jenna messengers that fortunately happened to be with him at the time, and who gave an immediate and satisfactory explanation. The head of the party then sought for and picked up the bird; but my brother took it from him, after he had rewarded him liberally for his trouble. The man, however, was neither satisfied nor pleased, but roughly demanded the bird as his own, because it had fallen on his land. As there are no game laws here, my brother would not admit his claim, and was going away, when the fellow begged with much importunity that the head and legs of the animal at least might be given him, to make a fetísh of. This was likewise objected to, at which he was out of all patience, and went off foaming with passion. In the evening, the crane was dressed for supper, and a similar request was made by a eunuch from Katunga, who being a good-natured fellow, we readily complied with his wish. The chief of _Chāadoo_, however, presently sent a messenger to request the said precious head and legs; and to him they were finally committed by the disappointed eunuch, who could hardly forbear weeping on the occasion: these relics are extremely valuable as a charm.

The chief sent us a goat, a quantity of bananas, a dish of pounded, or rather mashed yam with gravy, and a large basket of _caffas_. These are a kind of pudding, made into little round balls, from bruised Indian corn, which is first boiled to the consistence of thick paste. From being made entirely of coarse flour and water, they have an insipid taste when new, but when kept for a day or two, they become sour, and in this state are eaten by the natives. There are several deep wells in the town, but most of them are dried up, so that water is exceedingly scarce, and it is sold in the market-place to the inhabitants.—We are daily accosted on the road with such salutations as these:—‘I hope you go well on the path;’ ‘Success to the king’s work;’ ‘God bless you, white men;’ ‘A blessing on your return,’ &c.

_Wednesday, April 28th._—We have remained at Chāadoo, to-day, to give the carriers with the luggage time to come up with us, because they have been unavoidably detained by the roughness and unevenness of the road from Dūfo to Elekba. The Katunga eunuch we alluded to yesterday, was recently sent by the king of that place, to receive the customary tribute of the governors of the various towns on the road between Katunga and Jenna. This man is treated with much respect both by the governor of Chāadoo and his people, who prostrate themselves to the eunuch before addressing him.

Being in want of money we sent needles this morning to the market to sell. It is a custom in Yarriba, that after a buyer has agreed to pay a certain sum for an article, he retracts his expressions, and affirms that he only promised to give about half the sum demanded. This has occasioned violent altercations between our people and the natives; but it is an established custom, from which there is no appeal. The governor’s mother was buried this afternoon at a neighbouring village, and the funeral was attended by all his wives or women, as mourners. They were dressed in their holiday attire; and looked tolerably smart. The mourners exhibited no signs of grief whatever; on the contrary, they were as lively as a wedding party. Attended by a drummer, they passed through our yard four hours ago, on their return to the governor’s house, which is only a few steps from ours, and there they have been singing and dancing to the noise of the drum ever since.

The inhabitants of the town have immense quantities of sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry, but bullocks are in the possession of Falàtahs alone. We do not believe the natives have a single animal of this description. Like many other places, the market is not held here till the heat and toil of the day are over; and buyers seldom resort to it till eight o’clock in the evening.

_Thursday, April 29th._—It commenced raining this morning at a very early hour, and continued with uncommon violence, till between ten and eleven o’clock, when it suddenly ceased, and we quitted Chāadoo. Before this, however, the credulous governor, who in common with his people imagines that white men influence the elements, paid us a visit, with a calabash of honey as a present, to thank us, he said, for the rain that had fallen, of which the country is greatly in want, and invoked blessings on us. The kindness of this good old man is remarkable. He never seemed weary of obliging us, regretted his inability to do more, and solicited us very pressingly to remain with him another day.

We traversed a mountainous country, intersected with streams of excellent water; and at noon entered a small but pleasant and picturesque village, which is ornamented with noble, shady trees. Here we waited a very short time, but continuing our route, arrived towards evening at a capacious walled town called _Row_, wherein we shall pass the night. In many places the wall, if it be deserving the name, is no more than twelve or fourteen inches from the ground, and the moat is of similar dimensions. The yard to which we were conducted shortly after our arrival, is within three or four others; and so intricate are the passages leading to it, that after a stranger gets in, he would be sadly puzzled to find his way out again without a guide. Nevertheless this was no security against interruption, for the yard was speedily invaded by five or six hundred individuals, who had been induced to visit us from curiosity. As usual, they annoyed us for a long time to the best of their ability, till they completely wearied us out by their importunity and forwardness. We then hung sheets round the door-way of our dwelling, and laid down on our mats; and then only they began to disperse, and left us at our ease.

The governor of the town is a morose, surly, and ill-natured man. He sent us only a few bananas this evening, and a calabash of eggs, which were all stale and unfit to be eaten, so that our people were obliged to go supperless to bed. He ascribed the badness of his fare to extreme poverty; yet his vanity exacted from our Jenna messengers the most abject method of salutation we are acquainted with. These men walked backwards from him several yards, to throw dirt on their heads, and with the dust and filth still clinging to their hair, they were compelled to address the chief with their faces to the ground. Our apartment unfortunately communicates with his, and the restless tongues of his numerous wives prevented either my brother or self from closing our eyes long after sunset. In the centre of our yard grows a tree, round which several staves are driven into the ground. This tree is a fetísh-tree, and these staves also fetísh, and therefore we received a strong injunction not to tie our horses to either of them. Calabashes, common articles of earthenware, and even feathers, egg-shells, and the bones of animals—indeed, any kind of inanimate substance, is made fetísh by the credulous, stupid natives; and like the horse-shoe which is still nailed to the doors of the more superstitious of the peasantry in England, these fetíshes are supposed to preserve them from ghosts and evil- spirits. It is sacrilege to touch them, and to ridicule them would be dangerous.

_Friday, April 30th._—It was between seven and eight o’clock before carriers could be procured this morning, and everything got in readiness for our departure; the sun was excessively hot, and the sky brilliantly clear. We crossed two or three rivulets of cool, delicious water, as we had done yesterday; and then passed through an insignificant village, whose chief sent us a calabash of bruised corn, mixed with water, to drink. At noon, we arrived at the foot of a very elevated hill, and perceived a town perched on its summit, and knew it to be the same to which we had been directed. We dismounted, and after a laborious ascent, which occupied us three-quarters of an hour, at length reached the top. Stones and blocks of granite interrupted the path, so that it was a very difficult matter to force the horses along before us; they fell repeatedly but without materially injuring themselves.

The name of the town is _Chekki_. Our arrival was rather unexpected, and, therefore, the governor was not prepared to receive us; and we sat down under a tree, till we were tired of waiting. At length a man came to conduct us to his residence, which was but a little way from our tree, when a tumultuous rush was made by the inhabitants to precede us into the yard; and notwithstanding the presence of their chief, they surrounded our party so closely as to prevent a particle of fresh air from reaching us. The governor received us with bluntness, but not unkindly, though without much demonstration of good-will. While in his yard he regaled us with water, and afterwards sent a large calabash of _foorah_ sweetened with honey to our lodgings, which did not taste unlike thick gruel, or _burgoo_, as it is termed in Scotland. It is made of a corn called _goorah_, is very palatable, and is in general use with the natives of these parts. A quantity of bananas from the chief soon followed the _foorah_, and something more substantial than either has been promised us.

We have observed that it is a general practice here, as well as in every other town through which we have passed, for children until the age of seven years to go naked, with perhaps a string of cowries tied round the loins, and clumsy bracelets, either of brass or tin, inclosing the wrist. Grown-up people, however, dress somewhat neatly, if not gracefully: the men wear a cap, tobe, and trowsers, mostly blue, and the women wear a large loose cotton cloth, which is thrown over the left shoulder, and comes down mantling below the knee: the right arm and feet alone are bare.

People of both sexes, hereabouts, are infinitely more grave and serious in their manners than those nearer the coast, and

‘The loud laugh that speaks the vacant mind,’

we have not heard these many days.

_Saturday, May 1st._—In the cool of the morning we quitted Chekki, and rode on pleasantly, till at the end of four hours we arrived at _Coosoo_, a large and important town. A Falàtah hamlet stands near it, whose inhabitants subsist by following pastoral occupations alone. They are much esteemed by the Yarribeans, who behave to them without suspicion or reserve.

A man stole a sword from our people a few minutes after our arrival; he was pursued to the chief, and asserted that he had found it, as he laid the weapon at his feet. The sword has been restored to us by the governor, but without the slightest allusion being made to the means by which he had obtained it.

A company or _gafflie_ of merchants from Hano are at present in the town, who have come thus far on their way to _Gonja_, which is the _Selga_ of Cape Coast Castle and Accra. Their merchandise consists chiefly of elephants’ teeth, trona, rock salt, and country cloths. This, we are told, is a new route, the road formerly taken being considered unsafe, on account of private broils and disturbances among the natives. The _gafflie_ consists of more than four hundred men, but a company of merchants that passed through this town ten days ago amounted to twice that number. Other merchants are also here, and will leave the town to- morrow on their way to _Yàoorie_, whither they are destined.

The palm-tree becomes scarce, in proportion as we advance into the country, and consequently the oil is obtained hereabouts only in very small quantities. But Nature, ever bountiful, supplies its place with the _mi-cadania_, or butter tree, which yields abundance of a kind of vegetable marrow, pleasant to the taste, and highly esteemed by the natives. It is used for lights and other domestic purposes. The tree from which it is obtained is not much unlike our oak in appearance, and the nut it produces is enveloped in an agreeable pulpy substance. The kernel of this nut is about the size of our chestnut. It is exposed in the sun to dry, after which it is pounded very fine and boiled in water: the oily particles it contains soon float on the surface; when cool, they are skimmed off, and then made into little cakes for use, without any further preparation.

Two individuals appeared before the chief to-day in consequence of an accusation of theft that had been made against them. The method adopted of proving the guilt or innocence of the parties was by compelling them to swallow the ‘fetísh-water.’