Chapter XVI

The canoe exchanged — Wooden shoes of Zagozhi — Departure from Zagozhi — Difficulty of obtaining paddles — The Niger below Rabba — A night on the river — Hippopotami — Dàcannie Island — Progress of Mahomedanism — Scenery of the river — Gungo Island — Native canoes — Want of an Interpreter — Natives of Gungo — Danger of the canoe — Height of the river — Fofo Island — Falàtah mode of obtaining tribute — Arrive at Egga — The Chief of Egga — Curiosity of the People — An important Visiter — Fears of the canoe-people, and their refusal to proceed.

_Friday, October 16th._—We were up and stirring at a very early hour in the morning, packing up our clothes and getting our luggage ready for embarkation. But when this was all done we met with a sudden and unforeseen embarrassment,—the sable ‘King of the Dark Water’ laughed at the idea of giving us a canoe on the faith of receiving payment from the prince of the Falàtahs, and refused at first to deliver up to us our own, which we had obtained from Patàshie, and which we had kept with so much anxiety and trouble. At length, after much importunity, we induced the chief to restore them into our hands; and our things and the clothes of our people, with a quantity of rice, corn, calavances, and honey, were removed into them from our late residence.

When all this was done, and we were quite ready to start, the old chief came down to the water-side to bid us farewell, according to his avowed purpose, but in reality to offer us a commodious canoe in exchange for our own, if we would consent to give him ten thousand cowries in addition to them. This was agreed to on our parts after a little delay, for we considered that it would be infinitely more comfortable to have our people and all our things with us in the same canoe; and that it would be less laborious, rather than be liable to casualties and accidents by separation. We had fortunately realized a sufficient number of cowries from the sale of needles at Rabba, and while I was shifting our things from our canoe into another, my brother walked back with the old chief to his residence, where he found all the people of the house gathered round the trunk of a large tree which was burning in the hut. Here he paid the chief ten thousand cowries for the canoe, which having done, he rejoined me at the water-side. I had forgotten to mention that the principal inhabitants, owing to the softness of the soil during the rainy season, wear large wooden shoes when they go abroad in bad weather; but the lower class of people and ourselves generally went barefoot. It is merely a flat piece of a very hard species of wood as long as the foot, supported at each end by thick pieces, as shown in the sketch. A small piece of leather passing through holes in it, and leaving a noose on the upper part, serves to confine the great toe to it, and the heel is also secured by another piece passing over the instep. The annexed sketch is a representation of it.

The canoes made here are of a particular description, very much resembling what are called punts in England, but are perfectly straight and flat-bottomed. They are generally formed out of one log of wood, and are of an immense size. That which we purchased is about fifteen feet in length and four in breadth, but they make them nearly as large again.

As soon as our goods were all transferred into the purchased canoe, which, after all, was not near large enough for our purpose, we found it to be extremely leaky, and patched up in a thousand places. We saw that we had been cheated by the artful ‘King of the Dark Water,’ but rather than enter into an interminable dispute on the subject, which might involve us in further difficulties, we held our peace, and put up with the imposition without a murmur. We had been prevented from perceiving the canoe’s defects before by the excitement of preparation and the hurry of departure. And yet after we had all got into her, we waited till we were weary for the arrival of a messenger that was to have accompanied us a little way on our journey; but he did not come, and we resolved to leave without him. Therefore at nine o’clock in the morning we bade farewell to the King of the Dark Water and the hundreds of spectators who were gazing at us, fired two muskets, accompanied with three cheers, and launching out into the river, we were soon out of their sight.

Notwithstanding his recent artful proceedings, this old man had behaved to us with the most attentive hospitality, in which he was imitated by his principal people, who were as friendly to us as we could desire. We could not expect that the first flow of feeling and generosity should continue. ‘Whatever is violent,’ it has been often remarked, ‘is seldom lasting;’ and when this remark is applied to the passions of unlettered and uncivilized man, surely we ought not to be surprised at their advances of friendship becoming less frequent and their hospitality decreasing with their admiration.

It is inconceivable what difficulties we have experienced in obtaining paddles for our canoe; no where have we found people willing to sell us any, and until we reached Zagozhi we could induce no one to spare us a paddle; they would not do it for the world. However at Madjie, and other places, we returned the hospitality which we received from the chiefs, by suffering our men to go out at night when it was dark, and when the villagers were asleep, and steal what we found an invincible difficulty in procuring by fairer means. The paddles thus obtained were concealed from their owners, and from our ill-natured Nouffie guide, in the bottom of a canoe under a quantity of mats; and though our men were suspected of the offence, yet we were permitted to pass on unmolested. It was by such mean and unworthy shifts as these that we found ourselves in a condition this morning of proceeding down the Niger for the first time, without any foreign assistance whatever. We were overjoyed at this, for nothing can be more irksome and unpleasant than to be at the beck and under the control of an interested guide or messenger, to stop the canoe whenever he may think fit, and to land at every town which might suit his own convenience. It is pleasant, very pleasant, to _feel_ that one is his own master.

As we have already said, Zagozhi was soon out of sight; but though we journied with tolerable rapidity, the city of Rabba remained long in view. We fancied at first that we were pursued from thence by several canoes which were filled with people, but we learnt soon after that they were engaged in trade, and only pursuing their customary avocations. The breadth of the channel between Zagozhi and Rabba is not more than two miles in our estimation, and the direction of it about south-east. Our course from the landing-place was along the shore of the island on the Rabba side for about twenty minutes, when we arrived at its extremity. The river then ran east, and its breadth appeared to be about four miles.

A little before nine A.M., we passed a ferry, where we observed a great many canoes crossing and recrossing with passengers and horses to the Yarriba side. On inquiry we found that they were going to the market of Alôrie. This is the same place mentioned as lying to the south-west of Katunga. A range of low hills appeared on each side of the river as far as the eye could discern, but at some little distance from the bank, sometimes about five miles; and we passed along the side of a large cone-shaped hill, completely detached from the range, and rising with abruptness at a few paces only from the water’s edge. The borders of the river were exceedingly flat, low, and swampy, and appeared as though they were partially overflowed, for trees and shrubs were shooting up in many places out of the body of the water.

We observed several large and small towns as we paddled along, all of them in situations extremely low, which gave them a truly uncomfortable and wretched appearance. Besides fish, the principal food of the inhabitants is rice, of which they cultivate vast quantities. The rice grounds are now almost all inundated; some of them are as much as three or four miles from any perceptible human habitation.

We made no stop whatever on the river, not even at meal times, our men suffering the canoe to glide down with the stream while they were eating their food. At five in the afternoon they all complained of fatigue, and we looked around us for a landing-place, where we might rest awhile, but we could find none, for every village which we saw after that hour was unfortunately situated behind large thick morasses and sloughy bogs, through which, after various tedious and provoking trials, we found it impossible to penetrate. We were employed three hours in the afternoon in endeavouring to find a landing at some village, and though we saw them distinctly enough from the water, we could not find a passage through the morasses, behind which they lay. Therefore we were compelled to relinquish the attempt, and continue our course on the Niger. We passed several beautiful islands in the course of the day, all cultivated and inhabited, but low and flat. The width of the river appeared to vary considerably; sometimes it seemed to be two or three miles across, and at others double that width. The current drifted us along very rapidly, and we guessed it to be running at the rate of three or four miles an hour. The direction of the stream continued nearly east.

The day had been excessively warm, and the sun set in beauty and grandeur, shooting forth rays tinged with the most radiant hues, which extended to the zenith. Nevertheless the appearance of the firmament, all glorious as it was, betokened a coming storm; the wind whistled wildly through the tall rushes, and darkness soon covered the earth like a veil. This rendered us more anxious than ever to land somewhere, we cared not where, and to endeavour to procure shelter for the night, if not in a village, at least under a tree. Accordingly, rallying the drooping spirits of our men, we encouraged them to renew their exertions by setting them the example, and our canoe darted silently and swiftly down the current. We were enabled to steer her rightly by the vividness of the lightning, which flashed across the water continually, and by this means also we could distinguish any danger before us, and avoid the numerous small islands with which the river is interspersed, and which otherwise might have embarrassed us very seriously. But though we could perceive almost close to us several lamps burning in comfortable-looking huts, and could plainly distinguish the voices of their occupants, and though we exerted all our strength to get at them, we were foiled in every attempt, by reason of the sloughs and fens, and we were at last obliged to abandon them in despair. Some of these lights, after leading us a long way, eluded our search, and vanished from our sight like an _ignis fatuus_, and others danced about we knew not how nor where. But what was more vexatious than all, after we had got into an inlet, and toiled and tugged for a full half hour against the current, which in this little channel was uncommonly rapid, to approach a village from which we thought it flowed, both village and lights seemed to sink into the earth, the sound of the people’s voices ceased of a sudden, and when we fancied we were actually close to the spot, we strained our eyes in vain to see a single hut,—all was gloomy, dismal, cheerless, and solitary. It seemed the work of enchantment; every thing was as visionary as ‘sceptres grasped in sleep.’

We had paddled along the banks a distance of not less than thirty miles, every inch of which we had attentively examined, but not a bit of dry land could anywhere be discovered which was firm enough to bear our weight. Therefore, we resigned ourselves to circumstances, and all of us having been refreshed with a little cold rice and honey, and water from the stream, we permitted the canoe to drift down with the current, for our men were too much fatigued with the labours of the day to work any longer. But here a fresh evil arose, which we were unprepared to meet. An incredible number of hippopotami arose very near us, and came plashing, snorting, and plunging all round the canoe, and placed us in imminent danger. Thinking to frighten them off, we fired a shot or two at them, but the noise only called up from the water, and out of the fens, about as many more of their unwieldy companions, and we were more closely beset than before. Our people, who had never, in all their lives, been exposed in a canoe to such huge and formidable beasts, trembled with fear and apprehension, and absolutely wept aloud; and their terror was not a little increased by the dreadful peals of thunder which rattled over their heads, and by the awful darkness which prevailed, broken at intervals by flashes of lightning, whose powerful glare was truly awful. Our people tell us, that these formidable animals frequently upset canoes in the river, when every one in them is sure to perish. These came so close to us, that we could reach them with the butt end of a gun. When I fired at the first, which I must have hit, every one of them came to the surface of the water, and pursued us so fast over to the north bank, that it was with the greatest difficulty imaginable we could keep before them. Having fired a second time, the report of my gun was followed by a loud roaring noise, and we seemed to increase our distance from them. There were two Bornou men among our crew, who were not so frightened as the rest, having seen some of these creatures before on Lake Tchad, where, they say, plenty of them abound.

However, the terrible hippopotami did us no kind of mischief whatever; no doubt, at first when we interrupted them, they were only sporting and wallowing in the river for their own amusement; but had they upset our canoe, we should have paid dearly for it.

We observed a bank on the north side of the river shortly after this, and I proposed halting on it for the night, for I wished much to put my foot on firm land again. This, however, not one of the crew would consent to, saying that if the _Gewow Roua_, or _water elephant_, did not kill them, the crocodiles certainly would do so before the morning, and I thought afterwards, that we might have been carried off like the Cumbrie people on the islands near Yàoorie, if we had tried the experiment. Our canoe is only large enough to hold us all when sitting, so that we have no chance of lying down. Had we been able to muster up thirty thousand cowries at Rabba, we might have purchased one which would have carried us all very comfortably. A canoe of this sort would have served us for living in entirely, we should have had no occasion to land excepting to obtain our provisions; and having performed our day’s journey, might have anchored fearlessly at night.

Finding we could not induce our people to land, we agreed to continue on all night. The eastern horizon became very dark, and the lightning more and more vivid; indeed, we never recollect having seen such strong forked lightning before in our lives. All this denoted the approach of a storm. At eleven P.M., it blew somewhat stronger than a gale, and at midnight the storm was at its height. The wind was so furious, that it swept the water over the sides of the canoe several times, so that she was in danger of filling. Driven about by the wind, our frail little bark became unmanageable; but at length we got near a bank, which in some measure protected us, and we were fortunate enough to lay hold of a thorny tree, against which we were driven, and which was growing nearly in the centre of the stream. Presently we fastened the canoe to its branches, and wrapping our cloaks round our persons, for we felt overpowered with fatigue, and with our legs dangling half over the sides of the little vessel into the water, which for want of room we were compelled to do, we lay down to sleep. There is something, I believe, in the nature of a tempest, which is favourable to slumber, at least so thought my brother; for though the thunder continued to roar, and the wind to rage,—though the rain beat in our faces, and our canoe lay rocking like a cradle, still he slept soundly. The wind kept blowing hard from the eastward till after midnight, when it became calm. The rain then descended in torrents, accompanied with thunder and lightning of the most awful description. We lay in our canoe drenched with rain, and our little vessel was filling so fast, that two people were obliged to be constantly baling out the water to keep her afloat. The water- elephants, as the natives term the hippopotami, frequently came snorting near us, but fortunately did not touch our canoe.

The rain continued until three in the morning of the 17th, when it became clear, and we saw the stars sparkling like gems over our heads. Therefore, we again proceeded on our journey down the river, there being sufficient light for us to see our way, and two hours after, we put into a small, insignificant fishing-village, called _Dàcannie_, where we landed very gladly. Before we arrived at this island, we had passed a great many native towns and villages, but in consequence of the early hour at which we were travelling, we considered it would be imprudent to stop at any of them, as none of the natives were out of their huts. Had we landed earlier even near one of these towns, we might have alarmed the inhabitants, and been taken for a party of robbers, or, as they are called in the country, _Jacallees_. They would have taken up arms against us, and we might have lost our lives; so that for our own safety we continued down the river, although we had a great desire to go on shore.

In the course of the day and night, we travelled, according to our own estimation, a distance little short of a hundred miles. Our course was nearly east. The Niger in many places, and for a considerable way, presented a very magnificent appearance, and we believe it to have been nearly eight miles in width.

_Sunday, October 17th._—After drying our persons and wet clothes before large fires which we had kindled for the purpose, we sat down at the root of a tree, and partook of a meagre refreshment of rice and honey. While we were at breakfast, the promised messenger from Zagozhi arrived at the village, in a canoe of his own, and came up to us, and introduced himself. He said that he had followed our track during the night, and had heard the report of our guns, but though he strove to come up with us, yet he had been not able. The hippopotami had annoyed him in the same manner as they had us, and had given him much apprehension and uneasiness, but had done his canoe no manner of injury. We found several Falàtah Mallams on the island, who have been sent by the Chief of Rabba for the purpose of instructing the natives in the Mahomedan faith. The island is inhabited by Nouffie fishermen, a harmless, inoffensive race of men, who only a few weeks ago were obliged to abjure their pagan deities for the Koran, whether against their inclination or otherwise. This is another of the effects of the Falàtahs’ spreading their conquests over the country. Wherever they become masters, the Mahomedan religion follows. In consequence of Ederesa having relinquished his authority in favour of Mallam Dendo, his subjects have become Mahomedans, and this faith will no doubt shortly spread through Yarriba.

The Mallams were attentive and civil to us as strangers, and directed the natives to find firewood for us, and bring it to our encampment, for which, in return, we made them a present of a few needles.

It was between nine and ten in the morning, when the guide desired us to proceed onward, and promised to follow us in a few minutes. With this arrangement we cheerfully complied, and instantly pushed off the shore, for, of all persons, a messenger is the most unpleasant companion; he is fond of procrastination, sullen when rebuked, and stops at every paltry village wherein he fancies that he can levy his contributions without the fear of interruption.

At ten A.M., we observed several mountains of singular and picturesque appearance, which are situated a few miles beyond the extreme borders of the river, bearing north-east of us. They appeared like three complete sugar loaves, with little hills about them. And shortly afterwards we came in sight of other mountains, yet more interesting and romantic; but these were very elevated, and so far before us, that they could hardly be distinguished from faint blue clouds. Among them were table hills, and others which formed perfect cones, whilst others again were of the most grotesque and unshapely description. By what we could see, we were of opinion that they formed a regular chain of mountains.

The messenger whom we left behind at _Dàcannie_, soon overtook us, in pursuance of his agreement, and kept us company till we drew near to two cities of prodigious extent, one on each side of the river, and directly opposite each other. The beach was lined with the canoes of their inhabitants. To that lying on our right, the guide expressed his intention of going, and endeavoured to entice us with many promises to accompany him there, but this we refused, for we had previously formed a resolution to husband our resources to the utmost of our ability; and well knowing, likewise, the number and rapacity of the ‘great men,’ who expect presents in all large towns, and the detention to which we should be subjected in them, we had made up our minds to land at little hamlets only, (unless compelled to alter this arrangement from circumstances,) where we might do just as we pleased, without being amenable for our actions to those powerful beings who are styled the ‘_mighty_’ of the earth.

Accordingly, we parted company, and took our leave of the Zagōzhi messenger, who agreed to follow us as before, and in an hour afterwards, which was about the middle of the day, we put in at a small village, situated on an island called _Gungo_. The banks now became high and beautifully cultivated. On our right we passed many villages and towns, and on our left, the mountains before mentioned. Palm trees grew in profusion, and the towns and villages were not more than two or three miles from each other. We observed some hundreds of large canoes, with a hut in their middle, passing along the river, some crossing and recrossing to the opposite banks, while others were pursuing their course along them. They mostly seemed to contain families of people, for while the men were paddling, the women and girls were singing to a guitar with their little delicate voices, and produced a very pretty effect. When we passed close to any of their canoes, they would suddenly stop their music and exclaim _Ki ki ma nenee acca chiken zhilagee!_ repeatedly, expressing the utmost astonishment, both in their features and gestures. We got this translated for us by Paskoe, and it signifies _Oh dear! Oh dear! what do I see in that canoe!_ The _ki ki_ is evidently an exclamation of surprise, and might be rendered Oh! only; but our interpreter gave us his own translation, and we have accordingly preserved it. We contented ourselves with a look at the innocent black faces of these damsels, and passed on. We find that all the Yarriba side of the river is deserted by the natives, who have fled into the country, and left the Falàtahs in quiet possession of all their towns and villages.

The river near this island takes a slight bend to the southward of east, the current continues to run very rapidly, and the breadth of the river is from three to five miles, according to our estimation. This island is about a mile and a half in circumference, lying nearly in the middle of the river. Here, for the first time since leaving the coast, we could not make ourselves understood. We could muster up five different languages spoken by the Africans, but the Hàussa language was not even understood here, nor any other that we could speak; so we had recourse to signs and motions, and soon made the natives comprehend that we wanted something to eat, and a hut to sleep in for the night. The choice of several empty ones was quickly offered us, which were all equally comfortless and miserable, on account of the lowness of the village, part of which was overflowed by the river. However, we took possession of one which is made of wicker-work, rather for the benefit of cool and fresh air, than for any other advantage peculiar to itself, for it is built in a splashy situation, and a stream of water from the Niger rushes over half its floor. The other part of it was cleaned out for us, and we endeavoured to make ourselves comfortable. Shortly after, a large bowl of boiled corn, and another of fish, were sent to us, together with about ten pounds of the flesh of hippopotami. The former we were quite contented with, but as for the latter, being nearly all fat, we could not fancy it, and accordingly gave it to our people. They were not a little amused at this delicacy on our part, for they assured us it was the finest meat they had ever tasted, and it forms a principal part of the food of the natives.

The natives of Gungo seem to be a mild, inoffensive, quiet, and good- natured people. They procure a livelihood almost solely by fishing, and the fruits of their labour are exchanged with their neighbours for corn and yams. About sunset, the inhabitants of the whole island, amounting to about a hundred men, women, and children, dressed in very decent apparel, and headed by their chief, a venerable old man, paid us a visit. The chief was dressed in the Mahomedan costume, and he arranged his people, and made them sit down round our hut in the most orderly manner. They remained in this situation about an hour, satisfying their curiosity in looking at us, and making their remarks to each other, expressive of amazement and delight; during which time, signs only could be understood between us. The men evinced no alarm, but the women, and pretty little plump-faced children[1], were much frightened by our white faces, and seemed not a little glad to get away. Before they retired, we distributed about two hundred needles among them, and they went away highly pleased with their present.

_Monday, October 18th._—The morning dull and cloudy. At a little after six, everything was in readiness for our departure. As we were about to launch out into the stream, the chief came down to the water-side, and presented us with a piece of hippopotamus flesh, in a clean white calabash, expressive of his gratitude for our visit. This meat was pronounced by our people to be rich and delicious. We presented him with a hundred needles, and the young girls who had brought us the provisions, with a few beads. They were much pleased with our presents, and I have no doubt our visit has made an impression on their minds that will not be easily effaced. Having read prayers to our people, a custom which we have never neglected either morning or evening, we bade adieu to the Chief of Gungo and his people. They were assembled at the river side to see us go, and as our canoe left the shore, they all lifted their hands, wishing us a prosperous journey.

We had not been on the water more than half an hour after leaving Gungo, before the wind rose to a gale, causing the river to be agitated like a sea, and our canoe to be tossed about like a cocoa-nut shell. It also rained heavily, insomuch that in a moment we were wetted to the skin, and our canoe soon became half filled with water. We were then in the middle of the river, and in danger of sinking every instant. Our men struggled hard to pull the canoe among the rushes on the right bank, for the purpose of holding on by them till the wind and rain should abate, and the water become smooth. It was not without great exertion that this was effected, for the wind was against us, the water was in commotion, and our fragile little vessel, as a sailor would express it, ‘shipped several seas.’ No sooner had we got into the morass, and were congratulating ourselves on our deliverance, than a frightful crocodile, of prodigious size, sprang forth from his retreat, close to the canoe, and plunged underneath it with extraordinary violence, to the amazement and terror of us all: we had evidently disturbed him from his sleep. He was the largest I ever saw; and had he touched our canoe, would have upset it. The rain, in addition to the water that washed in from the river over the bows of our canoe, employed three persons constantly baling to keep her afloat.

The wind and rain having subsided, we left our retreat about half past eight, and kept on down the river.

About ten in the morning, we arrived opposite a large village, which is situated on a low, flat island; and the current at this place rushing with the impetuosity of a torrent over a broad sand bank, notwithstanding we exerted all our powers to avoid it, we were completely foiled: the canoe became unmanageable; we were carried along with irresistible velocity; and in less than two minutes, she struck against the roof of a hut which was covered with water. By the sudden and forcible shock which the canoe hereby sustained, one of our men was thrown with violence overboard, but the others, more fortunate, clung to the boughs of a tree. Though the current was so exceedingly rapid, the water was very shallow, and the man was enabled to join his companions shortly afterwards: he appeared more frightened than hurt. The village is nearly washed away, with the exception of about a dozen houses, so high are the waters of the river. We observed a number of large canoes receiving the inhabitants in them, for the purpose of conveying them to the main land.

At Zagōzhi, we had been strongly recommended to put into a large and important trading town, called _Egga_, which was reported to be three days’ journey down the river from thence, and we had been promised a guide or messenger to accompany us thither, but we have neither heard nor seen anything of him since yesterday. Beyond Egga, it is said the Falàtah interest does not extend, and by all accounts, after leaving that place, the banks of the Niger are inhabited by different races of people, who are less gentle and humane, and not so civilized as the Noufanchie. We had so far proceeded without the guide, because he did not choose to keep up with us, and because we would not consent to wait for him. But here, from motives of prudence, we thought proper to make inquiries concerning the Egga we had been told of, lest by any means we should pass it without seeing it; and we were persuaded, should this be the case, that the difficulty of pulling back against the current would be insuperable. Therefore, we approached as near the village as we could, and hallooed and bawled to the inhabitants, some of whom we could observe knee-deep in water, walking about the streets; but they were at so great a distance from our canoe, or so busily employed in their own concerns, that it is probable they did not perfectly understand the nature of our inquiries, and their answers were too indistinct for us to comprehend their meaning. However, instead of answering our questions, two or three Mallam priests gave us to understand that the Niger has been more than usually full this season; that it had overflowed its natural boundaries, and washed away a considerable portion of their village, which was apparent from the great number of frames of huts which we had seen stuck in the sand outside, more especially the circular tops of them, which had a very odd appearance in the river. The remains of the village are even now half under water, and the unfortunate inhabitants must therefore be in very great distress.

Seeing that we could gather no further information from these villagers, we left the place, and shortly afterwards came abreast of those remarkable mountains which we saw before us yesterday. They appeared now in the shape of three flat table-mountains, and seemed to be very close to the river. One or two of them exhibit a perfect picture of barrenness and sterility; others are covered with stunted vegetation; but others again appear more fertile, being cultivated with corn almost to their summits, and have a very agreeable appearance. At their bases are several pleasant-looking villages, most charmingly situated, and embellished with tall and goodly trees.

Journeying along by the side of them, we observed a mountain a long way to the eastward of us, whose summit resembled an immense dome. At mid- day, we stopped awhile at a small island to obtain the necessary information respecting Egga; but could only learn that that town was still a great way off. A large Falàtah canoe, with musicians on board, followed us here, and for some distance after we had left it, but we do not think with any hostile intention.

At four in the afternoon, our men were tired with their exertions, and complained sadly of fatigue and exhaustion, so that we were induced to put in at a small island called _Fofo_, where we resolved to sleep. The river to-day has been very serpentine; its general course south-east, and east-south-east; and its breadth from two to six miles.

After we had landed, a man who asserted that he had just arrived from Funda, introduced himself to our notice: he states that it is three days’ journey from hence down the Niger, to the frontiers of that kingdom; and that its metropolis, which is of the same name, is situated at an equal distance inland from the water-side; so that, if this information be true, it will be utterly impossible for us to visit the city of Funda, as it was our intention to do, for we are without horses, and the means of procuring them; and the attempt to penetrate so great a distance through the bush in our present languid and debilitated state, would be impracticable, and highly improper. Besides, what presents have we to offer to the king?

For the first time since leaving Yarriba, we saw a cocoa-nut this evening, which gave us infinite pleasure. On inquiring where it grew, we were told that it had been brought from a place near the sea, seven days’ journey from Fofo. The evening was far advanced, before a hut could anywhere be found for our reception, owing, it was said, to the absence of the chief; nor did we experience, on his return to the village, the slightest degree of kindness or hospitality. In the course of the day, we observed a great number of hippopotami as we came down the river, and many canoes of a large size. The consternation of the people at seeing us was very great; they gazed at us with vacant countenances, and never once thought of asking us if we wanted a hut or anything to eat. We had been an hour with them, undergoing their scrutiny, and affording them subject for their remarks, when two Rabba messengers came to us, saying, that as none of the people of Fofo had offered us a hut, we were welcome to theirs. We accordingly accepted their offer, and were glad to get under their protection. We had not been here long, before three large calabashes of cakes, made of Indian corn, fried in palm oil, were sent to us by the women, who it seems take much more interest in us than the men, and we were quite ready for our meal.

The chief has kept aloof from us, being in trouble at present, from not having a sufficient number of cowries to pay his annual taxes to Rabba, for which purpose, it seems, the messengers are here. It is customary to allow them a certain number of days to do this, at the expiration of which time, if the tribute be not paid, the messengers watch their opportunity, and carry off one or two of the inhabitants. These are then sold in the market at Rabba, as slaves, and their produce pays the tax. The same custom we had seen practised at Lever, even after the tax had been paid.

We have passed many islands to-day. The Nouffie bank is high and hilly, but well cultivated. There seem to be many villages, and much cultivation on both sides.

_Tuesday, October 19th._—Having taken a slight breakfast, we were not unmindful of the attentions of our female friends yesterday, and returned their kindness with a paper of needles, and it was gratifying to see them so thankful. We were informed by the Falàtah messengers, that we shall pass the Coodoonia river this morning, the same that I crossed on the former mission near Cuttup. We gave them a few buttons and parted very good friends. The morning was dull and cloudy, and showers fell occasionally, but as the weather cleared up a little before eight o’clock A.M., we embraced the opportunity of quitting the island of Fofo. Some of the people hereabouts display as little curiosity at seeing us, as if we had been as black as themselves. In half an hour, we observed and passed a river of tolerable size, which entered the Niger from the northward. This is no doubt the Coodoonia which the Falàtahs mentioned. The banks this morning have exhibited a more beautiful appearance than we had observed for several days before; nevertheless, they wanted the charm of novelty to recommend them. Very elevated land appeared on each side of the river, as far as could be seen; which appeared to be formed of a range of hills, extending from north-north- east to south-south-west. At eleven o’clock, we touched at a large village to inquire whereabouts Egga lay, and were informed that we had not a long way to go. We journeyed onwards for about an hour, when we perceived a large, handsome town, behind a deep morass. Several little inlets led through it to the town, distant about three miles from the bank of the river, which, as we drew near, we learnt was the place of which we were in quest. It was the long-sought Egga, and we instantly proceeded up a creek to the landing-place. The town is upwards of two miles in length, and we were struck with the immense number of large, bulky canoes which lay off it, and which were filled with trading commodities, and all kinds of merchandise which are common to the country. They also had huts in them, like the canoes we had seen before. All of them had blood smeared on their sterns, and feathers stuck in it as a charm or preservative against robbers and the evil disposed.

We halted a few minutes before landing, no one having conveyed intelligence of our arrival to the chief. A young Falàtah was the first who invited us on shore, and we despatched Pascoe to the chief, to tell him who we were, and what we wanted. He quickly returned, saying that the old chief was ready to receive us, and we immediately proceeded to his residence.

In a few minutes we arrived at the _Zollahe_, or _Entrance Hut_, in which we found the old man ready to receive us. We discovered him squatting on a cow’s hide spread on the ground, smoking from a pipe of about three yards long, and surrounded by a number of Falàtahs, and several old Mallams. We were welcomed in the most friendly and cordial manner, and, as a mark of peculiar distinction, we were invited to seat ourselves near the person of the chief. He looked at us with surprise from head to foot, and told us that we were strange-looking people, and well worth seeing. Having satisfied his curiosity, he sent for all his old wives that they might do the same, but as we did not altogether relish so much quizzing, we requested to be shown to a hut. The chief is a very aged and venerable-looking man, with a long white beard, and of more patriarchal appearance, perhaps, than any one we have ever seen; yet he laughed, played, and trifled, like a child. A house ‘fit for a king,’ to use his own expression, was speedily got ready for our reception, and as soon as he had learnt, with surprise, that we subsisted on the same kind of food as himself, we were led to our dwelling, and, before evening, received a bowl of _tuah_ and gravy from his wives. We were soon pestered with the visits of the Mallams and the chief’s wives, which latter brought us presents of goora-nuts as a sort of introduction to see us. As soon as the news of our arrival spread through the town, the people flocked by hundreds to our hut, for the purpose of satisfying their curiosity with a sight of the white people. The Mallams and the kings had given us trouble enough, but the whole population of Egga was too much for us, so we were literally obliged to blockade the door-ways, and station three of our people at each to keep them away. At sunset, finding they could get no nearer to us, they departed, and we retired to rest in peace; for we were in much want of it.

The course of the river to-day has been, for the most part, east-south- east; the width varying from two to five or six miles.

_Wednesday, October 20th._—Benin and Portuguese cloths are worn at Egga by many of its inhabitants, so that it would appear that some kind of communication is kept up between the sea-coast and this place. The people are very speculative and enterprising, and numbers of them employ all their time solely in trading up and down the Niger. They live entirely in their canoes, over which they have a shed, that answers completely every purpose for which it is intended, so that, in their constant peregrinations, they have no need of any other dwelling or shelter than what which their canoes afford them. Cocoa-nuts are sold about the streets in great quantities, and various little parcels of them have been sent us from several individuals, but we understand that they are imported from a neighbouring country, and are here considered as very valuable.

The chief visited us about eight in the morning, and begged that we would allow his wives and principal people to come and see us. We could not but comply with his request, and accordingly all the old and young ladies visited us, each bringing goora-nuts, or some little present. They were very inquisitive, and remained with us much longer than we wished; our hints had no effect on them, and we were obliged to bear with their disagreeable society. The heat of the weather is excessive; our doors and windows are often blocked up by people, and our room filled with these visiters, is scarcely tolerable. The ladies no sooner departed than they were followed by a party of men, accompanied by one of the chief’s people, as a sort of introduction; and in this manner was the greater part of the day passed.

Their belief that we possessed the power of doing anything was at first amusing enough, but their importunities went so far, that they became annoying. They applied to us for charms to avert wars and other national calamities, to make them rich, to prevent the crocodiles from carrying off the people, and for the chief of the fishermen to catch a canoe-load of fish every day, each request being accompanied with some sort of present, such as country beer, goora-nuts, cocoa-nuts, lemons, yams, rice, &c., in quantity proportionate to the value of their request.

The curiosity of the people to see us is so intense, that we dare not stir out of doors, and therefore we are compelled to keep our door open all day long for the benefit of the air; and the only exercise which we can take is by walking round and round our hut like wild beasts in a cage. The people stand gazing at us with visible emotions of amazement and terror; we are regarded, in fact, in just the same light as the fiercest tigers in England. If we venture to approach too near the doorway, they rush backwards in a state of the greatest alarm and trepidation; but when we are at the opposite side of the hut, they draw as near as their fears will permit them, in silence and caution. But, from an insolent Falàtah, and one or two troublesome head men, whom it would be impolitic to offend, we have experienced infinitely more inconvenience,—they have hunted us like evil spirits. These individuals enter our hut in the morning, and, whatever we may have to do, they squat themselves down on our mats with the most provoking effrontery, and are unwilling to leave us, except for a few moments at a time, till long after we lie down to rest.

A ‘great man,’ a stranger, visited us to-day, with an extraordinary display of native pomp, and he brought along with him a pot of honey, which he presented as a recommendation. He was dressed in a damask tobe of crimson silk, and the rest of his apparel corresponded with this piece of finery. He informed us without solicitation that he was an agent, sent by the prince of Rabba to collect the tribute that was owing at the different villages along the banks of the Niger; and insinuated that in point of rank he was superior to the old chief of Egga, spelling hard for a present proportionable to his boasted dignity. This man, who is nothing more or less than the chief of Rabba’s tax-gatherer, was accompanied by two shrewd-looking Falàtahs, whose part it appeared was to impress us with a proper idea of the great importance of their friend. They spoke of him in the highest terms to us, telling us he had come from a great distance for the purpose of visiting us, and concluding their praises with a request that we should make him a present. Besides his damask tobe, he wore large silk trowsers, a turban and red cap, and red morocco slippers. However, we wanted the few things we had left to give to those who could be of service to us, and we determined on giving him nothing. I therefore told him that we were very poor, and could not afford to give him anything worth his acceptance, but by way of remembrance presented him with a comb for his beard. At this he looked at his companions, and they at him; when, after a little time, they asked ‘Is this all you intended to give this great man, who is even greater than the chief of Egga himself?’ To which I replied in the affirmative. He then thought perhaps that he could do for himself what his friends could not, by saying to us, ‘If any one should ask me what you gave me, what shall I say?’ To which I replied very quietly, ‘Say I gave you a comb, or nothing; whichever you please.’ This was quite enough; he was convinced at length that we would give him nothing, although it was long before he would believe it. We thought at first that we should have spared his dignity, by telling him with as much delicacy as we could, that we had nothing to part with; but he took leave of us much less annoyed than we had expected by our refusal, and we saw him no more. The Falàtah influence is scarcely felt here, though the town was pillaged and burnt as recently as two years ago, and many of the ruins may still be seen.

_Egga_ is of prodigious extent, and has an immense population. Like many other towns on the banks of the river, it is not unfrequently inundated, and a large portion of it, as at the present moment, actually overflowed. No doubt the people have their reasons for building their habitations in places which appear to us so very inconvenient and uncomfortable. The soil in the vicinity of the town consists of a dark heavy mould, uncommonly fruitful, and produces in abundance and with trifling labour all the necessaries of life, so that provisions are plentiful and cheap. The inhabitants eat little animal food besides fish, which are likewise sold at a very reasonable rate. Hyenas are said to abound in the woods in incredible numbers, and they are so bold and rapacious, as to have carried away nearly the whole of the sheep which were once in the town. Perhaps Egga can boast of having a greater number of canoes, both large and small, than any single town to the northward.

_Thursday, October 21st._—Though the venerable chief of Egga has to all outward appearances lived at least a hundred years, he is still active; and instead of the peevishness and discontent too often the accompaniment of lengthened days, possesses all the ease and gaiety of youth. He professes the Mahomedan religion; and it is his custom to arise every morning long before day-break, and having assembled all his priests round him, performs his devotions, such as they are, repeating his prayers in a loud, shrill tone, so that we can hear him in his pious employment; and as our hut is directly opposite to his, and but a few paces from it, he is determined to give us no rest as long as we remain with closed doors. As soon as these devotional exercises have been gone through, several of his companions, with a disposition as thoughtless, as childish, and as happy as his own, get together in his hut, and squatting on the ground with the old chief, they form a circle, and beguile the time by smoking and conversing till long after sunset, and separate only for a few minutes at a time in the course of the day for the purpose of taking their meals. This company of grey-beards, for they are all old, laugh so heartily at the sprightliness of their own wit, that it is an invariable practice, when any one passes by, to stop and listen outside, and they join their noisy merriment with so much good will, that we hear nothing from the hut in which the aged group are revelling during the day but loud peals of laughter and shouts of applause. Much of this gaiety, however, must be affected, in order to gratify the ruling passion of the old chief for joke and frolic. Examples of this nature are uncommonly rare. Professors of Mahomedanism affect, generally speaking, the solemnity of the owl; and though they understand no more of their faith than of the doctrines of Christianity, they regard all natives of a different persuasion with haughtiness and disdain.

The old chief longed to-day to give us a specimen of his activity and the vigour which he yet possessed; and for this purpose, when the sun was going down, his singers, dancers, and musicians, assembled round our hut with a great concourse of people, who could not boast a proficiency in those refined attainments, but who came to witness the accomplishments of their aged leader. The old man advanced proudly into the ring, with a firm step and a smiling countenance, and casting upon us a glance full of meaning, as if he would have said, ‘Now white men, look at me, and you will be filled with admiration and wonder’—

‘He frisked beneath the burden of _five_-score;’

and shaking his hoary locks, capered over the ground to the manifest delight of the bystanders, whose applauses, though confined, as they always are, to laughter, yet tickled the old man’s fancy to that degree, that he was unable to keep up his dance any longer without the aid of a crutch. With its assistance he hobbled on a little while, but his strength failed him, and he was constrained for the time to give over, and he sat himself down at our side on the threshold of the hut. He would not acknowledge his weakness to us for the world, but endeavoured to pant silently, and suppress loud breathings that we might not hear him. How ridiculous yet how natural is this vanity? He made other unavailing attempts to dance, and also made an attempt to sing, but nature would not second his efforts, and his weak piping voice was scarcely audible. The singers, dancers, and musicians, continued their noisy mirth, till we were weary of looking at and listening to them, and as bed-time was drawing near, we desired them to depart, to the infinite regret of the frivolous but merry old chief.

It is our intention to continue our journey to-morrow, though the elders of the town have been remonstrating with us that it will be highly dangerous to go by ourselves, and endeavouring to persuade us with many words to alter this arrangement for our own sakes. They have promised to procure us a convoy of traders, if we would consent to wait three days longer, which would leave Egga at the end of that time to attend a famous market, called _Bocquâ_. But the attentions of our venerable friend already begin to slacken, being too intently engaged in his favourite pursuits to think much of us or of our wants, more especially since he has received his present; and we cannot easily maintain a quiet, equable temper, or keep up a flow of spirits for any length of time together, when we can get little or nothing to eat. We are therefore determined to go to-morrow at all risks, though we shall have no guide to accompany us; we have confidence in ourselves, and the mountains of the natives generally prove to be no bigger than mole- hills. The chief has been soliciting a charm of us, to prevent the Falàtahs from ever again invading his territory. The old man’s allegiance to the king of Nouffie appears to us to be merely nominal. When we sent word to the chief that we intended going to-morrow morning, he begged us to remain at Egga a few days longer, and declared the banks of the river to be inhabited by people who were little better than savages, and plundered every one that came near them. He assured us that they were governed by no king and obeyed no laws, and that each town was at war with the others. I asked him if he would send a messenger with us, but he refused, saying, that the Falàtah power and his own extended no farther down the river; that Egga is the last town of Nouffie, and that none of his people traded below it. ‘If that is the case,’ I said, ‘it will be as safe for us to go to-morrow as any other day;’ and with this determination I left him.

I then proceeded to give directions for our people to prepare themselves for starting, when to my astonishment Pascoe, and the mulatto so often alluded to, were the only two who agreed to go; the rest of them refused to a man. I then found out that the people of the town had been telling them stories about the danger of the river, and that they would all certainly either be murdered or taken and sold as slaves. Nor could all I said to them change their determination. I talked to them half an hour, telling them they were cowards, and that my brother’s life and mine were as good as theirs; till at length, tired of them, and seeing that I made no impression on them, I told them to go away from our sight, and that we could do without them. But now they demanded their wages or a _book_ to enable them to receive them at Cape Coast Castle, to which they said they would return by the way they had come here. This I refused instantly to comply with, and added that if they chose to leave us here, they should not receive a farthing; but if they would go on with us down the river, they should be paid. They were indignant at this, and went directly to the chief to lay their case before him, and to induce him to detain us. The old man, however, would not listen to them, but sent them about their business, and it is not unlikely, rather than lose all their wages, that they will proceed with us.

My brother and I determined to satisfy the curiosity of the people to- day, and we accordingly walked about outside our hut for two hours. The natives were much pleased at this, and much order and regularity were preserved by two old Mallams, to whom the duty had been assigned, of removing those away who had seen us when any fresh ones arrived. It was the old chief’s particular wish that all his people should see us, and they all conducted themselves in a very becoming manner. We had presented the chief with a pair of silver bracelets on our arrival, on which the arms of our gracious sovereign were engraved, and he wore them to-day with evident satisfaction. These were no less objects of curiosity to the people than they had been to the king, and hundreds of them came to look at them on his wrists, overjoyed at seeing their chief so smart. They even came and thanked us for our kindness to the old man.

The people of this town appear all very neatly dressed; the population is one-half of the Mahomedan religion, and the other the original Pagan. The town is about four miles in length and two in breadth: the morass which surrounds it is full of crocodiles. The streets are very narrow, and, like most places where there are large markets, are exceedingly filthy. The reason for building their houses so close together is, that the Falàtahs may not be able to ride through them so easily and destroy the people; it is said that they have been expecting an attack from these people a long time. The Portuguese cloth which we observed here on our arrival is brought up the river from a place called _Cuttumcurrafee_, which has a celebrated market for Nouffie cloths, trona, slaves, Nouffie knives, bridles, stirrups, brass ornaments, stained leather, and other things. The cloth is of a very indifferent manufacture. The large canoes lying here bring all the above articles from the Rabba market.