Chapter VIII

The Widow Zuma — Present to the King — Visit to the Niger — The King of Boossà and the Midīkie — Object of the mission explained — The tobe of Park recovered — Park’s papers — Boossà described — Resources of the Country — One of Park’s books discovered — Equity of the King — The hostess — Departure from Boossà — Kagogie — Canoes — Embark on the Niger — Description of the river — Village of Sooloo — Rocky barrier — Arrival at Yáoorie.

_Friday, June 18th._—The noted widow Zuma visited us to-day without the slightest pretensions to finery of any kind, either in her dress or ornaments, for she was clad in very humble apparel of country cloth. She related to us with great good humour her quarrels with her prince, the ruler of Wowow, and her consequent flight from that city to escape his resentment. It appears that, in order to effect this, she was actually obliged to climb over the city wall in the night, and travel on foot to Boossà, which is a very long journey, and to a woman of her size must have been an arduous task. She alleged that she had done nothing whatever to merit the displeasure of the Wowow chief, notwithstanding which he had robbed her of all her household furniture and a number of her slaves. But, from another quarter, we learn that one of her sons had committed a theft in the city, for which he would have suffered death, if he had not made his escape with his mother, who it is said had instigated him to the deed. The widow complained sadly of poverty and the hardness of the times; she had fought with the Yarribeans against Alòrie; but instead of receiving a recompense for her bravery, she had lost half her slaves in an engagement, which so disgusted her with the military profession, that she immediately abandoned it and returned home. Yet, in spite of all her losses and misfortunes, she has gained so much in corpulency, that it was with the utmost difficulty she could squeeze herself into the doorway of our hut, although it is by no means small. The widow Zuma is a very good-looking, elderly person of matronly appearance. Her skin is of a light copper colour.

After the widow had left us, I carried the presents which had been selected to the king and queen. Each appeared delighted with them, and the former more especially was extravagant in expressions of admiration and thankfulness. A pair of silver bracelets, a tobacco pipe, and a looking-glass, seemed to rivet the attention of the king, who could not take his eyes off them for a full half hour, so much was he pleased with them.

This morning we visited the far-famed _Niger_ or _Quorra_, which flows by the city, about a mile from our residence, and were greatly disappointed at the appearance of this celebrated river. Black, rugged rocks rose abruptly from the centre of the stream, causing strong ripples and eddies on its surface. It is said that, a few miles above Boossà, the river is divided into three branches, by two small fertile islands, and that it flows from hence in one continued stream to Funda. The Niger here, in its widest part, is not more than a stone’s-throw across at present. The rock on which we sat overlooks the spot where Mr. Park and his associates met their unhappy fate; we could not help meditating on that circumstance, and on the number of valuable lives which have been sacrificed in attempting to explore this river, and secretly implored the Almighty that we might be the humble means of setting at rest for ever the great question of its course and termination.

_Saturday, June 19th._—This morning the king, accompanied by his consort, who is said to be his counsellor and only confidant, honoured us with a visit at our hut. They came without any kind of state or ceremony, and were both dressed more plainly than many of their subjects. The king wore a white cotton tobe over another of blue and white, a cap of red cloth, and leathern sandals of the same colour. The midīkie was clad in a common check shirt, of Nouffie manufacture; a plain piece of blue cotton was fastened round her head, wholly concealing the hair; a larger piece of the same kind was thrown over the left shoulder, and a third, tied round her waist, reached so far as the middle of the leg. Her feet were bare, as were likewise her arms up to the elbow; a brass ring ornamented each great toe, and eight silver bracelets each wrist, the least of them weighing little less than a quarter of a pound. Besides these ornaments, the queen wore a necklace of coral and bits of gold, and small pieces of pipe coral were stuck in the lobe of each ear.

We had almost forgotten to mention that the sultan of Bornou is considered the most powerful chief of Northern, as the king of Boossà is of Western Africa. The queen is the daughter of the last and sister of the present ruler of Wowow.

The demand for coral has been very great in every town of consequence which we have visited. All ranks of people appear passionately fond of wearing it, and it is preferred to every other ornament whatever. The midīkie asked us, this morning, if we had brought any coral with us, and seemed rather disappointed, though not displeased, on being answered in the negative. She then pulled out a little box, made of sheep skin, which was filled with coral beads and little golden trinkets, and requested me to polish the latter for her. We offered her a few plated buttons, which we had just before been cleaning, and they were accepted with transport; but, as their brightness had excited the admiration of her consort, a scramble took place as to which of the two should have them. After a long struggle, it ended in the triumph of the king, who first chose the largest and best for his own use, and then gave his spouse the remainder, taking care, however, to show her the inside of the buttons he had selected for himself, which were tarnished by use, and to display those intended for her to the greatest advantage. The royal couple were like two great children, yet they were each well pleased with their own, and expressed their thankfulness with much warmth.

We imagined that it would have been bad policy to have stated the true reason of our visiting this country, knowing the jealousy of most of the people with regard to the Niger; and therefore, in answer to the king’s inquiries, I was obliged to deceive him with the assertion that our object was to go to Bornou by way of Yáoorie, requesting at the same time a safe conveyance through his territories. This answer satisfied the king, and he promised us every assistance in his power. Our visitors remained with us a considerable time, and in the course of conversation, one of them observed that they had in their possession a tobe, which belonged to a white man who came from the north many years ago, and from whom it had been purchased by the king’s father. We expressed great curiosity to see this tobe, and it was sent us as a present a short time after their departure. Contrary to our expectations, we found it to be made of rich crimson damask, and very heavy from the immense quantity of gold embroidery with which it was covered. As the time when the late king is said to have purchased this tobe corresponds very nearly to the supposed period of Mr. Park’s death, and as we never heard of any other white man having come from the north so far south as Boossà, we are inclined to believe it to be part of the spoil obtained from the canoe of that ill-fated traveller. Whether Mr. Park wore the tobe himself, which is scarcely probable on account of its weight, or whether he intended it as a present to a native chief, we are at a loss to determine. At all events, the article is a curiosity in itself; and if we should live to return to England, we shall easily learn whether it was made there or not. The chief himself has never worn the tobe, nor did his predecessor, from a superstitious feeling; ‘besides,’ observed the king, ‘it might excite the cupidity of the neighbouring powers.’

_Sunday, June 20th._—The king sent a messenger this morning, to inform us that he was a tailor, and that he would thank us for some thread and a few needles for his own private use. By this man he likewise sent a musket for us to repair; but as it is Sunday, we have declined doing it till to-morrow. Eager as we are to obtain even the slightest information relative to the unhappy fate of Mr. Park and his companions, as well as to ascertain if any of their books or papers are now in existence at this place, we had almost made up our minds to refrain from asking any questions on the subject, because we were apprehensive that it might be displeasing to the king, and involve us in many perplexities. Familiarity, however, having in some measure worn off this impression, and the king being an affable, obliging, and good-natured person, we were emboldened to send Paskoe to him this morning, with a message expressive of the interest we felt on the subject, in common with all our countrymen; and saying that, if any books or papers which belonged to Mr. Park were yet in his possession, he would do us a great service, by delivering them into our hands, or at least by granting us permission to see them. To this the king returned for answer, that when Mr. Park was lost in the Niger, he was a very little boy, and that he knew not what had become of his effects; that the deplorable event had occurred in the reign of the late king’s predecessor, who died shortly after; and that all traces of the white man had been lost with him. This answer disappointed our hopes, for to us it appeared final and decisive. But in the evening they were again raised by a hint from our host, who is the king’s drummer, and one of the principal men in the country: he assured us, that there was certainly one book at least saved from Mr. Park’s canoe, which is now in the possession of a very poor man in the service of his master, to whom it had been entrusted by the late king during his last illness. He said moreover, that if but one application were made to the king, on any subject whatever, very little was thought of it; but if a second were made, the matter would be considered of sufficient importance to demand his whole attention,—such being the custom of the country. The drummer therefore recommended us to persevere in our inquiries, for he had no doubt that something to our satisfaction would be elicited. At his own request, we sent him to the king immediately, desiring him to repeat our former statement, and to assure the king, that should he be successful in recovering the book we wanted, our monarch would reward him handsomely. He desired the drummer to inform us, that he would use every exertion, and examine the man who was reported to have the white man’s book in his possession, at an early hour to-morrow. Here the matter at present rests.

In the afternoon, the king came alone to see us, and wished to know when we were inclined to depart: we answered, that we were quite ready; that we were only waiting his pleasure, and would gladly proceed on our journey whenever he would give us permission. He said, if the king of Yáoorie should not have a canoe for us by Monday evening, we should have the use of one of his own, and that we should have liberty to embark on the following morning. We thanked him for his kindness, and took the opportunity of paying him and his spouse a compliment, which their treatment of us has really deserved. The king took it in good part, was extremely affable and obliging, and quitted us in an excellent humour.

I have been very unwell during the last day or two, but am now much better.

_Monday, June 21st._—The city of Boossá, as we have before observed, consists of a great number of groups or clusters of huts, all within a short distance of each other. It is bounded on one side by the river Quorra or Niger, and on the other by an extensive turreted wall, with moats, forming a complete semicircle. Notwithstanding, however, its natural and artificial defences, Boossá was taken by the Falátahs many years ago; on which occasion its inhabitants fled, with their children and effects, to one of those little islands in the Niger, which we have already mentioned. But the chiefs of Niki, Wowow, and Kíama, having been made acquainted with the circumstance, assembled together, and having joined their forces with those of Boossà, drove the Falátahs, their common enemy, into the Niger, where many of them perished. Since that period the city has never been invaded, nor threatened with attack. The soil of Boossà is, for the most part, very fertile, and produces rice, corn, yams, &c., in great abundance. _Dowah_, a kind of corn, is obtained here in the greatest perfection; it yields five hundred fold, and forms the principal food of the inhabitants, both rich and poor. Another variety of corn grows here, which has eight ears on a single stem; the grain is very small and sweet, but it is not cultivated to any extent. The butter-tree flourishes in and near the town; and palm oil is imported from Nouffie; but the latter is only used as an article of food, because it is very scarce and dear, and is purchased only by the king and a few of the principal inhabitants. The king and his midīkie have each great numbers of fine cattle, but none of their subjects are in possession of a single bullock; they have, however, flocks of sheep and goats, and obtain immense quantities of fish from the Niger. Very good salt is brought from a salt lake on the borders of the river, which is about ten days’ journey to the northward of this place; and pepper grows in every part of the country. Guinea-fowl, pheasants, partridges, and a variety of aquatic birds are found here in the greatest plenty, and have afforded us excellent sport. The natives sometimes endeavour to shoot them with their arrows, but this method of procuring game is at all times very precarious and difficult; and two birds only have been thus killed during several years past. Deer and antelopes also abound near the city; but they are timid and shy, and rarely, if ever, caught by the inhabitants. The fish, with which the river abounds so plentifully, are eaten by all classes of people: they are tough, dry, and unsavory; yet they form part of the daily food of the inhabitants, who appear exceedingly fond of them.

The Hàussa language is understood by the generality of the natives of Borgoo, both young and old, almost as well as their mother-tongue, and it is spoken by the majority of them with considerable fluency. The government of the country is despotic; but this unlimited power, which is vested in the monarch, is almost invariably exercised with lenity and forbearance. All private disputes are settled by the king, and he punishes misdemeanours just as his inclination may lead him. It was reported that the queen ruled her husband, and influenced his conduct in all matters; but the affair of the buttons shows the rumour to be ill- founded. The king’s address is superior; and his whole demeanour, in our presence, though mild and unassuming, displays a good deal of natural dignity. He sent us a fine turkey this morning, which was acknowledged on our part by a couple of Guinea-fowl and two brace of partridges, which my brother had shot.

In the afternoon, the king came to see us, followed by a man with a book under his arm, which was said to have been picked up in the Niger after the loss of our countryman. It was enveloped in a large cotton cloth, and our hearts beat high with expectation as the man was slowly unfolding it, for by its size we guessed it to be Mr. Park’s journal; but our disappointment and chagrin were great, when, on opening the book, we discovered it to be an old nautical publication of the last century. The title page was missing, but its contents were chiefly tables of logarithms. It was a thick royal quarto, which led us to conjecture that it was a journal; between the leaves we found a few loose papers of very little consequence indeed; one of them contained two or three observations on the height of the water in the Gambia; one was a tailor’s bill on a Mr. Anderson; and another was addressed to Mr. Mungo Park, and contained an invitation to dinner,—the following is a copy of it:—

‘Mr. and Mrs. Watson would be happy to have the pleasure of Mr. Park’s company at dinner on Tuesday next, at half-past five o’clock.

‘An answer is requested.

‘_Strand, 9th Nov._ 1804.’

The king, as well as the owner of the book, looked as greatly mortified as ourselves, when they were told that the one produced was not that of which we were in quest, because the reward promised would not of course be obtained. As soon as our curiosity had been fully satisfied, the papers were carefully collected and placed again between the leaves, and the book as carefully folded in its envelope as before, and taken away by its owner, who values it as much as a household god. Thus all our hopes of obtaining Mr. Park’s journal or papers, in this city, are entirely defeated. The inquiry, on our part, has not been prosecuted without much trouble and anxiety, and some little personal sacrifices likewise, which, had they been ten times as great, we would gladly have made whilst a single hope remained of their being effectual.

_Tuesday, June 22d._—When Captain Clapperton was at Wowow on the former expedition, Paskoe purchased a slave of the widow Zuma to be his wife, but for some reason or other the bargain was not completed, and the woman remained with her mistress. A part of the purchase-money only was given back to Paskoe, and he was obliged to quit the town with his master without having had an opportunity of recovering the remainder. The widow’s late change of residence from Wowow to Boossà seemed to offer a fair chance for Paskoe to obtain his money, and he accordingly made an early application for it; but though she acknowledged the debt, she refused payment on the ground that, as the prince of Wowow had forcibly obtained possession of the girl in question, he had no right whatever to the money. Paskoe, unwilling to lose so large a sum, then laid the matter before the king of Boossà, for his decision; and, in consequence, the widow has undergone two or three examinations, without producing any good whatever. The monarch has declared that he sees the justice of his demand, but as the woman obstinately refuses to pay the debt, he cannot think of forcing her to do so against her inclination. Paskoe subsequently offered the whole of the money which the widow owed him to the king, provided the latter could obtain it. But this was altogether repugnant to the monarch’s notions of right and wrong. He replied, ‘The widow came here to me alone, and in distress, to claim my protection, which I granted her without hesitation; it would therefore ill become me to break my faith, and turn my back on an object so utterly defenceless and unprotected, by exacting from her the money of another for my own use, in the recovery of which I had previously refused to interfere. I cannot break my word—I cannot grant you your request.’

It is amusing to discover the shifts to which the people of Boossà and other places have resorted, in the hope of obtaining a little present of some sort from us. The day after our arrival here, a man, who represented himself as brother to the King of Nouffie, sent us a large bowl of dried fish and onions; and another individual has sold his only tobe, for the purpose of obtaining a little money to purchase some _bum_, which is a fermented liquor extracted from the palm tree and the bamboo, and which he is about to present to us. The former of these presents was rejected, because such kind of things had become, by their frequency, so serious an inconvenience, that we have determined to accept of nothing for the future in the shape of a gift, except from the chiefs and governors themselves. Yet we have repented of our resolution in this instance, having been informed yesterday that the pretended brother of the King of Nouffie was not long ago taken prisoner by the Falátahs, and his only son with him, and that they were both sold by them to a company of Hàussa merchants; that the father had redeemed himself from slavery by his own exertions, and that he had had recourse to the above expedient of sending us a quantity of dried fish and onions, in the expectation of obtaining a little money from us towards emancipating his son. The poor man went away quite crest-fallen and unhappy at the ill success of his project, and quitted the city immediately after, to visit his enslaved son, who is at _Koolfu_, so that when we were made acquainted with the circumstance it was too late to relieve him, and we very much regretted it.

Our hostess is an agreeable and good-natured woman, but she is excessively vain of her person; so much so indeed, that she employs several hours in the day in dressing her hair, which hangs down below the face in three plaited _queues_, one of them from the forehead, and one from each side of the head; after which she affixes ornaments on different parts of her body, stains her lips and teeth a shining red colour with _hennah_ (a species of myrtle); and when all this is done she admires herself in a broken looking-glass which we have given her. This is the most whimsical and diverting part of the ceremony: she approaches the glass and retreats from it again, smiles when she fancies that she looks pretty; and distorts her features and throws her body into all manner of comical attitudes, to ascertain which is the most engaging. Although only a drummer’s wife, our hostess is considered as a person of respectability, for her husband’s situation is one of the most important in the kingdom; and all the more respectable females of Borgoo adorn their persons in much the same manner as she does, and have an almost equal share of affectation and vanity. The men sometimes stain their lips and teeth, and finger and toe-nails, like their wives; but this custom is by no means general among them. The King and Queen of Boossà disregard it altogether.

We brought three horses with us to Coobly from Jenna; two of them have died from fatigue, and the third is in so miserable a state, that he can be of no further service to us. The king paid us a visit this afternoon, and informed us that everything will be in readiness for our departure to-morrow. On this occasion he presented us with an excellent and handsome horse, which is the more acceptable, as we have only one, which we fortunately purchased a few days ago from the Governor of Coobly. The monarch strongly enjoined us to accept of no provisions, particularly milk and honey, from any person whatever, excepting the governors of towns through which we may pass, for he was apprehensive that poison would be mixed with them. He did not explain to us on what grounds he entertained his suspicion, but left us to form our own conjectures on his unexpected advice. If we are not mistaken, the king warned Captain Clapperton of a similar danger.

During the whole course of our journey we have nowhere experienced greater kindness, attention, and hospitality, than from the amiable ruler of this place, and his no less amiable companion, and we shall have occasion to remember their civility to us as long as we live.

Since we have been here the king has given us a horse, bullock, sheep, and turkey, which were all very valuable, while our present to him is considerably less than that which the King of Kiáma received.

_Wednesday, June 23rd._—Last night Boossà was visited by a tornado, which did a little mischief to the town. At an early hour in the morning the king and queen paid us a farewell visit, when the former again cautioned us to beware of poison. We then expressed our acknowledgments to both for all their favours; and an hour or two after they had taken their departure, we rode out of the city, accompanied by two horsemen as an escort, and a foot-messenger to the Sultan of Yàoorie. Not far from the walls of Boossà we came to a spot where the herds of the King and Midīkie were grazing: finer cattle can nowhere be seen; they are under the care of Falátah slaves, because the natives do not understand their management. From hence we journied along the banks of the Niger, at an easy pace, owing to the hollows in the path, and two hours afterwards entered a pleasant little walled town, called _Kagogie_, where we were desired to halt till to-morrow. The town is peopled solely by the King of Boussà’s slaves; and is distant, in a northerly direction, from the capital about eight or nine miles. We have been sent hither by land, because a canoe could not be paddled up the river without the greatest difficulty and danger, on account of the rocks. The inhabitants of Kagogie appear to enjoy an easy kind of life. The chief part of their time is employed in husbandry, fishing, and taking care of the king’s horses; and though but indifferently clad, they all seem well fed, contented, and comfortable.

In the afternoon a young woman presented herself with a few loose leaves of ‘Thomson’s Seasons,’ which we had thrown away at Boossà. She had been despatched purposely by the king, her master, who imagined that they were valuable to us, and that we had overlooked them in the hurry of departure.

Even here, in this insignificant and sequestered place, the Arabic language is professed to be taught in schools, and boys are put under the tuition of men, who can only teach them a few very short Mohammedan prayers, and who do not themselves understand a single Arabic character.

Our nights were spent most unpleasantly at Boossà, by reason of the swarms of mosquitoes and black ants which infested our dwelling, and whose sting is keener than a needle’s point; the latter insect, in particular, is a great nuisance, and we are told that there is not a town on the banks of the Niger that is free from either.

_Thursday, June 24th._—Though the governor of Kagogie had been made acquainted with our intentions no less than three days before our arrival, yet no canoe had been got ready for our use; and this morning, when we expected to embark, the ‘King of the Canoe,’ as the person who has the care of it is ridiculously styled, informed us with the utmost unconcern that it was out of repair, and that it would not be fit for our reception for some hours at least. This intelligence was very disagreeable and provoking, for we were so anxious to embark on the Niger, that the shortest delay was painful to us. Besides the appearance of the morning foretold a hot day, and as we had neither awning nor umbrellas to screen us from the burning sun, this circumstance tended to increase our uneasiness. The natives have no forethought, and imagine that all men value time as little as themselves; everything is deferred till the very last moment, and they look up into one’s face with wonder when they see one anywise impatient.

In the course of the forenoon we repaired to the side of the river, which is about twenty or thirty paces from the town, for the purpose of endeavouring to encourage and hurry the workmen in their labour about the canoe. Promises and threats were employed to effect this object, but the men would neither be coaxed nor intimidated,—they would not overwork themselves, they said, for all the riches in our possession; so that we were obliged to leave them, and exercise our patience. The branch of the Niger which flows by Kagogie is about a mile in width; but it is rendered so shallow by large sand-banks that, except in one very narrow place, a child might wade across it without difficulty. Mr. Park chose a deeper and safer branch, though it led to the same dangers.

Our horses were conveyed across from here to the opposite side of the river, from whence they will be taken to Yàoorie by land, because the canoes of the natives would be too frail a conveyance for them. These canoes are of great length, but the workmanship employed in making and fashioning them is exceedingly rude and careless. Owing perhaps to the want of proper trees of sufficient magnitude, they are made of _two_ blocks of wood, which are sewn together by a thick cord, under which a quantity of straw is placed, both inside and out, to prevent the admission of water; but the whole is altogether so clumsily executed, that every canoe in the country is always leaky.

About mid-day the workmen having finished our canoe, the luggage was presently put into it, and between twelve and one we embarked with our people, and were launched out into the river. The direction of this branch was nearly east and west; and we proceeded some distance down the stream for the purpose of getting into the main branch of the Niger, where there is deeper water. This object was soon attained, and we found it flowing from north to south, through a rich and charming country, which seemed to improve in appearance the further we advanced. We were propelled at a good rate up a channel, which, from half a mile in breadth, gradually widened to rather better than a mile. Beautiful, spreading, and spiry trees adorned the country on each side of the river, like a park; corn, nearly ripe, waved over the water’s edge; large, open villages appeared every half-hour; and herds of spotted cattle were observed grazing and enjoying the cool of the shade. The appearance of the river, for several miles, was no less enchanting than its borders; it was as smooth as a lake; canoes, laden with sheep and goats, were paddled by women down its almost imperceptible current; swallows, and a variety of aquatic birds, were sporting over its glassy surface, which was ornamented by a number of pretty little islands.

The heat of the weather distressed us greatly, till the approach of evening, when large sand-banks and shallows engaged our attention. A little after eight, P.M., we landed on the eastern bank of the river, not far from a small village, where we fixed our tent on a plot of rising corn, and, having nothing to eat, went supperless to rest.

_Friday, June 25th._—The most remarkable object which we saw on rising this morning, was a rugged and romantic range of hills, appearing to the eastward of our encampment: it is called _Engarskie_, from a country of the same name in which the hills are situated, and which was formerly an independent kingdom, but is now become a province of Yàoorie. At a little before seven, A.M., our canoe was pushed off the sandy beach on which it had been secured last evening, and propelled down a very narrow channel, between a large sand-bank and the shore. This conducted us into the main branch of the Niger, and we again admired its delightful and magnificent appearance.

We had proceeded only a few hundred yards when the river gradually widened to two miles, and continued so as far as the eye could reach. It looked very much like an artificial canal; the banks having the appearance of a dwarf wall, with vegetation beyond. In most places the water was extremely shallow, but in others it was deep enough to float a frigate. During the first two hours of the day, the scenery was as interesting and picturesque as can be imagined. The banks were literally covered with hamlets and villages; fine trees, bending under the weight of their dark and impenetrable foliage, everywhere relieved the eye from the glare of the sun’s rays, and, contrasted with the lively verdure of the little hills and plains, produced the most pleasing effect. Afterwards, however, there was a decided change; the banks, which before consisted of dark earth, clay, or sand, were now composed of black rugged rocks; large sand-banks and islands were scattered in the river, which diverted it into a variety of little channels, and effectually destroyed its appearance.

About eleven o’clock, dark clouds from the west foretold an approaching storm; and our boatmen used their utmost exertions in endeavouring to reach a village, or some place of security, before it should burst upon us; but in this hope we were disappointed, for in a very few minutes it blew a hurricane, accompanied by thunder and lightning of the most awful description, and the rain fell in torrents. It became, besides, so dark, that nothing could be clearly distinguished at the distance of only a few yards. We were wetted to the skin in a moment; and our canoe was in danger of sinking as we came abreast of a little fishing village, on an island, close to the water’s edge. We jumped on shore as soon as possible, and ran, without shoes or hats, into the first hut we came to for protection from the storm. Here our unlooked for intrusion frightened away a poor woman, who rushed out of the hut as we entered it; but we commenced throwing off our dripping clothes, and displacing a pot of fish which was stewing over a few expiring embers, heaped up all the dry wood we could find. Not till then did we discover that our situation was little better than it had been in the canoe; the hut had two large open doorways opposite each other, through which the wind swept the rain, and filled it with pools of water. This was too much for us, and sallying out immediately, half-dressed, we hurried towards a hut which we perceived at a short distance; but this was no better than that which we had left,—all seemed alike; and rushing back again through the pelting rain, we regained our deserted hut, and resigned ourselves to all its inconveniences. Our people shortly afterwards came up to us, quite benumbed with cold and wet; and, notwithstanding their distress and our own comfortless condition, we could not forbear laughing at their comical and ragged appearance. Meantime the hostess and her husband, with several of the other villagers, summoned up resolution enough to visit us; and by way of a peace-offering, they brought with them fire-wood and a small quantity of provisions. This enabled us to kindle two large fires in the hut, which, as the storm was abating, soon dried up the water; but we were unavoidably obliged to lie down in damp clothes. My brother and I sat up during the best part of the night, for we found it impossible to sleep, not only on account of myriads of mosquitoes, but the groaning and snoring of men, the barking and growling of dogs, an incessant drumming at an adjacent village, and the startling roar of a lion, which was prowling about our quarters nearly the whole of the night.

_Saturday, June 26th._—The tempest of yesterday was succeeded by a cool evening, and a remarkably clear night. In the morning, on leaving the village, we were followed to the beach by a few of its inhabitants, and when the canoe was pushed off at seven o’clock, they cheered us loudly. These people are harmless and good-natured, but dirty in their persons and singular in their manners. Their language is different from that spoken at Boossà. Most of the villages on the islands, as far as Yàoorie, it is said, are inhabited by the same race of people, and they are also scattered on the banks of the river. The women daub their hair with red clay, but they are too poor to purchase many personal ornaments, and the men use none whatever. They appear to have the necessaries of life in abundance; they are partial to agriculture, and cultivate large portions of land with corn, rice, and onions; besides which fishing is carried on by them on an extensive scale, and numbers of the men go three days’ journey up the Niger to catch fish. Most of their huts are supported on clay pillars, which are wonderfully small; or on stone slabs not more than an inch in thickness. The walls of the huts are only two or three inches in thickness; but these have no large doorways like that which we occupied; and instead of them, they are furnished with a small single aperture near the roof, to which their owners are obliged to climb; and even then they cannot enter without great exertion. These huts approach nearer to the shape of a common English oven than anything else we have ever seen. Situated between Boossà and Yàoorie, the inhabitants of most of the islands speak the language of those countries, but they have also one of their own, which nobody but themselves understand: a smattering of the Hàussa tongue, which they have attained, is the only method of communication which is adopted in their trading transactions.

We had passed the island whereon we slept last night but a few minutes, and had just entered into the main river, when we came to a spot where it spreads again into branches, and each channel was literally filled with dangerous rocks, sand-banks, and low islands covered with tall rank grass. The appearance of them was extremely disheartening. We were conducted up the main branch of the river, but were soon obliged to land with our people in order to lighten the canoe, which, after a deal of exertion, was lifted over a ridge of rocks into deeper water. During the greater part of the morning, indeed, our canoe was continually striking against concealed rocks, or running on hidden sand-banks, but sustained no apparent damage by the concussion; the only inconvenience we experienced from it was the fatiguing one of being obliged to get out and in whenever it was found necessary. It therefore afforded us much pleasure to be landed, about two o’clock in the afternoon, on the left bank of the river, for we were heartily tired of our morning’s work, and felt highly gratified that it was over.

At a short distance from the water’s edge the country was thickly studded with clusters of huts, which all together are called the village of _Sooloo_; and we took up our quarters in a large one, which is nearest the landing-place. The inhabitants resemble very much the islanders already spoken of; they cultivate much land and catch vast quantities of fish; but though they live well, they are clothed very indifferently. The only ornaments they wear are made of the back-bone of a certain species of fish, which are tied round the loins and other parts of the body. Besides corn, &c. the inhabitants also grow immense quantities of onions, and they have large store-houses full of these, ready to be exported to different parts of the continent. The price of an onion here is two cowries; at Katunga forty, and at Badágry they fetch so high a price as a hundred cowries each.

We were treated this afternoon with much hospitality by them, and they did all in their power to render our short stay as agreeable as possible.

_Sunday, June 27th._—Both of us awoke this morning rather unwell, which was most likely occasioned by our exposure to the tempest of Friday. The old chief of the village accompanied us to the water’s edge when we quitted our hut for the purpose of embarking, and enjoined the ‘King of the Canoe’ to be particularly careful of his charge. ‘Careful!’ answered the man; ‘to be sure I will; do I not know that white men are more precious than a boat-load of eggs, and require as much care to be taken of them?’ We entreated the same man a short time afterwards to be more active and diligent in the management of his canoe, for he was rather inclined to be lazy, and suffered every one to go before ours; but he replied gravely, ‘Kings do not travel so fast as common men; I must convey you along as slowly as possible.’

We had heard so unfavourable an account of the state of the river at one particular place which we should have to pass, that our people were compelled to disembark and walk along the banks a considerable way till we had passed it, when we took them in again. We found the description to be in no wise exaggerated; it presented a most forbidding appearance, and yields only to the state of the Niger near Boossà in difficulty and danger. On our arrival at this formidable place, we discovered a range of black rocks running directly across the stream, and the water, finding only one narrow passage, rushed through it with great impetuosity, overturning and carrying away everything in its course. Our boatmen, with the assistance of a number of the natives, who planted themselves on the rocks on each side of the only channel, and in the stream at the stern of the canoe, lifted it by main force into smoother and safer water. The last difficulty with respect to rocks and sand- banks was now overcome, and in a very little time we came to the termination of all the islands, after which, it is said, there is not a single dangerous place up the Niger. The river here presented its noblest appearance; not a single rock nor sand-bank was anywhere perceptible; its borders resumed their beauty, and a strong, refreshing breeze, which had blown during the whole of the morning, now gave it the motion of a slightly-agitated sea. In the course of the morning we passed two lovely little islands, clothed in verdure, which at a short distance looked as charming as the fabled gardens of Hesperia; indeed no spot on earth can excel them in beauty of appearance. These islands are inhabited by a few individuals.

About eleven A.M. we landed at the foot of a little village on the east bank of the river, where our horses and men had arrived before us. Here a little milk was presented to us by a Falátah in the service of the sultan of Yàoorie, and we rested under a large tree an hour or two, awaiting the arrival of carriers from the city of Yàoorie, who had been sent for yesterday by one of the Boossà messengers that had charge of our horses. These men arrived at the village between one and two o’clock in the afternoon, and we immediately mounted and rode onwards.

The path was in a N.N.E. direction, and we travelled over a sterile country, which was gradually rising at every step, and abounded plentifully in game. The weather was oppressively warm, and we were obliged to refresh ourselves by halting occasionally and resting in the shade. The soil, which at first was so indifferent and barren, improved greatly as we drew near Yàoorie; and immense patches of land, cultivated with a variety of corn, also with rice, indigo, cotton, &c., were visible on every side. Labourers were employed in these plantations, attended by a drummer, that they might be excited by the sound of his instrument to work well and briskly. On attaining the summit of a steep hill, we rode over a very narrow pathway, so much overhung by an impenetrable thorny shrub, that there was not room for more than one man to walk. This led us to the wall of Yàoorie, and we entered the city through an amazingly strong passage, in which was an immense door covered with plates of iron, rudely fastened to the wood-work. We were almost exhausted with fatigue on our arrival, insomuch that we excused ourselves from visiting and paying our respects to the sultan, and we were conducted to a convenient habitation, which had been prepared for us. Yàoorie is about eight miles N.N.E. from the village at which we landed.