CHAPTER III.

Tornado. — Departure from Jenna. — The Journey into the Interior

continued through various Towns and Villages. — Illness of the

Travellers. — Bohoo, the former Capital of Yarriba. — Arrival at

Katunga.

_Tuesday, April 13th._—Last night we were visited by one of those

terrific thunder-storms which are so prevalent in these latitudes. Our

thatched hut afforded but an insecure and uncertain asylum against its

fury; part of the roof was swept away, and the rain admitted freely upon

our beds, whence the most awful lightning-flashes could be seen, making,

as Milton says, ‘the darkness visible.’ It seemed as if the Genius of

the Storm was driving through the murky clouds in his chariot of fire,

to awaken the slumbering creation and make them feel and acknowledge his

power. It is indeed a grand lesson to human pride, to contemplate the

terrors of a tornado through the trembling walls and roof of a gloomy,

dilapidated hut in Africa. In civilized countries, when men are visited

by an awful calamity of this kind, the distinctions of rank are

levelled, and numbers flock together for the purpose of keeping each

other in countenance, and strengthening each other’s nerves; but here

all is naked, lonely, and desolate.

We passed the night, as may be supposed, uncomfortably enough. The roof

of our dwelling had long been infested with numbers of rats and mice,

and these vermin being dislodged from their haunts by the violence of

the wind and rain, sought immediate shelter between our bed clothes, and

to this very serious inconvenience was added another still greater,

viz., the company of lizards, ants, and mosquitoes, besides worms and

centipedes, and other crawling, creeping, and noxious things, which the

tempest seemed to renovate with fresh life and motion. After a long,

long night, the morning at length appeared, and the terrors of the storm

were forgotten.

Not long after sunrise two fresh legions of women entered our yard to

mourn with their old mistress, and the shrieks and lamentations of these

visiters were more violent than any of their predecessors. It made us

shudder to hear them. The piercing cries that assailed the ears of

Telemachus at his entrance into the infernal regions were not more

dolorous or fearful. Their eyes were red with weeping, their hands were

clasped on the crown of the head, their hair was in frightful disorder,

and two channels of tears were plainly seen flowing down over the naked

bosom of each of the women. In this manner they passed before the

threshold of our hut, in two close lines, and in this manner we observed

them bend the knee to the venerable matron without uttering a word. They

then rose and departed, and we could hear their cries long after they

had been out of sight.

Matters were arranged for our departure in good time this morning, and

after breakfast we went to pay our last respects to the good governor.

Of course we were obliged to wait a tiresome length of time outside his

residence before admittance could be obtained, but when the doors were

opened, the band that was in attendance inside played a native tune as a

token of welcome. We observed a greater number of drummers assembled

than on any former occasion. Some of their instruments were something in

the shape of a cone, and profusely ornamented with plates and figures of

brass. On one of these were represented the busts of two men, with a

tortoise in the act of eating out of the mouth of one of them. The

tortoise had a cock by its side, and two dogs standing as guardians of

the whole. These figures were all ingeniously carved in solid brass.

Both ends of the larger drums were played on with the palms of the hand;

hundreds of little brass bells were suspended round their edges for

ornament rather than use, for being without clappers they could produce

no sound. The common native drum is beaten on one of its ends only, and

with a stick shaped like a bow.

After a little conversation, the chief and his principal people shook us

affectionately by the hand, and wished us every blessing, and as soon as

we got outside the yard we mounted our horses and rode out of the town.

The Chief of Larro had broken his promise, but we were fortunate enough

to meet with and purchase another horse this morning, so that we cared

little about it. Our pathway led through a champaign country, partially

wooded, and after a pleasant ride of three-quarters of an hour, we

entered the small village of _Bidjie_[8]. Here our carriers dropped

their loads, nor could they be induced to resume them by the most

pressing solicitations. Nor would the villagers, as their duty required,

take them up, but when we begged them to do so, laughed at us, so that

here we are compelled to remain till to-morrow. This is very provoking;

and such is the tiresome mode of travelling through this country. No

consideration will induce any of the natives to shake off their habitual

indolence; they would not do so, I am persuaded, for a voice from

Heaven. Pleasure and sloth are with them synonymous words, and they are

scarcely alive to any other species of gratification. In the meantime

the chief, who seems to be a very good sort of man, although he has

little authority over his people, has sent us an excellent fatted goat,

and being in health, and having very encouraging prospects held out to

us as to our future progress, we are determined to forget our little

troubles and vexations, and spend the evening as cheerfully as we can.

Hawks and vultures are exceedingly numerous, both at Jenna and this

place; the former are bold and disgusting birds, but the latter are so

hungry and rapacious, that they pounce fearlessly in the midst of the

natives when at their meals. This evening one of them darted at a piece

of meat which one of our men held between his fingers, and snatched it

from him whilst he was conveying it to his mouth.

_Wednesday, April 14th._—At an early hour this morning, to our infinite

surprise and pleasure, the man from Badágry made his appearance with one

of our horses and an English saddle. The latter was as acceptable to us

as the horse; yesterday, for want of one, I had been obliged to

substitute a simple cloth, and the back of the animal being sharp as a

knife, it was no very pleasant thing to ride him; walking would have

been the less irksome exercise of the two. Paskoe, whose sagacity and

experience have proved of infinite value to us, has been lamed in his

endeavours to walk as fast as the rest of the party, and as he has also

the misfortune of having one leg shorter than the other, he became the

general butt and laughing-stock of his more robust companions. To-day,

however, we placed him on the back of the extra horse, from whence he

has retorted their revilings, and the whole of them are now envious of

his dignity as they were before facetious at his expense.

We set off from Bidjie while the morning was yet cool and pleasant, and

arrived at _Chow_ before eleven o’clock in the forenoon. The natives

have an unaccountable fancy that white men are fond of poultry to an

excess, insomuch that whenever we enter a village or town, all the fowls

are immediately seized, and confined in a place of security till our

departure.

Several strangers accompany us from town to town, in order to evade the

duty which is exacted at the turnpike-gates, by stating themselves to be

of the number of our attendants. Women have also placed themselves under

the protection of our men from Cape Coast Castle, that they may enjoy

the like advantage; in return for this favour they do us many little

kind offices, and are useful in making fires, preparing food, &c., for

our people.

Our journey to-day has been exceedingly pleasant. Sometimes the path ran

in a serpentine direction through plains covered with green turf;

sometimes it led us amidst large groves of stately trees, from whose

branches a variety of playful monkies diverted us by their mischievous

tricks; and the grey parrot, with other beautiful birds,

‘Warbled their native wood-notes wild.’

The chief of Chow who received and entertained the last mission has been

dead some time, and is succeeded by a humble, good-natured, and active

individual, who has treated us more like demi-gods than men. At the time

of our arrival he was engaged in superintending the slaves at his corn

and yam plantations, but hastened to us the moment he was informed of

the circumstance. He has a number of horses, amongst which is one of the

smallest and most beautiful we have ever beheld.

In the evening the chief visited us again with a present of provisions,

and a few goora nuts. My brother took the opportunity of playing on a

bugle horn in his presence, by which he was violently agitated, under

the supposition that the instrument was nothing less than a snake!

For the first time since our landing we have observed the loom in active

operation. The manufacture of cotton cloth is carried on here

exclusively by women.

_Thursday, April 15th._—The path to-day has winded through a country

charmingly diversified by hill and dale, woods and open glades, and

watered by streams flowing over beds of fine white sand. A horseman from

Katunga met us about ten in the morning, whose dress and accoutrements

were highly grotesque. He neither stopped nor spoke, but couched his

lance as he galloped past us. We found numbers of people of both sexes

in the path, who were returning from Egga to Chow, and several naked

boys on their way to the coast, under the care of guardians. These are

slaves, and will be sold most likely at Badágry. Women bore burdens on

their heads that would tire a mule, and children not more than five or

six years of age trudged after them, with loads that would give a full-

grown person in Europe the brain fever.

We departed from Chow before sunrise; a surprising dew had fallen during

the night, and distilled from the leaves and branches in large drops. We

passed, during the forenoon, over three or four swampy places covered

with reeds, rushes, and rank grass, which were inhabited by myriads of

frogs of prodigious size. On crossing streams we were invariably saluted

by a loud and unaccountable hissing, as if from a multitude of serpents.

We could not account for this extraordinary noise in any other way than

by supposing it to have proceeded from some species of insect whose

retreats we had invaded.

With very trifling manual labour, the path, which is little better than

a mere gutter, formed by repeated rains, might be converted into a good

and commodious road; and were a tree simply thrown over them, the

streams and morasses might be crossed with ease and safety. But the

natives appear to have no idea whatever of such improvements; and would

rather be entangled daily in a thick underwood, and wade through pools

of mud and water, than give themselves any concern about repairing the

road. Trees not unfrequently fall across the pathway, but, instead of

removing, the people form a large circuit round them; even a small ant-

hill is an object too mighty to be meddled with, and it is left in the

centre of the narrow road, so inconsiderate and indolent are the natives

of this part of the world.

Many women with little wooden figures of children on their heads passed

us in the course of the morning—mothers who, having lost a child, carry

such rude imitations of them about their persons for an indefinite time

as a symbol of mourning. None of them could be induced to part with one

of these little affectionate memorials.

We entered _Egga_, which is a very large town, in the early part of the

afternoon. On our arrival we were introduced into the house occupied by

Captain Clapperton in the last mission, in the yard of which repose the

remains of an Englishman named Dawson, who died here of fever when that

officer was passing through the country. Both hut and yard are filled

with people, and are in a state of filth which defies description. We

cannot rid ourselves of sheep, goats, and fowls, with their train; they

will be our companions in spite of us, and this grievance, with the

tongues of a hundred visiters, makes our situation all but intolerable.

Egga is the principal market-town in this part of Africa, and is

attended by buyers and sellers for many miles round. Women here are the

chief, if not the only traders; most of them are of graceful and

prepossessing exterior, and they all practise those petty tricks and

artifices in their dealings with which the market-women of more

civilized countries are not unacquainted.

_Friday, April 16th._—Yesterday was comparatively cool, owing to the

thick dark clouds which obscured the sky; but on our setting out this

morning, as if to make amends for his partial concealment, the sun

showed his broad, burning face with uncommon clearness, and the day was

one of the hottest we ever remember to have felt. We found the path in

much better condition than those behind it, and it lay almost entirely

through plantations of yams, calavances, and pumpkins, and three or four

different varieties of corn, which a number of labourers were employed

in weeding, &c. The hoe is the only implement of husbandry in use, and

indeed they can well dispense with every other, because the soil during

the rainy months is so soft and light that but very little manual

exertion in working it is required. Population is abundant,—labourers

may be hired to any number,—and in our opinion, the introduction of the

plough would scarcely be a blessing—but on the contrary furnish new

encouragement to the besetting sin of sloth.

Having crossed at noon a small but agreeable river, flowing from east to

west, in which several females were bathing, and washing clothes, we

shortly afterwards entered the capacious and populous town of _Jadoo_.

Here we were informed that the chief had been in the grave more than a

twelvemonth, and that no one having yet been nominated to succeed him,

everything continued in a state of confusion and misrule. We were

conducted, after we had waited a little, into a large yard belonging to

the late governor, and presently received a visit from his brother, in

company with all the elders of the place; but their conversation was

unpleasant, and their whole behaviour much cooler than was agreeable,

the more so as such a reception had been entirely unexpected.

The yard wherein we reside is perfectly round, and walled with huts, all

tenanted by the late chief’s widows, who employ their time and earn

their livelihood by spinning and weaving. Not less than a hundred of the

king of Katunga’s ladies are lodging in the yard with them. They have

all passed the bloom of life, and arrived here lately with loads of

trona and country cloth, which they barter for salt, and various

articles of European manufacture, particularly beads; with these they

return home, and expose them for sale in the market, and afterwards the

profits are taken to their husbands. These royal ladies are

distinguished from their countrywomen only by a peculiar species of

cloth, which is wrapped round their goods, and which no one dares to

imitate, on pain of perpetual slavery. This severe punishment is often

inflicted, for, as the king’s wives pay no tribute or turnpike dues

whatever, and must besides be entertained by the chiefs of every town

through which they pass, strong inducements are offered for others to

attempt to deceive by using the forbidden cloth, and hence examples are

necessary. As a contrast to the afflicted females of Jenna, the wives of

the king of Katunga all fell to crying for _joy_ this evening, on

recognising a few old acquaintances in the yard, who soon joined them in

the melancholy music. It was laughable enough to see them; yet after the

first burst had subsided, they began to chat with a garrulity far beyond

that of the most talkative of their European sisters. The conversation

lasted more than an hour, till at last it resolved itself into a violent

quarrel, which has not yet terminated.

It is now ten o’clock at night, and the women are sitting in groups

round the several wood-fires. We ourselves occupy only a verandah, which

is simply the projection of the roof of a thatched hut; our horses are

fastened to wooden stakes in the centre of the yard; our men are lying

round them, warming themselves at their own fires. Sheep, beautiful

sheep, with tinkling bells hung round their necks, are chewing their cud

in peace and happiness. But although it is the hour of repose, the

tongues of our female fellow-travellers are making a clatter which all

the _Graces_ of Billingsgate could not rival, and together with the

squalling of brats innumerable, it spoils the emotions which the wild

and pleasing scene around us would otherwise awaken in our breasts.

Sheep here are regarded with as much partiality, and treated much in the

same manner as ladies’ lapdogs are in England. Great care is taken to

keep them clean and in good condition; they are washed every morning in

soap and water; and so greatly are they attached to their masters or

mistresses, that they are constantly at their heels, following them in-

doors and out, from town to town, and in all their peregrinations.

Goats, sheep, swine, and poultry, are in great plenty here, and in every

one’s possession, notwithstanding which they are always excessively

dear, because the people take a pride in displaying the number and

quality of their domestic animals.

The inhabitants of Jadoo are, generally speaking, very tidily clad in

cotton dresses, of their own manufacture. In their persons they are much

more agreeable than those who reside nearer the sea. European goods are

brought hither from Dahomey and Badágry, but more especially from Lagos;

and are daily exposed for sale in the markets of Jadoo and Egga. Several

chiefs on the road have asked us the reason why the Portuguese do not

purchase as many slaves as formerly; and make very sad complaints of the

stagnation in this branch of traffic. Hippopotami abound in the rivers

in the vicinity of the town; when young, the flesh and skin of these

animals are sold as food; and whips and other articles are made of the

skins of the old ones.

_Saturday, April 17th._—At the usual hour this morning, we quitted

Jadoo, and in the middle of the day arrived at a clean, pretty little

village called _Pooya_. The appearance of the country between these

places is extremely fine, and resembles a magnificent orchard. On our

way we met many hundreds of people of both sexes and all ages, with vast

quantities of bullocks, sheep and goats, together with fowls and

pigeons, which were carried on the head in neat wicker baskets. Several

of the travellers were loaded with packages of country cloth, and indigo

in large round balls. They are all slaves, and were proceeding to the

coast, from the interior, to sell the goods and animals under their

charge. One old woman had the misfortune to let a large calabash of

palm-oil fall from her head: on arriving at the spot we found a party of

females, her companions in slavery, wringing their hands and crying; the

old woman’s own affliction was bitter indeed, as she dreaded the

punishment which awaited her on her return to her master’s house. I

compassionated her distress, and gave her a large clasp knife, which

would more than recompense her for the loss of the oil, whereat the

women wiped away their tears, and fell down on the dust before us,

exhibiting countenances more gladsome and animated than can be

conceived.

The mortality of children must be immense indeed here, for almost every

woman we met with on the road, had one or more of those little wooden

images, we have before spoken of. Whenever the mothers stopped to take

refreshment, a small part of their food was invariably presented to the

lips of these inanimate memorials.

Although Pooya is considered by the natives a day’s journey from Jadoo,

we only halted to pay our respects to the chief, and then continued our

journey over gentle hills, and through vallies watered by streams and

rivulets, so as to reach _Engua_ in the afternoon. The soil between the

two towns is mostly dry and steril; and large masses of iron-stone,

which looked as if they had undergone the action of fire, presented

themselves almost at every step. This day has been oppressively warm;

and as we had been exposed to the sun for a great number of hours, when

we reached Engua, our skin was scorched and highly inflamed, so that we

were very uncomfortable. For my own part, I was sore, tired, and

feverish, and longed to lay myself down in a hut; but we were obliged to

remain under a tree above three hours before we could be favoured with

that opportunity, because the chief of the town was engaged in making a

fetish to counteract any evil intentions that we might entertain towards

him. All our people were fatigued and exhausted on the road, complaining

much of the heat, and one of them was brought to us in the evening in a

high fever. Engua is the town wherein the lamented Captain Pearce

breathed his last; and here also Captain Clapperton felt quite

disheartened, and almost despaired of penetrating further into the

interior of the country. The chief sent us only a little Indian corn and

water, and obstinately refused to sell us either a goat, sheep, or any

other animal, although there are many thousands in the town.

_Sunday, April 18th._—Our reception had been so truly inhospitable at

Engua, that we arose at a much earlier hour this morning than we

generally do, and proceeded on our way by starlight. In place of the

iron-stone of yesterday, the country over which we have travelled to-day

is partially covered with large and unshapely masses of granite.

Mountains and elevated hills were observed to the right of us, whose

sides were thickly wooded, and their summits reaching above the clouds.

At 9 A.M. we passed through a neat and cleanly village, named _Chakka_,

which has lately lost its chief; and an hour afterwards crossed a small

river called _Akeeny_, which is full of sharp and rugged granite rocks,

and is said to fall into the Lagos. We were carried over on men’s

shoulders without much difficulty, but the horses were a long time in

getting across. From hence, the path winded up a high and steep hill,

which we ascended, and entered the town of _Afoora_ about mid-day. The

governor gave us a hearty welcome, and said it made him extremely happy

to see us, which the joy and animation of his countenance also

expressed. The best hut in the town, which is the most airy and

commodious of any we had seen, was presently got ready for us, and

shortly after we had taken possession of it we received a quantity of

excellent provisions from the chief.

This is the first day of his government. His father, the late chief, has

been dead some time, but from motives of delicacy he refused to take

upon himself his authority till this morning. In honour of the event a

large company of women have been dancing, rejoicing, and making merry

all the evening outside our hut. It is somewhat strange that the chief

or governor of almost every town through which we have passed since

leaving Badágry, who was alive and well on my return to the coast three

years ago, has been either slain in war, or has died from natural

causes. Scarcely one of them is now alive.

_Monday, April 19th._—An easy, pleasant ride of three hours brought us

to the first walled town we have seen, which is called _Assinàra_. The

wall is of clay, and so diminutive, that a person might easily jump over

it; a dry ditch, about eighteen inches deep, and three or four feet in

width, also surrounds the town. Over this a single plank is thrown,

which answers the purpose of a draw-bridge, and is the only means the

inhabitants have of getting in and out of the place. Assinàra too has

lately lost its chief in some battle, and all business is transacted by

a benevolent, elderly man, who has volunteered his services till a

successor shall be appointed. From him we have received the warmest

reception and the most hospitable treatment. The climate has already had

a debilitating effect upon my brother, and from a state of robust health

and vigour, he is reduced to so great a degree of lassitude and weakness

that he can scarcely stand a minute at a time. Every former pleasure

seems to have lost its charm. He was attacked with fever this afternoon,

and his condition would have been hopeless indeed, had I not been near

to relieve him. He complained of excessive thirst. I gave him ten grains

of calomel, and afterwards a strong dose of salts. Rain, thunder, and

lightning during the night.

_Tuesday, April 20th._—My brother was much better, and free from fever

this morning, but too weak to travel, and we shall therefore remain at

Assinàra till to-morrow. The acting governor visited us to-day with a

long face, and intreated us earnestly to discover a certain wizard, whom

he imagined to be concealed somewhere in the town. By this sorcerer’s

influence numbers of people, it is said, pine away and die; and women

with child are more especially the objects of his malevolence. These

victims drop suddenly, without the slightest warning; and the deaths

have lately been so numerous, that the old man himself is grievously

alarmed, and begs a charm to preserve him and his family.

_Friday, April 23rd._—My brother finding himself considerably

invigorated and refreshed by a day’s rest at Assinàra, and sufficiently

recovered to pursue our journey, I had all hands in readiness to start

at an early hour. The morning was cool and pleasant, and we travelled

onwards in excellent spirits. Without meeting anything particular in the

path, or perceiving any object sufficiently novel or striking to demand

attention, we entered the town of _Accodoo_ in the forenoon, having had

an agreeable ride of a few hours’ duration only. At this time my brother

seemed to be free from any kind of complaint whatever, and enjoyed an

unusual cheerfulness and buoyancy of spirits, which led me to form the

most flattering anticipations. In the course of a few minutes, however,

his body was overspread with a burning heat, and he suffered under

another attack of fever, more violent than any of the former. I resorted

to the most powerful remedies I could think of at the time. I bled him

and applied a strong blister to the region of the stomach, where the

disorder seemed to be seated. It was swollen and oppressed with pain,

and he felt as if some huge substance lay upon his chest. His mouth

being dry and clogged, and his thirst burning and unquenchable, he drank

so much water, that his body was greatly swollen. In the evening his

ideas were confused, and he became delirious. He afterwards described to

me the horrible phantoms that disturbed him whilst in this state; and

the delicious emotion that ran through his whole frame when the dreadful

visions had passed away. Tears gushed from his eyes; a profuse

perspiration, which had been so long checked, gave him immediate relief,

and he has since continued to improve.

Whilst my brother was so ill, the natives made a most hideous noise by

singing and drumming in the celebration of their fetísh. I went out in

the hope of inducing them to be quiet, but they only laughed at him, and

annoyed us the more; for they have no compassion for the sufferings of a

white man, and if they can mortify him by any means, they consider it a

praiseworthy deed. Yesterday was one of the hottest days we have yet

felt, the thermometer at noon being 99° of Fahrenheit.

_Saturday, April 24th._—A hammock was prepared for my brother before

day-break, this morning, because he was too weak to ride on horseback;

and shortly afterwards we quitted the town of Accodoo in much better

spirits than circumstances had led us to hope for. The hammock-men found

their burden rather troublesome; nevertheless, we travelled at a pretty

quick pace, and between eight and nine o’clock halted at a pleasant and

comfortable village called _Etūdy_. The chief sent us a fowl and four

hundred cowries; but we stopped only to take a slight refreshment on

horseback and pay our respects. We then proceeded through large

plantations of cotton, indigo, Indian corn, and yams, and over stony

fields, till between ten and eleven, when we entered the town of

_Chouchou_. We were almost immediately introduced to the chief, and from

him into a ruinous hut, in a more filthy state than can be imagined. No

pig-stye was ever half so bad. Its late occupier had incurred the

displeasure and hatred of his chief, because he happened to be very

rich, and rather than pay a heavy fine, he ran away and has joined his

former enemies; and this may partly account for the destitution and

wretchedness around us.

Since leaving Jenna, we have met an incredible number of persons visited

with the loss of one eye. They assign no other reason for their

misfortune than the heat and glare of the sun’s rays.

_Sunday, April 25th._—It rained heavily during the whole of last night;

but our hut, although of the very worst description, had a pretty good

thatched roof, and sheltered us much better than we had expected. There

are periods and seasons in our lifetime in which we feel a happy

complacency of temper and an inward satisfaction, cheerfulness, and joy,

for which we cannot very well account, but which constrain us to be at

peace with ourselves and our neighbours, and in love with all the works

of God. In this truly enviable frame of mind I awoke this morning to

proceed onwards on horseback; it was a morning which was fairly entitled

to the epithet of ‘incense-breathing;’ for the variety of sweet-smelling

perfume which exhaled, after the rain, from forest flowers, and

flowering shrubs, was delicious and almost overpowering. The scenery of

to-day has been more interesting and lovely than any we have heretofore

beheld. The path circled round a magnificent cultivated valley, hemmed

in almost on every side with mountains of granite of the most grotesque

and irregular shapes, the summits of which are covered with stunted

trees, and the hollows in their slopes occupied by clusters of huts,

whose inmates have fled thither as a place of security against the

ravages of the _war-men_ that infest the plains. A number of strange

birds resort to this valley, many of whose notes were rich, full, and

melodious, while others were harsh and disagreeable; but, generally

speaking, the plumage was various, splendid, and beautiful. The modest

partridge appeared in company with the magnificent Balearic crane, with

his regal crest; and delicate humming birds hopped from twig to twig

with others of an unknown species; some of them were of a dark, shining

green; some had red silky wings and purple bodies; some were variegated

with stripes of crimson and gold; and these chirped and warbled from

among the thick foliage of the trees. It is the contemplation of such

beautiful objects as these, all so playful and so happy—or the more

sublime ones of dark waving forests, plains of vast extent, or

stupendous mountains, that gives the mind the most sensible emotions of

delight and grandeur, leading it insensibly

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

For myself I am passionately fond of them, and have regretted a thousand

times over that my ignorance incapacitates me from giving a proper

representation of them, or describing the simplest flower that adorns

the plains, or the smallest insect that sparkles in the air. This

consideration gives me at times many unhappy reflections, although my

defective education arose from circumstances over which my boyhood had

no control.

Having passed through the immense valley before-mentioned, we had not

travelled far before we arrived and halted at a large village, called

_Fudibu_; here we rested awhile, and then continuing our journey for two

hours, over even ground between high hills, we rode into the town of

_Gwendekki_, in which we purpose passing the night. The chief is either

very poor or else very ill-natured, for the only thing he sent us was a

little boiled yam, with a mess of unpalatable gravy, which he would not

have given, if he did not expect ten times its value in return. Divine

service was performed in the course of the day, as usual, and this is a

duty which to persons in our situation is inconceivably pleasant. It

renders us happy and resigned in the midst of our afflictions,

refreshing our confidence in the all-protecting arm of that beneficent

Being who is the author and disposer of our destinies, and in whom

alone, thus widely separated from home and kindred and civilization, the

wanderer can place his trust.

_Monday, April 26th._—A thick mist obscured the horizon this morning,

and hid in deep shade the mountains and hills; every object indeed was

invisible, except the pathway, and the trees, &c., growing on each side,

which we could barely distinguish as we passed along. It continued hazy

for two hours after leaving Gwendekki, when the mist dispersed, and the

atmosphere became clear. Preparatory to ascending a steep granite hill,

we halted to refresh our horses under the branches of a high spreading

tree, near a town called _Ecó_. Here we were visited by several of the

inhabitants, who, as soon as they were informed of our arrival, came

flocking to the spot. They formed themselves into a line to pay their

respects, and entreated us to wait a little for the coming of their

chief, who was momentarily expected. But, after staying as long as we

conveniently could, and no chief appearing, we mounted our beasts and

began the toilsome ascent. On attaining the summit of the hill, the

_coup d’œil_ was magnificent indeed, and the fog having been dispersed

by the sun, the eye was enabled to range round an extensive horizon,

bounded by hills and mountains of wonderful shapes. Some of them bear a

very striking resemblance to the Table Mountain, at the Cape of Good

Hope, and another is not unlike the ‘Lion’s Head and Rump’ of the same

place. Our course was north-east, and those two mountains bore due west

of us. There was no continued range of hills, but numbers of single

unconnected ones, with extensive valleys between them. In some places

several were piled behind each other; and those most distant from us

appeared like dark, indistinct clouds. Nothing could surpass the

singularity, perhaps I may say the sublimity, of the whole view from the

top of the granite hill which we had ascended; and we contemplated it in

silence for a few seconds with emotions of astonishment and rapture.

Descending the hill, we continued our journey over a noble plain,

watered with springs and rivulets; and in the afternoon entered _Dūfo_,

which is a most extensive and populous town. The inhabitants appear to

be industrious and very opulent, as far as regards the number and

variety of their domestic animals, having abundance of sheep, goats,

swine, pigeons, and poultry; amongst the latter of which we observed,

for the first time, turkeys and Guinea fowl. They have likewise horses

and bullocks. The chief did not make his appearance for a long while;

but as soon as he had introduced himself, he desired us to follow him

into a cleanly-swept square, a house in which he desired us to occupy.

Presently after his departure, he sent us a quantity of yams, a basket

of ripe bananas, and a calabash of eggs, which we soon discovered to be

good for nothing, although sand had been mixed with them, that they

might feel heavier than they really were.

_Tuesday, April 27th._—My brother is now, thank God, perfectly recovered

from his late attack of fever, and feels himself getting stronger every

day. Late last night four Burgoo traders paid us a visit at our house;

they informed us of their having crossed the Niger at [9]Inguazhilligee

not more than fourteen days ago; and that although the rains had

commenced, the river had as yet received no great addition to its

waters.

We were on horseback early this morning, and at six o’clock, preceded by

the carriers of our luggage, we rode out of the town of Dūfo. The

country seemed inferior indeed as to the boldness and beauty of its

scenery to that traversed yesterday; but still it possesses features of

no common interest. Another ‘Table Mountain’ was observed to the left of

our path in the course of the morning, and another ‘Lion’s Head and

Rump.’ Ponderous masses of granite rock overhang the roadway; these were

almost black, and seem to have been washed by the rains of thousands of

years; in many of them were deep and gloomy caverns, which, were they in

Cornwall instead of Africa, would, I am sure, be pointed out as the

scenes of dark and bloody stories of the elder time. Hundreds of the

natives followed us a long while, and annoyed us so much by their noises

and curiosity, that we were compelled to resort to violent measures to

drive them away; but this is a line of conduct which we rarely adopt

towards them, and never without extreme reluctance. We at length

frightened them away, and we saw them no more. About eight miles from

Dūfo, we arrived at a large straggling village, called _Elekba_, where

we halted a little, as the path had been so stony, rugged, and

irregular, that a few minutes’ rest was absolutely necessary to recruit

ourselves. From this place the road became excellent, not at all

inferior to a drive round a gentleman’s park in England; and continued

to be good till we came in sight of a capacious walled town called

_Chāadoo_, which we entered about mid-day. Outside the walls is a little

Falàtah village, the huts of which are constructed in the circular or

_coozie_ form. Its inhabitants employ themselves solely in the breeding

of cattle—an occupation to which they are passionately addicted. They

are simple in their manners, and extremely neat in their dress and

appearance.

Not long after our arrival, three or four young Falàtah shepherdesses

from the village came to our hut to pay their respects. We felt much

pleased with their society, for they were extremely well-behaved and

intelligent; but they remained with us a very little time, their

customary avocation not permitting a longer stay. The hair of these

females was braided in a style peculiarly tasteful and becoming; and the

_contour_ of their oval faces was very far from disagreeable. Their

manners also were innocent and playful; the imaginary shepherdesses of

Fenton are not more modest, artless, and engaging in description, than

these in reality; and they left behind them an impression very

favourable both as regards their morals, _naïveté_, and rustic

simplicity.

On the road from Dūfo, my brother unthinkingly fired at and shot a

crane, which fell in an adjoining field. The report of his gun brought

out a number of natives from the ‘bush,’ who, being in continual dread

of an attack from the ‘war-men of the path,’ imagined it to be a signal

of one of these marauders. They were all armed, like their countrymen,

with bows and arrows; and with a threatening aspect, would have lodged a

few shafts in the person of my brother, if it had not been for the

timely interference of one of our Jenna messengers that fortunately

happened to be with him at the time, and who gave an immediate and

satisfactory explanation. The head of the party then sought for and

picked up the bird; but my brother took it from him, after he had

rewarded him liberally for his trouble. The man, however, was neither

satisfied nor pleased, but roughly demanded the bird as his own, because

it had fallen on his land. As there are no game laws here, my brother

would not admit his claim, and was going away, when the fellow begged

with much importunity that the head and legs of the animal at least

might be given him, to make a fetísh of. This was likewise objected to,

at which he was out of all patience, and went off foaming with passion.

In the evening, the crane was dressed for supper, and a similar request

was made by a eunuch from Katunga, who being a good-natured fellow, we

readily complied with his wish. The chief of _Chāadoo_, however,

presently sent a messenger to request the said precious head and legs;

and to him they were finally committed by the disappointed eunuch, who

could hardly forbear weeping on the occasion: these relics are extremely

valuable as a charm.

The chief sent us a goat, a quantity of bananas, a dish of pounded, or

rather mashed yam with gravy, and a large basket of _caffas_. These are

a kind of pudding, made into little round balls, from bruised Indian

corn, which is first boiled to the consistence of thick paste. From

being made entirely of coarse flour and water, they have an insipid

taste when new, but when kept for a day or two, they become sour, and in

this state are eaten by the natives. There are several deep wells in the

town, but most of them are dried up, so that water is exceedingly

scarce, and it is sold in the market-place to the inhabitants.—We are

daily accosted on the road with such salutations as these:—‘I hope you

go well on the path;’ ‘Success to the king’s work;’ ‘God bless you,

white men;’ ‘A blessing on your return,’ &c.

_Wednesday, April 28th._—We have remained at Chāadoo, to-day, to give

the carriers with the luggage time to come up with us, because they have

been unavoidably detained by the roughness and unevenness of the road

from Dūfo to Elekba. The Katunga eunuch we alluded to yesterday, was

recently sent by the king of that place, to receive the customary

tribute of the governors of the various towns on the road between

Katunga and Jenna. This man is treated with much respect both by the

governor of Chāadoo and his people, who prostrate themselves to the

eunuch before addressing him.

Being in want of money we sent needles this morning to the market to

sell. It is a custom in Yarriba, that after a buyer has agreed to pay a

certain sum for an article, he retracts his expressions, and affirms

that he only promised to give about half the sum demanded. This has

occasioned violent altercations between our people and the natives; but

it is an established custom, from which there is no appeal. The

governor’s mother was buried this afternoon at a neighbouring village,

and the funeral was attended by all his wives or women, as mourners.

They were dressed in their holiday attire; and looked tolerably smart.

The mourners exhibited no signs of grief whatever; on the contrary, they

were as lively as a wedding party. Attended by a drummer, they passed

through our yard four hours ago, on their return to the governor’s

house, which is only a few steps from ours, and there they have been

singing and dancing to the noise of the drum ever since.

The inhabitants of the town have immense quantities of sheep, goats,

pigs, and poultry, but bullocks are in the possession of Falàtahs alone.

We do not believe the natives have a single animal of this description.

Like many other places, the market is not held here till the heat and

toil of the day are over; and buyers seldom resort to it till eight

o’clock in the evening.

_Thursday, April 29th._—It commenced raining this morning at a very

early hour, and continued with uncommon violence, till between ten and

eleven o’clock, when it suddenly ceased, and we quitted Chāadoo. Before

this, however, the credulous governor, who in common with his people

imagines that white men influence the elements, paid us a visit, with a

calabash of honey as a present, to thank us, he said, for the rain that

had fallen, of which the country is greatly in want, and invoked

blessings on us. The kindness of this good old man is remarkable. He

never seemed weary of obliging us, regretted his inability to do more,

and solicited us very pressingly to remain with him another day.

We traversed a mountainous country, intersected with streams of

excellent water; and at noon entered a small but pleasant and

picturesque village, which is ornamented with noble, shady trees. Here

we waited a very short time, but continuing our route, arrived towards

evening at a capacious walled town called _Row_, wherein we shall pass

the night. In many places the wall, if it be deserving the name, is no

more than twelve or fourteen inches from the ground, and the moat is of

similar dimensions. The yard to which we were conducted shortly after

our arrival, is within three or four others; and so intricate are the

passages leading to it, that after a stranger gets in, he would be sadly

puzzled to find his way out again without a guide. Nevertheless this was

no security against interruption, for the yard was speedily invaded by

five or six hundred individuals, who had been induced to visit us from

curiosity. As usual, they annoyed us for a long time to the best of

their ability, till they completely wearied us out by their importunity

and forwardness. We then hung sheets round the door-way of our dwelling,

and laid down on our mats; and then only they began to disperse, and

left us at our ease.

The governor of the town is a morose, surly, and ill-natured man. He

sent us only a few bananas this evening, and a calabash of eggs, which

were all stale and unfit to be eaten, so that our people were obliged to

go supperless to bed. He ascribed the badness of his fare to extreme

poverty; yet his vanity exacted from our Jenna messengers the most

abject method of salutation we are acquainted with. These men walked

backwards from him several yards, to throw dirt on their heads, and with

the dust and filth still clinging to their hair, they were compelled to

address the chief with their faces to the ground. Our apartment

unfortunately communicates with his, and the restless tongues of his

numerous wives prevented either my brother or self from closing our eyes

long after sunset. In the centre of our yard grows a tree, round which

several staves are driven into the ground. This tree is a fetísh-tree,

and these staves also fetísh, and therefore we received a strong

injunction not to tie our horses to either of them. Calabashes, common

articles of earthenware, and even feathers, egg-shells, and the bones of

animals—indeed, any kind of inanimate substance, is made fetísh by the

credulous, stupid natives; and like the horse-shoe which is still nailed

to the doors of the more superstitious of the peasantry in England,

these fetíshes are supposed to preserve them from ghosts and evil-

spirits. It is sacrilege to touch them, and to ridicule them would be

dangerous.

_Friday, April 30th._—It was between seven and eight o’clock before

carriers could be procured this morning, and everything got in readiness

for our departure; the sun was excessively hot, and the sky brilliantly

clear. We crossed two or three rivulets of cool, delicious water, as we

had done yesterday; and then passed through an insignificant village,

whose chief sent us a calabash of bruised corn, mixed with water, to

drink. At noon, we arrived at the foot of a very elevated hill, and

perceived a town perched on its summit, and knew it to be the same to

which we had been directed. We dismounted, and after a laborious ascent,

which occupied us three-quarters of an hour, at length reached the top.

Stones and blocks of granite interrupted the path, so that it was a very

difficult matter to force the horses along before us; they fell

repeatedly but without materially injuring themselves.

The name of the town is _Chekki_. Our arrival was rather unexpected,

and, therefore, the governor was not prepared to receive us; and we sat

down under a tree, till we were tired of waiting. At length a man came

to conduct us to his residence, which was but a little way from our

tree, when a tumultuous rush was made by the inhabitants to precede us

into the yard; and notwithstanding the presence of their chief, they

surrounded our party so closely as to prevent a particle of fresh air

from reaching us. The governor received us with bluntness, but not

unkindly, though without much demonstration of good-will. While in his

yard he regaled us with water, and afterwards sent a large calabash of

_foorah_ sweetened with honey to our lodgings, which did not taste

unlike thick gruel, or _burgoo_, as it is termed in Scotland. It is made

of a corn called _goorah_, is very palatable, and is in general use with

the natives of these parts. A quantity of bananas from the chief soon

followed the _foorah_, and something more substantial than either has

been promised us.

We have observed that it is a general practice here, as well as in every

other town through which we have passed, for children until the age of

seven years to go naked, with perhaps a string of cowries tied round the

loins, and clumsy bracelets, either of brass or tin, inclosing the

wrist. Grown-up people, however, dress somewhat neatly, if not

gracefully: the men wear a cap, tobe, and trowsers, mostly blue, and the

women wear a large loose cotton cloth, which is thrown over the left

shoulder, and comes down mantling below the knee: the right arm and feet

alone are bare.

People of both sexes, hereabouts, are infinitely more grave and serious

in their manners than those nearer the coast, and

‘The loud laugh that speaks the vacant mind,’

we have not heard these many days.

_Saturday, May 1st._—In the cool of the morning we quitted Chekki, and

rode on pleasantly, till at the end of four hours we arrived at

_Coosoo_, a large and important town. A Falàtah hamlet stands near it,

whose inhabitants subsist by following pastoral occupations alone. They

are much esteemed by the Yarribeans, who behave to them without

suspicion or reserve.

A man stole a sword from our people a few minutes after our arrival; he

was pursued to the chief, and asserted that he had found it, as he laid

the weapon at his feet. The sword has been restored to us by the

governor, but without the slightest allusion being made to the means by

which he had obtained it.

A company or _gafflie_ of merchants from Hano are at present in the

town, who have come thus far on their way to _Gonja_, which is the

_Selga_ of Cape Coast Castle and Accra. Their merchandise consists

chiefly of elephants’ teeth, trona, rock salt, and country cloths. This,

we are told, is a new route, the road formerly taken being considered

unsafe, on account of private broils and disturbances among the natives.

The _gafflie_ consists of more than four hundred men, but a company of

merchants that passed through this town ten days ago amounted to twice

that number. Other merchants are also here, and will leave the town to-

morrow on their way to _Yàoorie_, whither they are destined.

The palm-tree becomes scarce, in proportion as we advance into the

country, and consequently the oil is obtained hereabouts only in very

small quantities. But Nature, ever bountiful, supplies its place with

the _mi-cadania_, or butter tree, which yields abundance of a kind of

vegetable marrow, pleasant to the taste, and highly esteemed by the

natives. It is used for lights and other domestic purposes. The tree

from which it is obtained is not much unlike our oak in appearance, and

the nut it produces is enveloped in an agreeable pulpy substance. The

kernel of this nut is about the size of our chestnut. It is exposed in

the sun to dry, after which it is pounded very fine and boiled in water:

the oily particles it contains soon float on the surface; when cool,

they are skimmed off, and then made into little cakes for use, without

any further preparation.

Two individuals appeared before the chief to-day in consequence of an

accusation of theft that had been made against them. The method adopted

of proving the guilt or innocence of the parties was by compelling them

to swallow the ‘fetísh-water.’

In the evening we received a fat goat, a basket of _caffas_, a calabash

of bananas, a vast quantity of yams, and a bowl of milk, from the

governor. He is a sober, kind, and benevolent old man, and generally

beloved by his people. To us he is particularly attentive and obliging.

He has informed us that the common path to Katunga is unsafe, in

consequence of a serious quarrel between the inhabitants of Coosoo and

those of a neighbouring town. ‘Therefore,’ said he, ‘I entreat you to

remain here with me to-morrow, in order that I may make arrangements to

send you by a different road.’ This intelligence was not very agreeable

to us, but we are convinced of its importance, and shall therefore

thankfully accept the chief’s offer.

The market, which is held this evening in the town, has an imposing and

brilliant appearance, from the immense number of lamps used by the

tradespeople.

Our visiters, who continued with us till late in the evening, were

innumerable, and the noise of the women’s tongues was as loud and

disagreeable as ever. For some time nothing could quiet them; threats

and entreaties were disregarded or laughed at, till at last we were

compelled to resort to the childish expedient of spirting water in their

faces from a large syringe. On seeing and feeling the effects of this

fearful instrument, they became alarmed, and ran away.

_Sunday, May 2d._—The weather last evening was serene and beautiful, but

in the night we were visited by a tornado; the lightning gleamed in long

and vivid flashes; the thunder echoed among the mountains; and the rain

fell in torrents. In the morning it had passed away, and the air was

cool and agreeable.

A fetísh priest from a neighbouring town came to see us this morning,

and was going to treat us with the usual harangue of his profession, but

we managed to put a stop to it by bribing him with a few needles. We

observed nothing remarkable in the fellow’s ornaments or dress, but his

person presented a strange and singular appearance. The colour of his

skin was like that of whitish brown paper; his eye-lashes and eye-brows

were of a silvery whiteness, and his eyes of a bright blue;

notwithstanding which, the negro features were strongly and distinctly

marked on his countenance. The man’s parents were both natives, and

quite black, and we could not ascertain the reason of this extraordinary

deviation from the common laws of Nature.

We have received an abundance of kindness from the good old chief of

this place, and his endeavours to make us comfortable have been imitated

by many of the more respectable inhabitants.

There are people here from _Burgoo_, _Nouffie_, _Hàussa_, and many of

the interior countries, and the ‘Queen’ of Nouffie, it is said, also

resides in the town, but this seems to us to be rather questionable.

_Monday, May 3d._—The path recommended by the friendly chief of Coosoo

lies due east of this town, and we pursued our journey on it this

morning by sunrise. Robbers were stated to be lurking about; we

conceived it to be prudent, therefore, if not absolutely necessary, to

take every precaution for the safety of the mission, and we loaded our

own guns and pistols, and armed all our men with swords and muskets. Our

Jenna messengers being unacquainted with the new route, the governor of

Coosoo had furnished us with two armed foot guides, whose weapons were

bows and arrows, besides a horseman armed at all points, to bring up the

rear of the party. With all these warlike preparations and equipments, a

few harmless women, who were terrified at our appearance, were the only

individuals met with on the path during a ride of two hours, which

brought us to a town called _Acboro_. And it was well indeed that its

distance from Coosoo is so short, for being taken ill on the road, I

should have been unable to have travelled further to-day. The town

itself is very small; but its dilapidated walls, which inclose an

immense extent of ground, would lead one to suppose that it was formerly

of much greater magnitude. Within the walls are three granite hills, two

on one side, and the other on the opposite side of the town. All their

bases are of solid stone, but their summits consist of loose blocks,

from the interstices of which trees and stunted vegetation shoot forth.

Besides these hills immense masses of granite rock are seen piled upon

each other in different parts. On the whole Acboro is one of the wildest

and most venerable-looking places that the human mind can conceive, the

habitations of the people alone lessening that romantic and pleasing

effect which a first sight of it produces.

The hut with which we have been accommodated is not the pleasantest nor

most comfortable residence in the world; but then we are persuaded that

no better can be procured in the town, so we are quite content with it.

Shortly after our arrival, the governor sent us a sucking-pig, and some

other presents, and appeared highly pleased that circumstances had

thrown us in his way. ‘White men do nothing but good,’ said he, ‘and I

will pray that God may bless you, and send more of your countrymen to

Yarriba.’ Instead of the people running and scrambling to see us, as

hitherto, the good-natured ruler of this place has excluded the mass of

them from visiting our yard, and came very civilly to ask our permission

for a few of his friends to look at us. I was too weak and indisposed to

gratify their curiosity by rising from my couch; so my brother went out

to exhibit his person, and suffered himself to be examined rather

minutely. They separated, I believe, tolerably well pleased with each

other. Last night a large carving-knife and a shot-belt were stolen from

us at Coosoo whilst we slept; but as it is not very probable that an

inhabitant would be so rash as to brave our guns and walk over our

bodies, which the thief was obliged to do, we attach suspicion only to

one of our own men.

_Tuesday, May 4th._—Yesterday three men, inhabitants of Acboro, were

captured by a gang of restless, marauding scoundrels, who are

denominated here, as elsewhere, ‘war-men of the path,’ but who are, in

reality, nothing more nor less than highway-robbers. They subsist solely

by pillage and rapine, and way-laying their countrymen. The late

governor of Acboro was deposed and driven from the town by his own

people, for his indifference to their interests, and the wanton cruelty

with which he treated them and their children. At different times he

seized several individuals of both sexes, and sold them as slaves,

without assigning any cause for the act. This drew on him the vengeance

of the friends and relatives of the sufferers, who prevailed on their

town’s-people to arise with them and punish the aggressor. The latter

soon found that his party was too weak to withstand the attacks of the

exasperated populace, and he fled to a remote village, where he now

resides; and the inhabitants of Acboro immediately elected a more humane

and benevolent governor in his stead.

We rose this morning, as usual, at an early hour, and finding myself

sufficiently recovered to ride on horseback, we bade farewell to the

governor of Acboro, and quitted the town by sunrise, taking care to use

the same precautions against robbers as yesterday. In an hour and three-

quarters, we entered an open and delightful village, called _Lazipa_. An

assemblage of Falàtah huts stood near it, by which their beautiful

cattle were grazing. We stopped a short time to admire them. Many of the

bullocks were as white as snow; others were spotted like a leopard’s

skin, and others again were dotted with red and black on a white ground.

A Falàtah girl presented us with a bowl of new milk, which was very

agreeable and refreshing, and after drinking it, we bade adieu to the

Falàtahs and their cattle for ever.

We had not travelled a great way from Lazipa before we had to cross a

large morass, on the borders of which a very large and handsome species

of water-lily flourishes in great perfection. We crossed this morass

without difficulty or trouble, and with the same facility, also, two

small streams, which intersected the road. At nine A.M., we arrived at

_Cootoo_, which, like Lazipa, is an open village, but the former is by

far the most extensive of the two. A person who may have travelled from

Penzance in Cornwall, to the Land’s End, and observed the nature of the

soil, and the blocks of granite which are scattered over its surface,

will have a very good idea of the country between Acboro and Cootoo,

only that here it is much more woody.

After leaving Cootoo, however, the aspect of the surrounding scenery

speedily changed, and became infinitely more pleasing. The soil was more

rich and deeper; patches of verdure and cultivated land were more

frequent, the latter being neatly fenced;—fine handsome trees, with

their spreading branches and thick foliage, embellished the country in

every direction, and extended to the eastern horizon. One would be

inclined to suppose that these trees had been carefully planted by the

hand of man, for they grew at equal distances from each other, and none

seemed to interfere with the order, beauty, and regularity of its

neighbour. The soil between them was covered with a soft green turf,

which rendered the whole view remarkably pleasant. It was over this

delightful landscape that we travelled—the morning was cooled by a

refreshing south-east wind, and we were both on good terms with

ourselves, and gratified by everything around us. At length we came in

sight of numerous herds of fine cattle, attended by little boys, and

shortly after we arrived at a clean and neat Falàtah village, whose

inhabitants were employed in feeding calves, and other occupations

connected with an African farm. We then crossed a small stream, and

entered a town of prodigious extent, called _Bóhoo_, which is fortified

with a triple wall and moats. Without being exposed to the customary

tiresome formalities, we were immediately conducted to the residence of

the governor. The usual conversation passed between us, and after we had

returned to our hut, a bullock was sent us, with yams, bananas, and a

huge calabash of new milk, which did not contain less than six gallons;

and our people sat down to enjoy themselves in perfect good humour.

In the afternoon a message was delivered to us, signifying that the

governor’s ‘head minister’ would be very glad to see us, and would thank

us to visit him in the course of the day. But having experienced a

relapse, my sufferings were such as to prevent my leaving the hut, and

my brother was therefore obliged to go alone. He afterwards informed me

that a pleasant walk of rather more than two miles conducted him to the

habitation of the minister, by whom he was very kindly received. The

compliments of the day only were exchanged between them; and the

numerous wives and large family of the master of the house, who are on

these occasions generally exhibited to a stranger, having amply

gratified their curiosity by an examination of his person, the interview

terminated; and he presently returned to our abode, after promising to

visit the minister again to-morrow. _Bóhoo_ lies north-east of Acboro,

and is built on the slope of a very gentle and fertile hill, at whose

base flows a stream of milk-white water; and behind which, on a rising

ground, is the Falàtah hamlet already mentioned. Its immense triple wall

is little short of twenty miles in circuit; but besides huts and

gardens, it incloses a vast number of acres of excellent meadow land, on

which bullocks, sheep, and goats indiscriminately feed. By the hasty

view obtained of it, the town is not much unlike Kano; but there is no

large swamp like that which intersects the latter city. Bóhoo was

formerly the metropolis of Yarriba; but about half a century ago, the

reigning prince preferring the plain at Katunga, the seat of government

was transferred there, since which time Bóhoo has materially declined in

wealth, population, and consequence, although it is still considered a

place of great importance, and the second town in the kingdom. It is

bounded on all sides by hills of gradual ascent, which are prettily

wooded, and commands an extensive horizon. The land in the vicinity of

the town presents a most inviting appearance, by no means inferior to

any part of England in the most favourable season of the year. It seems

to be duly appreciated by the Falàtahs, so great a number of whom reside

with their flocks in different parts, that the minister candidly

declared he could not inform us of their amount. These foreigners sell

their milk, butter and cheese in the market at a reasonable rate. The

latter is made into little cakes of about an inch square, and when fried

in butter is very palatable. It is of the consistence and appearance of

the white of an egg, boiled hard.

I have been very ill all the evening with fever, accompanied by

excruciating pains in the bowels, but my spirits are cheerful, and I

hope soon to recover. We are thankful that we have not been both thus

afflicted at the same time. As soon as one of us has in a measure

regained his strength, his assistance has been required to minister to

the wants of the other.

_Wednesday, May 5th._—Agreeably to the promise my brother made

yesterday, he left me to the care of Paskoe and his wife this morning,

and hastened to pay his respects to the chief’s head man or minister, as

he is called. It appears that this man has been placed in his present

situation by the king of Katunga, as a kind of spy on the actions of the

governor, who can do nothing of a public nature without, in the first

place, consulting him and obtaining his consent to the measure. Yet he

conducts himself so well in his disagreeable office, that he has won the

good will not only of the governor of the town, but also of its

inhabitants. A kind of rivalry exists between the minister and his

master; but then it is a rivalry in good and not in bad actions. Hearing

that the governor had given us a bullock, and something besides, he

presented my brother with a similar one, and a large calabash of _pitto_

(country beer), which he distributed among those who had accompanied

him. A bottle of honey completed the list of presents, and they were

forthwith forwarded to our habitation, but my brother remained a

considerable time afterwards with the chief. He was filled with

amazement at the formation and ticking of my brother’s watch, which he

gazed on and listened to with transport; his spurs also excited his

eager curiosity, and he examined them with the minutest attention. He

hoped, he said, that God would bless us both, and that we had his best

wishes for our safety. He remarked further, that white men worshipped

the Great God alone,—and so did black men also; and that every blessing

of life was derived from that source.

On my brother’s return I was very ill; I had been so faint and sick

during his absence, that my recovery seemed doubtful, but a few hours

afterwards I became better. In the afternoon I sent to the governor and

his minister, who had behaved so handsomely to us, three yards of fine

red cloth, a common looking-glass, tobacco-pipe, a pair of scissors,

snuff-box, and a large clasp-knife. The tobacco-pipe was much admired,

but the red cloth was most valued; with the whole, however, they were

both perfectly well pleased, and were extravagant in expressions of

gratitude. One of the bullocks was slaughtered this morning, and about

two-thirds of it distributed by the governor and his chief man to the

poor of the town; the remainder of the carcase was divided equally among

our attendants, who are in no hurry to leave the place while their

present unusually good fare is to be had.

Last evening two female acquaintances, who had been separated from each

other for a short time only, met in the yard adjoining ours, wherein one

of them constantly resides. The women burst into tears directly they saw

each other, and cried loud enough to be heard distinctly by us during

the whole of the night; nor did they cease giving vent to their feelings

till some time after sunrise this morning.

_Thursday, May 6th._—I am now so far improved in health, that I hope by

to-morrow to be able to travel on horseback. Perhaps of all evils that

can afflict a sick person, noises of any kind are the greatest. In

Africa, whether one is ill or well, it is exactly the same, nothing like

peace or quiet is anywhere to be found. Independent of the continual

fluttering of pigeons, which roost close to our ears, the bleating of

sheep and goats, and the barking of numerous half-starved dogs, we are

still more seriously annoyed by the incessant clatter of women’s

tongues, which pursues us everywhere, and which I really believe nothing

less than sickness or death on their part can effectually silence. The

shrillness of their voices drowns the bleating of the sheep and the

yellings of the canine race; and notwithstanding all my brother’s

exertions, seconded by those of our people, their noise in this town has

constantly disturbed me during my illness. A person in England might be

inclined to think lightly of the matter; but it is indeed a grievance

which can ill be borne by an invalid languishing under a wasting

disease, and who has equally as much need of rest and silence as of

medicine. Besides these grievances, the shouts of the people outside the

yard, and the perpetual squalling of children within it—the buzzing of

beetles and drones—the perpetual attacks of mosquitoes and innumerable

flies, form a host of irritating evils, to which a sick person is

exposed, and to which he is obliged patiently to submit, until, by a

relief from his disorder, he is enabled to stand upon his legs and once

more take his own part. But even then noises assail his ears, and he

does not enjoy the happiness of perfect silence unless he enters a grove

or forest.

We were visited this morning by a party of Falàtahs of both sexes. They

differ but little either in colour or feature from the original natives

of the soil. In dress and ornaments, however, there is a slight

distinction between them. They display more taste in their apparel, and

wear a greater number of ornaments round the neck and wrists: they pay

greater attention also to their hair, which the women plait with

astonishing ingenuity. Like that of the young woman we met at Jenna,

their heads exactly resemble a dragoon’s helmet. The hair is much

longer, of course, than that of the negro, which enables the Falàtahs to

weave it on both sides of the head into a kind of _queue_, which passing

over each cheek, is tied under the chin. Another company of Falàtahs

came to us in the evening, for they had never beheld a white man, and

curiosity had led them to our habitation. They brought us a present of a

little thick milk, which they begged us to accept, and then went away

highly gratified with the interview. The behaviour of the whole of them

was extremely reserved and respectful; nothing in our persons excited

their merriment; on the contrary, they seemed silently to admire our

dress and complexion; and having looked well at us from a little

distance, seemed grateful for the treat. The kindness and generosity of

the governor of Bóhoo continues unabated; instead of diminishing, it

seems to strengthen; he literally _inundates_ us with milk, and he is

equally lavish with other things. It gives us unmixed pleasure to meet

with so much native politeness and attention from a quarter where we

least expected it, and at a time also when it is most required.

_Friday, May 7th._—After we had retired to rest last night, a Falàtah

woman came to our dwelling, bringing with her a quantity of eggs of the

Guinea-hen, and a large bowl of milk fresh from the cow, as a return for

a few needles we had given her in the afternoon. We relate this little

circumstance simply to show the difference between the Falàtahs and the

Yarribeans, in point of gratitude for favours they may have received.

The latter are very seldom thankful, and never acknowledge gratitude as

a virtue; the indifference, unconcern, and even contempt, which they

often evince on receiving our presents, is a proof of this;—and, with

very few exceptions, we never observed a Yarribean to be sincerely

thankful for anything.

In the morning I was able to sit on horseback; and as we were setting

off, the governor came out to wish us farewell, and to present us with

two thousand cowries for the purpose of assisting us on our journey. We

have said that Bóhoo is about twenty miles in circumference—perhaps we

guessed considerably within bounds; for as we rode out of the city, we

were astonished at its vast extent. Two hours after leaving Bóhoo, we

passed through an agreeable, thinly inhabited village, called _Maloo_;

and in somewhat less than an hour after, arrived at _Jagūta_, which is a

large and compact town, fortified by a neater and more substantially-

built wall than any we have yet seen.

_Jagūta_ lies E.S.E. of Bóhoo, from which it is distant, as nearly as we

can guess, from twelve to thirteen miles. In the course of the journey

we met a party of Nouffie traders from Coulfo, with asses carrying trona

for the Gonja market. Among them were two women, very neatly clad in

their native costume, with clean white tobes outside their other

apparel, resembling as nearly as possible the _chemise_ of European

ladies. These asses were the first beasts we had observed employed in

carrying burdens, for hitherto people of both sexes and of all ages,

especially women and female children, have performed these laborious

duties.

The governor of Jagūta came to apologize, in the evening, for not having

attended us the greater part of the day, on the plea that he had been

engaged in the country with his people, in making a fetísh for the

prosperity of the king of Katunga. The return of the governor and his

procession to the town was announced by a flourish of drums, fifes, &c.,

with the usual accompaniments of singing and dancing. The musicians are

now performing before him in a yard which is next to ours. It is between

ten and eleven P.M.; and it is likely that our ears will be stunned by a

combination of the most barbarous sounds in the world, for the remainder

of the night. It is well that I am so far recovered as not to care about

it, or this abominable din would drive me to distraction. We are daily

assured that the path is rendered exceedingly dangerous by banditti; and

the governor of this place has been endeavouring, with a good deal of

earnestness, to persuade us that our goods will not be respected by

them. It will scarcely be believed, however, that this universal dread

originates from a few Borgoo desperadoes, who, although only armed with

powder and a few broken muskets, can put a whole legion of the timid

natives to flight. The inhabitants of the town have been firing

repeatedly this evening, to deter this formidable foe from scaling their

wall and taking possession of their town.

_Saturday, May 8th._—Last night and the preceding one, we were visited

by thunder-storms, which did not however annoy us. The natives as usual

impute the seasonable weather to our agency alone; and in consequence,

our arrival at many places has been hailed with transport, as the most

fortunate thing that could have happened. It is astonishing to find how

extremely partial the rains have been here. In some districts the ground

for this month past has been literally drenched, while in others, only a

few miles distant from them, vegetation has been suffering from a want

of water.

Extraordinary preparations were made by the governor of Jagūta to ensure

our safety on the dreaded pathway; and a horseman, armed with a sword

and spear, in company with four foot soldiers, who were equipped with

bows and several huge quivers full of arrows, were in readiness to offer

us their protection this morning. The horseman preceded our party, and

played off a variety of antics, to our great amusement. He seemed not a

little satisfied with himself; he flourished his naked sword over his

head; brandished his spear; made his horse curvet, and bound, and gallop

alternately; and his dress being extremely grotesque, besides being old

and torn, gave him an appearance not unlike that of a bundle of rags

flying through the air. But with all this display of activity and

heroism, the man would have fled with terror from his own shadow by

moonlight; and we really regretted that a few defenceless women were the

only individuals that crossed our path to put his courage to the test,

the formidable ‘war-men’ being elsewhere.

Our journey to-day has been vexatiously short, not having exceeded four

miles; and it is utterly beyond our power to persuade the superstitious

natives, who conform only to their _fetísh_ in these matters, that the

robbers would be afraid to think of attacking white men. The town at

which we are now halting is called _Shea_, and is defended by a wall. It

possesses a numerous population, if we may be allowed to form an opinion

from the vast number of individuals that gathered around us immediately

on our entrance through the gateway. A stranger, however, cannot give

anything like a correct estimate of the population of any inhabited

place in this part of Africa, for as he can only judge of it by the

number of court-yards a town or village may contain, and as in one

court-yard there may be residing at least a hundred people, and in the

one next to it, perhaps, not more than six or seven, the difficulty will

be immediately perceived. Generally speaking, the description of one

town in Yarriba would answer for the whole. Cleanliness and order may

contribute to the superiority of one place over another, which may

likewise have the advantages of a rich soil, a pleasant neighbourhood,

and be ornamented with fine spreading and shady trees, but the form of

the houses and squares is everywhere the same: irregular and badly built

clay walls, ragged-looking thatched roofs, and floors of mud polished

with cow-dung, form the habitations of the chief part of the natives of

Yarriba, compared to most of which a common English barn is a palace.

The only difference between the residence of a chief and those of his

subjects, lies in the number and not in the superiority of his court-

yards; and these are for the most part tenanted by women and slaves,

together with flocks of sheep and goats, and abundance of pigs and

poultry, mixed together indiscriminately.

Yesterday we crossed two small rivers, and to-day passed over a larger

one, which were all flowing from north to south. _Shea_ lies four miles

E.b.S. of Jagūta. The governor of the town has presented us with a pig,

and a quantity of country beer, and we have also received little

presents of provisions from a few of the people.

_Sunday, May 9th._—We agreed, rather reluctantly, to witness an

exhibition of tumbling, &c., this morning, previous to quitting the

town, and while we were on horseback. This detained us a little; but as

soon as it was over, we were escorted out of the town by beat of drum,

preceded by an armed horseman and an unarmed drummer, and continued our

journey followed by a multitude of the inhabitants. We passed through a

very large walled town called _Esalay_, about six miles from Shea; but

its wall is dilapidated, and the habitations of the people in ruins, and

almost all deserted. This town, which was not long since well inhabited,

has been reduced to its present desolate and miserable state by the

protection which its ruler granted to an infamous robber, whose

continued assaults on defenceless travellers, and his cruelty to them,

at length attracted the notice of the king of Katunga. But previous to

this, the inhabitants of another town not far off, many of whom had at

different times suffered from his bold attacks, called in a number of

Borgoo men, who bore no better reputation for honesty than the robber

himself, and resolved to attempt the capture of the ruffian in his

stronghold, without other assistance. Their efforts, however, were

unavailing. The governor, entrenched in his walled town and supported by

his people, sheltered the miscreant, and compelled his enemies to raise

the siege. About this time a messenger arrived at Esalay from the king

of Katunga, with commands for the governor to deliver up the robber to

punishment; but instead of obeying them he privately warned the man of

his danger, who took immediate advantage of it, and made his escape to

Nouffie. The governor was suspected of aiding the escape of the robber;

and a second messenger soon after arrived from Katunga, with orders for

the guilty chief either to pay a fine to the king of 120,000 cowries, or

put a period to his existence by taking poison. Neither of these

commands suiting the inclination of the governor of Esalay, he appointed

a deputy, and privately fled to the neighbouring town of Shea, there to

await the final determination of his enraged sovereign. We saw him at

the latter town yesterday, dressed in a fancifully made tobe, on which a

great number of Arab characters were stitched. He walked about at

perfect liberty, and did not seem to take his condition much to heart.

The inhabitants of Esalay, finding that their ruler had deserted them,

that they were threatened by the king of Katunga, and that the Borgoo

men, emboldened by the encouragement they received from that monarch,

were also lurking about the neighbourhood, and ready to do them any

mischief, took the alarm, and imitating the example of their chief, most

of them deserted their huts, and scattered themselves among the

different towns and villages in the neighbourhood. Very few people now

reside at Esalay; and this town, lately so populous and flourishing, is

little better than a heap of ruins.

After we had passed through Esalay, we crossed a large morass and three

rivers, which intersected the road-way. The croaking from a multitude of

frogs which they contained, in addition to the noise of our drum,

produced so animating an effect on our carriers, that they ran along

with their burdens doubly as quick as they did before. We then arrived

at an open village called _Okisabba_, where we halted for two hours

under the shadow of a large tree, to allow some of our men, who had been

loitering behind, to rejoin us, after which we again set forward, and

did not stop till we arrived at the large and handsome walled town of

_Atoopa_, which the late Captain Clapperton passed through in the last

expedition. During our ride, we observed a range of wooded hills running

from N.N.E. to S.S.W.; and passed through a wilderness of stunted trees,

which was relieved at intervals by patches of cultivated land; but there

is not so much cultivation as one might expect to find near the capital

of Yarriba. Atoopa is about twenty miles N.b.E. of _Shea_, the town in

which we slept last night.

_Monday, May 10th._—Armed guides are no longer considered necessary; and

we set out this morning only with our Badágry and Jénna messengers and

interpreters. On going out of Atoopa, we crossed a river which flowed by

the foot of that town, where our carriers overtook us, and we travelled

on together. The country through which the path lies is uncommonly fine;

it is partially cultivated, abounding in wood and water, and appeared,

by the number of villages which is scattered over its surface, to be

very populous. As we rode along, a place was pointed out to us where a

murder had been committed about seven years ago, on the person of a

young man. He fell a victim to a party of Borgoo scoundrels, for

refusing to give up his companion to them, a young girl, to whom he was

shortly to be married. They at first endeavoured to obtain her from him

by fair means; but he obstinately refused to accede to their request,

and contrived to keep the marauders at bay till the young woman had made

her escape, when he also ran for his life. He was closely pursued by

them, and pierced by the number of arrows which they shot at him, he at

length fell down and died in the path, after having run more than a mile

from the place where the first arrow had struck him. By the care with

which this story is treasured up in their memories, and the earnestness

and horror with which it is related, we are inclined to believe that

although there is so great a fuss about the Burgoo robbers, and so

manifest a dread of them, that a murder on the highway is of very rare

occurrence. When this crime is perpetrated, the whole nation seems to be

terror-struck, and the people rise up in arms as if a public enemy were

devastating their country, and slaughtering its inhabitants without

mercy. This is the only instance we have heard of a young man

entertaining a strong attachment for a female. Marriage is celebrated by

the natives as unconcernedly as possible; a man thinks as little of

taking a wife, as of cutting an ear of corn—affection is altogether out

of the question.

A village in ruins, and a small town called _Nàma_, where we halted for

a short time, were the only inhabited places we passed through during

the day, till our entrance into the town of _Leoguadda_, which is

surrounded by a double wall, and in which we intend to pass the night.

The governor happened to be in his garden on our arrival, so that we

were completely wearied with waiting for him; but as he did not make his

appearance, we ourselves found out a convenient and comfortable hut, and

though we were assailed by a volley of abuse from the mouths of half a

dozen women, we succeeded in sending them away, and we now remain in

tranquil possession of our quarters. In the centre of our yard, is a

circular enclosure without a roof, within which is an alligator, that

has been confined there seven years. This voracious animal is fed with

rats only, and he generally devours five a day. One of the inhabitants

perceiving that I was rather inquisitive, volunteered to go to a river

in the vicinity of the town, and to return in a few minutes with as many

young crocodiles as I might wish for; but as I had no opportunity of

conveying animals of this description through the country, I declined

the man’s offer. The inhabitants of Leoguadda, having probably no

vegetable poison, make use of the venom of snakes on the tips of their

arrows. The heads of those serpents from which they extract this deadly

substance are exposed on the sticks which are thrust into the inside of

the thatch of their dwelling as a kind of trophy.

Leoguadda is almost surrounded by rugged hills, formed by loose blocks

of granite; these, added to a quantity of tall trees, always green, and

growing within the walls, render the town inconceivably pleasant and

romantic. Immense tracts of land are cultivated in the vicinity of the

town, with corn, yams, &c., and abundance of swine, poultry, goats, and

sheep, are bred by its inhabitants. Formerly, also, herds of cattle were

to be seen in the meadows; but they belonged to Falátahs, who, we were

told, fled from Leoguadda some time since to join their countrymen at

_Alórie_.

_Tuesday, May 11th._—We left Leoguadda early in the morning, and about

the middle of the forenoon reached a walled town of some extent, called

_Eetchó_. The place is of importance on account of a large weekly market

which is held in it. Eetchó has recently been more than half consumed by

fire, and will not, it is supposed, regain its former condition for some

time. Like most large trading towns, it is in as unsettled and filthy a

state as can be conceived. This day’s journey has been highly agreeable;

the path lay through a beautiful country, varied in many places by hills

of coarse granite, which are formed of large single blocks, heaped on

each other. Trees and shrubs of a beautiful green, were growing from

their interstices, and almost hid the masses of stone from view.

The governor of Eetchó welcomed us to his town very civilly, but his

kindness as yet has extended no further; and although in all probability

he is as opulent as most chiefs on the road, yet he did not follow their

example in giving us provisions, but left us to procure them ourselves

in the best manner we were able. About a stone’s throw to the west of

the town is the main road to _Borgoo_, _Nouffie_, _Hàussa_, _Yàoorie_,

&c., six hours ride on which would take us out of Yarriba into the

territories of the king of Kiáma. It is a general custom here, when any

stranger of consequence approaches Katunga, to send a messenger before

him for the purpose of informing the king of the circumstance; and as we

are considered in that light, one of our Jenna guides will set out for

the above purpose to-morrow, and we are told that we must remain here

till Thursday morning, for an escort of soldiers, which will be sent to

meet us. We have no inclination for the honour, as it would expose us to

a thousand little inconveniences, and we therefore intend to avoid it by

leaving this place by moonlight.

It will scarcely be believed, that not less than one hundred and sixty

governors of towns and villages between this place and the sea coast,

all belonging to Yarriba, have died from natural causes, or have been

slain in war, since I was last here; and that, of the inhabited places

through which we have passed, not more than a half dozen chiefs are

alive at this moment, who received and entertained me on my return to

Badágry three years ago.

_Wednesday, May 12th._—We were visited last night by a tornado; and it

rained so heavily this morning, that even if we had not been obliged to

remain in _Eetchó_ to-day, it would have been next to impossible to have

pursued our journey. The celebrated market of this place may be said to

commence about mid-day, at which time thousands of buyers and sellers

had assembled in a large open space in the heart of the town, presenting

the most busy, bustling scene imaginable. To say nothing of the hum and

clatter of such a multitude of barbarians, the incessant exertions of a

horrid band of native musicians rendered our own voices inaudible.

People from Katunga and other towns of less importance flocked into

Eetchó to attend the market to-day, which, we are informed, was

nevertheless not so well attended as on former occasions; the rain that

had fallen, and the alleged danger which besets the path, having

prevented many thousands from leaving their own abodes. Country cloth,

indigo, provisions, &c. were offered for sale, but we observed nothing

in the market deserving particular notice. The town is to be well

guarded to-night, for fear of its being attacked whilst we remain in it;

and it is given out that any one found loitering outside the walls after

sunset will be seized without ceremony, and his effects taken from him.

A very ungallant custom prevails at Eetchó, which is, that every woman

who attends the market for the purpose of selling any article, is

obliged to pay a tax of ten cowries to the governor; whilst any

individual of the other sex is allowed to enter the town and vend his

commodities publicly without paying any duty whatever.

_Thursday, May 13th._—We arose at a very early hour this morning to

undertake the journey to Katunga, which is rather long; and we hoped not

only to reach that city before the heat became oppressive, but also to

avoid, if possible, the escort which we had little doubt the king would

send out to meet us. Yet, notwithstanding our most strenuous exertions,

it was six o’clock before we were all ready to depart. The air was

cooler than we have felt it since landing from the Clinker, the

thermometer being as low as 71° in the shade. The natives appeared to

feel this severity of the weather most keenly, for though they huddled

themselves up in their warmest cotton dresses, they were yet shivering

with cold. Hundreds of people, and perhaps if I were to say _thousands_,

the number would not be overrated, preceded and followed us on the

pathway; and as they winded through thick forests, along narrow roads,

their blue and white clothing, contrasted with the deep green of the

ancient trees, produced an eminently pleasing effect. After a hasty ride

of two hours, we came in sight of the town of _Eetcholee_, outside of

which are numerous trees, and underneath their widely spreading branches

we observed various groups of people seated on the turf, taking

refreshment. We joined them, partook of a little corn and water, which

is our usual travelling fare, and then renewed our journey in good

spirits. But we had not proceeded a great way, when the escort about

which we had been so uneasy was descried at a distance, and approaching

us at a rapid pace, joined the party in a very few minutes. There was no

great reason, after all, for our modesty to be offended either at the

splendour or number of our retinue, for happily it consisted only of a

few ragged individuals on foot, and eight on horseback; with the latter

was a single drummer, but the former could boast of having in their

train men with whistles, drums, and trumpets.

I sounded my bugle, at which the natives were astonished and pleased;

but a black trumpeter, jealous of the performance, challenged a contest

for the superiority of the respective instruments, which terminated in

the entire defeat of the African, who was hooted and laughed at by his

companions for his presumption, and gave up the trial in despair. I have

read somewhere, that in ancient time there was a contest between a

nightingale, and a famous musician, whose name I have forgot; and that

the melodious bird, despairing to equal the divine strains which were

produced by the minstrel, acknowledged his superiority by falling dead

at his feet. Now, the disconcerted African did not certainly expire at

the moment, but he hung down his head, remained silent, looked extremely

silly, and did not venture to put his horn to his mouth again, till he

imagined his companions had either overlooked or in some measure

forgotten his defeat. Among the instruments used on this memorable

occasion, was a piece of iron, in shape exactly resembling the bottom of

a parlour fire-shovel. It was played on by a thick piece of wood, and

produced sounds infinitely less harmonious than ‘marrow-bones and

cleavers.’

The leader of our escort was a strange-looking, powerful fellow, and

might very well serve the writer of a romance as the hero of his tale,

in the character of keeper of an enchanted castle, when fierce, scowling

looks, terrific frowns, and a peculiarly wild expression of countenance,

are intended to be _naturally_ described, for the man’s stature was

gigantic, his eyes large, keen, piercing, and ever in motion, his broad

nose squatted over both cheeks—his lips immensely large, exposing a fine

set of teeth; the beard was black, thick, and gristly, and, covering all

the lower part of his face, reached to his bosom; the famous Blue Beard

was nothing to him; and in gazing on his features one would almost be

inclined to believe, that all the most iniquitous and depraved passions

of human nature were centered in his heart. Yet with so unlovely and

forbidding an appearance, the man is in reality as innocent and docile

as a lamb. He wore on his head a small rush hat, in shape like a common

earthenware pan inverted, or like the hats which are worn by the lower

class of Chinese. His breast was enveloped in a coarse piece of blue

cloth; from his left shoulder hung a large quiver of arrows; and in his

right hand he held a bow, which he brandished like a lance; a short pair

of trousers covered his thighs, and fantastically-made leathern boots

incased his feet and legs. His skin was of jetty blackness, his forehead

high; but his tremendous beard, which was slightly tinged with grey,

contributed, perhaps more than anything else, to impart that wildness

and fierceness to his looks which at first inspired us with a kind of

dread of our leader.

Thus escorted, we travelled onwards; and after a hasty ride of six hours

from Eetchó, beheld from a little eminence those black, naked hills of

granite, at whose base lies the metropolis of Yarriba. About an hour

afterwards we entered the gates of that extensive city. As is the

custom, we stayed under a tree, just inside the walls, till the king and

his eunuchs were informed of our arrival, which having been done, after

a wearisome delay, we rode to the residence of _Ebo_, the chief eunuch,

who, next to the king, is the most influential man in the place. We

found this personage, a ‘great, fat, round, oily man,’ airing himself

under the verandah of his dwelling. Other eunuchs of similar appearance

were sitting on the ground with him, and joined him in welcoming both of

us (but myself more especially) to Katunga, with every appearance of

sincerity, heartiness, and goodwill. A conversation not sufficiently

interesting or important to relate, here took place,—it lasted a long

time; and we then walked all together to the king’s house, which is at

the distance of half a mile from that of Ebo.