At this season the river was full. The huts that we had erected on
the north side, upon our arrival from Fatiko, had been destroyed by the
natives. This did not look as though much friendship existed.
Upon hearing our drums and bugles on the day of our arrival at Foweera,
a few natives had come to the high rock opposite, and had commenced,
bawling conversation, and that was only slightly understood by one of
our women and Molodi the Madi.
Molodi knew Rionga, as he had visited him at a former time, together
with a party of Abou Saood's people. His very slight knowledge of the
language was sufficient to explain to the natives across the river that
I wished to communicate with Rionga.
The people on the north happened to belong to Kabba Rega, and they were
enemies of Rionga; thus we were addressing the wrong parties.
It was highly necessary to make some arrangements for crossing the
river. There are no canoes on this side, and it would be dangerous to
trust to rafts, as there were waterfalls about three or four hundred
yards below upon our left. I determined to construct boats.
We felled three large dolape palms (Borassus ethriopicus), which were
the only trees of that species in this neighbourhood.
