They Were Of The Most Varied Shapes, And Appeared To Form Part Of A Regular Mountain Chain.

After having passed the island of Gungo, which contains about 100 inhabitants, they were again exposed to danger on

The river, which was so agitated, that the canoe was "tossed about like a cocoa-nut shell." The only method by which they could escape sinking, was by pulling it among the Tushes on the banks, which was effected after much labour and difficulty. No sooner did they conceive themselves safe, than a huge crocodile rose up close to the canoe, plunging near it with much violence: one blow from him would have split it to pieces. Shortly after they came to a place where the current rushed with the impetuosity of a torrent over a broad sand bank; they were carried along with irresistible velocity, and the canoe struck against the roof of a hut which was covered with water.

They now passed the mountains which they had observed on the preceding day; they were flat table mountains, and appeared to be not far distant from the bank. One or two were entirely barren, while a few were most fertile, being covered with corn up to the very summits; they rest displayed only stunted vegetation. Several villages, surrounded by groups of tall trees, were situated at their foot. On the 19th October, they arrived at Egga, a large handsome town, behind a deep morass. It is upwards of two miles in length, and the people carry on a great trade. A large number of canoes, laden with merchandize, lie beside the town, and many of the natives reside in them. Half of the population is Mohammedan. When they left this place, they were informed that in their farther progress towards the sea, they would pass through states of an entirely different character, inhabited by fierce and lawless people, from whom both their lives and property would be exposed to peril. The friendly natives exhorted them to return, or at least if they were determined to persevere, to pass, if possible, the towns by night.

After they had left Egga, the banks of the river assumed a pleasing appearance, and were adorned with numerous villages. The Landers observed a number of canoes, built in the same manner as those of the Bonny and Calabar rivers, which confirmed them in the opinion that they were approaching the sea. The natives of one village, when they saw them, sounded their war-cry, and flew to arms; but their hostility was speedily exchanged for friendship, when the object of the travellers was explained. Their next halting-place was Kacunda, which consists of four large villages, at a considerable distance from each other. The river here changes its direction to the N.N.E., which the main branch keeps till it reaches the sea. About forty miles below Kacunda, its volume is increased by the influx of the Tshadda; at the place of the junction the river is about three or four miles in breadth, and the Landers saw numerous canoes floating upon it. They passed a large city, but neither landed, nor held any communication with the inhabitants; they were afterwards told that it was called Cuttumcurafee, and was a place of considerable traffic.

Some days afterwards the apprehension of a storm induced them to land, and to erect an awning of mats under the shade of a palm-tree. No habitation was seen, but the place had evidently been resorted to by a great number of people. Three of the men, however, who had gone in search of firewood, suddenly came upon a village, but saw only some women, who fled in terror from the strangers, and alarmed their male relatives, who were at work in the fields. They returned to the party, who did not anticipate any danger from this strange occurrence, till one of the negroes suddenly cried out, "War is coming! oh, war is coming!" A fierce band of men, armed with spears, cutlasses, muskets, and bows and arrows, rushed towards the little encampment. Resistance was vain against such an overwhelming force, and the only resource of the travellers was to adopt pacific measures. They threw down their useless weapons, and walked forward boldly towards the chief. The natives seemed determined to attack them; the chief's "quiver was dangling at his side, his bow was bent, and an arrow which was pointed at their breasts, already trembled on the string. But just as he was about to pull the fatal cord, a man that was nearest him rushed forward and stayed his arm. At that instant we stood before them, and immediately held forth our hands; all of them trembled like aspen-leaves; the chief looked up full in our faces, kneeling on the ground; light seemed to flash from his dark rolling eyes, his body was convulsed all over, as though he were enduring the utmost torture, and with a timorous, yet undefinable expression of countenance, in which all the passions of our nature were strangely blended, he drooped his head, eagerly grasped our proffered hands, and burst into tears. This was a sign of friendship; harmony followed, and war and bloodshed were thought of no more." His followers showed equal delight. They gave repeated shouts, thrust their arrows into their quivers, fired off their muskets, shook their spears, danced, laughed, sung, and cried in succession, and in short behaved like madmen. The chief sat down on the turf, with the Landers on each side of him, while his men stood around leaning on their weapons. Employing an interpreter who understood the Haussa language, the chief stated, that he had taken them for a hostile party, who meditated a midnight attack upon the village, to carry away the inhabitants as slaves, but that his heart had relented when he saw them approach in peaceful and friendly guise, and that he had thought that they were "_children of heaven_" who had dropped from the skies.

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