The
Change Of Prospect Was Most Grateful To Those Who Had Spent Two Months In
A Flat, Marshy, And Uninteresting Country.
These mountains lie in the
direction of W.N.W. and E.S.E., where they are intersected by the Niger.
Their outlines are extremely bold, and they appear to be chiefly composed
of granite.
The navigation of the channel between them is full of danger,
as large fragments of granite have fallen into the stream, and produced
eddies and shoals. At a little distance beyond this point, a noble
prospect opened before the Voyagers. "An immense river, about three
thousand yards wide, extending as far as the eye could reach, lay before
us, flowing majestically between its banks, which rose gradually to a
considerable height, and were studded with clumps of trees and brushwood,
giving them the appearance of a gentleman's park; while the smoke rising
from different towns on its banks, and the number of canoes floating on
its bosom, gave it an aspect of security and peace." Here the vessel ran
aground with a violent shock, and they experienced the greatest
difficulty in relieving her.
A great misfortune happened to the expedition a little above Attah. The
Quorra again ran aground, near the confluence of the Tshadda with the
Niger, and all their efforts to extricate her proved vain; she was
stopped for four months, after which the rising of the water lifted her
up.
Mr. Laird, accompanied by Dr. Briggs, visited Addakudda, which was the
largest town in sight from the vessel on the western bank of the river;
it is situated on an eminence of granite, which gives it the appearance
of a fortified place. It contains about 5000 inhabitants, but like most
African towns, is dirty and ill-constructed. Here they saw the method
used by the natives for dying cloth with indigo, which is extremely rude
and inartificial; and the effect seems to be produced solely by the
superior quality of the indigo, and the quantity employed. Little ivory
is exposed for sale in the market, cloth, and provisions forming the
chief articles of traffic.
As any farther progress was for a time entirely prevented, Mr. Laird
resolved to travel towards Fundah, in order to ascertain whether any
opening for commerce could be found there. After journeying about forty
miles, by land and water, he arrived in a state of great debility, and
experienced a most inhospitable reception from the king, who pilfered
from him as much as he could, and detained him in his own residence for
some time, threatening to put him to death if he attempted to escape. He
was only allowed to depart in consequence of several devices, which
operated powerfully upon the superstitious fears of the king and his
subjects.
The town of Fundah, which is very extensive, is situated on the western
extremity of an immense plain, about nine miles distant from the northern
bank of the river Shary. To the eastward the country is rich and
beautiful.
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