Lander Was Desired To Sit Down By His Side, And To Drink A Glass Of Rum.

He was then given to understand, as well as his majesty was able, that it was customary for every

White man who came down the river to pay him four bars. Lander expressed his ignorance and surprise at this demand, but was soon silenced by his saying, "That is my demand, and I shall not allow you to leave this town until you give me a book for that amount." Seeing that he had nothing to do but to comply with his demand, Lander gave him a bill on Lake the commander of the English vessel, after which he said, "To-morrow you may go to the brig; take one servant with yon, but your mate, (meaning his brother,) must remain here with your seven people, until my son, King Boy, shall bring the goods for himself and me, after this they shall be sent on board without delay."

In order that he might make a decent appearance before his countrymen on the following day, Richard Lander was obliged to sit the whole of the afternoon with an old cloth wrapped round him, until his clothes were washed and dried. This was the most miserable and starving place which they had yet visited: since their arrival, Mr. Gun had sent them two meals, consisting of a little pounded yam, and fish stewed in palm oil, and for this he had the impudence to demand two muskets in payment. These fellows, like the rest on the coast, were a set of imposing rascals, little better than downright savages; Lander was informed that they had absolutely starved three white men, shortly before his arrival, who had been wrecked in a slaving vessel, when crossing the bar.

CHAPTER XLI.

Richard Lander had determined that one of his men should accompany him down the river, and at ten o'clock, having taken leave of his brother and the rest of the party, they embarked in King Boy's canoe, with a light heart and an anxious mind: although distant about sixty miles from the mouth of the river, his journey appeared to him already completed, and all his troubles and difficulties, he considered at an end. Already, in fond anticipation, he was on board the brig, and had found a welcome reception from her commander had related to him all the hardships and dangers they had undergone, and had been listened to with commiseration; already had he assured himself of his doing all he could to enable him to fulfil his engagements with these people, and thought themselves happy in finding a vessel belonging to their own country in the river at the time of their arrival. These meditations and a train of others about home and friends, to which they naturally led, occupied his mind as the canoe passed through the narrow creeks, sometimes winding under avenues of mangrove trees, and at others expanding into small lakes occasioned by the overflowing of the river. The captain of the canoe, a tall sturdy fellow, was standing up, directing its course, occasionally hallooing as they came to a turn in the creek, to the fetish, and where an echo was returned half a glass of rum and a piece of yam and fish were thrown into the water. Lander had seen this done before, and on asking Boy the reason why he was throwing away the provisions thus, he asked, "Did you not hear the fetish?" The captain of the canoe replied, "Yes." "That is for the fetish," said Boy, "if we do not feed him, and do good for him, he will kill us, or make us poor and sick." Lander could not help smiling at the ignorance of the poor creatures, but such is their firm belief.

They had pursued their course in this manner, which had been principally to the west, till about three in the afternoon, when they came to a branch of the river about two hundred yards wide, and seeing a small village at a short distance before them, they stopped there for the purpose of obtaining some dried fish. Having supplied their wants and proceeded on, about an hour afterwards they again stopped, that their people might take some refreshment. Boy very kindly presented Lander with a large piece of yam, reserving to himself all the fish they had got at the village, and after making a hearty meal off them, he fell asleep. While he was snoring by Lander's side, the remainder of the fish attracted his notice, and not feeling half satisfied with the yam which had been given him, he felt an irresistible inclination to taste them. Conscience acquitted him on the score of hunger, and hinted that such an opportunity should not be lost, and accordingly, he very quickly demolished two small ones. Although entirely raw, they were delicious, and he never remembered having enjoyed anything with a better relish in all his life.

There was scarcely a spot of dry land to be seen anywhere, all was covered with water and mangrove trees. After remaining about half an hour, they again proceeded, and at seven in the evening arrived in the second Brass River, which was a large branch of the Quorra. They kept their course down it about due south, and half an hour afterwards, Lander heard the welcome sound of the surf on the beach. They still continued onwards, and at a quarter before eight in the evening, they made their canoe fast to a tree for the night, on the west bank of the river.

On the following morning, Lander found his clothes as thoroughly wet from the effects of the dew, as if he had been lying in the river all night instead of the canoe. At five in the morning, they let go the rope from the tree, and took their course in a westerly direction up a creek. At seven they arrived in the main branch of the Quorra, which is called the River Nun, or the First Brass River, having entered it opposite to a large branch, which, from the information given by King Boy, ran to Benin.

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