Travels Of Richard And John Lander Into The Interior Of Africa For The Discovery Of The Course And Termination Of The Niger By Robert Huish
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Long Before Five, Every Thing On Their Parts Had Been Got
In Readiness For Quitting The Town, And They Sat In The Canoe Till
After Sunset, Waiting The Arrival Of The Boatmen, Who Did Not Seem At
All Disposed To Hurry Themselves In Making Their Appearance.
They
began at length to be wearied with anxiety, and impatient to be
stirring.
Hundreds of people had been gazing on them for a long
while, many of whom had taken the pains to come, from different parts
of the town in boats for that purpose and the curiosity of all having
been amply indulged, they were moving off in all directions, so that
the Landers were almost deserted.
At length when their uneasiness was at its height, they saw the chief
advancing towards them with a train of followers. The mallam and all
his principal people were with him, bringing numerous jars of palm
wine. A mat was spread near the water-side, whereon the chief sat
himself, and the Landers were instantly desired to place themselves
one on each side of his person. The palm wine, and some rum were then
produced, and as they were about to take a long farewell of their
hospitable host, they drank of his offering, rather than give offence
by a refusal. They drank and chatted away until half-past six in the
evening, when they sent Pascoe on before them in their own old canoe,
telling him that they should overtake him. It was, however, nearly
dark before they were allowed to depart, and as they lay at a short
distance from the bank, all the fetish people walked knee deep into
the river, and muttered a long prayer, after which they splashed the
water towards their canoe with each foot, and then they proceeded
on their voyage.
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