2 JOURNEY FROM BADAGRY TO KATUNGA.

canoes of our attendants were armed with small guns in the bow, to guard us from the danger of any attack ; Adoli had his cook and one of his wives with him in his own canoe, the after part of which was covered with a matted roof.

While halting here Mr. Houtson and I walked on to the town of Puka, leaving the baggage and stores to come on after us. The path over which we travelled was partly cleared, and covered with high grass wherever it was clear of wood ; and had apparently once been cultivated. The woods were thick and the trees high, with a great deal of tangle and underwood, so as to render it impenetrable to man or beast excepting along the path. The country is low and flat, and the soil a red clay mixed with sand.

On arriving at Puka, we halted under a tree, and were surrounded by immense crowds of people, who were very civil : those who could not get near enough to see us, on account of their small size, were held up on others’ shoulders ; and from the great number of old people and of young children, it would appear that they are not much in the habit of selling their children at this place. They are all negro pagans. We had a visit from one of the Eyeo war chiefs, who came in state: he was mounted on a small horse, as were also two of his attendants ; the saddles and ornaments were the same as those in Soudan and Bornou ; the rest of the cavalcade were on foot, amongst which was a little boy apparently the favourite slave of the chief, judging from the conspicuous part he bore, and the great attention which was paid to him by all the others. His dress and appearance was most grotesque, consisting of a ragged red coat with yellow facings, a military cap and feather apparently Portuguese. The captain came curvetting and leaping his horse until within the distance of a hundred yards, when he dismounted, and approached within twenty yards of us, where he sat down. We then sent our umbrella as a message or token that we wished him well ; and on the receipt of which, the drums beat