6 JOURNEY FROM BADAGRY TO KATUNGA.
nothing to eat. The road lay through the thickest woods I ever
saw; and, except on the narrow footpath, wholly impenetrable by man or beast : the surface rather uneven ; the soil a strong red
clay. We passed several people, principally women, heavily laden
with cloth, plantains, and a paste made from pounded Indian corn, wrapped in leaves called accasson, going to market. They were all
extremely civil, and never omitted saluting us, or giving us the
road. One woman, whom I made signs to that I was thirsty, was
nearly crying that she had no water to give, but would make us take
plantains and accassons. Shortly after leaving Dagmoo we crossed
a small stream, over which 1 was carried. About noon, arrived at the
town of Humba, where I found Captain Pearce and Dr. Morrison in
the caboceer's house, and the caboceer waiting in state to receive
us. Here I had my feet bathed, but found 1 had a considerable
degree of fever on me, and was glad to get to bed. In the after-
noon I had a slight fit of ague. The house was in a very ruinous
state ; and, indeed, the whole town, as far as we saw of it, was
equally so. The inhabitants, however, were cheerful enough, and
kept singing and dancing all night round our house ; their songs were in chorus, and not unlike some church music that I have
heard.
Sunday, 1 1th.—Though very weak, I walked on for a mile to a town called Akalou, where the baggage was halted ; and here I
found a black captain in a leopard skin cloak, holding a palaver, and declaring he would neither go nor let the baggage go on, with-
out a flask of rum. Mr. Houtson gave him a glass of grog, when,
after keeping it in his mouth for some time, he poured it out of
his own into the mouths of his attendants. After this the baggage
proceeded, and I had two men to carry me in my hammock ; but
they had not gone twenty paces before they set me down, and said
they would carry me no further. I accordingly endeavoured to
creep on slowly, but on seeing the fellows walking very deliberately