8 JOURNEY FROM BADAGRY TO KATUNGA.

a mile in width, full of low swampy islands and floating reeds. The

natives appear to have a number of canoes, which are not used with

paddles, but a forked pole, and they manage them very cleverly.

At this place Dr. Morrison was taken very unwell, and had

slight symptoms of fever. The caboceer made us a present of two

hogs and some yams. Vfe observed here some women very oddly

marked, having small raised dots, like wens, across the forehead,

about half an inch apart; those on the cheek about an inch. They are made by cutting and lifting the skin.

Tuesday, 13th—This morning Dr. Morrison was better, and we

left Bidgie in the canoes. The road from this place was through

a dry swamp nearly the whole way. The sun was very oppressive, and 1 had sent my umbrella on. About midday I sat down in the

shade, quite exhausted by the heat, when a horseman came up

;

he kindly dismounted, and gave me his horse, while he walked

with me to the village of Atalioboloo, where the baggage and

people w ere halted, w aiting for carriers to come from the next town.

I procured rooms in the principal man’s house for Captain Pearce

and Dr. Morrison, who were indisposed. This town is surrounded

with plantations of yarns and corn ; numbers of people were on the

road going to the market at Bidgie. The carriers having arrived from

Laboo, the sick, and the greater part of the baggage, sent forward, Houtson and I followed in hammocks ; the road lying through fine

plantations of yams, and nearly as level as a bowling-green. In the

evening I w as met by the Jannah messenger, with an officer of the

caboceer of Laboo, bringing horses for the party : w

re got out of our hammocks and mounted. I w

ras the only one that had a saddle, but it

was so hard and the stirrups so short, that it became a question wiiich

of us had the best bargain. We soon arrived at the town of Laboo,

which stands on an eminence, and is the cleanest we have seen since we first set foot in Africa. The country has now become beautiful,

rising into hill and dale, from which there are some fine views: part