26th.—Arose at 6 A.M., and did not halt till ten at night, when we fixed our tent on a clear space in the midst of a large wood; vast quantities of bamboo, palm, and cocoa-nut trees growing in every direction. The asses were very troublesome to-day, having been annoyed by the forest flies; myriads of which swarm in the woods, and alight in great numbers on men and animals. These insects bit the asses so severely that the blood streamed copiously from their sides and legs, and made them so restive that they frequently flung off their loads, and rolled themselves on the ground. Being unable to procure any better provisions, we contented ourselves with a little boiled corn. Although still very ill, found myself greatly improved.
27th.—At seven in the morning proceeded, and after a fatiguing journey, reached a Bowchee village, named Cokalo, at 2 P.M. The inhabitants being very poor, could procure nothing but corn. The chief of the village had made a fetish, and having roasted a dog, stewed a large snake in oil and water, and boiled a good deal of corn, invited his people to a feast, of which they partook freely. A small bowl of boiled corn, enriched with a portion of the reptile, and the liquid in which it had been dressed, was sent me from the chief’s table. Supposing it to be fish on the boiled corn, I ate a mouthful or two, but there being a peculiar, and not disagreeable flavour with it, I cursorily asked a person, who stood by my side, what kind of fish I was eating; but on his telling me it was part of the snake, I could eat no more. Pascoe, however, was not quite so fastidious, and consumed the remainder with great relish, declaring that, in his opinion, it was much superior to dried ling.
28th.—Proceeding this morning at eight, arrived an hour after on the banks of the Coodoonia; but here it was broader, deeper, and more rapid than at Cuttup. In attempting to convey, on a small bamboo raft, one of my portmanteaus to the opposite side, found it would not bear its weight, and snatched it from the raft just in time to save it from sinking. Finding it, therefore, dangerous to cross, till the river became more shallow, I strenuously refused to accede to the wishes of the messengers, who strongly urged the necessity of my reaching Zegzeg as quickly as possible; observing, that I would neither risk my property nor person on so weak and dangerous a conveyance. They abused me in the most insolent terms, and threatened to go immediately and inform their king of my refusal to proceed. I desired them to give my best respects to his Zegzeg majesty, and told them they were at liberty to go as soon as they pleased. They left me in great anger, cursing me as they went; whilst I slowly proceeded with my horses and asses to the village we had left in the morning.
Whether the messengers did or did not go to Zegzeg I cannot tell, but they did not return till the 11th July following. I remained all that time in the village, very ill, with nothing to eat but boiled corn, not by any means relishing their roasted dogs. The inhabitants, who came by hundreds each day to visit me, were destitute of apparel of any kind, but, nevertheless, behaved in a modest and becoming manner. The men did not appear to have any occupation or employment whatever, and spent their time in loitering about the village. The women were generally engaged most of the day in manufacturing an oil from a small black seed and the guinea nut.
July 11th.—The messengers being returned, came to me, and, in a very submissive tone, requested me to accompany them, as the king did not think it proper to permit me to go any where until I had first seen him. Accordingly I loaded my beasts, and followed them a second time to the river, but found it still much too deep to walk through; and one bamboo raft being too small to bear a heavy article, I caused two to be lashed together, which answered the purpose extremely well. The portmanteaus, &c. were first taken over; and I, laying myself flat on my face, was next ferried across by the two messengers, who swam behind, and dexterously propelled it forward with their hands. The horses and asses were not quite so fortunate; the current being strong and rapid, they were borne by it nearly a quarter of a mile from the place at which they entered the water. Every thing being at length safely landed on the opposite side, at 11 P.M. left the banks of the river, and pursuing a north-east course till sunset, pitched our tent on a rising ground near a small stream. The asses have been again troublesome the whole of the way.
12th.—Leaving at half-past six in the morning, pitched our tent outside a small walled town called Accoran, the first I had seen since leaving Nammaleek, at two in the afternoon. The west end of the town is defended by an immense naked rock, and the other parts by a mud wall and a deep ditch. It is inhabited by Bowchee people, miserably poor, who could not sell us even a single goat or fowl. A thunder-storm came on this afternoon, with its usual violence, accompanied with vivid lightning and floods of rain, which continued the whole of the night.
13th.—Started at eight in the morning, and reached Cowroo at three in the afternoon. The country traversed differed but little from that previously mentioned. The palm and cocoa-nut trees, however, which had been so plentiful since leaving Cuttup, suddenly disappeared, and I saw no more of them till our arrival near the sea-coast in Yariba. Crossed several streams in the day, and numerous steep and craggy but low mountains lay on our left and right, on the very summits of which small villages are built; the roads leading to them must be extremely dangerous. Remained here three days, in order to refresh my men and beasts. The chief is a fine looking man, and was very neatly dressed in a plain white tobe and trousers, his feet bare, and stained red. I gave him an old piece of carpeting, a scarlet cap, white turban, and a gilt chain, in return for abundance of excellent provisions, &c. The inhabitants of the town are principally Houssa people.
17th.—Started at seven in the morning, and keeping a north-east course, reached a large river called Makammee, running southerly, which derives its name from a town at a short distance. Were ferried across in a canoe, which cost one hundred needles and sixty cowries. On landing on the opposite side, suddenly altered our route to due east, and arrived at the town of Makammee, at two in the afternoon. Sent the chief a paper of unwrought silk, fifty needles, and a pair of scissors, which he was very grateful for, and returned me two fish, weighing seven or eight pounds each, and plenty of other provisions.
18th.—At six in the morning proceeded, and travelling north by east till twelve at noon, halted at Wautorah, another walled town. The chief sent me some tuah and corn; but there being no poultry to be had, shot a few pigeons, which surprised and terrified the inhabitants to an alarming degree. Gave the chief a pair of scissors and a hundred needles.
19th.—This morning, it being damp and foggy, Mahomet and the two messengers refused to proceed, and told me I might go alone, thinking to detain me in the town till it would be too late to leave this day; but ordering Pascoe and his wife to assist me, loaded the beasts, and went on without them. Unfortunately the path leading to some gardens belonging to the inhabitants of Wautorah misled me. I had gone some distance when, discovering my mistake, instead of returning to the beaten track the way I came, crossed the country in order to save time; but owing to the marshy nature of the ground, and the swamps, which were numerous, did not get into the proper path till four in the afternoon; when, after travelling two hours on it, the beast became fatigued and exhausted, in consequence of which fixed the tent by the road-side; and being much distressed for water, luckily slaked my thirst from some which, oozing from the fissures of a neighbouring rock, I was enabled to obtain in small quantities.