Remained at Khiama five days, during which time the queen’s treatment was kind and generous, supplying us every day with excellent provisions in great abundance. The day before my departure the king gave me a strong pony; and observed that, “if my king wished, at any future period, to send any one to Bornou, he would conduct him there by a safe route, without the necessity of going through the Fellata country.” The king of Khiama is, without exception, the finest and handsomest man we had seen in Africa (far superior to Bello); and, with the exception of the king of Yariba, was most respectably dressed.
14th.—At six in the morning left Khiama, and halted in Subia at one at noon. The country traversed is full of bogs, which caused the horses to fall repeatedly with their riders. The chief of this town gave me a goat and some yams, by command of the king of Khiama’s messenger.
15th.—Started at six in the morning, and travelled the whole of the day, till ten at night, when we rested in a bush.
16th.—Crossing a creek at 6 A.M. arrived at Mossa, a town situated on the banks of a river of the same name, which divides Yariba from Borgoo. The river was overflown, and the current strong and rapid; in consequence of which the people of the town were afraid to ferry us over. No food of any kind this day.
17th.—Asked the king of Khiama’s messenger why he was so much afraid of crossing the water, observing that I had myself swam across many larger and more rapid rivers; and among others mentioned the Niger. The man, in great trepidation, begged me, as I valued my life, not to mention the names of rivers in the hearing of the Mossa, who was a female river, and had many rivals in the affections of the Niger, who was her husband. She had a capricious, jealous, and cruel disposition; and if I ventured to place myself in her power, she would certainly swallow me up, as I had spoken slightingly of her. She was continually quarrelling with her husband, thinking he was too familiar with other rivers; and where they met they made the “devil’s own noise” with their disputes. I roared with laughter when the man had done speaking, at the loves of the Niger, which made him very angry, and I had much to do to pacify him. Being unable to procure provisions of any kind in the village, went to the chief, and wished to know whether he intended to starve us. The old scoundrel had a garden in which he grew a quantity of yams; but he refused to sell me any, asserting that he had none for himself. I then asked leave for Pascoe to cut grass in his garden for the horses, suspecting his yams might be hid in some part of it: this he sulkily granted. In the evening Pascoe returned with a bundle of grass, concealed in which were several yams he had had the good fortune to discover. If this had not been the case, I really believe we should all have died of hunger.
18th.—Went again to the chief in the morning, and demanded something to eat. He solemnly declared he was himself starving, and could get nothing to eat. I then pressed him to send his canoe to the opposite side for provisions: after much intreaty he consented to do so, but first made a charm that it might not be injured in its perilous voyage. For this purpose he killed a fetish fowl, sprinkled its blood in the river, placed some of the entrails in the bow of the canoe, and in the stern put a broken egg: he then muttered several expressions I did not understand; and a man was sent over with the boat, which arrived there in safety; but in returning loaded with poultry and yams, it ran foul of a tree which unluckily lay in the middle of the stream, and sunk immediately, in consequence of which the whole cargo was lost. The chief informed me of the accident, and said that the river could not be crossed in safety for three or four days. Pascoe returned in the evening with more of the chief’s yams and grass.
19th, 20th, and 21st.—Nothing to eat on these days but the yams Pascoe stole from the king’s garden.
22d.—Attempted to cross the river at noon; but did not succeed in getting every thing on the opposite side till five in the evening. The horses and asses were borne a quarter of a mile down the stream, and had nearly perished. Halted at Wantatah, the first town in Yariba, about two hours after.
23d.—At seven in the morning pursued our journey, and at eleven entered Hogie, where we remained for the day. The chief gave me a pig, yams, corn, &c. A red cap and fifty needles fully satisfied him.
24th.—Rested at Hogie to-day.