icing, and making
merry all the evening, outside their hut. It appeared as rather a
strange circumstance to Richard Lander, that the chief or governor of
almost every town through which they had passed since leaving
Badagry, who was alive and well on his return to the coast three
years ago, had been either slain in war or had died from natural
causes. Scarcely one of them was alive on his present expedition.

On April 19th, an easy pleasant ride of three hours brought them to
the first walled town they had seen, which was called Assinara. The
wall was of clay and so diminutive, that a person might easily jump
over it; a dry ditch about eighteen inches deep, and three or four
feet in width also surrounds the town. Over this a single plank is
thrown, which answers the purpose of a draw-bridge, and is the only
means the inhabitants have of getting in and out of the place.
Assinara had also lately lost its chief in some battle, and all
business was transacted by a benevolent elderly man, who volunteered
his services till a successor should be appointed. From him the
Landers received the warmest reception, and the most hospitable
treatment.

The climate now began to have a most debilitating effect upon John
Lander, and from a state of robust health and vigour, he was now
reduced to so great a degree of lassitude and weakness, that he could
scarcely stand a minute at a time. Every former pleasure seemed to
have lost its charm with him. He was on this day attacked with fever,
and his condition would have been hopeless indeed, had his brother
not been near to relieve him. He complained of excessive thirst. Ten
grains of calomel were administered to him, and afterwards a strong
dose of salts. On the following day, April 20th, he was much better
and free from fever, but too weak to travel, their stay, therefore,
at Assinara was unavoidably protracted.

The acting governor visited them with a very long face, and entreated
the Landers to discover a certain wizard, whom he imagined to be
concealed somewhere in the town. By the influence of this sorcerer, a
number of people, it was said, pined away and died, and women with
child were more especially the object of his malevolence. These
victims dropped down suddenly, without the slightest warning, and the
deaths had lately been so numerous, that the old man himself was
grievously alarmed, and begged a charm to preserve him and his
family.

On the 23rd, John Lander finding himsel