of
the island, there being but one got ready at the time of their
arrival. On the arrival of the canoes, and all their things had been
removed into them from the beach, they were desired to ride to a
landing place further down the island, because of the rocks, which
were reported to intercept the stream at a little distance from the
place whereon they stood, and to be very dangerous for canoes that
were heavily laden. The venerable governor of Patashie, to whom they
were under so many obligations, preceded them on the footpath,
walking with a staff, and they reached the appointed place of
embarkation exactly at the same moment as the canoes. After thanking
all the friends that had accompanied them, they jumped on board, and
pushed off from the shore, cheered by the natives that were present.

The current bore them rapidly along, and having passed down in front
of one or two towns on the banks of the river, they came in sight of
Lever, which was the place of their destination, it being about
twenty miles from Patashie.

Their surprise was, however, great indeed, when instead of the proper
person whom they expected would have received them, they were
welcomed on shore by a man called Ducoo, who represented himself as
the agent and confidential friend of the prince of Rabba, but their
surprise was not a little increased on learning that a party of forty
or fifty armed Fellata soldiers were also in the town. Ducoo treated
them with the courtly politeness of a Frenchman, and was equally
lavish in his compliments and offers of service; he walked with them
to the chief of the town, to whom he took the liberty of introducing
them, almost before he knew himself who or what they were; went
himself and procured excellent lodgings for them, returned and sat
down in their company to tell them some droll stories, and impart to
them in confidence some very disagreeable news; then hastily arose,
went out, and came back again with a sheep and other provisions,
which he had obtained by compulsion from the chief, and finally
remained with them till long after the moon had risen, when he left
them to their repose.

The Landers now began to discover that they had been egregiously
imposed upon, for in the first place they found, after all, that
Lever did not belong to the king of Wowow, though it stands on his
dominions, nor had that monarch a single subject here, or a single
canoe, so that they were as far as ever they were from getting