w them in a few minutes.
With this arrangement they cheerfully complied, and instantly pushed
off the shore, for of all persons, a messenger is the most unpleasant
companion; he is fond of procrastination, sullen when rebuked, and
stops at every paltry village wherein he fancies that he can levy his
contributions without the fear of interruption.

The messenger, whom they had left at Dacannie, soon overtook them,
and kept company with them till they drew near to two cities of
prodigious extent, one on each side of the river, and directly
opposite each other. To that lying on the right, the guide expressed
his intention of going, and endeavoured to entice the Landers with
many promises to accompany him there, but they refused, for they had
formed a resolution to husband their resources to the utmost of their
ability, and consequently to land at little hamlets only, where they
might do just as they pleased, without being amenable for their
actions to those powerful beings, who are styled "the mighty" of the
earth.

They now took leave of the Zagozhi messenger, who promised to follow
them as before, and in an hour afterwards they put into a small
village, situated on an island called Gungo, the natives of which
appeared to be a mild, inoffensive, quiet, and good-natured people.
About sunset, the inhabitants of the whole island, amounting to about
a hundred men, women, and children, dressed in very decent apparel,
and headed by their chief, a venerable old man, paid them a visit.
The chief was dressed in the mahommedan costume, and he arranged his
people, and made them sit down round the hut which the Landers
occupied, in the most orderly manner. The men evinced no alarm, but
the women and pretty little plump-faced children were much frightened
at their white faces, and seemed not a little glad to get away.
Before they retired, they distributed about two hundred needles among
them, and they went away highly pleased with their present.

At Zagozhi, they had been strongly recommended to put into a large
and important trading town called _Egga_, which was reported to be
three days journey down the river from thence, and they had been
promised a guide or messenger to accompany them thither, but they had
neither heard nor seen any thing of him since the preceding day. From
motives of prudence, however, they thought proper to make inquiries
concerning the Egga, of which they had been told, lest by any means,
they should pass