of the common class, they
were seen carrying large loads on their heads from town to town.

On the 6th of January, 1826, the travellers entered the town of Chocho,
beyond which their road lay through beautiful rocky valleys, cultivated
in many places, and planted with cotton, corn, yarns, and bananas, and
many watered by little streams. Numbers of little huts were seen
perched on the tops and in the hollows of the hills. Beautiful as the
country was, it was the scene of the miserable devastating wars carried
on in all parts of Africa for the purpose of obtaining slaves to be sold
on the coast.

On the 8th they entered Duffo, a town containing fifteen thousand
people. The crowd which came to see them in the house where they were
lodged was immense. When the people were told to go away, they said:
"No; if white man would not come out, they would come in to see him."

They passed numerous other large towns, and were received in a friendly
manner by the caboceers, and were well supplied with fowls, sheep, and
goats. Yet the people, though kind, were exceedingly curious, and
allowed them but little rest.

Further eastward they passed a number of Felatah villages, whose
inhabitants live there as they do in most other parts of Africa,
attending to the pasturage of their cattle, without interfering in the
customs of the country, or receiving any annoyance from the natives.
Some of them, as they passed, brought them milk to drink.

Further on, however, they came to a number of villages, some of which
had been destroyed by the Felatahs, their walls being already covered
with weeds.

As they approached Katunga, the capital of Youriba, the caboceer, with
an enormous escort, came out to meet them. His musicians kept drumming,
playing, dancing, and singing all night.

The country round was well-cultivated. The city, as they saw it lying
below them, appeared surrounded and studded with green, shady trees,
forming a belt round the base of a granite mountain.

The king was found seated under the verandah of his house, with two red
and blue umbrellas, raised on large poles, held over him by slaves.

The crowd, as they advanced, had to be kept back with sticks and whips;
but they were used in a good-natured manner.

Clapperton was told that he must prostrate himself before the king; but
this he declined doing, saying that he would turn back unless he was
allowed to act as he would do before his own sovereign; that he wo