Lander's Travels eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,054 pages of information about Lander's Travels.

Lander's Travels eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,054 pages of information about Lander's Travels.

They had pursued their course in this manner, which had been principally to the west, till about three in the afternoon, when they came to a branch of the river about two hundred yards wide, and seeing a small village at a short distance before them, they stopped there for the purpose of obtaining some dried fish.  Having supplied their wants and proceeded on, about an hour afterwards they again stopped, that their people might take some refreshment.  Boy very kindly presented Lander with a large piece of yam, reserving to himself all the fish they had got at the village, and after making a hearty meal off them, he fell asleep.  While he was snoring by Lander’s side, the remainder of the fish attracted his notice, and not feeling half satisfied with the yam which had been given him, he felt an irresistible inclination to taste them.  Conscience acquitted him on the score of hunger, and hinted that such an opportunity should not be lost, and accordingly, he very quickly demolished two small ones.  Although entirely raw, they were delicious, and he never remembered having enjoyed anything with a better relish in all his life.

There was scarcely a spot of dry land to be seen anywhere, all was covered with water and mangrove trees.  After remaining about half an hour, they again proceeded, and at seven in the evening arrived in the second Brass River, which was a large branch of the Quorra.  They kept their course down it about due south, and half an hour afterwards, Lander heard the welcome sound of the surf on the beach.  They still continued onwards, and at a quarter before eight in the evening, they made their canoe fast to a tree for the night, on the west bank of the river.

On the following morning, Lander found his clothes as thoroughly wet from the effects of the dew, as if he had been lying in the river all night instead of the canoe.  At five in the morning, they let go the rope from the tree, and took their course in a westerly direction up a creek.  At seven they arrived in the main branch of the Quorra, which is called the River Nun, or the First Brass River, having entered it opposite to a large branch, which, from the information given by King Boy, ran to Benin.  The direction of the River Nun was here nearly north and south, and they kept on their course down the stream.

About a quarter an hour after they had entered the river Nun, they discerned at a distance from them, two vessels lying at anchor.  The emotions of delight which the sight of them occasioned were beyond the power of Lander to describe.  The nearest was a schooner, a Spanish slave vessel, whose captain they had seen at Brass Town.  Their canoe was quickly by her side, and Lander went on board.  The captain received him very kindly, and invited him to take some spirits and water with him.  He complained sadly of the sickly state of the crew, asserting that the river was extremely unhealthy, and that he had only been in it six weeks, in which time he had lost as many men.  The remainder of his crew, consisting of thirty persons, were in such a reduced state, that they were scarcely able to move, and were lying about his decks, more resembling skeletons man living persons.  Lander could do no good with the Spaniard, so he took his leave of him, and returned into the canoe.

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Lander's Travels from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.