) 
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VOYAGE TO THE NIGER. 49 
Saturday, August 21.—We proceeded, the three ships in 
- company, at day-break. The vegetation resembled, on the 
whole, what we had seen yesterday: the trees often descend- 
ing close to the water, and exhibiting a mass of parasites of 
most singular forms. Sometimes I saw flowers, and fruit, 
which only made me regret, that I could not examine them 
closer. In Madeira I botanized on horseback, at Cape Coast 
Castle out of a carriage, and at Accra in a basket; but from 
a steam-ship it was impracticable. The villages became very 
frequent: in the plantations we saw (through the telescope) 
besides Pisang and Sugar, occasionally Cassada, Maize and 
Yam ; to which may be added the Oil palm and the Cocoa, 
similar to the latter, but (here at least) not so slender, being 
. rather short and of vigorous growth. But whilst the Oil 
palm grew every where, the Cocoa showed itself only near 
villages: a sure proof of its not being indigenous. Soon 
after noon, an attempt was made to proceed by another than 
the usual branch of the river, round an island ; but we found 
that it did not speedily join the main stream ; and we were 
. Separated from the other vessels, which had taken the eastern 
branch. After sunset we anchored, having come about thirty- 
Six miles. Soon after entering the western branch, we 
perceived on the right shore a village of clay cottages, 
. from whence a chief came off to us: the village was called 
Otuo, The men in the canoes were a robust race, and, like 
others who visited us in the course of the day, had a line or 
mark drawn over the forehead down to the nose. Their 
clothes showed nothing remarkable; but the hair of some 
was divided into squares, like a chess-board ; while others wore 
it plaited, in numerous little tails, which stood erect on the 
head like so many horns. They spoke the Bassa language. 
| The shore was generally very low, rising but little above the 
. river, at the most elevated part perhaps 4 feet; while the 
bared roots of plants made me think that the water is 
Sometimes higher than at this time. 
: 
Sunday, August 22.—Proceeding at break of day, we soon 
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