56 JOURNAL OF THE 
henceforth we were constantly surrounded by many canoes. 
These people wear either a piece of cloth round the loins, or 
portions of European dresses ; only King Obi had both 
coat and trowsers. Obi is between fifty and sixty, with a 
true Negro face, but cunning. The sonis a finely formed, 
strong, powerful young nran. King Obi brought with him 
one of his wives, a very young person, and a daughter, 
dressed in African style, i. e. sans géne. When this was 
observed, Commissioner Cook gave to the wife a red, and 
Captain Allen to the daughter, a coloured gown; but the 
latter was not pleased with hers. One might mention several 
peculiarities about their attire; but such things, and their 
smoking pipes, &c., did not particularly interest me. Several 
Women wore enormous ivory rings round the legs. The - 
account I have before given of the various ways of dressing 
their hair might be extended. "The desire to possess what- 
ever they saw, was unequivocal; but I heard of no thefts. 
There were a good many tools scattered about on deck, 
Which in the confusion might easily have been taken. The 
weather was rainy and very uncomfortable. 
Friday, August 27.—Through incessant rains the ground 
-80t swampy, in fact so muddy, that it became impossible to 
‘make any extensive excursions. Besides some plants pre- 
viously mentioned, I collected Cucurbitacee, Apocynee, a 
Ficus and a species of Malaghetty pepper, which, judging by 
the leaves and fruit, is identical with that at the mouth of the 
Nun River: a fine Costus was very common : a Salvinia, not 
rare in the creeks, and a Ceratophyllum, which I had seen 
before in Abòh creek. On the stems of trees grew three 
species of Mosses : on the ground none. Whoever may have 
the good fortune to investigate these creeks in a boat, would 
probably find many Cryptogamia, new to the African 
Flora. : 
Saturday, August 28, 
thirty feet distant from 
the water’s edge, of moderate height, 
with three long straight 
—I had yesterday seen a tree, about | 
| 
branches, closely appressed at the top: j 
