VOYAGE TO THE NIGER. 61 
land being chiefly savannahs, the remnants of decayed forests : 
Tamarinds, and other Leguminose, a Banisteria, (?) and 
Bombax were conspicuous, besides other trees, already men- 
tioned. Of herbaceous and shrubby plants I found, amongst 
the Cyperacee and Grasses, chiefly Leguminose, Desmodium, 
Cassia, Malvacee, Euphorbiaceae, (Phyllanthus, Tragia). 
Near the shore, in water-holes, grew frequently a Lemna,* 
now in flower. A flowering Loranthus, with verdigris-co- 
loured fruit, was parasitical on a Leguminosa, now almost 
under water. 
The burning sun, which came out after rain, gave me a 
violent head-ache. Towards evening, we proceeded a few 
miles up the river, and staid there during Sunday the 5th of 
September, in company with the other vessels, keeping . 
the Sabbath as a day of rest. The current ran here extremely 
strong, about three knots and a half per hour. 
Monday, September 6.—1 felt very unwell; and towards 
noon slight fever came on, which exhausted me much. 
In the evening we followed the * Albert" to Iddah, and 
grounded near the eastern inundated part of English Island. 
Here we remained till Wednesday, September 8, in the 
evening, when we succeeded in getting afloat again, and 
proceeded a few miles upwards. 
Thursday, September 9.—Till mid-day I. felt unwell and 
weak, but then got better. We approached the ‘mountains, 
which proved to consist of small ridges, 1,000 to 2,000 feet 
high; and the scenery was sometimes very pretty, the 
mountains being overgrown with trees to the top. The hills, 
which we passed first, and then the mountains, seemed 
to form several (more than two?) basins; through which 
the river had forced its way, as is frequently the case with 
Mountain streams. We proceeded along the eastern branch, 
to the Bokweh Island. The foremost mountains of King’s 
Peak (so called in Allen’s chart) came down to the river, 
and we could clearly distinguish large strata in the declivity 
* Is it different from L. minor, of Europe? The leaves are distinctly 
Striated ; which, so far as I recollect, is not the case in our plant. — 
