610 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE 



and over the other. They remove it from the shoulder, when 

 they meet a white man and lay bare the heart by way of 

 salutation. The women have these clothes also, and others 

 in addition. The cloth round their loins is larger, and furnished 

 behind with a monstrous bustle ; the bigger this is, the more 

 respectable is the woman, and the larger her family ; in many 

 it projects like a saddle. Little children are perfectly naked. 

 So soon, however, as a young girl assumes a piece of cloth by 

 way of clothing, it is furnished with a bustle, which with time 

 is made gradually larger. 



" Although I have at present had no opportunity of admir- 

 ing the full splendour of tropical vegetation, yet many objects 

 have fallen in my way which induced me to examine and to 

 gather them. I regret very much that I have so many diffi- 

 culties to overcome, in reference to my collections, from the 

 scanty room on shipboard, and the humidity of the weather. 

 If not attended to daily, everything is covered with mould, 

 and even the paper in the chests becomes quite damp. Per- 

 haps, after much pains, I am so fortunate as to get my 

 plants dry, with the help of the sun and steam-engine ; but I 

 have still to look to them again, and often find cause enough 

 for repeating the process. Notwithstanding all this trouble, 

 the specimens are bad, they fall to pieces and mould con- 

 tinually , and I must sit down under the sorry consolation, 

 that I have effected with all my zeal as much as circumstances 

 would allow." 



On the 9th of August, the little fleet, after it had directed 

 its course from Accra straight across the Bight of Benin, 

 reached that mouth of the Niger which is called Nun, ■*■ 

 Vogei writes from thence on the day of arrival, as follows : 



" Last night, without any remarkable wind, there was so 

 strong a rocking of the ship, that I scarcely slept a wink, 

 was up late for the first time, namely, after eight o'clock, an 

 was not present at the morning prayers, which a Germa 

 Missionary, from Sierra Leone, the Rev. Frederick Schon, 

 performs from half past seven to eight. Breakfast comes 

 between eight and nine ; to day we had ham and yarns, an 



