VOYAGE TO THE NIGER. 89 
given him at the time of Laird's expedition (he seemed to 
have taken great care of it) and carried an iron staff divided at 
the top and ornamented with brass rings. After some deten- 
tion, occasioned by heavy rains, we pursued our course, the 
stream being generally about half a mile wide, and the vege- 
tation the same as heretofore. Approaching the creek that 
- leads to Ibu (Abóh)* the current proved so strong, that we 
could hardly make way against it; on the preceding day it 
had only been one and a half or two knots an hour. Towards 
half past seven we cast anchor at the Ibu (Abóh) creek; 
abreast of the creek leading to the town of Abdh. 
Thursday, August 26.— Early in the morning, the Captain 
and myself rowed about in the Ibu (Abdh) creek, and col- 
lected a few plants. This creek, àt present very wide, is 
without a current; the main channel measures perhaps 100 
yards. The right shore is now inundated, the shrubs being 
altogether covered with water, the grasses immersed to their 
ears, on whicb snails, ants and small beetles had settled, by 
way of refuge, in great numbers. We had taken on board, 
on the previous day, a man who wanted to go as pilot to 
Abóh ; he seemed to be a careful and clever person. Granby, 
our interpreter “ for Brass and Ibo,” recognised him as an - 
old settihin clie, kè (Granby) nus lived a a long hile 
rejoiced to see him again, and expre s$ Fe h 1 = 
that a man sold to the Europeans should return, it being the 
general opinion that such slaves were used for food ! : 
Large canoes were fastened in the jungle; they had come __ 
| Mon the Brass country, chiefly to puer palm « oil, E E 
+ Schón says dis pióph: dise da we is not Ibu, but ^ Abb." 
_ Thetown had hitherto been called by Europeans “ 0" or * Eboe,’ 
and was sen supposed to be the capital of she what the Ibo 
