216 NARRATIVE. 



successor, tried to secure the throne out of his turn, but being 

 defeated, was obhged to throw himself upon the kindness of the 

 Alcade at Bakkow, both for safety and maintenance. 



The Kun trees {corypha minor ?) at Bakkow are numerous, and 

 their tall, straight trunks, without branches, form a beautiful 

 contrast to the monkey-bread trees in their immediate vicinity. 

 One of the latter had fallen down, and the cattle browzing on the 

 plain had found nooks in its rugged trunk, which effectually 

 sheltered them from sun and wind. Nothing conveys so complete 

 an idea of the vast extent, the primitiveness, the solemn grandeur 

 of African scenery, as these stupendous masses of wood ; they seem 

 to have been created to shade some race of giants now swept from 

 the face of the earth, and to be left as monuments of the might 

 of those who are passed away. There are some very fine coral 

 trees, with their clusters of brilliant scarlet blossoms, and the 

 whole vegetation is very luxuriant, but not owing much to 

 cultivation ". 



" A Committee having been formed by Quakers, for the promotion of civilization in 

 Africa, some of the members arrived at Bathurst while I was there. The plan was 

 to induce a wish for education and improvement, by first trying to make the Africans 

 sensible of the benefits that would accrue to them from a knowledge of agriculture, 

 manufactures, reading, writing, and arithmetic ; to establish, in the commencement, a 

 habit of attention, decency, and cleanliness ; particularly to avoid presents of spiritous- 

 liquors, and not to insist upon any change of religion. They had intended forming 

 a colony at Bakkow, and certainly, if any thing of the kind can succeed in Africa, 

 their patient perseverance, their mild and quiet doctrines, their liberal support, their 

 exemplary lives, serving as models, and their hearty zeal in the cause, must have ensured 

 their labours a favourable result. An elderly lady, and a young one, accompanied 

 by two gentlemen, and two educated blacks, had both come out, though possessing 

 ample means and comforts at home, to see what could be done by future visitors or 

 settlers. Nothing could exceed their activity ; the younger lady undertook to open 

 a school, and I was astonished at her patience and firm perseverance. Her ex- 

 cellent temper, and her zeal, made her even happy under privations, and a task, of 

 all others the most irksome, and which would have ruined the health and enjoyment 



