CAPTAIN TUCKEY’S NARRATIVE. 151 
below 70°, the sky cloudy, but not the least dew. The con- 
stant dryness of the atmosphere is evinced in the quick dry- 
ing of all objects exposed to it ; meat hung up a few hours 
loses all its juices, and resembles the jerked meat of South 
America; the plants collected by Dr. Smith were fit for 
packing in a day, while, towards the mouth of the river, he 
could scarcely get them sufficiently dry in a week. The 
oxidation of iron also entirely ceases here. The hygro- 
meter at sun-rise usually marks 50°, at two o’clock in the 
afternoon in the shade 70°. 
August 16. Finding Mr. 'Tudor and several of the people 
were unable to proceed farther, I sent them back to Banza 
Cooloo in the morning, and with the remainder proceeded 
onwards. Passing the brook and ascending the hill on the 
cpposite side, we found ourselves on a level plateau at the 
banza Menzy Macooloo, where we again got a guide to 
lead us to the river. At noon we had a view of it between 
the openings of the hills, about two miles distant. Here the 
people, being extremely fatigued, were halted, while the 
natives went to the river for water, and I ascended the 
highest of the hills, which descends perpendicularly to the 
river: from its summit [ had a view about five miles down 
the river, which presented the same appearance as yester- 
day, being filled with rocks in the middle over which the 
current foamed violently ; the shore on each side was also 
