PROFESSOR SMITH’S JOURNAL. 285 
the river. ‘The weather, as usual, was clear and pleasant. 
Small floating islands, sometimes overgrown with waving 
shrubs of Cyperus papyrus passed by us. The river-side 
was thickly covered with a variety of plants of interesting 
forms. We heard the cries of parrots and the warbling 
of some small singing birds. ‘he scene was solemn and 
beautiful. The night was approaching when we arrived 
on board the Congo, where we found our room very close, as 
we indeed had expected; but our agreeable prospects made 
us forget this and every other inconvenience. These 
prospects were only clouded by the gloom which some of 
us could not avoid betraying, when speaking of the ex- 
aggerated accounts of the river, and the forebodings they 
were apt to entertain of the voyage being speedily ter- 
minated. 
July 14. In the morning all wished to go on shore, 
which was at the distance of about two gun-shots only ; 
permission for this purpose was given after breakfast. 
The landing-place was in a small bay just opposite the 
ship, with an island covered with plants, and a Rhizophora 
with bended branches. At the bottom of the bay was a 
sandy beach, with a small plain, in the middle of which 
a large Adansonia was growing, and higher up a thick 
lofty forest was discovered. To the right and along the 
shore the country was more open. A number of shrubs 
and trees, from their form and novelty, excited admiration 
and surprise. Iarther on the surface had been set on 
fire, which is the only method of making a way through 
the impenetrable thickets. After having walked about 
