502 The last Journal of W. A. Furbes. 



of sighting the bar-buoy, the land being hazy. River about 

 a mile or a mile and a half broad at mouth_, 12 feet of water 

 on bar, passage being surrounded by breakers on both sides, 

 and particularly on the west. Akassa is situated on the right 

 bank, a few miles above mouth. Two dwellings, a billiard- 

 room, some sheds, native huts, and further up the shops. 

 About 180 hands employed, all, except three, black. Mr. 

 W. A. Earnshaw in charge, Sargent and Macintosh being 

 away. A lovely yellow bushy Hibiscus, with big leaves, be- 

 hind the house ; also saw a black Papilio, a male Chalcosia, 

 crowds of Anophthalmus, land-crabs of several species, one 

 with asymmetrical chelae (? CaUianassa), and a black lizard 

 with red head and tail. The natives had strings of a large 

 Achatina hanging up for sale to eat, and with them a Cinixys. 

 Had some chops at the houac and left about 5 in the ' King 

 Massaba,^ Captain Charles Macintosh, for Abutschi, a station 

 just below Onitscha. For some miles steamed through 

 nothing but half-flooded mangrove-swamps, in which gra- 

 dually a few bushy palms appear, these increasing in number 

 as banks get a little higher and land firmer. Anchored for 

 night about 10. In swamps about 5.30 p.m.; saw half a 

 dozen live Scopus, also a grey Parrot or two, and a large black- 

 and-white Kingfisher. 



Aug. 15th. Under steam all day from about 5.30 to 8. 

 Out of the mangroves at daylight ; they do not extend very 

 far up. Ashbury photographing the banks, wdth village, all 

 day. Towns in this part hostile. Passed in afternoon place 

 where ' Sultan of Sokoto' got ashore and was plundered, a 

 few miles below a largish village called Emblama. The banks 

 are covered with not very thick forest and jungle, a large 

 cotton-tree being the most conspicuous plant, also oil-palms 

 in numbers. In afternoon saw^ several of a moderate-sized 

 tree, with white smooth stem and splendid large scarlet 

 flowers. Many plantains, a few cassavas, and a large Calo- 

 dium-\i^e plant called " coco " are grown by the natives. 

 The banks are low, with many sand-banks in places, all appa- 

 rently a light yellow or greyish loam, apparently quite recent 

 and fluviatile. Saw in morning a few deep-blue small Swal- 



