346 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



There are two distinct bars at Lagos, the outer 

 and the inner, the water between the two being 

 always broken, heaving and foaming like a gi- 

 gantic boiling caldron. The outer bar is much 

 the most dangerous, and here the large rollers 

 break with a roar which at some distance re- 

 sembles thunder. There are three passages or 

 channels, which are constantly altering from shift- 

 ing sands. The eastern and central are only 

 navigable for boats, but the western, or ship chan- 

 nel, has sufficient draught of water for vessels not 

 drawing more than 15 feet. The entrance is 

 marked by a large buoy, and on the shore high 

 posts are erected as beacons to steer by; still the 

 navigation is difficult, and it requires an experi- 

 enced pilot to take a loaded ship in or out. Acci- 

 dents from boats and canoes capsizing are of fre- 

 quent occurrence, and as these waters are alive with 

 sharks few ever escape. Just before we arrived 

 a boat's crew and two white women fell a prey 

 to these voracious monsters, and lately my old friend 

 Lieutenant Dolben, commanding H.M.S. "Livesti- 

 gator," and young Atkinson, of H.M.S. " Eattle- 



