[ 273 J 



SECTION III. 



Our Progress up the River as far as Cooloo, opposite the 



Cataract. 



Wf. weighed anchor on the morning of the 6th, in the 

 expectation of soon welcoming the land of promise, but 

 were obliged to anchor again at seven o'clock under Shark 

 Point, at a distance of a hundred yards from the shore. 

 It is low, Avith a sandy strand terminating in a very steep 

 bank. Along the beach and close to it is a thicket of 

 shrubs ; above this another of palms extends along the 

 whole shore (probably Corypha,), and higher up is a lofty 

 wood. The vegetation has the appearance of being de- 

 cayed by drought. To the right hand is Hippopotamus 

 Cliff, with a low shore, running southward in a long 

 straight line. The anchor broke at the heanng, and we 

 were for a moment in a dangerous and critical situation, 

 the Congo having run foul of us. For the first time in 

 four months we now saw the sails taken in. A number 

 of naked negroes immediately assembled on the shore. 

 The land to the north (Mona Mazea,) is perfectly similar 

 to Maxwell's representation of it. The mouth of the river 

 is very large, perhaps fifteen miles wide. The naked hills 

 of the interior consist probably of sand. Fathomless 



Nn 



