90 TOWN OF EGGABO. 



and spirits, both of which had suffered in the 

 voyage down the coast. 



At three p. m. we came to an anchor off a 

 small town on the west bank of the river, nam- 

 ed Eggabo, our wood being entirely expended. 

 This town was the first which I had seen, the 

 houses of which stood at a distance from the 

 river. All the towns we had passed hitherto 

 were built on long strips of the bank, extending 

 by the river-side, with a morass in their rear. 

 The sight of this was gratifying to us, as we 

 thought it a promise that we were shortly about 

 to exchange the low swampy banks of the river 

 for something like terra firma. 



On the following day, I accompanied Dr. 

 Briggs on shore, and found the town contained 

 about two hundred houses, each surrounded by a 

 bamboo fence about nine feet high. On these 

 bamboos were hung a vast quantity of yams with 

 their largest heads downwards, the position in 

 which the natives preserve them. We paid our 

 respects to the king, who received us very cor- 

 dially. He was a disgusting old fellow to look 

 at, being covered with a cutaneous eruption, and 

 apparently in the last stage of dropsy, his legs 

 being swollen to an immense size. Mr. Lander 



