DISORGANISATION, 109 



and endanger the European would be frequent- 

 ed by the natives, in a peaceable state of the 

 country, as so many channels of communica- 

 tion between the palm-forests and the principal 

 ports. There is no doubt that they were in- 

 tended by our benevolent Creator for the purpose 

 of facilitating the communication in a country 

 where, from the nature of the soil, land-carriage 

 is impracticable. 



However the disorganised state of the country 

 may injure its inhabitants, it was perhaps of ad- 

 vantage to us, as it prevented any combination 

 among the villages to impede our ascent of the 

 river, and explains the feeling which prompted 

 the chief of the village immediately above that 

 which we attacked and burnt, to congratulate us 

 on our arrival at our success. A system that 

 creates universal distrust is not the most favour- 

 able to the development of combined plans of 

 operations against a common enemy. But I have 

 before stated that the skirmish originated in a 

 mistake, and have merely alluded to it here to 

 remove the impression generally entertained of 

 the natives on the Nun branch of the Niger. * 



* The much-lamented death of Mr. Lander and some of 

 his companions is no proof against this assertion. A man 



