128 CEREMONIES TO PREVENT OUR PROGRESS. 



see him, they returned on board, and decided on 

 proceeding up the river without waiting to take 

 leave of him, at daylight. During the day some 

 ceremonies were performed ahead of the vessels 

 in the river to prevent our passing upwards, his 

 Majesty of Attah being very desirous that we 

 should not proceed further up the river. These 

 ceremonies were performed by men in canoes, 

 fantastically dressed. They stood up and made 

 a variety of expressive gestures, and concluded 

 their proceedings by throwing into the river what 

 appeared to me to be alligator's flesh. 



On the 6th of December I found myself much 

 better ; but Dr. Briggs had a smart return of fever, 

 brought on by an attempt which he made to at- 

 tend to some of the convalescents. Captain Hill 

 and Mr. Lander came on board at six a. m. and 

 got the Quorra under weigh, with the Alburkah 

 in tow. The engine was worked by a mulatto 

 belonging to the Alburkah, the only remaining 

 fireman of both vessels. As the vessels gathered 

 way and passed the place where the fetish or ce- 

 remony of yesterday was made, the natives, who 

 were crowded on the hill on which the town 

 stands, testified their astonishment by a general 

 yell. 



