FOR THE UPPER COUNTRY. 153 



On the 17th, I remained very unwell, and 

 began to fear that I was becoming rather hy- 

 pochondriacal, which in the climate we were in 

 was likely to be productive of bad results. I 

 sent a note to Mr. Lander, informing him of 

 my inability to move, and my anxiety that he 

 should proceed without delay to Rabbah and 

 Boussa. 



Mr. Lander and Captain Hill came down to 

 the Quorra on the following day. The former 

 appeared better, and the latter I thought was 

 very well. They informed me, that men em- 

 ployed by the King of Attah were stationed in 

 every market-town, to prevent the natives from 

 trading with us for provisions or ivory ; and Mr. 

 Lander considered it the best plan to proceed 

 at once up the river. I quite agreed in the pro- 

 posal, and recommended him to take my largest 

 boat and six or seven Kroomen with him, in case 

 of meeting with any hostility; and it would re- 

 lieve me of so many mouths, which, in the pre- 

 sent state of the provision market, was of some 

 consequence. This however he declined, saying 

 he had more men than he knew what to do 

 with, and disliked Kroomen. 



Eventually it was arranged that the Alburkah 



