THE RIVER ABOVE EBOE. 163 



which was continually shifting, — so much so, 

 that an anchor in a few days always became em- 

 bedded, and we never could get a kedge to hold 

 in our repeated attempts to get the vessel off. 

 Another peculiarity of these banks is their abrupt- 

 ness : frequently I have had four fathoms within 

 a foot of a bank on which there were not as many 

 feet of water, the current appearing to cut it 

 almost perpendicularly. 



Both banks of the river are thickly studded 

 with towns and villages. I could count seven 

 from the place where we lay aground ; and be- 

 tween Eboe and the confluence of the rivers, 

 there cannot be less than forty, generally occur- 

 ring every two or three miles. The principal 

 towns are Attah and Addakudda ; and averaging 

 the inhabitants at one thousand for each town 

 and village, will, I think, very nearly give the 

 population of the banks. It may be rather below 

 the mark. 



The general character of the people is much 

 superior to that of the inhabitants of the swampy 

 country between them and the coast. They are 

 shrewd, intelligent and quick in their perception, 

 milder in their dispositions, and more peaceable in 

 their habits. The security of life and property is 



M 2 



