ARRIVAL AT YIMMAHAH. 185 



burkah, I was very particular in directing sound- 

 ings to be taken, and we found two fathoms 

 where Captain Hill had reported that he could 

 walk across. Either the bed of the river had 

 sunk, or he must have been mistaken in his sound- 

 ings. On re-entering the main stream, we found 

 an average depth of two fathoms, and the cur- 

 rent very rapid ; — indeed so rapid was it, that 

 the Kroomen could not stem it with their oars, 

 and were obliged to " track " the boat, in nau- 

 tical phraseology, or tow her by a line. 



After a tedious navigation of seven days, we 

 arrived at Yimmahah, having passed a consi- 

 derable number of villages on both banks. At 

 one of these, called Fundykee, I was obliged to 

 pay the chief a small due, which he levies on all 

 canoes passing his town. Here I discharged the 

 man whom I had engaged as pilot; paying him 

 his cowries, and giving him a good sound flog- 

 ging for imposing on me, as it appeared that he 

 knew nothing about the river. 



In the evenings I generally came to, off a vil- 

 lage, and after supper allowed the Kroomen to 

 go on shore with their drum, which seldom fail- 

 ed to set the heels of the whole population in 

 motion. We obtained plenty of provisions from 



