BENEFIT FROM SMOKING. 213 



On Friday, January 10th, we were off a town 

 named Hootapa, the chief's name of which was 

 Oheekallow. The weather was dull and gloomy, 

 and it was now the season which corresponds to 

 that on the sea-coast known by the name of the 

 Smokes, and considered as the most unhealthy 

 portion of the year. Oheekallow came on board 

 and dashed us a kid and a canoe-load of wood. 



Since the King of Iddah's people had been on 

 board, we were every morning supplied with 

 palm wine made lukewarm, and very pleasant 

 for drinking. I found the practice of smoking, 

 both to me and the people, a very efficacious 

 preventive of sickness during this unhealthy 

 weather, and I therefore supplied the men with 

 a sufficiency of leaf tobacco. 



At 12, 45 p. M. we unfortunately ran aground 

 again, and continued so for about half an hour. 



I had been much mortified this morning at the 

 conduct of the market-inspector and the eunuch. 

 A large canoe was coming alongside, with two 

 large teeth and some yams, when it was stop- 

 ped by these two official personages, and order- 

 ed to return, as the teeth could not be pur- 

 chased. As I had conjectured, it was the inter- 

 ference of these two persons that had pre- 



