Chap. LX. 
THE Si'RBA. — FRAIL RAFT. 
269 
natives about this river, I was surprised to hear from 
them that they consider the water unwholesome, and 
more particularly so for horses, while even the herb- 
age which grows close to the border is regarded as 
extremely deleterious to the cattle ; but the people 
themselves supply their own wants entirely from the 
river. They do not carry the water in single pitchers 
on their heads, which is the general custom in Ne- 
groland, but use a simple pair of yokes, from which a 
couple of nets are suspended, in each of which a pitcher 
is carried, in much the same Avay as in Germany. 
The chief treated my party very hospitably. While 
in the neighbourhood of Bangapelle there seemed 
to be great scarcity of corn, here it appeared to be 
in abundance. We spent our evening comfortably, 
although it was necessary to take great care of the 
horses, as a number of horse-stealers were hovering 
about the place. 
A few hundred yards beyond the village Saturday, 
we came to the river Sfrba, which here forms July 2nd * 
a bend from N.W. to N.E., between banks about 
twenty feet high, and caused us not a little anxiety, 
as it was nearly seventy yards wide, and not less than 
twelve feet in depth in the middle. W T e had, more- 
over, to cross it merely on bundles of reeds, which 
we had to tie together ourselves. At length, after 
much controversy, we succeeded in arranging with 
the natives, for 2000 shells, to assist us in crossing. 
While the large bundles which were to constitute our 
frail ferry were being tied together, the head man 
