380 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXIV. 
Having kept for some time along the reed-grass 
of the southern shore in a winding direction, we 
again emerged into open water, where the poles of 
our boatmen, which measured about eighteen feet 
in length, found no bottom ; and we kept steadily 
on, although occasionally quite alarmed by our south- 
westerly direction, which threatened to carry us 
rather to Hamda-Allahi than to Timbuktu ; till at 
length, a few miles on this side of the town of Goilo, 
we changed our direction to W.N.W., and, passing 
some floating reed islands, seemed to be in a fair 
direction to reach the chief object of our journey. 
But a storm that had been gathering induced us with 
the approach of night to moor the boat in a wide grassy 
creek of the eastern shore, in order to shelter our- 
selves from the strong wind, which easily upsets this 
light craft. Four fishing-boats were lying not far from 
us, and with their lights gave us a feeling of society ; 
but the numerous swarms of mosquitoes molested 
us not a little, and the barking of an animal in 
the water greatly excited my curiosity. On inquiry, 
I learned that it proceeded from the young alligators, 
or rather zangway. 
These boats have no means of approaching the 
shallow shore. Hence it is necessary for the pas- 
sengers, two or three times a day, to wade through 
deep water backwards and forwards. This, coupled 
with the great quantity of water continually filling 
the bottom of these boats, is the reason why all 
the people who travel along the Niger are subject to 
