384 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LX1V. 
of fish which were swimming alongside our boat. 
They were very dexterous in diving, although it 
required some time for them to ascertain the spot 
where the slender instrument had been fixed in the 
bottom. This harpoon was exactly similar to the 
double spear used by some divisions of the Batta, 
one of the tribes of A'damawa, such as the Bagele, 
and even by some of the inhabitants of B6rnu. 
We had now entered a splendid reach of the river, 
which, almost free from reeds, extended in an easterly 
direction, and we glided pleasantly along the smooth 
water at a short distance from the northern bank, 
which was thickly clad with trees; till at length, 
darkness setting in, we struck right across the whole 
breadth of the river, which now, in the quiet of the 
evening, spread out its smooth unrippled surface like 
a beautiful mirror, and which at this place was cer- 
tainly not less than 1000 yards broad, straight for the 
evening fires of the village Banay, which was situated 
on the opposite bank, and we moored our vessel at 
the north-easterly bend of the gulf round which the 
town is situated. Most of our party slept on shore, 
while others made themselves as comfortable as pos- 
sible in the boat, and on the top of the matting 
which formed the cabins. 
Here we awoke the next morning with a beautiful 
clear sky, and quietly enjoyed for a few hours the 
fine river scenery, bordered by a rich belt of vegeta- 
tion, while our boatmen endeavoured to replace one 
of their poles, which they had broken, by a new one, 
