54 
TEAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXXIX. 
to get out of this labyrinth of lagoons ; and after 
a few miles we came to a narrow but very boggy 
inlet, which it was thought necessary to cross. 
Riding a lively horse, an excellent 16 say&r," I was 
rather in advance, and had only three horsemen in 
front of me ; on coming to the bog, the nature of 
which it was easy to perceive, we rode one after the 
other, — Khalef- Allah being in front of me. The first 
horseman went in, made a few steps, and then came 
down ; but he got his horse upon his legs again, went 
on, and again sunk into the bog, but being near the 
firm ground, got over tolerably well. As soon as 
those who were before me saw this they stopped their 
horses short, and wanted to return, pressing my 
horse upon his side, who, being annoyed by the 
morass, made a vacillating movement forward, and 
fell upon his knees ; upon being raised he made some 
wild exertions to get through, but after two or three 
ineffectual attempts, he again fell on his side, and 
I under him. The morass here was about four feet 
deep; and I received several smart blows from the 
forelegs of my horse, upon the head and shoulders, 
before I was fortunate enough to extricate myself 
from this interesting situation. Being clad in a 
white bernus over a Nyffi tobe, with a pair of pistols 
in my belt, my appearance may be easily conceived 
when, after a great deal of labour, I succeeded in 
reaching firm ground. I had still the difficult task 
of extricating my horse, which, after wild and de- 
sperate exertions, lay motionless in the bog. I had on 
