229 
CHAP. XLV. 
RETURN TO BO'RNU. 
This was the day when we were to bid January7th 
farewell to all projects of penetrating fur- 1852 - 
ther towards the south or south-east. It was rather 
remarkable, that early in the morning, at the very 
moment when the drum was beating, the moon was 
eclipsed ; but our commander-in-chief was too much 
enlightened to be frightened at such a phenomenon, 
like the Athenian general before Syracuse. He re- 
quested Mr. Overweg to explain it to him; but 
otherwise he was not much concerned about it. 
We this time kept a little more towards the east 
than on our outward march, approaching closer to 
the river of Logon. Only a short tract of clear 
forest separated the cultivated grounds of Demmo 
from another village, where, besides Negro corn, we 
found tobacco and cotton in friendly community 
on the same piece of ground. We had already 
seen much cultivation of tobacco in this country, and 
were impressed with the opinion, however strange it 
may seem, that it was an indigenous plant, and not 
introduced at a recent period ; we had moreover 
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