AFRICA. 243 
being finiflied, and every arrangement made 
for lb fingular a paflage, I proceed, accoutred 
in this grotefque mannef, to my ftation. I enter 
the water aftride on my log, place myfelf ered, 
as if on a faddle, that is to fay, upon the kroffes 
and tent between the leathern vefTels; my fwim* 
mers dart forward, they take hold of the firings, 
they draw along the frail and perilous bark, 
with its cargo and paflenger, and I behold my- 
felf adrift upon the ftream. 
So many precautions might fufRce to fecure 
me againft every accident. I was therefore 
free from apprehenfion. At the fame time, 
not to exhauft my fwlmmers, to whom fo wide 
a paffage muft prove trying, I fettled with them 
that there fhould be only two of them in the 
front to pull me along, while the other two, 
refting upon the hinder part of the raft, might 
ftrike with their feet, and pufh me forward 
with their bodies ; thefe laft ferving to relieve 
the others as occafion fhould require : a plea- 
fant kind of Tritons, who were foon to give a 
high degree of alarm to their Neptune. 
At firft we proceeded delightfully ; becaufe 
the part of the river which had overflowed the 
banks, fcarcely poffefling any motion, offered 
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