354 TRAVELS IN THE 
denly changed into one of the deepest distress : the terror she 
manifested on having the load put upon her head, and the 
rope fastened round her neck, and the sorrow with which she 
bade adieu to her companions, were truly affecting. About 
nine o'clock, we crossed a large plain covered with ciboa trees 
(a species of palm), and came to the river Nerico, a branch of the 
Gambia. This was but a small river at this time, but in the rainy 
season it is often dangerous to travellers. As soon as we had 
crossed this river, the singing men began to vociferate a parti- 
cular song, expressive of their joy at having got safe into the west 
country, or, as they expressed it, the land of the setting sun. The 
country was found to be very level, and the soil a mixture of 
clay and sand. In the afternoon it rained hard, and we had 
recourse to the common Negro umbrella, a large ciboa leaf, 
which, being placed upon the head, completely defends the 
whole body from the rain. We lodged for the night under 
the shade of a large tabba tree, near the ruins of a village. On 
the morning following, we crossed a stream called Noulico, 
and about two o'clock, to my infinite joy, I saw myself once 
more on the banks of the Gambia, which at this place being 
deep and smooth, is navigable ; but the people told me that a 
little lower down, the stream is so shallow that the coffles fre- 
quently cross it on foot. On the south side of the river oppo- 
site to this place, is a large plain of clayey ground, called 
Toombi Toorila. It is a sort of morass, in which people are 
frequently lost, it being more than a day's journey across it. 
In the afternoon we met a man and two women, with bundles 
of cotton cloth upon their heads. They were going, they 
