AFRICAN BAT5d 
47 
country, as they came to anchor opposite the viiîaoT. The 
prince, far from being* alarmed at this expedition, assembled his 
troops, and dispersed them in ambush along the river; when, as 
soon as the English begun tlie attack, die Negroes opened, and kept 
up for several hours such a rapid fire of musquetry, that several of 
the enemy were killed and wounded^, arid their intentions rendered 
abortive. 
The king commanded in person, and when he saw that the 
English could no longer appear above deck, he ordered his troops 
to cease firing, jind ranged them towards the shore in a threaten- 
ing position. The result was, that the English were obliged to 
weigh anchor and let their vessel drop down with the tide. Arl 
accommodation was then set on foot, which the English pur- 
chased dearly. 
Besides the Portuguese, two nations, who differ in their man- 
ner and language, inhabit this state : they are the Felups and tlie 
Bagnons, or Banions. The character of the former I have aî- 
reany explained ; for they are the same here as in the empire of 
Foigni. The Bagnons are of a mild and gentle disposition, and 
are attached to a commercial intercourse with foreiOTers: thev 
are also brave and industrious. Tiie women are mild, economi- 
cal, and much attached to their husbands and children ; perhaps 
indeed, the world does not contain more industrious females, as 
they voluntarily devote themselves to labour from their youth. 
The king of Gereges and his negro subjects are idolaters. 
Pasqua, a large village of the Bagnons is next to, and about 
ten leagues distant from Gereges. This journey is commonly per- 
formed by land and without danger. The country is well culti- 
vated, and those lands which are capable of inundation produce 
rice, while the other parts afford millet and all kinds of peas: 
they also grow immense quantities of gourds and water-melons* 
The oxen of this country are excellent and uncommonly large, 
probably in consequence of the pastures being abundantly rich 
in fine and tender grass ; the sheep, however, are not so good, as 
they are very fat, and their iiesh has a strong taste. Poultry, on 
the contrary, succeeds well, and is very fine. 
i\li the houses are sheltered from the excessive heat of the 
sun by large trees called cheese trees, which are always iu leaf 
while their branches are susceptible of any direction. 
This country abounds in bats, which are generally as large as 
pigeons: their wings are very long, and are furnished with live 
or six pointed hooks, by means of which they fix themselves 
together from tiie branches of trees, and hang down like large 
parcels of any thing thrown over the boughs. Of all volant 
animals, this is the only one which has milk to nourish its voung; 
it is eaten by the Negroes. On the road to this village there 
