Stibbs's expedition. 
195 
they commenced that struggle against the flats, 
which continued without intermission during their 
subsequent voyage. The whole of the narrative 
henceforth relates to the efforts and schemes for 
conveying themselves over these barriers. On 
the ^ist, fifteen days after passing Barraconda, 
they came to a place where there was not water 
sufficient to float the boats, and the bed being 
quicksand, which sunk beneath the foot, it was 
impossible to hawl them through. All the natives 
assured them, that it was vain to think of ascend- 
ing higher till the next rains. Stibbs, however. 
Continued to beat about all day and the next 
night, in hopes of finding a passage ; but being 
still unsuccessful, he gave up the undertaking as 
hopeless. The river was here diffused to the 
breadth of 160 yards, doubtless one cause of its 
extreme shallowness. He was now nearly oppo- 
site to Tenda, probably about the same spot which 
arrested the progress of Jobson. Some merchants 
had offered to conduct him to that place, provid- 
ed he would purchase ten slaves from them ; but 
his money (which term he oddly employs to sig- 
nify trading goods) was so bad, that the bargain 
could not be concluded \ and he did not make 
any attempt to penetrate inland. He immediate- 
ly proceeded down the river with all possible ex- 
pedition. 
It is probable that other attempts were made 
