GEOGRAPHY. 
225 
for it has always been the poHcy of Kosie, a kingdom on the 
eastern bank of the river, and about 60 miles inland from the 
mouth, to prevent all intercourse between the traders of the inte- 
rior, and those of Lagos, to secure to themselves the exorbitant 
profits they made as the brokers or medium. The Europeans who 
traded at Lagos, once meditated forcing a passage up the river in 
armed boats, and a vessel of 18 guns was got over the bar, and 
anchored close to Lagos town ; but the project was abandoned as 
too perilous. Sometime afterwards the King of Kosie desired a 
European might visit him, to gratify his curiosity, and that of his 
people ; but no one being willing, a mulatto, named Peter Brown, 
was dressed up and sent. This man, being now at Cape Coast, I 
have questioned. Several armed men were sent to conduct him, 
and relays of canoe men sufficient to continue brisk pulling ; which 
they did from the evening till the next day, before he left the river 
to proceed by land ; it was still very wide, and more than 4 fathoms 
deep ; considerably, for aught he knew, for the bamboo poles of 
that length, with which the natives push the canoe forward, when 
they get close enough to the banks to do so, would not touch the 
bottom in the middle. Relays of hammock men then carried him 
at a brisk pace until evening, when he reached Kosie, which he 
described as a town of great extent, and the buildings to resemble 
those in the drawings of Coomassie, The King gave orders that 
the crowd should not intrude themselves into his house, treated 
him very handsomely, and dismissed him after three days. He 
only heard the people of Kosie speak of two great nations, the 
Hios, and the Awissees. 
The gendeman before mentioned has an impression, from all 
the enquiries he recollects to have made, of the slaves of the inte- 
rior, that the merchants convey them by water the greater part of 
the way ; and their reports were strengthened by his having an 
G g 
