2 
JOURNEY FROM BADAGRY TO KATUNGA. 
canoes of our attendants were armed with small guns in the bow, 
to guard us from the danger of any attack ; Adoli had his cook 
and one of his wives with him in his own canoe, the after part of 
which was covered with a matted roof. 
While halting here Mr. Houtson and I walked on to the town 
of Puka, leaving the baggage and stores to come on after us. The 
path over which we travelled was partly cleared, and covered with 
high grass wherever it was clear of wood ; and had apparently once 
been cultivated. The woods were thick and the trees high, with a 
great deal of tangle and underwood, so as to render it impenetrable 
to man or beast excepting along the path. The country is low and 
flat, and the soil a red clay mixed with sand. 
On arriving at Puka, we halted under a tree, and were sur- 
rounded by immense crowds of people, who were very civil : those 
who could not get near enough to see us, on account of their small 
size, were held up on others’ shoulders ; and from the great number 
of old people and of young children, it would appear that they are 
not much in the habit of selling their children at this place. They 
are all negro pagans. We had a visit from one of the Eyeo war 
chiefs, who came in state: he was mounted on a small horse, as 
were also two of his attendants ; the saddles and ornaments were 
the same as those in Soudan and Bornou ; the rest of the caval- 
cade were on foot, amongst which was a little boy apparently the 
favourite slave of the chief, judging from the conspicuous part he 
bore, and the great attention which was paid to him by all the 
others. His dress and appearance was most grotesque, consisting 
of a ragged red coat with yellow facings, a military cap and feather 
apparently Portuguese. The captain came curvetting and leaping 
his horse until within the distance of a hundred yards, when he 
dismounted, and approached within twenty yards of us, where he 
sat down. We then sent our umbrella as a message or token that 
we wished him well ; and on the receipt of which, the drums beat 
