320 
FROM ZEGZEG TO BADAGRY. 
town gave me a goat and some yams, by command of the king of 
Khiama's messenger. 
15th. — Started at six in the morning, and travelled the whole 
of the day, till ten at night, when we rested in a bush. 
ICth. — Crossing a creek at 6 A. M. arrived at Mossa, a town 
situated on the banks of a river of the same name, which divides 
Yariba from Borgoo. The river was overflown, and the current 
strong and rapid; in consequence of which the people of the town 
were afraid to ferry us over. No food of any kind this day. 
17th. — Asked the king of Khiama’s messenger why he was so 
much afraid of crossing the water, observing that I had myself swam 
across many larger and more rapid rivers; and among others men- 
tioned the Niger. The man, in great trepidation, begged me, as I 
valued my life, not to mention the names of rivers in the hearing 
of the Mossa, who was a female river, and had many rivals in the af- 
fections of the Niger, who was her husband. She had a capricious, 
jealous, and cruel disposition; and if I ventured to place myself 
in her power, she would certainly swallow me up, as 1 had spoken 
slightingly of her. She was continually quarrelling with her hus- 
band, thinking he was too familiar with other rivers; and where 
they met they made the “ devil’s own noise” with their disputes. I 
roared with laughter when the man had done speaking, at the loves 
of the Niger, which made him very angry, and I had much to do 
to pacify him. Being unable to procure provisions of any kind in 
the village, went to the chief, and wished to know whether he in- 
tended to starve us. The old scoundrel had a garden in which he 
grew a quantity of yams ; but he refused to sell me any, asserting 
that he had none for himself. I then asked leave for Pascoe to cut 
grass in his garden for the horses, suspecting his yams might be 
hid in some part of it : this he sulkily granted. In the evening 
Pascoe returned with a bundle of grass, concealed in which were 
several yams he had had the good fortune to discover. If this 
