PREPARATIONS FOR THE ASCENT. 
161 
Our course over the dangerous bar may be interest- 
ing to future navigators. From the anchorage, we 
steered N.E. till the east point of the river — known by a 
large leafless tree, like a gallows — comes midway between 
Point Tilana and another point further up the river, and 
bearing N. by E. half E., then being in four and a half 
fathoms, the channel was open on a N. by E. course. 
The least sounding we had was fifteen feet. We 
anchored near the ‘ Albert ’ three-fourths of a mile 
inside Cape Nun, in four and a half fathoms. 
On communicating with the senior officer, we were 
informed of the death of Bach, the instrument-maker, 
who died from effects of fever, not however referrible 
to the climate. He was a very useful and obliging 
person, and was a great loss. His remains were interred 
the following evening on the right bank by lanthorn 
light, and, as many of the coloured men were present, it 
formed a solemn but interesting scene. 
The rudder tails of all the vessels had been lost by 
constant fi'iction and corrosion on the passage out, it 
was therefore necessary to lay them on the sandy beach 
in order to repair these defects. 
This was found to be very difficult, in the case of the 
‘ Wilberforce,’ owing to a heavy swell which set in, and 
rendered two or three attempts abortive. We took 
advantage of this opportunity to scrub off the grass and 
barnacles which had adhered to the bottom. 
The ‘ Soudan ’ having run up the estuary immediately 
on entering, to examine Louis Creek, which was believed 
VOL. I. 
M 
