198 
NATIVE DRESS. 
The dress of the natives consisted merely of the usual 
body-cloth, passed round the loins so as to require the 
least quantity of material ; but several were either too 
poor or too lazy to use even that scanty covering ; so 
that an Ibu^s toilet — his hair excepted — is not very 
elaborate. Here and there, a striped shirt of English 
pattern was seen ; as also a few individuals with fantastic 
lines drawn with great care in yellow clay over their 
otherwise unadorned persons. They send dowai much of 
their palm-oU, trona, ivory, and slaves to the coast, by 
way of the Benin branch. The Slave-trade forms one 
of their most important sources of wealth, which some 
of them admitted without hesitation ; and they asked 
if we were inclined to purchase. On being told our 
mission was to abolish the traffic they were at first 
rather serious, but tried to laugh it off. 
The point of divergence of the Benin and Nun 
branches appeared to be increasing upwards ; for, a 
sand-bank near it, was now almost joined, and had be- 
come covered vnth grass seen above water, the island 
being overflowed. We had great difficulty in getting 
through the narrowed channel, having five fathoms on 
one side and three feet on the other. In November, 
1832 , there was not any appearance of vegetation 
on the island. 
The promontory, from the vessel, looked like an en- 
tire swamp ; however, on landing, a great deal of dry land 
was seen, covered with plants, among which Sorghum, 
Cassia, Mimosaides, JEschynomene, and a Malvacea, 
