REASONS FOR LEAVING THE RIVER. 
365 
from the knowledge he had of the river, the advanced 
period of the season, the increasing sickness in both the 
‘ Albert’ and ‘ Wilberforce,’ the difficulty and danger of 
having to remain in unhealthy parts to cut wood when 
the coals should be expended — that the reduced state 
of the Expedition no longer warranted a perseverance 
in the prosecution of its objects, more especially should 
the sickness continue, as from experience we were led to 
infer it would ; and as the moral effect of appearing 
before the town of Rabbah in a state of prostration 
would be most prejudicial to the Mission. He, there- 
fore, proposed — 
“ That, from a consideration of these circumstances, 
it appears to be advisable that the Expedition should 
return without delay to the sea-side, in the hope of 
being able to carry out its purposes at a more 
favourable season and with renewed strength.” 
This advice was in strict conformity with the opinion 
which Commander W. Allen had given in England as 
to the proper time for leaving the river, which he 
considered to be previous to the commencement of the 
subsidence of the flood. This usually happens about 
the latter end of September, after which, the rapidly 
falling river leaves stagnant water on the low lands, 
charged with enormous quantities of decaying vegetable 
matter, which must render the exhalations very prolific 
of disease ; and, if we had found this to be the case 
while the river was rising, and the land but recently 
