10 
BANKS OVERFLOWED. 
billets lying on the bank, as if purposely prepared for 
us. Mr. Green was sent to purchase, and induce the 
natives to cut more. On landing, they met him wdth 
muskets in their hands and showed at first strong dis- 
position to be hostile. We watched their proceedings 
from on board, and were particularly alarmed at seeing 
a man behind a bush cock his gun, and expected that 
his next movement would have deprived us of an 
officer or of a man, and be the signal for the destruc- 
tion of these misguided people, as our few marines 
were ready with their rifles; but they fortunately 
seemed to bo content with watching Mr. Green, 
who made no progress in treating for the wood. At 
first they said we might have it all if we would go 
away immediately, for the ship “was no good.” After- 
wards they sold a small quantity, but at a dear rate, 
and they were so long haggling about it, that we could 
Avait no longer, and regretted the dash Avhich had been 
thrown away on these savages ; for they appeared to 
deserve that appellation more than any of the natives 
we had come in contact with. For some time they 
could not or would not understand an Ibn interpreter, 
although from the vicinity of that country — not being 
more distant than forty miles — we might conclude 
there would be frequent intercourse. Still the intes- 
tine divisions are so great that the natives of these 
little villages do not go much beyond their boundaries, 
and all the trade with Ibii is monopolised by King 
Boy, as the Ibus never pass their frontiers. The Delta 
