peeebmen’s huts. 
249 
potami and alligators, though none of them pi’esented 
their mail-clad carcases to the inquisitiTe ej'^es of our 
sportsmen. 
The afternoon continued very fine, with a refreshing 
breeze from sea^yard, reducing the temperature of the 
air to 84® Fahrenheit; that of the water was 83®. The 
gorgeous rays of a declining sun, added a tone of gaiety 
to the surrounding scenery. Some distance ahead; 
discernible only by the Britisli red ensign and the 
sparkling of the dripping paddles. King Bell’s canoe 
glided rapidly along the left bank, his men keeping 
time to the wild notes of the singing boy, which were 
distinctly returned by the echo of the opposite bank. 
Far behind, in the long reach, came the canoe of 
Prince Beppo, also decked with a gay flag, while fre- 
quently on either side of us little barques, containing 
each but one crouching native, darted across the stream, 
or along the dark banks, seeking shelter among the long 
grass, alarmed at the novel appearance of white men 
in their hitherto unexplored waters. Soon some large 
huts were seen on the banks, the property of domestic 
slaves or freedmen belonging to Bell or Aqua, having 
spacious clearings around them, cultivated with bananas, 
plantains, cocoas, &c., all denoting plenty; and the 
cleanliness of the houses and the platforms in front far 
surpassed the miserable hovels of the lean and dirty 
“ gentlemen” on the lower parts of the Niger. As we 
advanced, villages became numerous, and all had a 
comfortable aspect, being built in the neat style 
