THE “CHARIOT OF THE QODS,” 275 
the earth shake like a steam-boat.” “ The people there 
feared it would kill them all.” This, coupled with the 
name of the mountain, Mongo-ma-Lobah, or God’s 
Mountain, offers a reason for supposing it might be the 
“chariot of the gods” of Ilanno, the Carthaginian. He 
says, in the Periplus, “ we discoyered at night a coun- 
try full of fire. In the middle was a lofty fire, larger 
than all the rest, which seemed to touch the stars. 
When day came, we discovered it to be a large hill, 
called Teonochema, — the Chariot of the Gods.” 
To judge by the gray curling smoke wliich issued 
from many parts of the woods for some distance 
up the mountain, it must have a large population. 
Along the sea-shore are many villages, some of 
which we visited; and although the natives were 
described by Grazilhier as the “ worst blacks of all 
Guinea,” we found them very civil. In his time they 
had a little trade in slaves, chiefly with the Dutch. 
They now have intercourse only with the Bimbia 
people, whom they supply in a great measure with 
the nutritious well-flavoured plantain fruit. 
1 Uh . — The morning seemed to threaten us with a 
terrific tornado ; however, “ Yellow Nako” said, the 
“ thunder was only making play,” in fact, the dense 
black clouds which seemed “ big with storms,” soon dis- 
persed, and we weighed and went round the bay, taking 
soundings. AVe passed inshore of Bobbi Island in less 
than two fathoms’ water. A large portion of the inner 
end of this islet has fallen since Captain Allen visited 
T 2 
