288 
TE'a.VELS IN CENTEAL AFEICA. 
came upon the Ayi, where such bewitching bits of river scenery 
presented ’themselves that w^e could not but command a halt,, and 
revelled for an hour listening to the river’s soothing ripple. 
Although we had^ perhaps,, not more than half of the volume of 
water before us^ an island here dividing the stream^ its beauty 
was not diminished ; both sides were eharmingly wooded^ the 
foliage prolific and of many tints. A few sandbanks and many 
small rocks and islands, rich to excess in vegetation, disputed the 
passage of the stream ; but the most remarkable object to us was 
a group of lovely wild date-palms fiourishing on a few rocks in the 
centre of the river. Scarcely a mile farther on our way a bar of 
granite crossed the stream, causing it to leap some five or six feet 
to regain its bed; An island at this point, as well as both sides the 
river, bore several beautiful clusters of date-palms, one towering 
delaeb holding its richly crowned head high above the shrubs and 
trees that ornamented the view. Amongst the shrubs was one 
bearing a large snow-white flower, and one covered with blossom 
strikingly like our hawthorn, and with perfume to bear out the 
comparison. High trees decked out with creepers, flowering beau- 
tifully, and sending down their tendrils like network to the ground, 
varied the enchanting vegetation of the locality. 
We bivouacked near a small village called Mizwa, in the Cootun- 
dubba territory, of which Batawa is the chief, not far distant from 
the southern extremity of the hilly chain. This village, unlike 
those recently passed, was not stockaded. The inhabitants had 
fled, and unable to procure porters in exchange for those from the 
last village, we determined to remain for the night. 
January 20th . — My wife and self experienced an attack of ague 
during the night, but hoping to fight off a return, though weak. 
