Jan. 11, 1858.] REPORTS FROM THE NIGER EXPEDITION. 
95 
whom I had been introduced, and by whom I had been provided 
with a house, &c., I left “ Awyaw,” he having explained to me that 
there was no impediment to my doing so on the king’s part, since, 
indeed, it was quite customary for white men to come and go as 
they chose. An hour’s walk brought me to a small town, “ Ilara,” 
and at half-past one I reached a still smaller one, “ Iron.” After a 
farther walk for about two hours I was fortunately met by a horse 
sent from the Church Missionary Catechists in charge at “ Ijaye,” 
arrangements which I had made to that effect having succeeded ; 
and by this means I was enabled to reach the Church Missionary 
premises in that place after five in the evening. This is the station 
of the Eev. Mr. Mann, of that Society, who, however, was now in 
Europe : there is her® also an American Baptist Mission. My two 
attendants being much fatigued, I resolved to wait at this place the 
following day (Sunday, 15th). From “Ijaye” to “Abbeokuta” 
the journey may be performed in three ordinary days, or, by a new 
road recently formed, in two days’ long journey. I adopted the 
latter, and provided, by the kindness of Mr. Phillips, with a pony, 
I set out on the morning of the 16th of November, and reached a 
halting-place about 9 miles from this point. The nature of the 
country through which I travelled completely changed : whereas 
before it had been by tolerable roads, through fine, open, cultivated, 
or lightly wooded and park-looking country, with views in every 
direction for miles, I now entered upon a wretched road, extending 
for many miles through sombre forests, and with a view never 
extending beyond the trees immediately lining the road, or the 
grass, 20 feet in height, touching me on each side. After noon we 
halted on the site of an old town, “ Ido,” clearly traceable by 
pottery or vestiges of walls, &c. — one of the numerous examples 
there are to be seen of the effects of the wars which desolated 
Yoruba not many years since. At 5 p.m. our day’s journey ended by 
our arriving at a small town called “ Ilirgun,” which is indeed 
nothing but a resting-place, with houses of temporary and rude con- 
struction for the shelter of travellers, but was once a large and 
flourishing town. Its re-establishment is however anticipated, aided 
by the importance attaching to it since the new route has passed 
through it. I left Ilirgun at an early hour on the following morning 
(17th November, 1857), prepared for the longer of the two long 
days’ journey, and arrived, after continuous travel, at “ Atade,” a 
very small town, about four hours’ journey from Abbeokuta. My 
two attendants, who latterly failed much in their walking, more 
perhaps in consequence of their being unaccustomed to it, and the 
roads growing worse, than from actual fatigue (for our intervals of 
rest were frequent, and sometimes, as at Ilorin, much too long), 
