At about twenty-seven miles by lagoon from Ahguay, I arrived at the toll-house (a place where a barrier is fixed across the river), which is here only sixty yards wide: this barrier also answers the purpose of catching fish. It is constructed of stakes driven into the bed of the river at short intervals; the space between the stakes is filled up with small palm stems or strong reeds, leaving a space at intervals for the fish to pass through, which leads them into a trap formed in a similar manner to our eel-traps in England. During the night, lights of palm-oil are burnt over the traps to attract the fish. My canoe being much lighter than the other, containing Mr. Hutton and Mr. Hanson, I was at the toll an hour before them. During my stay a large travelling canoe arrived from Whydah, containing several Spanish gentlemen with about twenty young slaves, male and female. At this bar the canoes generally stop an hour to refresh the canoemen, and pay the toll, which is always made in rum. During our stay the Spaniards very kindly presented their canteen of spirits, containing plenty of wine, brandy, Hollands, and rum, with a good supply of cigars. I of course availed myself of their kindness, and after a few compliments from each party they proceeded on their journey. Soon after Mr. Hutton arrived, when, after remaining a short time to refresh the canoemen, we again resumed our journey. As the morning dawned, the appearance of the lagoon and the scenery on its banks was really beautiful. But it wanted those delightful villages, and clean cottages and gardens, which are to be seen on the banks of the rivers in Europe, though every opportunity presents itself if the natives were willing to work. Most of the huts on the banks of the lagoon are of the most inferior description, and the people dirty in their habits. When about seventeen miles from Whydah, each side of the river presented a beautiful appearance, having a small tree or shrub, not exceeding fifteen feet high, and resembling the mangrove, with the branches drooping, and the top taking root in the bed of the river, thus forming a beautiful colonnade. The leaves do not reach lower than a yard from the highest rise of the water. At this place the water is very salt. I had often heard of oysters growing on trees, but could never before give credit to such information. Here, however, I had ocular demonstration of the fact; the roots of the trees (and as high on the stems as the water rises) being covered with thousands of oysters, as well as the bed of the river, for several miles. Some of them were of enormous size, but they have not the delicious flavour of the Thames oysters.