equal difficulties in ascending, unless great sacrifices were made to propitiate the river-spirit or fetish. My canoemen seemed now hemmed in by dangers on all sides. The party of fishermen had set their fish-traps, a wicker basket, on the same principle as that used on the rivers in Britain for catching eels; the light on the bank attracting the fish to the traps, and, as I also found to my no small annoyance, attracting musquitoes in swarms. In consequence of which I and two boys returned to the canoe, thinking to avoid them, but they seemed determined to show their respects to the stranger, not by drinking water with me (as the natives do), but by tasting my blood. With such an annoyance, together with the splashing in the water of different amphibious creatures, I slept but little. At six in the morning we had breakfast, having our cooking utensils on board. This consisted of fish and manioc-root, and a little yam. My servant, the boy from Cape Coast, intimated to me what he overheard during the night, between the canoemen and fishermen, to the effect that they had determined either to descend the river, or, at least, not to proceed any farther up the stream. If I persisted, however, in proceeding with my two volunteers and two boys only, they would remain on the bank with the fishermen, except one who was to volunteer to pilot us to the first town, about six miles higher up the stream; and when there, the caboceer would demand a toll higher than I was prepared to pay, and in that event seize upon my canoe and property. Being well acquainted with such characters, I was determined, though alone, not to give way to them. Accordingly, I ordered all my people on board, which was immediately obeyed; but upon moving from our position the men headed the canoe down the stream, and declared their determination not to proceed farther. Upon this I drew my sword, and drove the whole of the canoemen out of the canoe. My two volunteers, and myself and boys, being sufficient to man the canoe, we pushed off, turning down the river. The canoemen, now finding themselves miserably disappointed, dreaded lest we should leave them alone, and raised the most piteous yells conceivable, begging to be again taken on board, and expressing their readiness to accompany me any where I might think proper. But I had determined, as a warning, to keep them a little time in suspense, and proceeded a short distance down the stream; at the earnest entreaty of old Ithay and my other volunteer, I then returned to take them on board. By this time, however, the fishermen, who had promised them patronage and assistance, completed their villany, by declaring them to be their slaves, and determined to keep possession of them, upon the pretence that they had been turned ashore through their own disobedience.