Tuesday, 5.—­At nine, we saw the Spaniard under weigh; and, at ten, she anchored close beside us.  She was well supplied with water, of which we stood in need, and of which we availed ourselves.  A midshipman, with some men, was then appointed to take charge of her to Fernando Po.  We parted company, and proceeded on our further examination of the rivers on this coast, when we stood to the westward, anchoring off Nun River,[34] at nine in the evening.

Wednesday, 6.—­After breakfast, we sent on shore to procure information of slavers, in consequence of having seen the smoke of a fire, which is a well-known signal on the coast, to invite vessels to trade with them.  The fire is made by night, and the smoke forms the signal by day.  Our boat returned, bringing a poor Spaniard from a small town, just within the entrance of the river, called Pilot’s Town.[35] He was a native of Manilla, and had been left behind by his vessel, but from what cause he did not state.  He told us, the blacks informed him, that there had been a man of war on the coast, but that she had left some days since.

Thursday, 7.—­Light airs.  At daylight we got under weigh, and came to an anchor, off the mouth of the Bonny river again, soon after sunset.

We had now examined the entrances of all the rivers between the Bonny, and Cape Formosa; all of which communicate with each other in the interior; some being navigable by vessels, but all by canoes; for instance, a vessel may go in at St. Nicholas, and by passing through a creek, come out at the St. John’s.  This piece of intelligence had the effect of occasionally placing us in some perplexity as to our movements; for, according to one person, a vessel freighted with slaves was on the point of coming out of one river; while, at the same time, agreeably to another informant, the same vessel was stated to be coming out of another river.

There is, however, but little doubt that the interior of the country is intersected by very extensive water communications lying between the bight of Benin and Biafra, and I heard Captain Owen say, that, in his opinion, the Niger would be found to discharge itself in one of these bights, a fact, which I have the satisfaction to learn, is now proved by the recent discovery of the Landers.

Friday, 8.—­At daylight, we made sail.  At ten, we received a pilot on board, and in three hours, entered the channel of the New Calabar river, which must be passed, before an entrance into the Bonny can be effected.  This position of the Calabar is, however, on the coast usually denominated the Bonny, in reference to the superior trade of that river.