Soyinka on Lagos

Kongi celebrates the rebirth of Lagos in Newsweek from a month back, here.  Reading the piece (nicely edited, for a change) prompted me to go back to Richard Burton's memorable description of Lagos, 150 years ago:

"The site of the town, four miles from the entrance, is detestable; unfortunately there is no better within many a league... The first aspect is as if a hole had been hollowed out in the original mangrove forest that skirts the waters, where bush and dense jungle, garnished with many a spreading tree, tall palms, and matted mass of fetid verdure rise in terrible profusion around."