CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 137 



button of coloured glass, which had evidently been procured 

 from a theatre. The assembly was composed of about fifty 

 persons squatted in the sand. Simmons having explained 

 my wishes and the motives of the expedition, the Chenoo, 

 with less deliberation or questioning than 1 had been plagued 

 with at Bomma, granted two guides to go as far as the cata- 

 ract, beyond which the country was to them a terra incog- 

 nita, not a single person of the banza having ever been 

 beyond it. The palaver being over, the keg of brandy I 

 had brought was opened, and a greater scramble than 

 even at Bomma took place for a sup of the precious licpior ; 

 and, towards the conclusion, one having been unable to 

 catch a share, his neighbour, who had been more fortunate, 

 and who had kept it, as long as he could hold in his breath, 

 (as they always do), very generously spat a portion of this 

 mouthful into the other's mouth ! The Chenoo apologized 

 for having nothing; drest to offer us to eat, but directed a 

 small pig to be carried to the boat, which on killing we 

 found to be measly and unfit to eat. 



We saw no women during this audience, but a con- 

 siderable portion of the assembly was composed of boys of 

 all ages down to four or five, and those young urchins were 

 observed to pay the utmost attention to the discourse of the 

 men, and to express tjieir approbation by clapping their 

 hands. 



