176 CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 



first got up, and made a long speech, appealing every now 

 and then to the other (common) people who were seated, 

 and who all answered by a kind of howl. During this 

 speech he held in his hand the war kissey, composed 

 of buffalo's hair, and dirty rags ; and which (as we after- 

 Avards understood) he occasionally invoked to break the 

 locks, and wet the powder of our muskets. As I had 

 no intention of carrying the affair to any extremity, I went 

 from the place where I was seated, opposite to the palaver, 

 and familiarly seating myself along side the Macaya, shook 

 him by the hand, and explained, that though he might see 

 I had the power to do him a great deal of harm, 1 had little 

 to fear from his rusty mus(piets ; and that though I had great 

 reason to be displeased with their conduct and breach 

 of promise, I would pass it over, provided I was assured of 

 having a guide at day-light ; which was promised, on condi- 

 tion that the gentlemen should receive eight fathoms of 

 cloth. 



The people here had never before seen a white man, and 

 the European commodities we saw were reduced to a little 

 stone jug and some rags of cloathing. The language is a 

 dialect of that of Embomma, but considerably differing. 

 The Chenoo receives his cap from the Benzy N'Congo, who 

 resides ten days journey to the N. W. and not on the river. 



