1845.] ATTEMPT TO POISON THE WATER. 261 



thus become valuable, as pilots, to the Spanish authorities 

 at Manila, who were, as I understood, on the point of 

 sending a frigate, accompanied by a powerful flotilla of 

 Faluas, which would assemble at Samboangan. 



During the sojourn of the French squadron at Sooloo, 

 the disaffected people of the suburbs, or interior, or pos- 

 sibly those who had sustained the loss of slaves, by es- 

 caping to the ships of war, made several attempts to 

 poison the springs at which the boats were procuring 

 water. It was evidently intended to injure the French, 

 as on the arrival of one of our boats, early in the morning, 

 one of the natives immediately prevented their making 

 use of the water, until he had cleared the spring by dig- 

 ging down with his hands, and throwing out from be- 

 neath the stones and sand overlying, about a dozen of the 

 fruit of the Gomuti (Borassus yomutus) which, although it 

 might not produce death, would cause great pain and 

 vomiting. The infusion, in its powerful state, as exa- 

 mined by us, produced great itching of the skin, and 

 when taken into the mouth, was excessively acrid, pro- 

 ducing instantly a stinging and prickling sensation on 

 the fauces and glands of the throat. The French were 

 disposed to take the matter up warmly, but it was utterly 

 impossible to attach the act to any particular individual, 

 and probably was solely to be attributed to the mountain 

 Chiefs. This same fruit is used generally both at Sooloo, 

 as well as Borneo, to poison fish. After the water is 

 impregnated with the infusion, they become intox- 

 icated, swim in circles near the surface, and are then 

 easily speared or netted. The Tcplirosia toxicaria, and 

 other plants are used for the same purpose, for account 

 of which sec Appendix. 



