Unika. 
79 
at the gate of the kaya. Early as it was, a party of 
old men had arrived, and they were already engaged 
in the performance of some superstitious rite. A goat 
was slaughtered before the gate, its blood and entrails 
were scattered about the entrance; certain incantations 
were repeated, and the ceremony was at an end. We 
now postponed our departure in order to have some 
conversation with the people. After a palaver, similar 
to that held at Kambe, we proceeded on our journey. 
On the way we stopped at a small village, where we 
obtained a little dirty water and purchased some 
cassada. Upon this, with the addition of a little rice, 
we broke our fast. The march proved a very trying 
one ; the sun blazed fiercely in the heavens, and 
water was scarce. We begged a little of the latter at 
two places, but the poor people were very chary of the 
precious fluid. They complained that they had a long 
distance to go for it. We met a few people by the 
way, who looked at us with no little astonishment. 
Some left their plantations in which they were at 
work, and followed us till they were tired, in order 
to see as much of us as they could. The country 
over which we passed alternated between fine grassy 
tracts and thick jungle. As the sun was sinking below 
the horizon we came to a small village, where we 
would fain have stopped for the night, for we were 
all weary ; but the villagers were unwilling to lodge 
us, and we were obliged to push on to the kaya. 
By the time we reached the gate it was quite dark. 
We were not allowed to enter at once. The" guns 
were fired to give the people an intimation of our 
arrival. In a few moments a large number of men 
rushed from the gate, yelling a wild war-song, which 
