KOUGHTON. 
337 
city of salt, are circumstances which prevent its 
introduction. If they discover that a person 
boils milk, to whom they have sold it, they never 
sell him any more, from a superstitious idea that 
it prevents the cow from yielding it* Their 
horses, which are of the Arabian breed, mixed 
with the original African, are excellent. The 
Foulahs are expert and intrepid hunters, and kill 
lions, tigers, elephants, and other wild beasts, 
with their muskets and poisoned arrows. In 
poisoning their arrows, they take the leaves of a 
shrub, termed koona, which is a species of echites, 
common in the woods, and, by boiling them in 
water, procure a black juice, in which they dip 
a cotton thread, and fasten round the barbs of 
the arrow. 
The districts along the Gambia, and stretching' 
thence into the interior, were soon perceived to 
be the quarter by which the Niger^ and the coun- 
tries along its banks, could be most effectually ex- 
plored. In 1791, this country was traversed by 
the brave but unfortunate Major Houghton, who 
first, after the death of Ledyard, and the return 
of Lucas, attempted to explore Africa, according 
to the plan of the African Association. Having 
formed an acquaintance with the manners of the 
Moors, during his residence as British consul at 
Marocco, and with those of the negroes, while he 
VOL. I. y 
