JOURNEY FROM KATUNGA TO BOUSSA. 
83 
of him here. The inhabitants of this place appear to be the most 
roaring, drinking set of any other town I have yet seen. Last 
night, until near morning, nothing was to be heard but fiddles, 
Arab guitars, castanets, and singing. 
The Kiama messenger, according to his promise, brought some of 
the leaves of the tree or bush called by them kongkonie, from the 
seeds of which the natives extract the poison for their arrows ; 
from the leaves and branches exudes a resinous gum which sticks to 
the fingers ; the flower is small and white, with a very long foot- 
stalk ; the seeds are enclosed in a long case surrounded by a silky 
substance ; the seeds are small, like caraway seeds, and are boiled 
to a thick black paste before they are put on the arrows. They say 
that the seeds are a deadly poison if taken into the stomach ; 
the seeds I have got in the case, but dried, and fit for use. 
The king of Dahomey’s messengers came to me in the evening 
and told me they wanted to speak to me, saying they wished to 
do so privately. I sent Pascoe to one side with them, but they 
came back observing that they must say it to myself only ; their 
mighty secret was this: that they had been in Youri five months 
assisting the king of that country against the Fellatas ; that, if I 
either regarded my safety or wished to reach the end of my journey, 
I ought not to take that road, as I should never get on ; that they 
had stood the brunt of all his battles, and that all their guns but 
two were burst ; that they were now on their way to their own 
country, but expect to be sent back by the king of Dahomey with 
a larger force after the rains. They said that Niki was the capital of 
Borgoo and not Kiama ; that it is fifteen days only from Dahomey ; 
thatBorgoo and Dahomey are joined together, or two neighbouring 
kingdoms ; that there are high hills on the road between Niki and 
Dahomey ; that they left the Malia country on their left hand 
when they came here ; that Kiama is five days distant from Niki ; 
that it is from Dahomey the people of these countries receive all 
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