27th.—At seven in the morning proceeded, and after a fatiguing journey, reached a Bowchee village, named Cokalo, at 2 P.M. The inhabitants being very poor, could procure nothing but corn. The chief of the village had made a fetish, and having roasted a dog, stewed a large snake in oil and water, and boiled a good deal of corn, invited his people to a feast, of which they partook freely. A small bowl of boiled corn, enriched with a portion of the reptile, and the liquid in which it had been dressed, was sent me from the chief’s table. Supposing it to be fish on the boiled corn, I ate a mouthful or two, but there being a peculiar, and not disagreeable flavour with it, I cursorily asked a person, who stood by my side, what kind of fish I was eating; but on his telling me it was part of the snake, I could eat no more. Pascoe, however, was not quite so fastidious, and consumed the remainder with great relish, declaring that, in his opinion, it was much superior to dried ling. 28th.—Proceeding this morning at eight, arrived an hour after on the banks of the Coodoonia; but here it was broader, deeper, and more rapid than at Cuttup. In attempting to convey, on a small bamboo raft, one of my portmanteaus to the opposite side, found it would not bear its weight, and snatched it from the raft just in time to save it from sinking. Finding it, therefore, dangerous to cross, till the river became more shallow, I strenuously refused to accede to the wishes of the messengers, who strongly urged the necessity of my reaching Zegzeg as quickly as possible; observing, that I would neither risk my property nor person on so weak and dangerous a conveyance. They abused me in the most insolent terms, and threatened to go immediately and inform their king of my refusal to proceed. I desired them to give my best respects to his Zegzeg majesty, and told them they were at liberty to go as soon as they pleased. They left me in great anger, cursing me as they went; whilst I slowly proceeded with my horses and asses to the village we had left in the morning. Whether the messengers did or did not go to Zegzeg I cannot tell, but they did not return till the 11th July following. I remained all that time in the village, very ill, with nothing to eat but boiled corn, not by any means relishing their roasted dogs. The inhabitants, who came by hundreds each day to visit me, were destitute of apparel of any kind, but, nevertheless, behaved in a modest and becoming manner. The men did not appear to have any occupation or employment whatever, and spent their time in loitering about the village. The women were generally engaged most of the day in manufacturing an oil from a small black seed and the guinea nut.