Chapter 19

CHAPTER XIX ORONN—EKET MAIN ROAD (i) Oronn TO Ikotobo The easiest way of reaching Eket District is, after landing at Calabar, to proceed by launch or canoe to the little port of Idua Oronn on the Cross River. This is a trading centre of some importance, since it boasts four European factories as well as several native stores, and can indeed be reached direct from Liverpool by cargo boats. After the newly- discovered creeks had been cleared of snags and many of the smaller roads cleaned and widened, the merchants of Oronn stated that trade grew by leaps and bounds till, in the month of May, it had risen to about three times that of Calabar. The place has other interests beside commercial ones. Near by lives a Juju-man of sinister and far-reaching reputation, whose dwelling is carefully shunned at nightfall by all honest citizens. Certain it is that this terrible individual has amassed considerable wealth by means which would ill bear inquiry. A Christian chief of our acquaintance, when questioned by one of the local traders as to the practical nature of his reliance on the power of Christianity to protect him from evil influences such as Witchcraft or Juju, answered firmly : “ With a Bible in my hand, I would go fearlessly before every Juju shrine, or enter into the house of any Witch-doctor, knowing that such had no longer power to harm me, save only ’’—this was spoken after considerable hesitation and embarrassment, and in a very small voice —“ that of the one man of this town whose evil power is 256 so strong that I would not dare enter his door at nighttime, even under the protection of the ‘ Word of God.’ ” This Juju priest, as is the case with most of his class, is reported to cherish bitter enmity against Government, which indeed is only natural, when one thinks how many prospective victims have been snatched from the power of such men by White Rule. To him it is that the fate of our Yoruba steward was ascribed by all the people round, as well as the torture and death of many, needed for his unholy rites. Within the bush, some few miles from the town, lies a sacred crocodile swamp. Not long ago a young trader was bicycling along one of the paths when he fell over an obstacle placed across the way. To his horror he found that this was the body of a woman, with cleft skull, laid out as if for sacrifice. Round the corpse were set Juju pots of various shapes and sizes, so that there seemed but little doubt that the poor woman had been made the victim of some cult which still makes human sacrifices whenever there is a chance that such cruel rites may escape the notice of Government. Until a very few years ago both men and women were offered up to the principal Jujus of each town at the time of the new yam planting, at the beginning of the fishing season, at the harvest festival, and on the death of any great chief. Hundreds must have perished yearly from such causes ; and though there is great reason to believe that, at present, no more can be said than that the number has now dropped to scores or maybe dozens, yet there is cause to hope that, by means of constant vigilance, such horrors will, in time, be utterly stamped out. The hero of the accident described above had a brief but adventurous career on the West Coast. A few months later, according to the account given us, he was riding with some companions past the Juju-shed of a small town in the neighbourhood. On a post near the door a smoke- blackened skull was laid, and this one of his companions dared the young trader to seize and ride off with. Instantly the latter sprang from his bicycle, caught up the grim trophy, and rode away at topmost speed. Not a moment too soon ; for, before the white men had got clear s of the village, its inhabitants are said to have poured out, matchet in hand, to give chase, and only by considerable exertion did the visitors escape the consequences of so rash an act. Some time afterwards the stolen skull disappeared from the factory whither it had been carried, and the incident seemed closed. One day, however, as the white man went up the stairs leading to the verandah, followed by a boy bearing a shot-gun, the charge went off and entered his thigh. Only the kindest attention from all at Oronn saved him from bleeding to death, and the result was that, after several weeks in hospital at Calabar, he had to be invalided home. There was not the slightest circumstance to point to anything other than accident ; but nothing would convince the natives that the misfortune was not caused by the vengeance of the outraged Juju. Not far from Idua Oronn is the sacred grove of Abang ’Ndak, whence no branch might be cut, or leaf plucked, on penalty of death. This was a place of refuge for escaped slaves and of sanctuary for those guilty of manslaughter. From the port starts the principal road of the District, fringed, for most of its length, by palm trees but otherwise almost unshaded. To right and left lie open, sun-soaked farms, alternating with stretches of “ new bush,” left to lie fallow for three years, after which they in turn are brought under cultivation. The story of the making of the Oronn— Eket road was thus told by Chief Henshaw : “ About 1899, Government first made an attempt to pass from Oronn to Eket. Captain Ross-Brown was in charge, but the Oronn people gave us false guides, who led us round and round by Eyo Abassi and Ekim, thence to Obodu and Obumm. Through swamp after swamp we passed, sometimes clambering over fallen tree trunks, on which we had to balance ourselves like monkeys amid the branches, but more often wading and swimming, through water up to the lips and so cold that it numbed our limbs. Then the guide said that he could lead us no farther, and, after two nights spent on the way, we arrived back in Idua Oronn. “ Next year another route was tried, under Mr. F. S. ‘Image” of the Akpambe Cult, very powerful in the “Image” with Skull. James,1 the present Administrator of Lagos Colony. This time we went with a small escort from Itak to Nsia, hoping thus to reach Ikotobo and thence Eket. The chiefs of the last friendly town declared, however, that a little farther on people were lining the way, ready to fight us ; so they refused to give a guide. We, therefore, followed a straight road which seemed to lead in the right direction. “ Before us in the bush sounded the blowing of horns, gathering the people together to oppose our passage. We would have pressed forward, but the head priest came and so earnestly begged us not to do so, lest Government should blame him for anything that might befall us, that we had to go back. “ By next year, White Rule had grown in power in this part of the world. Mr. A. C. Douglas was District Commissioner at Eket, where the African Association had built a factory which then could only be reached by way of the Kwa Ibo River. “ Major Winn Sampson was Commissioner in Calabar at the time, and Oronn was under him ; so he was anxious to open the road between this part and Eket town, since this would be good for trade. One afternoon, therefore, he summoned Chief Richard Henshaw and myself to discuss plans with him, and we advised waiting a little, until we could make friends with the chiefs and powerful people along the route and collect information from them. At once he agreed and gave us leave to see what could be done in the matter, so we sent for Chief Edehi ’Nion of Etebio and Chief Ekong ’Nyang of ’Ntara Inyang. When these came we treated them kindly, for they were powerful men who controlled many neighbouring towns beside their own. They put before us that they understood Government always brought war upon a country when it had once been allowed to pass through ; but we told them we only came in friendliness and to open up the land to trade. So they agreed that we might come to their town. A day was fixed for making a new start; they provided guides and we set out from Oronn by way of Eyo Abassi to Ekim Obodu, Oroko and Etebio. 1 Now Sir Frederick James, Colonial Secretary of the Straits Settlements. “ The road was very bad, mostly swamps and thick bush ; but the Chief of Etebio received us very well. There we saw sacrifice after sacrifice offered before Juju shrines. Some of these were human victims, slain in the marketplace and fastened to poles twenty feet high. The body was wrapped round like a bundle, by means of ’Nyang Ukot, the flat kind of tie-tie which comes from the trunk of the mimbo palm.1 These offerings were lashed on high, about the middle of the pole. “ Through the town we passed, to the place where the chief was. He promised to help us, and, in the evening, sent to call together head men from all the country-side. When they arrived, Major Winn Sampson explained the reason of our visit, and the chief advised that the best place from which to start would be 'Ntara Inyang. Thither we therefore went, and stayed a little while, talking to the principal people, who all seemed pleased and friendly. Next day more chiefs came in from far-off towns, to join in the discussion. These would hardly let us speak, but declared over and over again that they knew we were coming to bring war and take their land. When we denied this, they brought Juju stones, about fifteen inches square, thin and flat, and asked Major Winn Sampson to take oath upon these. He said he was quite ready to swear that Government would not trouble the people so long as they did no harm. When Richard Henshaw was asked to take oath they said : ‘ You and Daniel are cousins, therefore if either of you injure us by breaking oath, the Juju must kill both.’ “ As the time was already drawing towards evening, we stayed there for the night, and next day set out again in the direction of Eket. Then the people brought out Juju horns made of elephants tusks, which gave forth a strange booming sound. These they played before us through the bush, that all the towns might know we came in peace. When such horns are blown, people know that the newcomers are under the protection of powerful chiefs and therefore may not be harmed. “ In this way we came through safely, and the District Commissioner, Mr. Douglas, was very pleased to see us at 1 Piassava fibre. Eket at last. After a day or two spent in his station, we went back together with him, the Agent of the African Association, and Edogho Eket, head chief of the town. With us we took many dashes bought at the factory, such as cloth, tobacco, and other fine things. Straight to Etebio we went, and there held a big meeting. At this one of the chiefs got up and said that the District Commissioner of Calabar had taken oath not to bring war, but perhaps the District Commissioner of Eket, who had not sworn any such thing, might do this. He added that we must therefore take oath again, and this time on the Blood Juju. “ The three white men, with Edogho Eket and five of the principal chiefs, sat together. A bowl of mimbo was brought, with a glass for each, and one over. Into the latter every man had to let fall a few drops of blood, from a cut made in the back of the hand by the wrist. When all had contributed, a little mimbo was poured in and the glass carefully shaken so as to mix the contents. These were then shared out into the glasses of the five principal people ; more mimbo was added and the mixture drunk off. “ After this rite a big dash was given, while much palm- wine was drunk amid great rejoicing. In the evening a splendid play was performed, and the white visitors also joined in the dance to show that they were glad and friendly. “ This was the way in which the Oronn—Eket road was opened. Before the first mails were sent along it old newspapers were folded and put in a bag to look like the proper mail. At the bottom was just one letter to the District Commissioner, Eket, in order to find out if the road was safe and clear. To the relief of all, the runner passed through unharmed. Again and again the experiment was tried and always with success. So the real mails were sent at last. After a while it was found that the road was a very long one, so the same year we started a new route via Ikotobo. “ People were friendly now, and we got Chief Awkonnor and Akpan Umana, cousins of the head chief, to arrange for us to pass through his town. He agreed, as did all others along the proposed route ; so all went well with the road till it was carried beyond Ikotobo. Then Akap Idu, chief of Afaha Ubium, whose territory we had reached, came out with his whole town to stop us. The Chief of Ikotobo said that without the permission of these people we could not go on. We tried, therefore, to persuade them to come in and discuss the matter ; but instead of this, the principal men came, one by one, to try to persuade the Ikotobo chiefs to let them kill us. These, however, refused, saying that, if such a thing happened in their town, Government would hold them responsible. “ The friendly chiefs begged us not to go any farther, since our enemies were waiting to kill us in the bush beside the path. As we were determined, in this case, to push back to Oronn, they offered to go with us ; and walked, each arm-in-arm with one of us, until we had passed the ambuscade and reached Oronn in safety. “ Next we tried a new way by Eshi’s beach on the Ubium River ; but it was not satisfactory, and, in the end, Government had to send an expedition to force the people of Afaha Ubium to let the road be made through their land. “ The following year, when Mr. Whitehouse was District Commissioner of Calabar, he came to try if a still shorter way could not be found. Then we learnt that the one first taken by Captain Ross-Brown was the best of all; so we passed along this from town to town, making a straight road—and that is the one which all the people use to-day.” I should like here to mention the excellent route sketches which were made by Captain Ross-Brown and Mr. A. C. Douglas under most difficult conditions. Eight miles beyond Idua Oronn lies Oyubia, the head chief of which, Enyenihi by name, tells how his grandfather woke one morning to find the town surrounded by Eket men armed with cap-guns. The invaders rushed in, slaying as they came, and, before noon, all the head chief’s family, save one son, were dead ; while of the townsfolk only a remnant saved themselves by fleeing into the bush. The father of the present chief saw that it was useless to hope to recover his town by the help of these few survivors, who, moreover, had only matchets with which to face the guns of their opponents. He therefore had recourse to a stratagem, which was thus related : “ The bush-path by which the enemy was most likely to advance led down the slope of a little hill. At the base of this the chief dug a pit so deep that his people thought he was going to make a hole right through the earth ! Into the bottom he drove sharp stakes which stood out a foot or more above the floor. Then, over the surface, leaves and branches were strewn, until the trap was quite hidden. “ Now among the slaves was a man with a skin disease so terrible that it had eaten away the greater part of his face. Him the chief dressed in hideous fashion, with horned head-piece and robe covered with strange Juju symbols. In each hand a long matchet was set, and he was then placed in a clump of bushes just at the top of the hill. “ When the enemy neared the hiding-place, the man kept quite still until all had passed by. Then, obeying the instructions of the chief, he sprang forth, uttering bloodcurdling cries. The Eket, looking up, saw him standing at the summit, and called : ‘ The devil has come to fight to-day! Let us flee ! ’ Terror seized them, and they rushed down the slope, to fall into the trap at its foot. “ So cunningly prepared was the gin that not one escaped. All lay writhing and moaning in the pit, while the Oyubians gathered round its edge. Then the victorious chief promised that, if they would give up their guns and two men who would teach him the use of these, he would spare their lives.” The unfortunate victims had no choice but to obey, and that is the way in which the people of Oyubia became possessed of guns and learnt how to use them. Afterwards the wretched Eket were shot with their own weapons, because these had slain the Oyubians. Only the two men drawn up out of the pit were saved, and these became slaves of the chief’s house. Near where the fight took place grows a huge cotton tree, and several others, hardly less splendid, protect the town. Two of these stand sentry-like, before and behind the “ war-shed,” a spot which, for us, will always have a rather tragic interest. Not long after my arrival, chance brought to light a state of affairs which necessitated immediate action. As a result several native officials were imprisoned, whereon their friends determined to leave no stone unturned to bring about my removal. They therefore went through the District, calling together the chiefs, and saying that, when among the Ekoi, I had wantonly shot men with my own hand, and was now about to bring “ war ” upon the Ibibio, burn their towns, and slay every man, woman, and child who should fall into my power. The only way, so they urged, for the people to save themselves, was to kill me before I had time to destroy them. The disaffected elements knew quite well that these simple bush-folk, obedient to authority under ordinary circumstances, when driven over the border-line by terror “ see red,” and their one idea is to slay. According to statements of many chiefs, the malcontents summoned the head men of twenty-seven Oronn towns to assemble in the “ war-shed ” of Oyubia in order to discuss plans for doing away with us. The building takes its name from the fact that it is never used save to arrange “ war palavers,” and the last occasion on which such a meeting had been held was before the Expedition of 1902. It happened that a clerk was to be tried in the local Court-house, and, according to subsequent statements, it was settled that my pronouncing judgment upon him should be the signal for our murder. So many people came down for the trial that not only was there hardly breathing room within the building, but the crowd surged, six to eight deep, as close as possible to the breast-high mud- and-wattle walls. So eager were those at the back to miss no word of the proceedings, that they pressed upon the front rows so heavily that these, in turn, were forced forward against the wall. The stout posts supporting the left side of the roof cracked beneath the strain, and, had not warning shouts been raised, half the roof, together with the heavy pillars, would have fallen upon and injured the packed mass of humanity within. Several of those concerned have since confessed that only the non-appearance of a witness, to await whose testimony judgment was deferred, saved our lives. Proceedings were adjourned, and we left Court in ignorance of the fate so narrowly escaped, though conscious of something in the atmosphere much like the leashed electricity before the outburst of the sudden tornadoes which, in this part of the world, often break without warning and carry all before them. Since the first plot came to nothing, another meeting was held in the “ war-shed ” to arrange further methods. To this second gathering came Chief Eyo ’Ndemrn ’Nyenn of Adukum, to whom we shall ever owe a debt of gratitude ; for he alone of the delegates present rose in his place and said that he would have no part in the murder of a man against whom no harm had been proved, but who had only punished those who had committed crimes and oppressed the people. “ If there is proof that the Commissioner killed men among the Ekoi or intends to bring war against us,” he asked, “ why do you not tell Chief Henshaw, the Native Political Agent, who would then advise you how to set to work so that the ‘ Big Consul ’ at Calabar may look into the affair.” To this Enyenihi replied : “ We have been told that Chief Henshaw must learn nothing about the matter.” On hearing this, ’Ndemrn ’Nyenn left the building, and his departure threw the remaining chiefs into a state of grave anxiety. The malcontents had assured them that the whole District had agreed to the plot, and that there was therefore little danger for those concerned, since, if every town was equally guilty, terror would keep the inhabitants from allowing the truth to leak out. It would be easy, they said, to waylay us on some bush-path and bury us where our bodies would never be found. Lest it seems incredible that any one could have been persuaded that a disappearance would be so easily hushed up, let me quote a paragraph written by one of my kind critics in the African Mail under date April 25, 1913 : “ The man who scoffs at the Ghost charm, battered and torn in its cleft stick, will never get to the bottom of the Secret Society case, when a man’s dead body is found on his own verandah and even his wives and concubines pretend to know nothing about it—who he was, where he came from, and how he got there.” The fact that ’Ndennn ’Nyenn refused to be any party to the plot disconcerted the plans of the others. Had they known that the whole tribe of Ubium Ibibio had also refused to be drawn in, they would have hesitated still more. As it was, the first defection caused considerable delay and thus saved our lives. Meanwhile the ringleader of the malcontents is stated to have approached one who had been placed in custody for a minor offence, and, never doubting the latter’s complicity, had asked whether he could recommend any one who was a sufficiently good shot to be trusted to hide in the bush at the wayside and shoot us as we rode by. The man, according to his statement, answered : “ I will have nothing to do with such a plan. It is true that the District Commissioner punished me for the wrong I did, but he has not tried to touch my life and neither will I take his.” This man was the son of the principal Chief of Oduko, the town which lies under the shadow of the great Ebiri- bong tree. Perhaps something of the grandeur and beauty from the worship of so noble a symbol of beneficent nature forces had unconscious influence on his character ; for the fault for which he had been imprisoned was one hardly considered wrong from the native point of view. I had never had an opportunity of showing him kindness ; he was still under arrest, and might well have harboured a feeling of resentment, and, although taking no active part against us, have been willing to let us face our fate as best we might. Instead of this, he braved the risk of added punishment by persuading a man to fetch his wife, whom he sent at once to Chief Henshaw, bidding her repeat not only the proposal made to himself but also give warning of the ominous meeting in the “ war-shed.” No sooner did Chief Henshaw learn of the danger which threatened us on account of the terror and excitement induced by the false statements than he set out to try to save our lives at the risk of his own. He, in turn, summoned a meeting of Oronn chiefs, and at length, by taking oaths on the great Juju ’Mbiam, the which there is no revoking, induced them to believe that, so far from my having harmed a single Ekoi, the whole race was at the moment petitioning for my return, while no least thought of injury was intended against the Ibibio. The chiefs expressed themselves convinced, but were uneasy as to the consequences of having been led into the plot. The time of the year was one in which excitement runs unusually high, for it was the season of new yam planting, during which, in olden days, human sacrifices were always offered to ensure prosperity to the crops. We learned that the feast of Abassi Isua (the God of the Year) was shortly to be held at Oyubia. For this festival each clan makes a little “ god ” of grass and leaves about two and a half feet high. Upon its head a small bowl is placed hat-wise, and an egg laid in the centre Each man and boy brings a thin stick, fresh cut that morning and sharply pointed, which he drives into the image, until this has a porcupine-like appearance. By a strange coincidence the prayer offered to Abassi Isua on this occasion might stand for an Ibibio translation of that passage in the Elegies of Tibullus describing a Nature Festival of his day, save only that the word “ leopard ” must be substituted for wolves : “ Gods of our sires, we cleanse the farms, we cleanse the farming folk. Do ye outside our boundaries drive all evil things. Let not our sown fields mock the reaping with defaulting blade. Let not our slow lambs fear the swifter wolves.” 1 The Ibibio version runs : Abassi mete nyinn nyinn imanam edisana inwan, nyinn Gods fathers our we make clean farms we imanam edisana mowo inwan. Kedem adana nyinn make clean folk farm. Outside boundaries our imosio idiok nkpaw. Kuyak mfri nyinn akabade ke drive evil things. Let not crops our fail at kiniidokde. Ktiyak ekkpe anam ufene nyinn. harvest. Let not leopards harm herds our. For this feast the Oronn flock in their thousands to 1 Catullus, Tibullus, and Pervigilium Veneris Translated by F. W. Cornish, J. P. Postgate, J. W. Mackail. The Loeb Classical Library, Heinemann. Oyubia. Much tornbo, i.e. palm-wine, is drunk, and ritual dances are given in which the firing of guns and brandishing of sharp-edged matchets play a great part. A large number of wounds, and even deaths, often result. This year the people of the towns concerned in the plot were in a state of nervous tension as to the consequences of their attitude, and it was necessary to calm them without loss of time, lest a single spark might, as often before, give rise to a far-reaching conflagration. It seemed well, therefore, to meet them face to face with as little delay as possible and, once for all, put an end to their fears. My wife and her sister begged to accompany me on the motor bicycle which had only arrived a short time before, and which alone made possible a more or less adequate supervision of the District, by rapid transit at least along the main thoroughfare. After it had been calculated that most of the celebrants would have arrived, so that the road should no longer be overcrowded by people flocking to the festival, we set forth, the sidecar of the bicycle holding my two companions at a very tight fit. That ride remains in our memories as an interesting and somewhat exciting experience. For once the hum of the motor, usually allowed to sound its loudest in order to give warning of our approach, was silenced. We left the main road and turned into a deserted side path, the ground of which had never before been pressed by so modem a conveyance, and were in the midst of the crowd before the first rumour of our coming could reach to scatter them. It was only a few weeks since my arrival in the District, and my knowledge of Ibibio was consequently almost nil; but, by pre-arrangement, Chief Daniel Henshaw was already there, and in his capable translation my little speech certainly lost nothing. The effect of the assurance, that I understood how they had been led to believe that only my death could save their own lives and those of their women and children, seemed magical. When asked not to believe the falsehoods which they had been told, but to judge for themselves from my actions whether or no I was friendlily disposed, old chiefs came up weeping, to beg pardon for having been led away, and to ask that they and their people might not be punished for joining in the plot against us. A revulsion of feeling set in, and we afterwards felt as safe among the Oronn as we used to do amid our own Ekoi. A little beyond Oyubia lies a steep piece of road which the motor bicycle usually finds difficulty in climbing. Often it breaks down about half-way up and has to be pushed to the top. When the conspirators found that their other attempts had failed—through no fault of theirs, for they showed really remarkable versatility in planning ways of ridding themselves of us—they sent round and got together a band of twelve men, sworn on the Ibeno Juju Ukpa to murder me ; but, this time, owing, I think, to the influence of a man dragged in somewhat against his will, it was arranged “ not to harm the white ladies, because they were so kind ”—unless it was found impossible to kill me without bringing about their deaths also. The twelve were said to have met beneath a Juju tree in a celebrated Sacred Grove near Jamestown, and planned to wait in the bush by the roadside near the little hill where the motor usually slowed down. It happened to be late in May, and they knew that we were going to Iko- tobo for the Empire Day celebrations on the 24th. Strangely enough, on this occasion, the bicycle took the hill like a bird. We whizzed by the ambush in glorious style, and the would-be assassins, unable to get a safe shot, and fearing the consequences of failure, refrained from firing.1 Of the many attempts made to poison us it would be too tedious to tell. One chief and a clerk, perhaps less wily than the others, were sentenced each to five years’ penal servitude ; while, just before leaving the District, a man in whom we had complete trust was found in possession of a calabash the contents of which might have rivalled the brew of Macbeth’s witches, and which he was accused of having intended to administer at the last moment, so that we might die on the way home. From all appearances no decomposed mackerel of the Borgias could have been 1 Captain Farmar Cotgrave, who was in charge of Eket in 1922, was shot in his office by one of his police. more efficacious. Indeed one of the senior medical officers who chanced to see it stated that such a mixture, administered in the food of Europeans, could not but have had fatal effects. It is perhaps worth remarking that two Commissioners of neighbouring Districts are said to have almost died from poison given to them. The health of one is reported to be permanently ruined, while the other suffered severely for a long period. On several occasions we were warned that fowls brought as “ dashes ” had been poisoned with the idea of killing us. On learning this, the late Dr. Foran, medical officer for the District, instituted inquiries in order to discover whether it was possible for poison to be administered to a fowl in such a manner that the bird itself would not die for a day or two, but, if killed and eaten meanwhile, would cause the death of those who partook of it. As a result he learnt that this could be brought about by injecting poison into a vein in the leg. Birds so treated live from twenty-four to forty-eight hours, after which they die, making a strange croupy noise before death. After learning this, we took care that all our fowls should be kept at least a week before consumption. It was probably mere coincidence ; but a considerable percentage certainly happened to die after emitting weird and croupy noises. It is perhaps worth mentioning a fact corroborated by two medical men of my acquaintance, namely, that the flesh of pigeons fed, without harm to themselves, on strychnine fruits, usually proves fatal to any who happen to partake of it. The Anang have the reputation of providing poisons of special strength for the whole Ibibio race. They may often be seen plying their deadly wares as far south as IkotoDo. As a people the Ibibio may perhaps be considered the most adept poisoners of the whole West Coast. A favourite method of doing away with an enemy is, after drinking, as a pledge of good faith, from the proffered guest- cup, to dip the point of the third finger into the liquid in passing the vessel. A deadly poison is usually concealed beneath the nail, which is said to be kept long for the purpose of holding a sufficient quantity to bring about the death of an enemy. Both Ibibio and Yoruba are said to use poisons which act so slowly that their effects may not show for weeks, and death not ensue for several months.