302 Love, Law, and Physic in Barbary. [SEPT. 



told him I had a cure, provided he could introduce me to the lady. On 

 the evening appointed for my visit, my friend was already waiting for 

 me at the door of his house, into which I was about to enter, sa?isfagon, 

 but found myself stopped by his desiring me to wait till he had first 

 seen if the way was clear : being satisfied of which, he returned and 

 conducted me to a room, where was spread a repast of coffee, dates, &c. 

 on the ground, on which were likewise placed two handsome silver- 

 branched candlesticks with wax lights. I declined accepting the substi- 

 tute for a chair (a box) which his kindness had provided, and accom- 

 modating myself to the fashion of the country, sat down cross-legged on 

 the carpets, which I had no sooner done, than a stifled laugh of female 

 voices burst forth. On looking up, I perceived at a small grating in the 

 wall three or four females, who had evidently been surprised into this 

 fit of mirth by my awkward accommodation to their mode of seating 

 themselves. The laughter of Sidi H/s wives had not escaped his hearing, 

 and had nearly proved a disappointment of the purpose of my visit, for 

 seeing that I had caught a glimpse of the ladies, he immediately extin- 

 guished the lights and retired from the room. Loud words passed, evi- 

 dently the effect of his anger at their imprudence : the affair, however, 

 ended better than I anticipated ; he returned, leading the lady, who was 

 to become my patient by the hand, and having caused the tapers to be 

 re-lighted, introduced me to his wife. She was an interesting young 

 woman, but from absolute neglect had nearly lost her eyesight. 



By a little perseverance and the application of simple remedies, I had 

 the pleasure of restoring the lady to the perfect use of her optics, though 

 not without a great consumption of my lotions, the rapidity of which, 

 the sequel of this affair alone enabled me to understand. 



The husband soon after the cure, boasted publicly that his wife, who 

 had gone stone blind from ophthalmia, had been restored to the blessings 

 of sight from a medicine he had himself discovered, the merit of which 

 he claimed as his own. On hearing this news, a Moor who was likewise 

 afflicted with this troublesome complaint, consented to pay Sidi H. a 

 certain sum to take his case in hand, which he did, not forgetting the 

 old precaution of the release. At this juncture the politeness and friend- 

 ship of Sidi H. towards me exceeded all bounds ; his servants were 

 continually bringing fresh butter, eggs, &c. to my house, which in the 

 supposition of its being done in gratitude for my services, I accepted. One 

 day I also received a quantity of musk cakes, neatly tied up in an em- 

 broidered pocket handkerchief from the lady of Sidi H., accompanied with 

 a desire that previously to my departure from Tetuan I should furnish her 

 with a fresh stock of lotions in case of a return of the complaint during 

 my absence. Not having the requisite medicines in my possession, I 

 sent to express my regret at their being exhausted ; the messenger then 

 brought me an urgent request to call at Sidi H/s house. On my arrival 

 there I found him quarrelling with a Moor who complained that he had 

 been driven blind by the washes with which Sidi H. had pretended to 

 cure him of the ophthalmia. My advice being asked as to whether any 

 plan could be devised to restore the blind man to sight, I plainly stated 

 that couching alone might afford him that chance ; on this intelligence 

 the blind man claimed a return of the money he had paid Sidi H. for his 

 cure. The refusal to do this was the cause of Sidi H/s being cited 

 before the Cadi, in whose presence it was elicited that Sidi H. had 

 reserved a portion of my lotions for the double purpose of profiting by 



