'42 THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 



of introduction already mentioned, and the first favour I 

 iasked was, a quiet retreat, that I might have rest, and 

 recover myself. The people, seeing the difficulty with 

 which I dragged myself along, called in a Hakim ( a Persian 

 physician) who lived in their house, and he offered me 

 his assistance. I thanked him very heartily, and requested 

 some leeches. " We have not any," was his reply; upon 

 which, as my only resource, I applied a blister ; after which 

 I became senseless, and lemained in that state until the 

 evening of the following day. On my revival, my tongue 

 was still so parched, that 1 was unable even to ask for 

 water to moisten it, and I only obtained it by making signs, 

 I\Iy feet were excessively cold, and besides the above- 

 mentioned internal pains, I also felt the effects of the blister, 

 although it had risen but very slightly. I examined my 

 pulse, but the pulsation was imperceptible, from which I 

 concluded that my last moments were near at hand. My 

 servant told me that, during my stupor, I had had some 

 discharges of blood ; I ordered him to fetch the Mirza ( scribe ) 

 of the establishment, that he might make my will ; and he 

 came with his paper and kalemdan ( writing stand ), and 

 placed himself at a respectable distance, the hakim having 

 told him that my disease was dangerous and contagious. I felt 

 so weak and debilitated, that I was scarcely able to siga 

 my name. I told my servant that I had but little hopes 

 of living over the night, and desired him, should it be the 

 will of God that I must die on the banks of the Indus, to 

 bury me and convey my effects to Lahore, and deliver them, 

 -with my papers, to the Generals, Court and Avitabile, to 

 whom there was a letter of introduction, sent by Mr. Swoboda. 

 For the services he himself had rendered me, I gave him 

 a liberal remuneration, that I might secure his executing 

 my wishes, upon which he wept and promised obedience. 

 In this deplorable state, considering myself at death's door, 

 like many other medical men, I began to think that, in 

 spite of the numerous remedies, there was no chance of 

 my recovering from the effects of the poison I had taken, 

 and that the medical art was but a falh^cious one, I began 



