THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 45 



Bagdad ; we could speak the Persian, Arabic, and Turkish 

 languages, had long beards, and addressed each other as 

 Hajee, i. e., pilgrim. Our carpets, which constituted our 

 beds, were quite similar, and were placed close to one an- 

 other. We ate together, according to the eastern custom, 

 using our fingers instead of knives and forks ; in fact, we 

 played our parts so well, that none recognised us as Chris- 

 tians. Having our quarters in the mosque, it was very 

 annoying for us to see the musselmans come five times in 

 twenty-four hours, to offer up their prayers. They thought it 

 strange that we, as pilgrims and their guests, did not join in 

 their devotions. It is true, we could easily have done so, but 

 knowing how to excuse ourselves, we did not like to push our 

 dissimulation any further. We had only to whisper into 

 the ear of one of them that we were unclean. From thai ex- 

 pression they inferred that we had the gonorrhcea, which ex- 

 cuse became a public secret ; and we thus got out of the 

 difficulty. From Mooltan to Lahore we went on horseback, 

 The journey from Bagdad to Lahore occupied four months ; 

 I. e., two by water, and two by land. On my arrival at 

 Lahore, I found that the king, Runjeet Sing, with his army 

 and the four French officers, was absent, having gone to- 

 wards Peshawur ; but at the commencement of the rainy 

 season, in the middle of June, they had all returned to 

 Lahore, and I was well received. The first patient I had to 

 attend, after my arrival at Lahore, and before I got pub- 

 lic employment, was Achilles, an adopted son of General 

 Allard. This boy was afflicted with a fistula on the spine, 

 of long duration, and which had been several times 

 superficially healed by the native surgeons. He was so re- 

 duced, that one could truly say, he was but skin and bone : 

 •' Ossa atque pellis totus est," which of course rendered the 

 ease most difficult. I v/as convinced that my medical re- 

 putation depended upon this case. Greneral Allard told me 

 that the boy would die, if not attended to, that he could na 

 longer bear to see him in that pitiful state, and urgently so- 

 licited my aid. He did not at that time imagine that his 

 darling Achilles would outlive him ; but the destiny of naao 



