THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 93 



the camels were ready for our departure. The moment I 

 began to rise. I felt a pain in my groin ; and a presenti- 

 ment of having been infected with the plague, caused 

 a rush of blood towards my heart, so that I had the 

 feeling of one who had been stabbed with a dagger. The 

 pain in the groin, the fever and my anxiety increased 

 rapidly ; and it was with dif^culty that I moved a few 

 steps, in order to examine the painful part, upon which I 

 discovered some buboes, the size of peas. I felt a burning 

 pain, so I placed myself in the kajaweh (basket) on my 

 camel, and we departed. The station we had to reach was 

 five miles distant ; the reason why we made so short a 

 journey was, that our only object was to quit the* region 

 of the plague, and even now I look upon it as fortunate 

 that I was removed to a place where the healthy air probab- 

 ly aided the efTect of the medicine which I had taken. As 

 soon as we arrived at our station, I took some of the small 

 pills of the above-mentioned Stryconos Faba St. Ignatii. 

 Although Palee alone was infected by the plague, still the 

 inhabitants of the village did not allow us to enrer it ; they, 

 however, brought us all we were in want of, and took the 

 money from our hands without any scruple. During my 

 scientific excursion to Palee, my fellow-travellers had shot 

 some ducks on the marshes, and these were prepared for 

 our lunch. I was invited to partake of the repast, but did 

 Dot feel any inclination to eat, as I was burning with fever, 

 and my pain was almost insupportable ; but not to cause 

 suspicion, I took my place at the table, and the bits which 

 I conveyed with one hand to my mouth, I transferred 

 with the other to the napkin ; this I performed with the 

 skill of an adept. After dinner, I repeated the dose of the 

 same medicine, laid down, and covered myself all over, and 

 in a short time I began to perspire to such a degree, 

 that my mattress was wetted through. In consequence 

 of this perspiration, I got rid of the fever and anxiety, 

 and entertained the hope of being restored to health, al- 

 though the pains in the groin still continued. The swell- 

 ing of the glands remained for three weeks, as I did not 



