THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 449 



faying, at the fame time, in very vulgar Arabic, " Kifhalek 

 howaja?" (how do you do, merchant). I never in my hfe 

 was more pleafed with diftant fakitations than at this time. 

 I anfwered, " Peace be among you ! I am a phyfician, and 

 not a merchant." 



I SHALL not entertain the reader with the muhitude of 

 their complaints ; being a lady's phyfician, difcretion and 

 filence are my firft duties, h is fufficient to fay, that there 

 was not one part of their whole bodies, infide and outflde, 

 in which fome of them had not ailments. The three 

 queens infilled upon being blooded, which defire I complied 

 with, as it was an operation that required fliort attendance ; 

 but, upon producing the lancets, their hearts failed them. 

 They then all cried out for the Tabange, v>rhich, in Arabic, 

 means a piilol ; but what they meant by this word was, the 

 cupping inflrument, which goes off with a fpring like the 

 fnap of a piftol. I had two of thefe with me, but not at 

 that time in my pocket. I fent my fervant home, however, 

 to bring one, and, that fame evening, performed the ope- 

 ration upon the three queens with great fuccefs. The 

 room was overflowed with an effufion of royal blood, and 

 the whole ended with their infifling upon my giving them 

 the inflrument itfelf, which I was obliged to do, after cup- 

 ping, two of their flaves before them, who had no com- 

 plaints, merely to fliew them how the operation was to be 

 performed. 



Another night I was obliged to attend them, and gave 



the queens, and two or three of the great ladies, vomits. I 



will fpare my reader the recital of fo naufeous a fcene. 



The ipecacuanha had great effeft, and warm water was 



Vol. IV. 3 L drunk 



