192 UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



treated him for rheumatism, oppression, or anything rational 

 bearing on his symptoms. In spite of all his ailments he grew 

 daily more stout and strong. One day I gave him a strong 

 purgative. He did not reappear for a week; when he came, 

 he was accompanied by one of his men leading a fat sheep. 

 He had never given me the slightest acknowledgment for the 

 scores and scores of times he had come to me for the treat- 

 ment which he was receiving gratis. This day he solemnly 

 made me a present of a fat sheep. He assured me that my 

 last medicine was splendid. The effect was such, he said, that 

 he really thought that he was about to die, and that it had 

 utterly prostrated him for days. He felt, however, that he was 

 ■cured, and he came to thank me publicly. It was many months, 

 before he was troubled again by his old enemy the " worm." 

 I was interested when one day the Mission doctor, Dr. A. Cook, 

 incidentally mentioned to me that some natives came to him 

 with imaginary diseases. They cause a serious loss of time to 

 him whom I know to be one of the most able and hard-working 

 men I have had the privilege of meeting either in professional 

 consultation or in private life. 



The Falua not only use the ordinary type of corn-store seen 

 everywhere, but have a peculiar one of their own. Instead of 

 the basket being very deep and the cover over it removable, the 

 basket is wide but shallow, and the cover over it is a fixture with 

 an opening in front permitting access to the store. The corn is 

 therefore much more handy to get at, and the opening is readily 

 closed again with dry banana-leaves or grass. 



The Falua have a good many banana plantations, but the 

 banana does not play here as important a part in every-day life 

 as in Uganda, though a banana plantation can provide the 

 native with everything he requires — shelter, clothing, fuel, food. 



Returning from the Falua village to the fort, my boy uttered 

 an exclamation of alarm ; he had seen me pass and almost touch 

 a deadly puff-adder lying coiled up in the grass. As it had 

 disappeared, we did not stay to look for it, but left the danger- 

 ous spot as quickly as possible. 



I was shown at Fovira some exquisitely delicate white 

 feathers obtained from under the tail of a large bird. From 

 the description of the bird I felt satisfied it belonged to the 

 stork species — it is, in fact, the well-known marabou. The 

 feathers are extremely valuable, almost worth their weight in 



