A LESSON IN SURGERY. 175 



is evidently much impressed with his late master's powers, 

 and says that besides the above-mentioned drug he 

 used many other local applications, and with such 

 wonderfully good results that the natives flocked to him, 

 and never grumbled at the silver key that opened his 

 door to them. 



One of our Arabs to-day very nearly succeeded in 

 cutting off a thumb whilst we were in camp, and he was 

 brought up in triumph by his friends to have the wound 

 dressed. Sewing it up caused them immense astonish- 

 ment, as they had never seen such a performance ; and 

 the victim, far too much interested, to mind the pain it 

 caused, disdained having his arm held steady by Vivian, 



We have ridden to-day separately over a great ex- 

 tent of country, in the low ground amongst the Abys- 

 sinian hills, without seeing any kind of game beyond 

 antelope. Our men say this is due to the Abyssinian 

 hunters having driven it away, and Essafi certainly did 

 point out to me marks of numerous recent encampments, 

 and stumps of trees that had been cut down for rhino- 

 ceros trap blocks. Taking honey was the entertainment 

 of this evening, to which we were specially invited, as it 

 was to be done somewhat differently to the last time. 



On this occasion the tree was a small one (not a 

 baobab), and though hollow had only one hole 

 near the bottom for the entrance of bees. This hole 

 having been closely plugged with a skin, the men set to 



