KINDNESS OF AFRICAN WOMEN. 211 



ingly ill. A native disciple of Esculapius cured 

 me with raw rice ground very fine, and mixed 

 with water. After drinking great quantities of 

 this mixture the complaint gradually ceased, and 

 I astonished my physician by giving him a fee, 

 which, though trifling in itself, was to him an 

 invaluable treasure, — it was merely a case of 

 razors, — for the physician was no other than my 

 friend the barber. 



Smith would not take his medicine, and was 

 very ill. I heard of Sarsfield's arrival at Yim- 

 mahah, and his departure down the river, from 

 my doctor, who was the very " Times " itself of 

 Fundah ; and his wife was no less communicative. 

 The rice which I took was mixed up and brought 

 to me by this lady, who, to prove its harmless- 

 ness, was in the habit of stirring it round 

 with her fingers, and drawing them through 

 her mouth before presenting it to me to drink. 

 However, she was a good creature, and I may 

 here add my testimony to that of all African 

 travellers to the uniform kindness of the women. 

 In my case the sentiment of pure compassion 

 was unalloyed by any personal consideration, as 

 I was anything but an agreeable object, and had 

 a most irritable temper ; yet, at the hazard of 



p 2 



