82 A BEAUTIFUL SADDLE-CLOTH. 



tomary with kings) some Goora nuts. We were 

 seated upon a leopard's skin, and we enjoyed the 

 beer, which was exceedingly good. This old 

 king had almost daily sent us a pot containing 

 about two gallons. After eating some Goora nuts, 

 and holding an unimportant conversation, we 

 left him, having caused the collection of a great 

 number of natives, who were assembled around 

 us, viewing us with the greatest astonishment. 



On our return on board we found that a mes- 

 senger from the Prince of Rabbah (Osiman's 

 eldest son) had been on board, bringing a most 

 beautiful saddle-cloth of ostrich feathers, com- 

 posed of two ostrich skins sewed together : — the 

 feathers were about twenty inches long ; the 

 size of the skins, six feet by four. He wanted in 

 return some goods and rum : Mr. Lander sent 

 one bottle of rum only, and the chief very natu- 

 rally refused accepting so small a trifle. This was 

 the greatest curiosity and the most valuable one 

 we had met with, and it was a great pity that 

 it was not purchased. 



Since our arrival at Rabbah, a great number 

 of natives, male and female, had applied to me 

 for relief from cataract. It was really distressing 

 to find so many wretched creatures deprived of 



