726 VALUE OF QUININE. 



but was at last knocked down suddenly and made as helpless as 

 a child by this terrible disease. He had imbibed a foolish prej- 

 udice against quinine, our sheet-anchor in the complaint. This 

 is rather a professional subject, but I introduce it here in order to 

 protest against the prejudice as almost entirely unfounded. Qui- 

 nine is invaluable in fever, and never produces any unpleasant ef- 

 fects in any stage of the disease, if exhibited in combination with 

 an aperient. The captain was saved by it, without his knowl- 

 edge, and I was thankful that the mode of treatment, so efficacious 

 among natives, promised so fair among Europeans. 



After waiting about six weeks at this unhealthy spot, in 

 which, however, by the kind attentions of Colonel Nunes and his 

 nephew, I partially recovered from my tertian, H. M. brig " Frol- 

 ic" arrived off Kilimane. As the village is twelve miles from 

 the bar, and the weather was rough, she was at anchor ten days 

 before we knew of her presence about seven miles from the 

 entrance to the port. She brought abundant supplies for all my 

 need, and £150 to pay my passage home, from my kind friend 

 Mr. Thompson, the Society's agent at the Cape. The admiral 

 at the Cape kindly sent an offer of a passage to the Mauri- 

 tius, which I thankfully accepted. Sekwebu and one attend- 

 ant alone remained with me now. He was very intelligent, and 

 had been of the greatest service to me ; indeed, but for his good 

 sense, tact, and command of the language of the tribes through 

 which we passed, I believe we should scarcely have succeeded 

 in reaching the coast. I naturally felt grateful to him ; and 

 as his chief wished all my companions to go to England with 

 me, and would probably be disappointed if none went, I thought 

 it would be beneficial for him to see the effects of civilization, 

 and report them to his countrymen ; I wished also to make some 

 return for his very important services. Others had petitioned 

 to come, but I explained the danger of a change of climate and 

 food, and with difficulty restrained them. The only one who 

 now remained begged so hard to come on board ship that I 

 greatly regretted that the expense prevented my acceding to his 

 wish to visit England. I said to him, "You will die if you go 

 to such a cold country as mine." " That is nothing," he re- 

 iterated ; " let me die at your feet." 



When we parted from our friends at Kilimane, the sea on the 



