

THE AGUE. 



2L 



it was quite decisive with us, if the husband 

 called to his wife, saying that she would settle 

 the matter. Unless we had time to spare for 

 talking, we generally went our way. 



My friend the commandant was still residing 

 at Piato ; I felt as if I was returning home ; my 

 spirits were low, and any trifle relieved them. 

 This night I was still very unwell, my thirst 

 was great, and nothing satisfied and allayed it 

 so much as water-melons, of which there was 

 here a superabundance. I ate several of them. 

 The guide said I should kill myself - y but I 

 thought otherwise, for I liked the fruit. In the 

 morning I awoke quite a changed person, and 

 the ague returned no more. The guide often 

 said afterwards that he never had known until 

 the present occasion, that water-melons might 

 be taken as a cure for the ague. He was quite 

 certain that they had performed the cure, and 

 that they would have the same effect upon all 

 persons in the same disease. Such are the 

 changes to which this strange complaint is sub- 

 ject ; often thus suddenly leaving the patient, 

 but as frequently or more so, ending in fever and 

 delirium ; however it seldom proves fatal. 



On the morrow we left Piato, with the addi- 

 tion to our party of a small tame sheep, and a 

 tame tatu-bola> or armadillo, both having been 

 given to me by the commandant. The former 

 kept pace with the horses for many days, and it 



p 4 



