Chap. XL VIII. 
THE NATIVES. 
345 
a great part of Negroland. Their dress is very 
simple, similar to that of the Bornu, namely, the 
black " turkedi," which is fastened across the breast, 
while the wealthier among them usually throw a 
second one over the shoulder. 
The women in general seemed to be very healthy; 
but the men suffer much from a peculiar sickness 
which they themselves call " mukardam," while the 
Arabs call it by the same name as the " Guinea- 
worm," namely, " ferentit," or " artik," although it 
seems to be a very different thing ; it is a sort of 
worm which dwells in the little toe, and eats it gra- 
dually away, beginning at the joint, so that the limb 
has the appearance of being tied up with a thread. 
I think this insect is identical with the Mails Ameri- 
cana or Sauvagesii, or, as it is more generally called, 
pulex penetrans, a very small black insect well known 
in America. This disease is so general hereabouts, 
that amongst ten people you will find at least one 
who has only four toes. 
At times the village was enlivened by some little 
intercourse, — now a caravan of pilgrims, then a troop 
of native merchants, tugiirchi or fataki. The pilgrims 
were some of them on their home-journey, with the 
impressions which they had received of things scarcely 
intelligible to themselves, others going eastward with 
the narrow prejudices which they had brought from 
their distant homes. There were people from every 
region of Negroland ; but unfortunately I had scarcely 
anything to offer them besides needles, with which 
