Chap. L. 
THE BED A'. — PATIENTS. 
393 
south side, while there is not a single gate towards 
the north, this quarter of the town being so deserted 
that it is even overgrown with dense underwood. All 
around the place, as well on the south side, where 
a large pond is formed in the rainy season, as on the 
other sides, there are villages inhabited by Shiiwa or 
Shiwa (native Arabs), principally of the tribe of the 
Bern Hassan, who supply the town with milk and 
butter. 
Besides studying, roving about, paying now an 
official visit to the lieutenant-governor, then a more 
interesting private one to my friend Sambo, much 
of my time was also occupied with giving medicine 
to the people, — especially during the early period 
of my stay; for the small stock of medicines which 
I brought with me was soon exhausted. But even if 
I had possessed a much larger supply, I might per- 
haps have been tempted to withhold occasionally the 
little aid I could afford, on account of the inhospi- 
table treatment which I received ; and in the begin- 
ning I was greatly pestered by the lieutenant, who 
sent me to some decrepit old women, who had broken 
their limbs and in every respect were quite fit for 
the grave. I then protested officially against being 
sent in future to patients at least of the other sex, 
beyond a certain age. 
But sometimes the patients proved rather in- 
teresting, particularly the females; and I was 
greatly amused one morning when a handsome and 
well-grown young person arrived with a servant of 
