Chap. XXVI. HOUSE-BUILDING. — ANTIDOTE. 
167 
ever, a native of Sokna, has succeeded in amassing a 
considerable fortune for these regions, and is there- 
fore called by the natives maidukia. He had a freed 
slave of the name of Mohammed Abbeakuta, who, 
though not at all an amiable man, and rather self- 
conceited, nevertheless gave me some interesting in- 
formation. Among other things, he gave me a very 
curious list of native names of the months*, which 
are not, however, those used by the Hausawa, nor, I 
think, by the Yorubawa, he having been evidently a 
native of Yoruba. He also gave me the following 
receipt for an antidote in the case of a person being 
wounded by poisoned arrows : a very young chicken 
is boiled with the fruits of the chamsmda, the addwa 
(Balanites), and the tamarind-tree; and the bitter 
decoction so obtained, which is carried in a small 
leathern bag ready for use, is drunk immediately after 
receiving the poisonous wound, when, as he affirmed, 
the effect of the poison is counteracted by the me- 
dicine. The chicken would seem to have very little 
effect in the composition, but may be added as a 
charm. 
The next morning I went with 'Abd el Khafif to 
pay our compliments to old Dan-Tanoma. His re- 
sidence, surrounded by high clay walls, and inclu- 
* The names he gave me are as follow : — Dubberano, Buteni, 
Hakka, Han'aa, Syr-ha, Neshyra, Tarfa, Sabena, Harzana, Surfa, 
Iwak, Shemak, Ikelillu, Faram makadam, Faram makhero. Of 
these fifteen names, which I was unable to identify with the 
months of the Arab calendar, as the man scarcely understood a 
word of Arabic, three may rather denote the seasons. 
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