1 86 Seven Years in Central Africa. [Aug. 
urged upon me to receive a large tooth of ivory, and send it 
out by Cinyama. After carefully considering the matter, I de- 
clined to receive the ivory, feeling assured that it would not 
have been wise to do so. All Africans naturally expect a large 
return for any present given by them, and we have enough 
difficulty in getting from the coast to the interior actually 
needful things, so great is the cost and labour of transit. When, 
however, Msidi pressed me for a reply, I said that 1 was in 
God's service, and wished to keep free from being under obli- 
gation to anyone. 
RETURN OF FEVER. 
No sooner had Cinyama left, than I had a very severe attack 
of fever, which laid me quite low for nearly a month. It was 
during the dry season, and the nearest water was some three 
miles distant. Turning my book-box into a bath, I managed to 
keep down the temperature by taking hot baths. 
A young man named Susi, who had just come from Bihe, was 
of great service in helping my lad Dick to carry water for me. 
In one night these two lads went three times to the watering- 
place, giving me as many hot baths during the night. Next 
morning my temperature was much lowered, and though very 
weak, I was evidently recovering. I proved at this time the 
value of a simple food made of Indian corn meal, boiled into 
a thick gruel, to which was added the juice from a root, ex- 
tracted by pounding. In a few hours the juice had the effect 
of converting the gruel into a thick, sweet, milk-like fluid, the 
hard part of the grain being deposited in the form of gritty, un- 
palatable dregs. Msidi was very kind to me during this time, 
and repeatedly sent messengers urging me to move my habitation 
nearer to his, that he might be better able to visit me when sick. 
Towards the end of October I recovered somewhat. 
A peculiar feature of this slow remittent fever is sleeplessness. 
I spent long sleepless nights, when the mind, wandering inces- 
santly, was almost always at home. If I happened to fall into a 
dreamy sleep I was at once there, perhaps in a sunny, snow- 
white bed, with a big fire blazing in the room, and my mother 
bringing in a tray full of the most delightful jellies, etc. All 
my sickness would disappear, and I would delight in the 
miraculous return of health and strength. Opening my eyes I 
