THE SICK COME TO ME. 
237 
I received a visit this morning from the Jew 
Ibrahim. After a good deal of wrangling I ex- 
changed three handkerchiefs for three beads of 
silver, but one of the beads I made him a present 
of. I was much surprised to hear from him that 
the aloe wood, aoud el-Komari, sold in Bornou for 
its equal weight in silver. He also stated that 
twelve rubtas of raw silk sold for one real in 
Mourzuk and Zinder, whilst fifteen could be pur- 
chased in Kanou for the same money. What will 
become of the goods of the Germans ? 
En-Noor's wife, Fatia, sent this morning for 
medicine to enable her to bring forth a child. 
I maliciously recommended to her a younger hus- 
band. A Tibboo has continued to pester me to 
death for a medicine to make him profit in his 
mercantile transactions. To get rid of him, being 
in a merry mood, I scribbled over a piece of paper, 
and he swallowed it. A great number of people 
come for medicines who are not sick. I generally 
content myself with a bare refusal, explaining that 
there is no necessity ; but there is nothing so diffi- 
cult as to convince a man that he is well when once 
he has persuaded himself of the contrary. 
The Sarkee went out this morning to his razzia* 
and does not return for some days, so I shall not be 
able to take leave of his highness. The gossips 
persist in saying that he is dreadfully in want of 
money, and must go out to bring in some slaves 
to pay his debts. He was attended by about one 
