68 
THE AUTHOR IS SEIZED WITH A FEVER. 
some magic characters in the sand, which, by enabling him to 
presag-e my speedy recovery, restored his usual composure. 
My host, whose principles did not exactly coincide with 
those of our medical men, threatened me with death if I did 
not eat; and his wife, who regarded the decisions of her hus- 
band as oracles, in pursuance of his prescription, was busily 
employed ever since the morning- in preparing for me a mess 
of boiled millet, mixed with sour milk and tamarinds. These 
good people came every moment to my hut, to enquire how 
the white man found himself. The husband heaped clothes 
upon clothes upon me, whilst the wife kindled a fire in my 
hut. Neither did she confine herself to these kind attentions 
for she even made me a proposal which has often been 
addressed to me since : she offered me her daughter in mar- 
riage. The patient shivering with ague feels no very strong 
desire for such a connection ; therefore notwithstanding the 
importance of the proposed match, I thought proper to reject it. 
I was somewhat embarrassed to decide which way to pro- 
ceed, for on every side I perceived real danger or even death. 
The route to the south-south-east was occupied by the sons of 
the king of Salum, who were represented to me as extremely 
rapacious. To the east there were deserts of five days journey 
wholly destitute of water ; and to the south-east the country 
was inhabited by wandering Poulas, who would not hesitate 
to murder a man for the sake of the piece of cotton which 
forms his garment. 
