116 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
CHAP. III. 
and suffering state as themselves, and equally disposed to deceive 
us. One begged a little physic to keep in store, another some 
sugar just to taste, a small piece for their wives as a curiosity, and a 
few lumps into the bargain for their children : a little writing paper 
for charms, a handful of tobacco, one of our nice knives, or a pair of 
scissars, or a little powder to show when they got home, with many 
other et caeteras, until our patience being completely exhausted, 
we were obliged, very unceremoniously, and much to their astonish- 
ment, to push the whole party out of the house. Many amusing 
incidents occurred on the score of medical knowledge, which showed 
the implicit confidence reposed in us. 
During Mr. Ritchie's illness, an old man, aged eighty, came to 
consult us about his back, \. hich was very much bent, and had been 
so for many years : he had seen us give a liniment to a person who 
had sprained his ankle, which got well in a few days ; and his 
request was, that some of the same medicine might be given him 
to strengthen his back, which, he said, was becoming very incon- 
venient to him. One of the Tuarick, who had taken a very strong 
dose of salts, brought a friend to interpret for him, as he understood 
but little Arabic, and begged to be told what he was to do to stop 
the effects of the dose, lest, not rightly understanding me, he might 
be in danger of dying on the road. A Negress of the Sultan's chief 
man being sick, sent her armlet to Mr. Ritchie, by which he was to 
discover her disorder, and to send her the requisite medicine. 
The Sultan's own women were continually sending little bottles for 
something to cause them to bear children, and their emissaries 
sometimes whispered whether it was a boy or girl that was desired. 
Mr. Ritchie prescribed for the whole of the Sultan's establishment, 
which, with the males and females, might amount to at least a 
hundred. Numbers came or sent daily with such an air of au- 
thority, as led us to suppose that Mukni had spread a report of his 
