CHAP. VI. RETURN TO MORZOUK. 
259 
there, and the old man was endeavouring, in consequence, to drown 
his sorrows in his favourite Kquor. The lady of the house presented 
me with a bowl of Soudan manufacture. 
This afternoon, a man came to me for medicine, for a pain in 
the chest, and opening his shirt, displayed the most sickening sight 
I ever beheld : he had been so burnt over the whole of his breast, 
that it had festered, and become a sore of above a foot in diameter, 
and had so eaten into his skin, that I imagined he could not sur- 
vive many days. I had nothing with me which would relieve him, 
but advised that his sore should be kept clean, a precaution which 
had never entered his head. His friend, who brought him to me, 
said, that for all the world he would not suffer him to be washed, 
as he liad read in a book, that using water to a burn occasioned 
certain deatli. Thus, owing to their ignorance and prejudice, this 
poor man probably lost his life. After being nearly killed with 
kindness, we set out. The Kaid, though almost incapable of sitting 
his own poor lean horse, amused himself by riding at full speed 
before and across mine, screeching and discharging his gun out of 
compliment to me ; but happily for his own neck, and I may add 
for mine also, in about half an hour his powder failed him. 
In the evening we arrived at Morzouk, and found that my kind 
friends, Yussuf and the old Hadje, had prepared a feast for me. I 
went to visit Mukni, who received me very graciously, and thanked 
me for going to meet his son, whom he pretended to be ashamed 
of, for not having presented me with a couple of Malierrys ; one to 
eat, and the other to ride on. Yussuf and the old man spent the 
greater part of the night with us, relating all the city news ; and I 
promised them, that on the morrow, I would set out with the Sultan's 
two youngest sons, to Hadge Hajeel, to meet and return with the 
Ghrazzie to Morzouk. 
L L 2 
