CHAP. VIII. 
SOCKNA. 
319 
with a man to see his wife, who was afflicted with sore gums. She 
was handsome, with large black eyes, and a complexion almost as 
fair even as that of an Englishwoman. I prescribed as well as I 
could, by advising her to bleed, and then to wash her gums with 
bark, which I gave her, and which, I afterwards heard, completely 
cured her. My fee was honey from Soudan, meat, and what was of 
far more value than all, about a gill of sweet milk. We heard this 
day of the arrival of our friend Bouksaysa at Hoon, his native place, 
with a large Kaffle. 
Wednesday, March 1st. — We were to have set out this 
morning ; but, hke true Arabs, our camel-men said their animals 
were ready, when they knew the contrary, and after being kept all 
day in suspense, we were obhged to defer our departure until 
the morrow. I know not how I should have managed to hire 
camels here, had it not been for my friend Lizari, who, while I was 
ill, took a great deal of trouble on himself. I was very anxious to 
obtain the longitude of this place, and twice corrected the chrono- 
meter by equal altitudes; but it went so badly, and stopped so 
often, that I gave up the attempt. I was this evening much 
amused by a boy who came from Hoon to see me, or rather to beg 
some money. He was the person I mentioned, as having advocated 
slave-hunting so amusingly to Mr. Eitchie and myself, when we 
were at that place : he came to the door and begged admittance, 
knowing that we were eating ; some others also came begging at 
the same time, and wishing to turn him away ; on which a vehe- 
ment dispute arose as to who had the greatest right to my bounty. 
The boy said he came with me from Tripoh, the year before, in the 
same Kaffle, which they all agreed was no reason at all ; but when 
he added that Mr. Eitchie and 1 had given him some money, and 
that he was therefore my friend, and had a right to expect more, 
all yielded to his superior claims. An Arab, when you have once 
