CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. 
355 
with tamarinds, fig, palm, plum, and jujube trees, the 
soil itself being then, in parts, lying under cultivation. 
The people had a ferry-boat — that is, a log of wood 
scooped out to form a boat ; and they tied together 
large bundles of the jowari straw, and ferried over 
upon them. I had never seen this before, but further 
down the Nile it is a common practice. On my 
way back from this excursion, the villagers at several 
places invited me to partake of milk, and the guide, 
on being rewarded with a single string of beads, in a 
coaxing and familiar manner asked for another. One 
of the Seedees whom we had picked up in the heart 
of Africa, was convicted at this encampment of Madi 
of having stolen a cloth belonging to a Toorkee with 
whom he lived. The offence was a grave one, bringing 
dishonour upon our Zanzibar party ; he, therefore, 
was awarded fifty lashes. Bombay administered forty 
with a whip of buffalo-hide, and Frij the remaining 
ten. The offender, after receiving the first few lashes, 
cried, " Kill me ! kill me ! " meaning that death was 
preferable to the pain ; but little Bombay, who was 
flogging him, said, "Are you a woman that you scream 
in that way V The fellow was at once silenced ; but 
though his back was scarred, he ate his dinner before 
us and carried a load the following day. He was a 
hardened culprit, and deserted from us in Egypt, after 
being detected in stealing from a comrade. 
The sick of this district of Madi were not allowed 
to reside within the enclosure of the village ; but huts 
or hospitals were erected outside for all who were 
diseased. It was curious to find such a civilised pre- 
caution taken in Africa. But the huts were also re- 
markable for neatness and cleanliness ; bamboos were 
