250 
RESIDENCE AT SOCCATOO AND MAGARIA. 
Saturday, 17th. — Clear and warm. At 3 A. M. old Yargoorma 
came and told me the sultan wished to see me. 1 went, and found 
him alone. He asked after my health, and if my exercise in hunt- 
ing had cured me of the spleen, which is considerably reduced, and 
I am now free from pain. He also asked after Richard, my servant; 
if his legs and feet had got better; a disorder of which he is also 
cured. The feet and ankles first swell, and cause great pain, not 
being able to walk ; then it proceeds to the calves of the legs, knees, 
and thigh-joints. Purgative medicines are of little service ; and the 
soles and ankles are so painful the patient can walk but with great 
difficulty, and great pain afterwards. The swelling is not like the 
scurvy, as on pressing the finger on the part it is attended with great 
pain, and does not leave a hollow after the finger is taken off. 
I told him of the difficulty and the impossibility it was for 
me to get the skin, head, and feet-bones of two wild hogs, as he 
wished, because my servants would not touch them if I killed them. 
He said he would send for two, and I might either have them 
skinned myself, or they would bring the skins for me. I thanked 
him, and said I would prefer them skinned in the woods, as, were 
they brought to me alive, my house would be filled with idle people, 
and the whole town would never leave off talking about it whenever 
they saw me. Good, he said, and ordered a eunuch to give orders 
to the hunters to bring two as soon as possible. He asked me if 
we eat pork ? I said yes, and the flesh was very good when they 
were well fed; we only eat it sparingly; the fat, I said, was always 
used for salves. I said it was much better to eat than dogs' flesh, 
which they sold publicly in the market at Tripoli ; and all the great 
in Fezzan eat dogs' flesh whenever they could procure it. This 
account Sidi Sheik, who had just come in, confirmed. The sultan 
said, it was strange what people would eat; in the district of Um- 
burm, belonging to Jacoba, they eat human flesh. I said I did not 
think any people existed on the face of the earth that eat their own 
