CHAP. IV.] 
LEGGE'S INTEMPERANCE. 
177 
demand are simple rings of copper -fths of an inch, 
thick, and weighing about a pound; those of smaller 
size not being so much valued. I gave him fifteen such 
rings, and about ten pounds of beads in varieties, the 
red coral porcelain (dimiriaf) being the most accept¬ 
able. Legge was by no means satisfied : he said, “ his 
belly was very big and it must be filled,” which signi¬ 
fied, that his desire was great and must be gratified. 
I accordingly gave him a few extra copper rings ; but 
suddenly he smelt spirits, one of the few bottles that 
I possessed of spirits of wine having broken in the 
medicine chest. Ibrahim begged me to give him a 
bottle to put him in a good humour, as he enjoyed 
nothing so much as araki; I accordingly gave him 
a pint bottle of the strongest spirits of wine. To my 
amazement he broke off the neck, and holding his 
head well back, he deliberately allowed the whole of 
the contents to trickle down his throat as inno¬ 
cently as though it had been simple water. He 
was thoroughly accustomed to it, as the traders were 
in the habit of bringing him presents of araki every 
season. He declared this to be excellent, and demanded 
another bottle. At that moment a violent storm of 
thunder and rain burst upon us with a fury well 
known in the tropics; the rain fell like a waterspout, 
and the throng immediately fled for shelter. So 
VOL. I. 
