chap, x.] INFLUENCE GAINED OVER THE PEOPLE . 269 
camp was a kind of general store that appeared to be 
inexhaustible. I gave all that I had with a good 
grace, and thereby gained the goodwill of the robbers, 
especially as my large medicine-chest contained a 
supply of drugs that rendered me in their eyes a phy¬ 
sician of the first importance. I had been very suc¬ 
cessful with my patients; and the medicines that I 
generally used being those which produced a very 
decided effect, both the Turks and natives consi¬ 
dered them with perfect faith. There was seldom 
any difficulty in prognosticating the effect of tartar 
emetic, and this became the favourite drug that was 
almost daily applied for; a dose of three grains en¬ 
chanting the patient, who always advertised my fame 
by saying, “ He told me I should be sick, and by 
Allah! there was no mistake about it ” Accordingly 
there was a great run upon the tartar emetic. Many 
people in Debono’s camp had died, including several 
of my deserters who had joined them. News was 
brought that, in three separate fights with the natives, 
my deserters had been killed on every occasion, and 
my men and those of Ibrahim unhesitatingly declared 
that it was the “hand of God.” None of Ibrahims 
men had died since we left Latooka. One man, who 
had been badly wounded by a lance thrust through 
his abdomen, I had successfully treated; and the 
trading party, who would at one time gladly have 
exterminated me, now exclaimed, “ What shall we do 
when the Sowar (traveller) leaves the country ? ” Mrs. 
Baker had been exceedingly kind to the women and 
children of both the traders and natives, and together 
we had created so favourable an impression that we 
were always referred to as umpires in every dispute. 
My own men, although indolent, were so completely 
disciplined that they would not have dared to disobey 
an order, and they looked back upon their former 
mutinous conduct with surprise at their own audacity, 
and declared that they feared to return to Khartoum, 
as they were sure that I should not forgive them. 
