136 AFRICAN WANDERINGS.

be done, that he had better not lay aside his knife, but proceed at once, as he (the patient) would remain quiet as before; and he did so : the second operation being over, he then, but not till then, begged for some merissa. Although the wound healed well, this man afterwards died, from caries again breaking out in the knee and hip joint; a real dispositio cariosa. The blacks' cure for the frantiet (farendit), viz. lire, is certainly the best and surest.* They run a red-hot nail, or other pointed iron, many times into the swelling, and by this the spot where the worm generally lies, with part of his body rolled up in a knot, is laid open ; they think no more of this than a European would do of taking out a thorn ; and with all coolness perform on themselves this small but most painful operation."!" In Chartum, Joseph applied the actual cautery to two soldiers ; one in the first, and the other in the second stage of coralgie, with good success. The firing streaks were not small, and the fat, insensible skin hissed much under the hot iron ; but neither would allow himself to be held, nor was it required, as only a slight convulsive motion of the muscles of the face showed the pain suffared. Nay, one of them during the firing said, *' Ana badenn uachet kabab," (after this, I may pass as a kabab — roasted bit of meat). During circumcision, these black soldiers will stand upright, and even laugh, while it is going on ; the presence of many spectators may contribute much to this stoicism,.

* It is also sometimes got rid of by salt water bathing, as has been remarked on slaves brought to Alexandria.

f I also afterwards eured in Chartum (my poor brother having made his early and sad departure from this life) our brave Agar (meaning in the Aggeni speech of Taka, elephant hunter), who had acquired the disease from a Koschef in return for having cured his almost cut-off head. This lad, from the Basa hills, where he, during a chasufa, had been made a slave, calmly held out hisfoot and kept it there like a stoic, so tliat he might be held by the other servants as " schatter" (brave), while my own hand trembled fearfully. Each morning showed two pieces of the worm, like white threads, coming out of the opcning caused by the buniing ; as these dried up they fell off, and the wound soon healed of itself. Being obliged afterwards, from want of travelling funds, to leave him in Alexandria, I handed him over to the Alt-Graf Franz von Salm-Reifferscheidt of Prague, who soon became very fond of him, and had an excellent education bestowed on him, as I myself aftenvards saw when on my return home, and was no more than I expected from uiy honest countryman.