228 AFRICAN WANDERINGS.

entrance much surprised. My brother remained conversing a considerable time with the old man, who told him many things, and could not conceal his hatred of the Turks ; he had been many years in Mecca and Medina, -— had, according to his own expression, learnt every thing, and called himself Allan (learned). Wlien my brother questioned him as to his ailments, he at once loudly declared he would take no medicine from any surgeon of the Pascha's, not because he mistrusted my brother, as he before now had in Djedda had for his friend a Fi-ank doctor, but merely because he would not be indebted to the Pascha for any thing whatever. When my brother recommended him to move into a •better atmosphere, as the air in the dark tokul was very detrimental to health, he replied, that after sunset and before sunrise he continued his devotions in the open air.

We left him, and, as Ave were doing so, we were met by the Faki of Chartum before mentioned, who had married a woman of this priest-village, and who often had invited us to come and drink merissa, which he secretly brewed. As he almost never spoke the truth, from which habit we called him Misaur, we now threatened to take him stoutly to task, if he did not procure us • this drink, which he had days before promised to bring into the oamp, though we held it impossible that he would dare to produce it hero. Pie led us through an empty house into a court surrounded by a high mud wall, and to the shade of a tree ; then brought out some small stools or chairs (bamber), made of woven camel-hides, for us to sit on. With his hands he dug up the earth before us, showed us a wooden cover, and, after this was • removed, a great burma (an earthen bomb-shaped vessel), full of merissa, concealed under it. He then hurried into tlie house, and brought out a small gara, to scoop it up in, and a knife, Avith which lie scraped off the brown bark of some branch smelling like mint, and which, powdered over the merissa, gave it a more piquant taste. We grew meg-y, as if from draughts of good wine, ami drank, in the German student style, in rivalry with the Faki. From the rapid drinking and talking, he became maudlin and loving, and wanted to embrace us as his brothers, but the stools not being the steadiest, he came to the ground. We then helped him up, and noAV he as suddenly became lachrymose, as it occurred to