140 TRAVELS IN AFRICA.

worse every day. In prescribing for them, I was assisted by Private Kenyon, who, from having served seven years as orderly man in the hospital at Senegal, had become acquainted with the medicine susually administered ; in some cases, I had recourse to the remedies made use of by the natives of Africa, and whenever tliose were resorted to in time, the disease soon gave way.

The rains were then so frequent and heavy, that scarcely a dry day occurred once in the week, which had a very strikingly bad effect on the health and spirits of all. The plentiful supply of provisions, however, which we were enabled to procure since our arrival at Samba Contaye, in some measure alleviated our sufferings; and a little labour, with more solidity in the materials employed, provided us with huts, if not as comfortable as we might have wished, at least sufficiently so to afford us shelter from the inclemencies of the season.

A regular market for the purchase of corn, rice, milk, butter, eggs, fowls, and game, was established, and well attended by the inhabitants of all the surrounding villages, to the distance of seven or eight miles ; and were it not that the prospect of remaining in a state of inactivity for so long a time as some months at least, added to the uncertainty of the result of Mr. Dochard's mission to Sego, and the sickly