Syphilis is common throughout the country, and
there are several varieties of food that are supposed to
effect a cure. A sheep is killed, and the entire flesh
is cooked with the fat, being cut into small pieces and
baked in a pot; several pounds of butter or other
grease are then boiled, and in that state are poured
into the jars containing the baked meat; the patient
is then shut up by himself in a hut with this large
•quantity of fat food, with which he is to gorge himself
until the whole is consumed. Another supposed cure
for the -same disease, is .a pig dressed in a similar
manner, which meat, although forbidden by the Koran,
may be taken medicinally. The flesh of the crocodile
is eaten greedily, being supposed to promote desire.
There are few animals that the Arabs of the Nubian
provinces will refuse-; the wild boar is invariably
eaten by the Arab hunters, although in direct opposition
to the rules of the Koran. I once asked them
what their Faky would say if he were aware of such a
transgression ? “ Oh! ” they replied, & we have already
asked his permission, as we are sometimes severely
pressed for food in the jungles; he says, * If you have
the Koran in your hand and no pig, you are forbidden
to eat pork; but if you have the pig in your hand
and no Koran, you had better eat what God has given
you/ ”
This is a charming example of simplicity in theological
discussion that might perhaps be followed with
advantage in graver questions; we might cease to
strain at the gnats and swallow our pigs.
I had an audience of a party of hunters whom I
had long wished to meet. Before my arrival at Sofi
I had heard of a particular tribe of Arabs that inhabited
the country south of Cassala, between that
town and the Basé country ; these were the Hamrans,
who were described as the most extraordinary Nim-
rods, who hunted and killed all wild animals, from the
antelope to the elephant, with no other weapon than
the sword ; the lion and the rhinoceros fell alike before
the invincible sabres of these mighty hunters, to
whom as an old elephant-hunter I wished to make my
salaam, and humbly confess my inferiority.
From the manner in which their exploits had been
hitherto explained to me, I could not understand how
it could be possible to kill an elephant with the sword,
unless the animal should be mobbed by a crowd of
men and hacked to death, but I was assured that the
most savage elephant had no chance upon good riding
ground against four aggageers (as the hunters with
the sword are designated). I had determined to
engage a party of these hunters- to accompany me
throughout my exploration of the Abyssinian rivers
at the proper season, when I should have an
excellent opportunity of combining sport with an
examination of the country. My intentions had become
known, and the visit of the hunters was the
consequence.
The Ham ran Arabs are distinguished from the
other tribes by an extra length of hair, worn parted
down the centre, and arranged in long curls ; other