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village carno and watched, and sat laughing to each
other, arid indeed they could not make me out. As
night carno on they.struck up a strange kind of music
on. metal tambourines. A. mysterious rhythm and tune
was apparent in it, and when I asked if this was
“ main main ” (i.e. larking), they said no, but a man
was sick, and thoy must play all night to keep away
evil spirits. I asked to see him, and after a time they
took me along to the other end of the house, where,
in a room intensely hot from a fire, which was kept
up in the centre, and which they said would also scare
away ghosts, was a fellow who I saw had a little fever.
I felt his pulse, and looked at his tongue, and to do
the latter I was obliged to hold the candle a little
near his face. His children, wife, and all the women
screamed for fear, and the children were obliged to
be taken away. I gave him a Cockle’s pill and some
quinine, and in the morning he was well, and I was
very popular; so much so that the whole village came
running to be doctored for sore feet, sore hands, skin
diseases, coughs, and what not. I advised the skin-
disease people to wash themselves, but they said they
did not like water. On the whole I was not sorry
to get to sleep, or rather to blow the candle out and
lie down. To sleep was impossible, for the noise of
pigs underneath the house, dogs howling all night,
now and then metal drums beating, and the hard
boards to lie on, all these things effectually banished
Morpheus.
Jan. 2nd, 1882.—In the morning the. curiosity of
the natives, instead of abating, seemed to increase; they
crowded around me, and watched every operation
of my toilette with wonder and astonishment. The
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