In the Wilds of AfricaKingston, William Henry Giles
General
In the Wilds of Africa
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Africa -- Juvenile fiction
Directly breakfast was over we set out, greatly to Igubo's satisfaction.
He hurried along, leading us through elephant tracks, till we reached a
path formed by the natives which led to the village. Igubo conducted us
immediately to his house, round which a number of people were collected,
and inside was a man with his face painted and his hair dressed out with
strange ornaments, performing all sorts of antics.
"Dat de fetish man," said Timbo. "He do no good. He t'ink he enchant
de sick children. He one 'postor."
"Little doubt about that," I observed; "but we must take care not to
offend him. But you tell them that white man's doctor has come, and
that if he will go and carry on his incantations outside we will go
inside and try ours, and there can be no doubt that the two working
together will produce more effect than one alone."
"You no t'ink dat, Massa Andrew," said Timbo, looking up in my face.
"No, I only tell dem he go out, we go in. White man know how to cure
children better dan de black."
We found two fine boys about twelve and fourteen years old, both in a
raging fever. David, I should have said, had come provided with a few
medicines, which he thought most likely to be of use, and he now sent
all the people out of the house except the mother of the boys and our
friend. "Tell him," he said to Timbo, "that he must get me some pure
water." This was easily procured from a stream which came rushing down
the side of the mountain at no great distance. David gave each of the
boys a cooling draught, and made their parents understand that they were
to take no food except such as he ordered. He watched by the children
till they at length fell into a profound sleep, charging Igubo not to
allow anybody to enter the house. David then proposed that we should
take a turn through the village, of which we had not seen much on our
previous visit. I need not again describe the village. We had not got
far when we met several slaves bringing us a number of fowls, some
bunches of plantains, and baskets of cassava. These they placed at our
feet with a message from the chief to say that we were welcome, for he
had heard of our brave deeds. We of course received them, and they were
carried to a sort of verandah in front of Igubo's house, while through
Timbo we returned our thanks to the chief. He himself soon afterwards
made his appearance, followed by several attendants. Unless by his
anklets and necklace, and the rich tattooing on his breast, he was not
to be distinguished from the rest of the people. His only clothing was
a piece of fine matting, worn round the waist in the form of a kilt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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