The women in general seemed to be very healthy; but the men suffer much from a peculiar sickness which they themselves call “mukárdam,” while the Arabs call it by the same name as the “Guinea-worm,” namely, “ferentít,” or “ʿarúk,” although it seems to be a very different thing; it is a sort of worm which dwells in the little toe, and eats it gradually away, beginning at the joint, so that the limb has the appearance of being tied up with a thread. I think this insect is identical with the _Malis Americana_ or _Sauvagesii_, or, as it is more generally called, _pulex penetrans_, a very small black insect well known in America. This disease is so general hereabouts, that amongst ten people you will find at least one who has only four toes. At times the village was enlivened by some little intercourse,—now a caravan of pilgrims, then a troop of native merchants, tugúrchi or fatáki. The pilgrims were some of them on their home-journey, with the impressions which they had received of things scarcely intelligible to themselves, others going eastward with the narrow prejudices which they had brought from their distant homes. There were people from every region of Negroland; but unfortunately I had scarcely anything to offer them besides needles, with which article I gladly assisted them on their arduous journey, for nothing is of so much importance to the traveller as to gain the goodwill of these people, who are the bearers of public opinion in these regions. Thus my liberality of making presents of needles, and nothing but needles, procured me the title among these witty people, of the Needle-Prince, “maláríbra;” and although it was useful, in order to convince them of my friendly disposition, it was scarcely sufficient to open an intimate intercourse with them. But there was one amongst these distant wanderers, a native of Kébbi, a very intelligent man, from whom I derived my first information about the populousness of that fine and beautiful country which I was soon to visit myself. A numerous troop of pilgrims from Wándalá or Mándará also created a considerable interest; and I entered with them into lively polemics concerning the relation of their prince, or “tuksé-malé,” with the ruler of Bórnu, for they denied positively that their chief had tendered his subjection in order to avert from his own country that numerous host which we had accompanied a few months previously to the Músgu country. The poorer members of the caravan went round about the hamlets beating their drums, in order to collect alms to supply their wants during their meritorious journey, while the wealthier among them came to my host in order to buy from him their supply of native corn.