Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 4 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773 — John Shaqi
Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 4 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773Bruce, James
History
Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 4 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773
Bruce, James
Egypt -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- History; Natural history -- Ethiopia; Nile River
We found the people of Googue the most savage and unhospitable we had
yet met with. Upon no account would they suffer us to enter their
houses, and we were obliged to remain without, the greatest part of
the night. At last they carried us to a house of good appearance, but
refused absolutely to give us meat for ourselves or horses; and,
as we had not force, we were obliged to be content. It had rained
violently in the evening, and we were all wet. We contented ourselves
with lighting a large fire in the middle of the house, which we kept
burning all night, as well for guard, as for drying ourselves, though
we little knew at the time that it was probably the only means of
saving our lives; for in the morning we found the whole village sick
of the fever, and two families had died out of the house where these
people had put us: for my own part, upon hearing this I was more
affrighted than for Welled Aragawi and all his robbers. Though weary
and wet, I had slept on the ground near the fire six whole hours; and,
tho' really well, I could not during the day persuade myself there was
not some symptom of fever upon me. My first precaution was to infuse
a dose of bark into a glass of aquavitæ, a large horn of which we
had with us; we then burnt frankincense and myrrh in abundance, and
fumigated ourselves, as practised at Masuah and in Arabia. Early in
the morning we repeated our dose of bark and fumigation. Whether the
bark prevented the disease or not, the aquavitæ certainly strengthened
the spirits, and was a medicine to the imagination.
The people, who saw the eagerness and confidence with which we
swallowed this medicine, flocked about us demanding assistance.
I confess I was so exasperated with their treatment of us, and
especially that of lodging us in the infected house, that I constantly
refused them their request, leaving them a prey to their distemper, to
teach them another time more hospitality to strangers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account