He is accused of
maliciousness; and the twanging of his string will put to flight a whole
village. The poison is greatly feared: it causes, say the people, the hair
and nails to drop off, and kills a man in half an hour. The only treatment
known is instant excision of the part; and this is done the more
frequently, because here, as in other parts of Africa, such _stigmates_
are deemed ornamental.
In appearance the Midgan is dark and somewhat stunted; he is known to the
people by peculiarities of countenance and accent.
[11] The reason why Europeans fail to explain their thoughts to Orientals
generally is that they transfer the Laconism of Western to Eastern
tongues. We for instance say, "Fetch the book I gave you last night." This
in Hindostani, to choose a well-known tongue, must be smothered with words
thus: "What book was by me given to you yesterday by night, that book
bringing to me, come!"
[12] I have alluded to these subjects in a previous work upon the subject
of Meccah and El Medinah.
[13] This is one of the stock complaints against the Moslem scheme. Yet is
it not practically the case with ourselves?
