He Has The Quiet, Unassuming Manners Of
His Father, Sebituane, Speaks Distinctly, In A Low Pleasant Voice,
And Appears To
Be a sensible man, except perhaps on the subject of
his having been bewitched; and in this, when alluded to,
He exhibits
as firm a belief as if it were his monomania. "Moriantsiane, my
aunt's husband, tried the bewitching medicine first on his wife, and
she is leprous, and so is her head-servant; then, seeing that it
succeeded, he gave me a stronger dose in the cooked flesh of a goat,
and I have had the disease ever since. They have lately killed
Ponwane, and, as you see, are now killing me." Ponwane had died of
fever a short time previously. Sekeletu asked us for medicine and
medical attendance, but we did not like to take the case out of the
hands of the female physician already employed, it being bad policy
to appear to undervalue any of the profession; and she, being anxious
to go on with her remedies, said "she had not given him up yet, but
would try for another month; if he was not cured by that time, then
she would hand him over to the white doctors." But we intended to
leave the country before a month was up; so Mamire, with others,
induced the old lady to suspend her treatment for a little. She
remained, as the doctors stipulated, in the chief's establishment,
and on full pay.
Sekeletu was told plainly that the disease was unknown in our
country, and was thought exceedingly obstinate of cure; that we did
not believe in his being bewitched, and we were willing to do all we
could to help him. This was a case for disinterested benevolence; no
pay was expected, but considerable risk incurred; yet we could not
decline it, as we had the trading in horses. Having, however, none
of the medicines usually employed in skin diseases with us, we tried
the local application of lunar caustic, and hydriodate of potash
internally; and with such gratifying results, that Mamire wished the
patient to be smeared all over with a solution of lunar caustic,
which he believed to be of the same nature as the blistering fluid
formerly applied to his own knee by Mr. Oswell. ITS power he
considered irresistible, and he would fain have had anything like it
tried on Sekeletu.
It was a time of great scarcity and hunger, but Sekeletu treated us
hospitably, preparing tea for us at every visit we paid him. With
the tea we had excellent American biscuit and preserved fruits, which
had been brought to him all the way from Benguela. The fruits he
most relished were those preserved in their own juices; plums,
apples, pears, strawberries, and peaches, which we have seen only
among Portuguese and Spaniards. It made us anxious to plant the
fruit-tree seeds we had brought, and all were pleased with the idea
of having these same fruits in their own country.
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