Page:Thirty-five years in the East.djvu/81

Rh we pursued our journey to Hyderabad, with a camel caravan. At that town I stayed for a few days, and made the acquaintance of a Persian Emir, who gave me some letters of introduction to one of the most respectable houses at Heirpore, which I had to pass on my journey from Hyderabad to Moultan. At the former place I hired two camels. The road was always at a distance from the river, and we were therefore frequently obliged to drink stagnant and stinking water, and on account of the heat ; at this time being the month of February,we travelled by night only, and rest during the day. In consequence of this, I was tormented with costiveness, an internal burning, and an excessive longing for acid drinks. I accordingly prepared some tamarind whey, but it operated on me like poison ; for after much vomiting, I discharged a quantity of blood, and fainted away, falling down beneath a tree in the forest, in which state I was found by the people, who had been for a long time in search of me. They brought me to the camp, where the camels stood ready for our departure, as this happened only a short time before sun-set. My tongue was parched, and I felt an acute pain in my right side, which led me to believe that I had an inflammation of the liver;besides which, I had become very weak, in consequence of the loss of blood, so that I was unable to walk without assistance.

I desired my camel-driver to procure some leeches, but he could only console me with the hope of getting them on the following morning, at Heirpore. As I was quite exhausted, and unable to mount the camel without assistance, I ordered my servant to place himself behind me on the animal to prevent my falling off. But as he was soon asleep, and the slightest accident would have caused us both to fall, I ordered him to mount his own camel, and to bind me safely on mine, where I passed a sleepless night, being unable to articulate a word without having previously moistened my tongue with water, which I had always near me. At break of day, on our arrival at Heirpore, I was conducted to the house to which I had my letter