Page 195 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

156 TRAVELS IN OMAN. [CH.

the Arabs, who had seen me remove them
from the small case I always carried with me,

formed a different opinion, and, after an

eager scramble, in which some of their fe­
males joined, they were collected and
greedily devoured. In addition to human, I

had not unfrequently other patients to pre­

scribe for—horses, camels, asses, and some­
times cats. It is a mistake which Euro­
peans, who have adopted this character,

have fallen into, not to do so, for an Arab

will never understand why, when you cheer­
fully attend a slave, whose loss he can sup­
ply for thirty or forty dollars, you should not

do so to animals which are of greater value

to them. It is all well enough with Euro­
pean ideas, to speak of the superiority of the

human race over the brute species; but an
Asiatic will not understand why, if you

oblige him in one point, you should not do
so in the other. My practice proved very ex­
tensive, and, if not travelling, the early part

of the day was thus occupied. I always car­

ried with me a large quantity of pills made of
ambergris mixed with opium, and found, on

account of the stimulating property which