Often in crossing a swamp I would feel a slight tickling sensation about the legs, and on looking down would find my nether limbs simply coated with these loathsome creatures.

The remarkable thing was, that whilst the blacks readily knew when leeches attacked them, I would be ignorant for quite a long time, until I had grown positively faint from loss of blood.

Furthermore, the blacks seemed to think nothing of their attacks, but would simply crush them on their persons in the most nonchalant manner.

Sometimes they scorch them off their bodies by means of a lighted stick--a kind office which Yamba performed for me.

The blacks had very few real cures for ailments, and such as they had were distinctly curious.