"school" Yusuf pretended there was not such a
word in Kailouee. He asked, "Where in Tintalous is there a school?" The
question, unfortunately, is put with too much truth. The Kailouees
hereabouts seem entirely to neglect education.

I myself observe that the Arabic _booss_ answers exactly to the vulgar
word in English for _kiss_.[3] The name of a raven is one of many
remarkable examples of a word being chosen to imitate in sound some
peculiarity of the thing signified. In this case, _kak_ irresistibly
reminds one of the raven's croaking voice; which we describe by _caw_.
_Kass_, scissors, is also an imitation of the sound produced by this
instrument in cutting.

[3] A good many similarities of this kind, accidental or
otherwise, might be pointed out: _ydrub_ is "to drub;"
_kaab_ would be translated, in old English, "kibe;"
_ykattah_ is "to cut;" _kotta_, "a cat;" _bak_, "a bug;"
_stabl_, "a stable," &c. &c. I have noticed, also, some
similarities with French words e.g. _ykassar_,
"casser"--ED.

In the evening the Sfaxee and Yusuf came to pay us a visit, and related
divers sorts of wonders of this and other countries of Africa. The first
matter concerned us. Eight days ago died in Tintalous an old witch, or
prophetess, a negress, who foretold our arrival, and said to En-Noor, "A
caravan of Englishmen is on the road from Tripoli, coming to you." This
woman for many years was a foreteller of future events. The next thing
we heard referred to the secret societies of Central Africa. Some of the
chiefs of these societies have the power of killing with their eyes. One
of these fellows is known to have gone to a merchant, in whose arms was
sleeping a pretty female slave, and to have entered into conversation
with him, asking him how he was, &c. In the meanwhile the wizard cast
his eyes upon the pretty slave, and its heart withered. This power is
accordingly much dreaded. If, however, any one perceive the incantation
of the wizard, and say, "Begone, you son of a brach!" he immediately
flees, like a dog with his tail between his legs.

In parts of Bornou, also, extraordinary things sometimes happen. There
are men in those places who have the power of assuming the shapes of
wild animals. This they do mostly in the nights. Under the form of lions
and leopards, they go to the tents of strangers, and endeavour to lure
them forth by calling out their proper names with a perfect human voice.