Speke, John Hanning, 1827-1864 / 2008-11-10 00:00:00


On one occasion my interpreter came to me with a mysterious air, and
whispered in my ear that he knew of some hidden treasures of vast
amount, which had been buried not far off, under rocky ground, in such
a way that nobody had been able to dig them up, and he wished that I,
being an Englishman, and consequently knowing secret arts, as well as
_hikmat_ (scientific dodges), would direct how to search for these
treasures. By inquiring farther into the matter, it appeared that an
old man, a miser, who had been hoarding all his life, was suddenly
taken ill about forty years ago, and feared he would die. Seeing this,
his relatives assembled round him to ask his blessing; and the old
man, then fearing all his worldly exertions would end to no good
purpose, asked them to draw near that he might tell them where his
riches were hidden; but even then he would not disclose the secret,
until he was in the last dying gasp, when he said, "Go to a pathway
lying between two trees, and stretch out a walking-stick to the full
length of your arm, and the place where the end of your wand touches
is that in which my treasures are hidden.
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