AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 179 



that the Maliomedan priest had been the object of it; that it originated 

 with some Kabyls whom ho had disarmed on one of their journeys to 

 Bougie. This incident, which appeared likely to be repeated, inspired 

 lis for a moment with the thought of returning; but the sailors were 

 resolute, and we continued our hazardous enterprise. 



In proportion as we advanced, our troops became increased by a cer- 

 tain number of Kabyls, who wished to go to Algiers to work there in the 

 quality of seamen, and who dared not undertake alone this dangerous 

 journey. 



The third day we encamped in the open air, at the entrance of a forest. 

 The Arabs lighted a very hirgc fire in the form of a circle, and placed 

 themselves in the middle. Toward eleven o'clock I was awakened by 

 the noise which the mules made, all trying to break their fastenings. I 

 asked what was the cause of this disturbance. The}' answered me that 

 a"sc^<(a"had come roaming in the neighborhoo<l. 1 was not awnre 

 then that a '■'• scba<V^ was a lion, and I went to sleep again. The next 

 day, in traversing the forest, the arrangement of tho caravan was 

 changed. It was grouped in the snmllest space possible; one Ivabyl 

 was at the head, his gun ready for service; another was in the rear, in 

 the same position. I inquired of the owner of the mule the cause of 

 these unusual precautions. He answered me that they were dreading 

 an attack from a " sebad,^'' and that if this should occur, one of us would 

 be carried off without having time to put himself on the defensive. " I 

 would rather be a spectator," I said to him, " than an actor in the scene 

 you describe; consef|^uently, I will give you two piastres more if you 

 will keep your mule always in the center of the moving group." ]\ry 

 proposal was accepted. It was then for the first time that I saw that 

 u)y Arab carried a yatagan under his tunic, which he used for iiricking 

 on the nuile the whole time that we were in the thicket. Supertluous 

 cautions! The "sc^aa" did not show himself. 



Each village being a little re[)ublic, whose territory wo could not 

 cross without obtaining permission and a passport from the -Maliomedan 

 \)xi(iiit president^ the priest who conducted our caravan used to leave us 

 in the fields, and went sometimes a good way otf to a village to solicit 

 the permission, without which it would have been dangerous to continue 

 our route, lie remained entire hours without returning to us, and wo 

 then had occasion to retlect sadly on the imprudence of our enterprise. 

 We generally slept among habitations. Once we found the streets 

 of a village barricaded, because they were fearing an attack from a 

 neighboring village. The foremost man of our caravan removed the 

 obstacles ; but a woman came out of her house like a fury, and belabored 

 us with blows from a pole. AVe remarked that she was fair, of brilliant 

 whiteness, aiul very pretty. 



Another time we lay down in a lurking-place dignified by the beauti- 

 tiful name of Caravanseray. In the morning, when the sun rose, cries of 

 ^'■Boumi ! Eouml .'" warned us that we had been discovered. The sailor, 



