i%6 Se/ico, a tale. -^^g- 8- 



barbarians had, according to their custom, carried away 

 iwith them. The unhappy Selico, in despair, wilhed for 

 death, and dared it a thousand times in the midst of this 

 soldiery, drunk with brandy and with blood. Selico search- 

 ed all these miserable ruins, looking for, and calling, vith 

 cries of grief, on Berifsa and Faculho •, but in vain I he could 

 jiot discern their bodies amidst so many mutilated trunks. 

 After having given up five days to thi^ fruitlels and melan- 

 choly search, Selico set out to return to his mother, no longer 

 doubting but that Berifsa and her father had fallen vic- 

 tims to the ferocious Dahomals. He found his mother in 

 the same wood where he had left her with his brothers. 

 The melancholy and distracted looks of Selico, frightened 

 and alarmed a family already miserable. Darina wept 

 over his misfortunes, and attempted consolations which 

 her son was insensible to. He refused all food, and seem- 

 .ed determined to starve himself to death. Guberi and 

 Telone did not endeavour to alter his resolution by rea- 

 «onixig or intrcaties ; but pointed to their old mother, 

 who now had not any longer home or bread, or any thing 

 in this world but her children, and then alked, if, after 

 such a sight, he did not feel himself bold enough to live. 

 Selico promised he would ; and endeavoured to think 

 no more of his misfortunes, but to divide with his 

 brothers their attention' to his mother. They penetrated 

 more into the interior parts of the forest j built a hut in 

 a sequestered valley ; and endeavoured to supply, by the 

 chace, the maize and roots which they were in want of. 

 Having lost their bows and arrows, and other things 

 which they had not time to carry oflF with them, they 

 soon felt the effects of famine. Fruits were scarce in this 

 forest, where th& monkies disputed them with the three 

 brothers. The land only produced grafs ; they had no 

 jnstrujients to work it, and no seed to sow, if it had been 

 \vorkjed. The rainy season was setting in, and their dis- 



