AFFRAY WITH MUSSULMEN. 55 
Five days afterwards, one of my hardy compatriots 
arrived at Palamos, after having traversed the line of 
posts both French and Spanish, carrying to a merchant 
who had friends at Perpignan the proposal to furnish me 
with all I was in need of. ‘The Spaniard showed a great 
inclination to agree to the proposal; but I did not profit 
by his good will, because of the occurrence of events 
which I shall relate presently. 
The Observatory at Paris is very near the barrier. In 
my youth, curious to study the manners of the people, I 
used to walk in sight of the public-houses which the de- 
sire of escaping payment of the duty has multiplied out- 
side the walls of the capital; on these excursions I was 
often humiliated to see men disputing for a piece of bread, 
just as animals might have done. My feelings on this 
subject have very much altered since I have been per- 
sonally exposed to the tortures of hunger. I have dis- 
covered, in fact, that a man, whatever may have been his 
origin, his education, and his habits, is governed, under 
certain circumstances, much more by his stomach than by 
his intelligence and his heart. Here is the fact which 
suggested these reflections to me. 
To celebrate the unhoped-for arrival of wna onza de 
oro, M. Berthémie and I had procured an immense dish 
of potatoes. ‘The ordnance officer of the Emperor was 
already devouring it with his eyes, when a Moroccan, 
who was making his ablutions near us with one of his 
companions, accidentally filled it with dirt. M. Berthé- 
mie could not control his anger; he darted upon the 
clumsy Mussulman, and inflicted upon him a rough pun- 
ishment. 
I remained a passive spectator of the combat, until the 
second Moroccan came to the aid of his compatriot. 
