56 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 



The party no longer being equal, I also took part in the 

 conflict by seizing the new assailant by the beard. The 

 combat ceased at once, because the Moroccan would not 

 raise his hand against a man who could write a petition 

 so rapidly. This conflict, like the struggles of which I 

 had often been a witness outside the barriers of Paris, 

 had originated in a dish of potatoes. 



The Spaniards always cherished the idea that the ship 

 and her cargo might be confiscated ; a commission came 

 from Girone to question us. It was composed of two 

 civil judges and one inquisitor. I acted as interpreter. 

 When M. Berthemie's turn came, I went to fetch him, 

 and said to him, " Pretend that you can only talk Styrian, 

 and be at ease ; I will not compromise you in translating 

 your answers." 



It was done as we had agreed ; unfortunately the lan- 

 guage spoken by M. Berthemie had but little variety, 

 and the sacrement der Teufel, which he had learnt in Ger- 

 many, when he was aide-de-camp to Hautpoul, predomi- 

 nated too much in his discourse. Be that as it may, the 

 judges observed that there was too great a conformity 

 between his answers and those which I had made myself, 

 to render it necessary to continue an interrogatory, which 

 I may say, by the way, disturbed me much. The wish 

 to terminate it was still more decided on the part of the 

 judges, when it came to the turn of a sailor named Mehe- 

 met. Instead of making him swear on the Koran to tell 

 the truth, the judge was determined to make him place 

 his thumb on the forefinger so as represent the cross. 

 I warned him that great offence would thus be given ; 

 and, accordingly, when Mehemet became aware of the 

 meaning of this sign, he began to spit upon it with incon- 

 ceivable violence. The meeting ended at once. 



