AFFRAY WITH MUSSULMEN. 55 



Five clays 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 una onza de 

 oro, M. Berthemie 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. Berthe- 

 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. 



