58 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 



selves to be off the Baleares, we landed, on the 5th of 

 December, at Bougie. 



There, they pretended that during the three months of 

 winter, all communication with Algiers, by means of the 

 little boats named sandalis, would be impossible, and I 

 resigned myself to the painful prospect of so long a stay 

 in a place at that time almost a desert. One evening I 

 was making these sad reflections while pacing the deck 

 of the vessel, when a shot from a gun on the coast came 

 and struck the side planks close to which I was passing. 

 This suggested to me the thought of going to Algiers by 

 land. 



I went next day, accompanied by M. Berthemie and 

 Captain Spiro Calligero, to the Caid of the town : " I 

 wish," said I to him, " to go to Algiers by land." The 

 man, quite frightened, exclaimed, " I cannot allow you to 

 do so ; you would certainly be killed on the road ; your 

 Consul would make a complaint to the Dey, and I should 

 have my head cut off." 



"Fear not on that ground. I will give you an ac- 

 quittance." 



It was immediately drawn up in these terms : " We, 

 the undersigned, certify that the Caid of Bougie wished 

 to dissuade us from going to Algiers by land ; that he has 

 assured us that we shall be massacred on the road ; that 

 notwithstanding his representations, reiterated twenty 

 times, we have persisted in our project. We beg the 

 Algerine authorities, particularly our Consul, not to 

 make him responsible for this event if it should occur. 

 We once more repeat, that the voyage has been under- 

 taken against his will. 



Signed: ARAGO and BERTHEMIE. 



