11 



the Southern Sea. There are dispositions of the 

 soul, in which a painful emotion blends itself 

 with all our feelings. 



We still persisted in our intention of visiting 

 the African coasts, and were nearly becoming the 

 victims of this perseverance. A small vessel of 

 Ragusa, on the point of setting sail for Tunis, 

 was at this period in the port of Marseilles ; we 

 thought the opportunity favorable to reach Egypt 

 and Syria, and we agreed with the captain for our 

 passage. The vessel was to sail the following 

 day, but a circumstance, trivial in itself, happily 

 prevented our departure. The animals that were 

 to serve us for food, during our passage, were 

 kept in the great cabin. We desired that some 

 changes should be made, which were indispens- 

 able for the safety of our instruments ; and dur- 

 ing this interval we learnt at Marseilles, that the 

 government of Tunis persecuted the French re- 

 siding in Barbary, and that every person coming 

 from a French port was thrown into a dungeon. 

 Having escaped this imminent danger, we were 

 compelled to suspend the execution of our pro- 

 jects, and resolved to pass the winter in Spain, 

 in hopes of embarking the next spring, either at 

 Carthagena, or at Cadiz, if the political situation 

 of the East permitted. 



We crossed Catalonia, and the kingdom of Va- 

 lencia, in our way to Madrid. We visited the 

 ruins of Tarragona, and those of the antient Sa- 



