164 DISCOVERIES OF THE FRENCH. 
tresses, and endeavoured, by constant talk, to keep 
them amused. All this gay train, as they passed, 
saluted the Director, and wished him a prosperous 
voyage. They were followed by a long cavalcade 
of camels and asses, carrying the baggage ; then 
by three hundred horsemen, behind whom rode 
the king, well armed and splendidly attired. An- 
other body of horsemen closed the rear. In these 
troops, the foremost ranks were composed of the 
principal lords of the court. They all, in passing, 
saluted the Director, and were received by him 
with music and discharges of musquetry. Our 
traveller then commenced his return to the Sene- 
gal. On his way, he paid a second visit to Buckar 
Sire, and was entertained as before, with a festival 
and folgar. He afterwards proceeded to Ghiorel, 
and entertained the prince on board of his vessel. 
The French found here the opportunity of a some- 
what novel species of trade. The women of the 
neighbourhood, being impressed with the convic- 
tion, that the bilge-water, pumped out of Euro* 
pean vessels, was a sovereign remedy for the tooth- 
ache, came eagerly, offering large quantities of 
milk in exchange for so precious a medicine. The 
French sailors hesitated not to avail themselves of 
this persuasion \ and having fixed the price of 
their commodity, measured it out in proportion to 
the milk offered ; and when that appeared insuffi- 
cient, gravely replaced it in the pump. Mean-? 
5 
