no MOORISH NOTIONS OF EUROPEANS. 
affect indifference to their daughters; the son is always 
submissive to his mother and pays her the utmost respect ; 
and if the parents shew some preference for the boys, they 
do not love their daughters with less tenderness. Besides, 
I have never witnessed rejoicings at the birth either of a 
boy or a girl. 
The greater part of the Moors believe that we live upon 
the sea, and that we have only a few little islands like St. 
Louis : under this impression they imagine that we wish to 
possess ourselves of their country, which they consider as the 
finest in the world. The marabouts are better informed, 
and know that we inhabit a country far superior to theirs. 
They often expressed their regret that they had nothing 
good to offer me ; observing that God would recompense me 
for my voluntary privations, in relinquishing the happy land 
of the christians to live amongst them. They have however 
no idea of our arts or manufactures. They often inquired 
what use we made of gum and and were always persuaded 
that I was deceiving them; they would not believe any 
other than that we transform it into amber, which it some- 
what resembles in colour, and into other merchandise of 
great value, and that we could not dispense with gum nor 
even exist without it. I could not undeceive them on this 
point ; and in like manner when discussions arise at the set- 
tlements or at the markets, or if they are refused what they 
ask, they threaten to bring no more gum. 
