RETURN TO THE CAMP. 
117 
med- Sidy-Moctar not to let me go. When they saw me 
again they all testified their great joy, and no longer doubted 
my conversion; they vied vritk each other in doing me 
honour. 
W e passed the night in a camp of marabouts, who were 
superintending the cultivation of the lands. I remarked 
a great many seeds of nyinphoea which were drying, and I 
was told that this seed is used to flavour the sangleh. I ate 
a little of it^ but its taste was unpleasant. They also eat 
the bulbous root of this plant boiled in water, it has a plea- 
sant flavour and is slightly astringent. This plant, the 
greatest ornament of the lakes and marigots^ grows in pro- 
fusion in all the lands which have been inundated, and is of 
great service to the Moors who live on the banks of the 
river. I have since learnt at St. Louis that the negroes also 
make use of this plant ; they eat the root, boiled ; and em- 
ploy the seed more particularly to season their fish. 
On the 16th we arrived at our camp, where I was re- 
ceived with fresh congratulations. The grand marabout 
especially was proud of my return, and seemed to attribute it 
to the effect which his superior wisdom had produced upon 
me ; it was not my business to undeceive him, and it was 
very easy to confirm him in his error. 
Hamet-Fal, his eldest son, took me aside to question me 
as to the reception I had met with on board the vessels. I 
told him, and his brother could witness the truth of what I 
said, that persuasions had been used to induce me to return 
to the whites, and that I had rejected their propositions; that 
I liked better to eat a little sangleh with Musulmans than to 
return to the christians to live in luxury ; and that I hoped 
this sacrifice would be well pleasing to God. He took my 
hand, lifted it to his forehead, and then exclaimed in ex- 
tacy : Do not doubt it, Abdallah; all the good things of this 
world are not to be compared with those which you may ex- 
pect in Heaven ; in this life all is transitory ; but the riches 
