118 
MAHOMETAN PARADISE. 
which God reserves for the faithful are eternal. The chris- 
tians are rich j they have abundance of every thing ; they eat 
a great deal^ they drink wine, and spirituous liquors ; they 
will not acknowledge the prophet : they will go to hell ; this 
world is their paradise. As for us, we have nothing but 
oxen and sheep ; we eat nothing but a little sangleh and 
drink nothing but milk and water; but we pray to God 
who will reward us in heaven. Nothing is to be compared 
with the bliss which is there enjoyed ; it is renewed every 
hour, every minute ; you have only to wish in order to ob- 
tain in abundance whatever you desire. Four great rivers 
flow through Paradise ; one of water, one of milk, one of 
honey, and the fourth of brandy ; but this brandy is far su- 
perior to what the christians drink and what God forbids : it 
is the most exquisite beverage that can be drunk. There, 
are to be found bowls of butter, of dates, of sangleh, 
in a word, all that renders life agreeable ; and beauties the 
freshness of whose bloom never fades. Look at this fruit,"" 
said he (holding in his hand a fruit of the zizyphus lotus) ; 
" on earth it is very small ; but in Paradise it is as big as a 
very large liquor bottle." (He chose this comparison because 
he had seen some very large liquor bottles on board the ves- 
sels at the port). You Abdallah," continued he, " you 
will occupy the first place ; you will have more merit in the 
sight of God than all other Musulmans together, because 
you have renounced the comforts of life, and all the advan- 
tages which you were called to share, in order to come 
amongst us, subjecting yourself to privations which you 
never had suffered before." 
Such was the address of my marabout's son. This man 
was about forty years old; he had been at St. Louis, was 
able to appreciate the sacrifice which I had made, and be- 
came in consequence one of my warmest friends. All doubts 
as to the sincerity of my conversion were now dispelled, and 
from this moment I was considered as a true disciple of the 
