120 
VORACITY OF THE MOORS. 
would not require much pressing to eat it. " Ah/' said he, 
the hassanes would perhaps take advantage of such a cir- 
cumstance to eat immoderately ; but a marabout would never 
do so.'* I mentioned an occurrence which took place at the 
port, on board the Desiree, and to which Mohammed-Sidy- 
Moctar's son was witness. Four marabouts came on board 
to sell a package of gum; as it is the custom to supply them 
with food till the goods are delivered, a supper was prepared 
for them. An enormous dish of rice boiled with meat_5 on 
which was poured a great quantity of butter, of which they 
are very fond, though they rarely eat it at home, was handed 
to one of the party who seemed to be the leader; he hid 
himself in a corner to devour it, and presently after came 
back and asked for supper for his three companions. The 
astonished agent inquired what he had done with the dish of 
rice which contained supper for four. " Pooh," said the 
Moor, " I have eaten it all, and I am not half satisfied.'' 
Supper was brought after this for the three others; but the 
greedy fellow was punished, for he had like to have died of 
an indigestion. My host censured the want of moderation 
which his colleague had shown, but I am convinced that he 
would not have been more discreet in a similar situation. 
On the 24th of March I set out again for the port 
hoping to find an answer from the governor as it was now 
thirteen days since I wrote. We travelled W. N. W. that 
we might proceed direct to the port without going through 
Podor. On the way 1 was shown some of the genuine gum- 
trees, from which the gum had been gathered. On the 31st 
I arriv^ed at the vessels. The pinnace which had taken my 
letter to St. Louis had returned without bringing me any 
answer, and I concluded that she had not waited, I took up 
some goods belonging to M. Rene Valentin, a resident at 
St. Louis, and I cannot speak too highly of this gentleman's 
generosity towards me. On the 3rd of April I set out on my 
return to the camp. We wished to keep the same course 
