QUARREL AMONG THE CREW. 331 
master of tlie canoe had finished his traffic, we returned to 
the river of Geba, the navigation of wliich is much slower 
than that of the Senegal, because the Negroes proceed only 
with the tide. The pain I felt, joined to the insolent conduct 
of the slaves in the canoe, made me ardently desirous of 
reaching the end of our voyage. On the ninth day after our 
departure from Bissao, a quarrel which I witnessed made me 
fearful of being assassinated by these Negroes. Having pro- 
cured a great quantity of palm wine they retired under the 
trees which form a very thick shade over the water ; intoxi- 
cation soon deprived them of reason, and they quarrelled. As 
they belonged to the race of the Mandingos who are of an 
extremely violent disposition, they were going to fight ; they 
drew their sabres, brandished their lances, and challenged 
each other to single combat. Such was their animosity, that 
several of them would have lost their lives had I not diverted 
their fury by speaking of the governor. I thought by in- 
voking his authority to restore order, but I drew upon myself 
all their rage, for they cried out that they were free men, and 
signores ; that they were not accountable to any one for their 
conduct; and were astonished that I should presume to censure 
it — I, who was but a poor devil, and too fortunate in having 
been suffered to come on board by such noble Portuguese as 
themselves. Fearful of exasperating them still more by 
answering their abuse, I was silent ; but their vengeance did 
not stop here ; for one of them wounded me in the back with 
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