TREACHERY AND COWARDICE. 
fort; tliey also carried along withtliem all the merchandise. TTie 
French repaired the breaches^ and M. J. du Bellay, who had 
been appointed governor of the Settlements; trausferried the com- 
mand to M. Duval, and embarked in the squadron for isle St. 
Louis. Duval was of all others in the service of the company, 
the least proper for such a command ; he was a violent man^ 
cruel in prosperity, and cowardly and irresolute in adversity. The 
Moors had been informed that they might come back to Arguin, 
and would be well received, as it was a matter of much conse- 
quence to attach them to the French interest. Duval, however, 
counteracted these orders, and was guilty of the blackest perfidy. 
The Moors returned with confidence, when this infamous 
governor ordered them all to be massacred. Their bodies were 
cut in pieces and exposed in different parts, as an example to 
their countrymen of the treatment they were to expect. 
After this horrible execution, no accommodation widi the 
irritated Moors could be hoped for ; and the Dutcli did not fail 
to keep up the resentment of those people towards the French. 
In the mean time, the Moors and pretended Prussians had re- 
tired to Portendick. Duval was superceded in his command | 
and the Moors having landed on the island in concert with the 
Dutch, they gained possession of the cisterns, and seized on 
M. Leriche and four other Frenchmen, who had been sent to 
them with a flag of truce ; and after springing a mine,which injured 
the fortifications, they compelled the French to surrender the 
fortress on the 11th January, 1722, when the latter were oblig- 
ed to solicit the protection of the Dutch, to prevent the Moors 
from cutting their throats. The captors acquired on this occa- 
sion an immense quaqtity of merchandise. Shortly before the 
surrender, a French vessel was stranded about five leagues from 
Arguin, and the crew, eight in number, having effected a landing, 
were seized by the Moorish chief Homar, and instantly put to 
death. Duval became the victim of his atrocity and imprudence ; 
for Homar meeting with him off Cape Blanco, ashe was return- 
ing home, boarded his vessel, cut off his head, and put to death 
the whole of the crew, sixteen in number, Duval not making tiie 
least resistance. 
This sanguinary warfare lasted for some time ; the Moors re-* 
venged the outrages they had suffered; and the Dutch obtamed 
a momentary triumph. 
It would be useless to trace the various operations which were 
incessantly carried on against these two possessions. M. de 
Salvert in 1724, re-acquired possession both of Portendick and 
Arguin ; since which, the Dutch have not appeared as enemies 
in that quarter. ~ 
The result of this statement is, that every nation which has en- 
DURAND.] D 
