IS 
VOYAGE TO SENEGAL. 
which made them conceive the place to be the residence of peace 
and plenty. But this proved an illusion. 
The travellers were soon perceived ascending a hill which led 
to the residence of the Moors who were approaching ; and se- 
veral black slaves came to meet them, prostrated themselves, and 
kissed their feet. At a short distance the children made the air 
l esonnd with shouts of joy ; and the women placed themselves 
erect at the entrance of the tents to give their husbands a respect- 
ful reception. As the latter approached, the women came for- 
ward, and with a submissive aspect, placed the right hand on the 
men's heads, which they kissed after prostrating themselves to 
the ground. This ceremony being over, they looked towards 
the Christian slaves with much curiosity, and then hisulted them 
in the most odious manner : they spat in" their faces, and threw 
«tones at them; while the children, imitating their example, pinch 
ed them, pulled their hair, and tore their flesh with their nails, 
their cruel mothers stimulating them to the commission of sucE 
injuries. 
A division was now made of the slaves ; and Messrs. Devoise, 
de Brisson, and Beawdre were taken by Sidy-Mahammet. As 
soon as his family had done carressing him, M. de Brisson asked 
"which of the women who surrounded him was hîs favourite, on 
which he pointed her out. The captive then approached her, and 
presented her wi;th a double handful of cloves, which her hus- 
h'dnà had carefully kept for her, that he might meet with a fa- 
vourable reception y for these women are passionately fond of 
aromatic scents, and that of cloves beyond others. She received- 
the present with an insulting hauteur, and then kicked him from 
the tent. A minute aftemards this despotic woman commanded 
the slaves to unload the camels ; after which she set one to cleaiî 
a sort of kettle, and sent another to pull up roots for fuel. Whila 
she was giving these orders, her dear husband was fast asleep,, 
with his head on the lap of one of his concubines. 
The unfortunate Frenchmen, though thus condemned to aa 
excess of fatigiïe, misery, and opprobrium, nevertheless occa- 
sionally experienced some relaxation, owing to the interference 
of their master; but the cruelty of his wife was incessant, and at 
length became unbearable. The Moors never inhabit the same 
place for a length of time; but when the half-starved herds have 
devoured all the pasturage, they change their position, and re- 
move to a sf ot which is more favourable. The care and. labour 
attendant upon- such changes were the task imposed upon the 
French slaves ;■ and from the frequency of these movements they^ 
were absolutely exhausted. One day Devoise and Beaudre were 
beaten almost to death, and left senseless on the sand, because 
they were liiiable to perform the îequired service. For a long 
