SINGULAR TRIBUN AW. 
13 
men wliom the talba had associated w ith liim, came miming out 
of breatli, and accused them with haviiig violated the asyhmi of 
Sidy-Mahammet, carried off his slave, and trodden under foot 
the sacred book of their religion. He toid them that the priest, 
indignant at the indecency of their sacrilegious conduct, had de- 
manded that the old men of both parties should meet to try tlie 
criminals in full council, and tliat the only means of appeasing his 
wrath would be to give up his slave. "^Fhis menace had a good 
effect, and M. de Brisson was iminediatcty set at liberty. The 
person who had interfered in behhif of the French olKcer was 
called Nonesjem : he coîiducted M. de Brisson to die place where 
the council was assembled, and the trial immediately began; 
when the liberator, as avaricious as lie was cunning, pretended 
that M. de Brisson was a slave of his own, as he had taken huii 
from those who would have carried him off. He also founded 
his pretensions on having seen this Frenchman give his master se- 
veral articles which he conceived to be verv valuable. These 
audacious remarks, and particularly the disclosure of the little 
treasure, rendered Sidy-Mahammet furious: he darted at None- 
^em a look of rage and indignation, and exclaimed, This chris- 
tian belongs to me ; he came of his own accord to throw him- 
self into my arms, and I have promised to protect him and con- 
duct him to king Alikouri. I gave him my word tliat 1 would do 
so ; and I hope the tribunal will give a verdict in my favour, in- 
stead of declaring for Nonegem, who deserves to be severely pu- 
nished." To this Nonegem replied, As thy slave cannot be 
mine, he shall die by my hand," On which he drew a poig- 
nard to kill M. de Brisson, who stood appalled with terror. 
Sidy-Malianimet, however, without expressing the least emotion, 
threw over him a kind of chaplet of a considerable length ; and 
then took up a little book which hung at his w aist, when in an 
instant the W'omen rushed towards M. de Brisson, took him from 
Nonegem, and delivered liim over to the enraged priest: for they 
dreaded lest he shoidd issue an anathema asfainst his adversarv. 
The whole of the council immediately applauded the act of au- 
thority of the talba, and approved of the conduct of the women. 
1 should add by the way, that the talbas, or maraljous, always 
w'ear a long string, which contains one hundred and fifteen little 
black balls, and which they use as the catholics do chaplets. 
M. de Brisson was then taken to liis comrades who wcr« in 
the vicinity, and whom he found in a pitiable state. They were 
almost starved ; for during the three days w liich they had 
been in captivity they had had no food but a little wheat-flour 
spoiled by sea-water, mixed wàth some barley-llour, which had 
for a long time been preserved in goats-skins. \V l»ile they were 
enjoying -this wretched meal, a friend of Sidy-Mahammet came 
