brisson's narrative. 
^91 
who quickly advanced to meet them with frightful 
shrieks and gesticulations. Terror seized the com- 
panions of M. de Brisson as the Arabs advanced, 
and the polished steel of their weapons reflected 
the sun-beams ; they dispersed themselves in con- 
fusion, and were quickly overpowered, stripped, 
and plundered. Brisson and eleven others surren- 
dered themselves to the Talbe^ or priest, who w^as 
unarmed, and were conducted to a wretched hut, 
covered with moss, at the distance of a league from 
the shore. Here, during the absence of Sidi Ma- 
homet, the priest, who was of the tribe of Lab- 
desseba, they were attacked and maltreated by a 
party of the Ouadelims, and, during the bustle 
which ensued, Brisson had almost lost his life. In- 
stead of compassionating his forlorn situation, the 
women threw sand into his eyes, as they said, to 
dry his eye-lids. The Arabs, into whose hands he 
had fallen, had only come down to the sea-coast 
to gather wild grain, three days before the ship- 
wreck ; and, to preserve their booty, they imme- 
diately retreated to the interior of the desert. A 
guide preceded the horde, to place at intervals 
small pyramids of stone, to direct their course, at 
a distance from every hostile tribe. After passing 
some very high mountains, wholly covered with 
small greyish pebbles, as sharp as flints, they des- 
cended into a sandy plain, overspread with thorns 
and thistles. When Brisson was unable to walk, 
