198 
SHIPWRECK OI' M. DE BRISSOW, 
the tribes of Labdesseba and Ouadelims, having taken into 
consideration their present condition, resolved to go in quest 
of some spot occupied by more industrious inhabitants. 
In this melancholy situation I accidentally met with an 
Arab having in his train a Christian slave, who, I. found, had 
been baker to our ship. This man was disposed of to my 
master at a moderate price, and ordered to perform my or- 
dinary labor. I had now an opportunity of recruiting my 
strength a little ; but the unfortunate bakei paid dearly for his 
knowledge in the art of preparing food. Having eaten all 
the snails we could find, we fed upon sheep which had died 
either of hunger or disease. This suggested to us the idea 
of strangling a few kids in the night time, persuaded that our 
masters would not meddle with them, as their law prohibits 
their eating of any animal unless it has died by the knife ; but 
being suspected, and at last caught in the act, we narrowly 
escaped having our throats cut. 
One morning, as I was preparing to set off to cut wood, 
poor Devoise, addressing me in a faint and languishing voice, 
said, " The illusion is now over ; I have hitherto flattered 
myself with hopes of again beholding my native country, but 
I feel my strength forsake me. This night, my dear friend, 
for this title justly belongs to you, after all your care, you 
will find my body arrested by the cold hand of death. Adieu, 
my friend ! the tears you strive to conceal are a neAV proof 
of your attachment. Write to my brother ; tell him that I 
remembered him in my last moments, and that I die wuth the 
sentiments of a true Christian. Adieu ! my last moment is 
nearer than I expected. I expire." He spoke no more; 
that moment, indeed, was his last. 
I was deeply affected at losing M. Devoise, though I had 
only known him since our departure from France. I went 
into the field to seek the only companion I had now left, and, 
upon our return, we vv^ere ordered to carry away our friend's 
body, and to dig a very deep pit, in order, as the Arabs said, 
to conceal that Christian from the sight of their children. 
This last duty to the deceased we performed with difficulty ; 
for, being too weak to carry him, we were obliged to dracr 
him by the feet three quarters of a league. The earth at the 
brink of the pit giving way, I tumbled in first, and was very 
near expiring under the weight of the body. 
A few days afterward we quitted that place to seek a more 
fertile spot, and encamped in the vicinity of several other 
tribes, where I found one of our sailors, named Denoux, who 
