200 SHIPWRECK OP M. DE BRlSSON. 
ral of them died of hunger and thirst; this being the fourth 
season in which their crops had been destroyed by drought. 
This dreadful situation had so irritated their minds, that the 
different tribes made war upon each other. Milk entirely 
failed them, and each tried who could carry off most cattle, 
for the purpose of killing them and drying the flesh. Water 
was still scarcer, as little is to be found in the desert, except- 
ing toward the sea, and even there it is black, putrid, and 
brackish. The bad quality of this beverage, together with 
the want of pasturage, always keeps the Arabs at a distance 
from the coast. Being destitute of every kind of provision, 
none attempted to pursue his journey. Those who had the 
least milk quenched their thirst from the bowels of the camels 
which they killed. From the stomachs of these animals they 
pressed a greenish kind of water, which they carefully pre- 
served, and boiled their flesh in it. That procured from the 
bodies of their goats had the taste and smell of sweet fennel, 
and the broth made of it never appeared disagreeable; but 
that procured from the camel was not equally pleasing to the 
taste. I was much astonished that these animals, which ne- 
ver drink above two or three times a-year, and eat nothing but 
dried plants, should have such a prodigious quantity of water 
in their stomachs. 
In order to regain my liberty I found means to get again 
into my possession the treasure 1 had given the Arab, which 
might have enabled me to cross the desert, and to bribe the 
Arabs to conduct me to Morocco. Sidy Mohammed, howev- 
er, missed it, and prevailed on me, by powerful arguments, 
once more to'restore it. The principal inducement was a pro- 
mise of being sent to Mogador, and meanwhile to be allowed 
a sufficient quantity of milk, night and morning. 
At length chance conducted Sidy Mahmud, sheriff of the 
tribe of Trargea, to the place which I was watering with my 
tears. He inquired who I was ; upon which the Arabs ac- 
quainted him with my history, boasting of the great riches, in 
powder and arms, Avhich I Avas said to possess at Senegal. 
The sheriff immediately recollected me, asked me what situ- 
ation I had held in the island of St. Louis, and I answered 
his questions. Looking at me nearer, he exclaimed, " What! 
art thou Brisson?" Upon my replying in the affirmative, he 
appeared greatly astonished, and addressing himself to the 
Arabs, " You know not this Christian, (said he,) every thing 
at Senegal belongs to him." This man having seen me deli- 
ver stores in the king's magazine, imagined that they were 
