SHIPWRECK OF M. DE BRISSON. 203 
while my tears bathed the hands of the generous old man 
who had procured me the enjoyment of such an agreeable 
prospect. 
On entering the city we met two Europeans. "Whoever 
thou art, (said I,) behold the misery of an unfortunate man, 
and deign to assist him. Afford me some consolation, and re- 
vive my drooping spirits. Where am I ? Of what country 
are you 1 What day of the month is it ? What day of the 
week is it ?" 1 found that I addressed two of my countrymen 
from Bordeaux, who, after looking at me a few moments, went 
to inform Messrs. Duprat and Cabanes, who considered it 
their duty to relieve, as far as lay in their power, such unhap- 
py people as might be driven upon these coasts. Those gen- 
tlemen came to meet me, and, without being disgusted at my 
appearance, which was far from inviting, they clasped me in 
their arms, and shed tears of joy at being able to relieve an 
unfortunate man. 
While I was waiting for an audience with the emperor I 
saw a captain review his troop. He was seated upon the 
ground, with his chin resting upon his two fists, and his arms 
placed upon his knees, which were bent upward. He made 
his soldiers advance two by two, then gave his orders, upon 
which the men, after prostrating before him, retired to their 
posts, or went to enjoy their amusement. 
Five or six of the guards arriving with white staves, sud- 
denly leaped upon me, seized me by the collar like a male- 
factor, and having ordered two large folding doors," like those 
of our barns, to be opened, they pushed me rudely into a kind 
of enclosure, where I looked in vain for any thing announcing 
t^e majesty of the throne. Having walked fifteen or tv^'•enty 
paces past a kind of wheel barrow, my attendants made me 
suddenly turn about, and pushing me in a brutal manner, or- 
dered me to prostrate myself before this Avheel-barrow, in 
which the emperor was seated cross-legged, amusing himself 
with stroking his toes. Having looked at me for some time, 
he asked if I was not one of those Christian slaves whose 
vessel had been cast away upon his coast about a year be- 
fore : what was the intention of my voya«:re to Senegal, &c. 
" You AVer e lost through your own fault," said he. "Why 
did you not keep farther from the shore ? Art thou rich ? Art 
thou married?" 
I had scarcely answered these questions when he ordered 
paper and ink to be brought him, v»'ith a small reed, which he 
used as a pen. He then traced out the four cardinal points, 
