SHIPWRECK OF THE MEDUSA. 339 
the fate of tlie unfortunate beings who were left in the midst 
of the ocean. Among the numerous friends my father had, I 
ought particularly to mention the families of Pellegrin, Dar- 
nedlle, Lemotte, Dubois, Artigue, Feuilletaine, Laboure, Va- 
lentin, Debonnet, Waterman, &c. ; and in truth all the inha- 
bitants of Senegal, if we except one family, were disposed to 
befriend us. Even the poor negroes of the interior, after hear- 
ing of our misfortunes, came and offered us a small share of 
their crop. Some gave us beans, others brought us milk, 
eggs, &c. ; in a word, every one offered us some assistance 
after they heard to what misery our shipwreck had reduced us. 
About a month after our arrival at Senegal we went to look 
at the islands of Babaguey and Safal, situated about two 
leagues from the town of St. Louis. The first of these islands 
had been given to M. Artigue, who had cultivated it; the 
other had been given to my father in 1807, and he had plant- 
ed in it about one hundred thousand cotton plants, when the 
capture of Senegal by the English in 1809, obliged him to 
abandon his project and return to France. 
Those who have seen the countries of Europe, and admir- 
ed the fine soil of France, need not expect to enjoy the same 
scene at Senegal. Every where nature shows a savage and 
arid aspect ; every where the dregs of a desert and parched 
soil presents itself to the view; and it is only by care and un- 
remitting toil it can be made to produce any thing. All the 
cotton which my father had planted in the island of Safal had 
been devoured by the cattle during his absence ; he found not 
a plant. He then proposed to begin again his first operations. 
After having walked round the island of Safal, we went to 
dine with M. Artigue in the island of Babaguey, where we 
spent the remainder of the day, and in the evening returned 
to the town of Senegal. Some days after this jaunt, my fa- 
ther endeavored to find whether the plants with which the 
island was covered would be useful in making potash. He 
arranged with a person in Senegal to hire for him some ne- 
groes, and a canoe to gather the ashes of the plants after they 
were burned. A covered gallery which we had in the small 
house we inhabited, seemed convenient to hold the apparatus 
of our manufacture. Here we placed our coppers. We then 
commenced the making of potash, waiting for the surrender 
of the colony. The first essay we made gave us hopes. Our 
ashes produced a potash of fine color, and we did not doubt 
of succeeding when we should have sent a sample of it to 
France, We made about four barrels, and my father sent a 
