340 SHIPWRECK OF THE MEDUSA. 
box of it to a friend at Paris to analyze. Whilst waiting the 
reply of the chemist, he hired three negroes to begin the cul- 
tivation of the island of Safal. He went himself to direct their 
operations, but he fell ill of fatigue. Fortunately his illness 
was not of long continuance, and in the month of December 
he was perfectly recovered. At this period an English expe- 
dition went from Senegal into the interior of Africa, com- 
manded by Major Peddie, the gentleman who had given so 
great assistance to the unfortunates of the Medusa. That 
worthy philanthropic Englishman died soon after his depar- 
ture; we sincerely lamented him. 
On the first of January, 1817, the colony of Senegal was 
surrendered to the French. The English left it: some for 
Great Britain, others for Sierra Leone and the Cape of Good 
Hope ; and France entered into all her possessions on the 
west coast of Africa. We remained yet a month in our first 
house ; at last we procured one much larger. My father then 
commenced his functions of attorney, and we at last began 
to receive provisions from the French government. The 
hbuise in which we lived was very large ; but the employment 
which my father followed was very incompatible with the 
tranquillity we desired. To remove us from the noise and 
tumultuous conversations of the people who perpetually came 
to the office, we had a small hut of reeds constructed for us 
in the midst of our garden, which was very large. Here 
my sister, my cousin, and myself, passed the greater part of 
the day. From that time we began to see a little of the 
world, and to return unavoidable visits. Every Sunday the 
family went to the island of Safal, where we very agreeably 
spent the day ; for that day seemed as short in the country as 
the six other days in the week were long and listless in Sene- 
gal. That country was so little calculated for people of our 
age, that we continually teased our father to return with us to 
France. But as he had great expectations from the manu- 
facture of potash, he made us stay, as we would be of great 
service to him in the end, for superintending the works of that 
manufacture. 
It is now time to give a brief description of Senegal and its 
environs, to enable the reader better to appreciate that which 
I have to say in the sequel. 
Travelers who have written about Africa, have given too 
magnificent a picture of that country known by the name of 
Senegal. Apparently, after the fatigues of a long and tedioup 
journey, they have been charmed with the first fresh spo* 
