344 SHIPWRECK OF THE MEDUSA. 
one day to rival the richest in the possession of Spain in the 
New World. This conjecture is sufficiently justified by the 
reports sent to Europe by the agents of the African and In- 
dian Companies, and particularly by M. de Buffon, who, in a 
MS. deposited in the archives of the colonies, thus expresses 
himself: — " It is certain that there are found in the sand of 
the rivers (in the country of Galam) various precious stones, 
such as rubies, topazes, sapphires, and perhaps some diamonds; 
and there are in the mountains veins of gold and silver," 
Two productions, not less estimable perhaps than gold and 
silver, are indigenous to this fine country, and increase in the 
most prodigious manner there ; viz. the Lotus, or bread-tree, 
of the ancients, spoken of by Pliny ; and the Shea, or butter- 
tree, of which the English traveler Mungo Park has given a 
description. 
We w^ere happy enough, at least content, at Senegal, until 
the sickness of my step-mother broke in upon the repose we 
enjoyed. Toward the middle of July, 1817, she fell dange- 
rously ill; all the symptoms of a malignant fever appeared in 
her ; and in spite of all the assistance of art and the care we 
bestowed upon her, she died in the beginning of November of 
the same year. Her loss plunged us all into the deepest af- 
fliction. My father was inconsolable. From that melancholy 
period there was no happiness for our unfortunate family; 
chagrin, sickness, enemies, all seemed to conspire against us. 
A short while after her death my father received a letter from 
the chemist at Paris, informing him that the sam.ple of potash 
which he had sent to France was nothing but marine salt and 
some particles of potash and salt-petre. This news, although 
disagreeable, did not affect us, because Ave had still greater 
misfortunes to deplore. About the end of the year, my father, 
finding his employment would scarcely enable him to support 
his numerous family, turned his attention to commerce, hoping 
thus to do some good, as he intended to send me to look after 
the family, and to take charge of the new improvem.ents in 
the island, which had become very dear to him from the time 
he had deposited in it the mortal remains of his wife and his 
jj'oungest child. For the better success of his project, he 
went into copartnership with a certain personage in the colo- 
ny; but instead of benefiting his speculations, as he had flat- 
tered himself, ^it proved nothing but loss. Beside, he was 
cheated in an unworthy manner by the people in whom he had 
placed his confidence ; and as he was prohibited by the French 
authorities from trafficing, he could not plead his own de- 
