SHIPWRECK OF THE MEDUSA. 351 
the house with his groans ; at a distance my feeble voice 
was heard asking- something to quench the thirst which con- 
sumed me. 
However, the unremitting care we received, as well as the 
generous medicine of M. Gluincey, with the tender concern of 
my father and my sister Caroline, soon placed us out of dan- 
ger. I then understood that the flowers I had had the im- 
prudence to collect in the wood of Safal had been the princi- 
pal cause of my illness, as well as that of my brothers. In 
the meanwhile my father built two new huts in the island, 
with the intention of going and living there with all his family. 
But as his affairs kept him some days at Senegal, he was 
prevented from returning to Safal with the children, to con- 
tinue the collecting of cotton. On the morrow we all set ofT. 
When we had arrived upon the Marigot, in the island of Ba- 
bagney, we hailed the keeper of our island to come and take 
us over in his canoe. In the meantime I amused myself in 
looking at our habitation, which seemed very much embel- 
lished since my departure, as it had been augmented with two 
new cottages. I discovered the country to be much greener 
since I last saw it ; in a word, all nature seemed smiling and 
beautiful. At last Etienne, to whom we had been calling for 
a quarter of an hour, arrived with his canoe, into which we 
stepped, and soon were again in the island of Safal. 
Arrived at my cottage, I began to examine all the changes 
my father had made during my illness. The small cottage 
situated to the west, I chose as my sleeping apartment. It 
was well made with straw and reeds, yet green, and the win- 
dow, whence was seen the cotton field, was of the greatest 
advantage to me. I began to clean the floor of my apart- 
ments, which Avas nothing else than sand, among which were 
various roots and blades of grass. After that I went to visit 
the little poultry yard, where I found two ducks and some 
hens placed there a short while before. I was very glad of 
these little arrangements ; and returned to the principal cot- 
tage to prepare breakfast. After this we betook ourselves to 
the business of cotton gathering. 
Eight days had already elapsed since our return to the isl- 
and of Safal, when one morning Ave perceived our shallop up- 
on the river, which we always knew by a signal placed upon 
the mast head. It was my father, who brought twelve ne- 
groes with him, which he had hired at Senegal, for assisting 
him in the cultivation of his island. The men were instantly 
set to brefik up the soil ; the women and children assisted us 
