360 SHIPWRECK OF THE MEDUSA, 
days after our friends from Senegal came to pay us a visit, and 
testified for us the greatest sorrow. They agreed among them- 
selves to engage all the Europeans in the colony in a voluntarj'- 
subscription in our behalf; but my father opposed it by say- 
ing he could not receive assistance from those who were so 
truly his friends. The generous M. Dard, director of the 
French school, was not the last nor least who took an interest 
in us. As soon as he heard of the unfortunate news, he cor- 
dially offered my father all the money he had, and endeavored 
to get provisions for us from the government stores, but he 
failed. After the visits of my father's friends we were not so 
unhappy, and yet enjoyed some tranquillity in our humble 
cottage. He brought a barrel of wine and two of flour, to 
support us during the rainy season, or winter, a period so 
fatal to Europeans Avho inhabit the torrid zone. 
It was yet but about the beginning of June, 1819, and al- 
ready the humid winds of the south announced the approach 
of the bad season, or winter. The whirlwinds of the north 
no longer brought the hot sands of the desert : but instead of 
them came the south-east, bringing clouds of locusts, muske- 
toes and gnats. We could no longer spend our twilights at 
the cottage, it was so filled with these insects. We fled every 
morning to escape their stings, and did not return home till 
overcome vrith sleep. One night, on entering the hut, after a 
long day's work at the cotton field, we perceived an animal 
stealing among the bushes at a soft slow pace: but having 
heard us, it leaped a very high hedge, and disappeared. 
From its agility, we discovered it to be a tiger-cat, which had 
been prowling about our poultry-yard, in the hope of catching 
some chickens, of which these animals are very fond. The 
same night my sister and mj^self were awoke with a hollow 
noise, which we heard near our bed. Our thoughts instantl}' 
returned to the tiger-cat ; we believed that it was it we heard, 
and springing up, we awoke my father. Being all three armed, 
we began by looking under my bed, as the noise seemed to 
proceed from the bottom of a large hole, deep under ground. 
We were then convinced it was caused by a serpent, but found 
it impossible to get at It. The song of this reptile so fright- 
ened us that we could sleep no longer ; however, we soon be- 
came accustomed to its invisible music, for at short intervals 
we heard it all the night. Some time after the discover}'- of 
the den of this reptile songster, my sister, going to feed five 
or six pigeons which she had in a little hut, perceived a large 
serpent, who seemxed to have a wing on each side of its 
