StttPWRECK OF tHE MEDtTSA. 367 
we left Safal ; at last, at six in the evening we embarked for 
St. Louis, leaving our negroes at Babaguey. My father pro- 
mised to Etienne to go and rejoin him, to continue the work, 
if it was possible, as soon as we were in safety. 
It was very late before we reached Senegal. As we had 
no lodgings, a friend of my father (M. Thomas) admitted 
us, his worthy wife loading us with kindness. During our 
stay in the island of Safal, my father had made various trips 
to Senegal ; but as my sister and myself had not quitted it for 
a long time, we found ourselves in another world. The iso- 
lated manner in which we had lived, and the misfortunes we 
had endured, contributed in no small degree to give us a sa- 
vage and embarrassed appearance. Caroline especially had 
become so timid, she could not be persuaded to appear in 
company. It is true the nakedness to which we were re- 
duced, a good deal caused the repugnance we felt at seeing 
company. Having no cap but our hair, no clothes but a half- 
worn robe of coarse silk, without stockings and shoes, we felt 
much distressed in appearing thus habited before a society 
among whom we had formerly held a certain rank. The good 
lady Thomas, seeing our embarrassment, kindly dispensed 
with our appearance at table, as they had strangers in the 
house. She caused supper to be brought to our chamber, un- 
der the pretext that we were indisposed. In this manner we 
escaped the curious and imprudent regards of various young 
people who had not yet been tutored by the hand of misfor- 
tune. We learned that we were known at Senegal by diffe- 
rent names, some calling us The Hermits of the Isle of Safal, 
others, The Exiles in Africa,. 
On the morrov/ my father hired an apartment in the house 
of one of his old friends (M. Valentin.) After breakfast we 
thanked our hosts, and went to our new lodging. It consisted 
of a large chamber, the Vv-indovvs of which were under ground, 
filled with broken panes : thus, in the first night, Ave had such 
a quantity of musketoes that we thought we were yet in the 
island of Safal. On the following day my father was desi- 
rous of returning to his plantation. We in vain represented 
to him the dangers to which he exposed himself; nothing 
would divert him from his design. He promised, however, to 
go to Safal only during the day, and to sleep at the house of 
the resident at JBabaguey. He told us that it was not the war 
with the Moors alone which caused him to bring us to Sene- 
gal, but also the state of sufl^ering in which the whole family 
was. It is true, our strength was considerably diminished ; 
