SHIPWRECK OF THE MEDUSA. 373 
to the protection of friends who will not abandon you. Never 
forget the obligations you already owe M. Dard. Heaven 
assist you I Farewell, I go before you to a better world." 
These words, pronounced with difficulty, were the last he ut- 
tered. He instantly became much convulsed. All the phy- 
sicians of the colony were called, but the medicine they pre- 
scribed produced no effect. In this condition he remained for 
more than six hours, during which time we stood suspended 
between hope and despair. O horrible night ! night of sorrow 
and desolation ! w^ho can describe all which the unfortunate 
family of Picard suffered during thy terrible reign ! But the 
fatal period approached ; the physician who prescribed went 
out ; I followed, and, still seeking for some illusion in the mis- 
fortune which menaced us, I tremblingly interrogated him. 
The worthy man would not dissemble : he took me by the 
hand and said. My dear lady, the moment is arrived when you 
have need to arm yourself w^ith courage ; it is all over with 
M. Picard ; you must submit to the will of God. These words 
were a thunderbolt to me. I instantly returned, bathed in tears ; 
but alas ! my father was no more. 
Such an irreparable misfortune plunged us into a condition 
worse than death. Without ceasing, I besought them to put 
a period to my deplorable life. The friends about me used 
every endeavor to calm me, but my soul was in the depth of 
affiiction, and their consolations reached it not. " O God !" 
cried I, "how is it possible thou canst yet let me live ? Oug^it 
not the misery I feel to make me follow my father lo the 
grave ?" It was necessary to employ force to keep me from 
that plan of horror and dismay. Mad. Thomas took us to her 
Jiouse whilst our friends prepared for the funeral of my un- 
happy father. I remained insensible a long while; and when 
somewhat recovered, my first care was to pray the people with 
whom we lived to carry the body of my father to the isle of 
Safal, to be deposited, agreeably to his request, near the re- 
mains of his wife. Our friends accompanied it. Some hour:; 
after the departure of the funeral procession. Governor S , 
doubtless reproaching himself with the helpless condition in 
which we had been left for so long a time, gave orders to take 
care of the remainder of our unfortunate family. He himself 
came to the house of M. Thomas. His presence made such 
an impression on me that I swooned away. We did not, how- 
ever, refuse the assistance he offered us, convinced, as we were, 
that it was less to the governor of Senegal we were indebted 
32 
