in a few hours afterwards, we had plenty of provisions sent
to us.

[Footnote 7: Vide Note A.]

If my father had made himself some enemies among the authors of the
shipwreck of the Medusa, and the abandoning the raft, he was recompensed
by real good friends among the old inhabitants of Senegal, who, with
himself, deplored the fate of the unfortunate beings who were left in
the midst of the ocean. Among the numerous friends my father had, I
ought particularly to mention the families of Pellegrin, Darneville,
Lamotte, Dubois, Artigue, Feuilletaine, Laboure, Valentin, Debonnet,
Boucaline, Waterman, &c.: And in truth all the inhabitants of Senegal,
if we except one family, were disposed to befriend us. Even the poor
negroes of the interior, after hearing of our misfortunes, came and
offered us a small share of their crop. Some gave us beans, others
brought us milk, eggs, &c.; in a word, every one offered us some
assistance, after they had heard to what misery our shipwreck had
reduced us.

About a month after our arrival at Senegal, we went to look at the
islands of Babaguey and Safal, situated about two leagues from the town
of St Louis. The first of these islands had been given to M. Artigue,
who had cultivated it; the other had been given to my father in 1807,
and he had planted in it about one hundred thousand cotton plants, when
the capture of Senegal by the English in 1809 obliged him to abandon his
projects, and return to France.

Those who have seen the countries of Europe, and admired the fine soil
of France, need not expect to enjoy the same scene at Senegal. Every
where nature shows a savage and arid aspect; every where the dregs of a
desert and parched soil presents itself to the view; and it is only by
care and unremitting toil it can be made to produce any thing. All the
cotton which my father had planted in the island of Safal had been
devoured by the cattle during his absence; he found not a plant. He then
proposed to begin again his first operations. After having walked round
the island of Safal, we went to dine with M. Artigue in the island of
Babaguey, where we spent the remainder of the day, and in the evening
returned to the town of Senegal. Some days after this jaunt, my father
endeavoured to find whether the plants with which the island was covered
would be useful in making potass. He arranged with a person in Senegal
to hire for him some negroes, and a canoe to gather the ashes of the
plan