eat pains, in
order to prevent such visits, to take away very speedily the three
stones which support the kettle; and in this case his plan succeeds,
since they never see any person pass without inviting him to enter and
partake of the feast. It often happens that, while the gormandizing goes
on, they steal from behind the bush the effects which he secreted there;
but this is only one trick for another, for he takes the first
opportunity of paying them home in their own coin.

It is difficult to form a just idea of the pride and ignorance of these
people. They not only imagine that they are the first people in the
world, but they have the presumption to believe that the sun rises only
for them. Several of them have repeatedly said to me, "Behold that
luminary! which is unknown in thy country. During the night thou art not
enlightened, as we are, by that heavenly body, which regulates our days
and our fasts. His children[38] point out to us the hours of prayer. You
have neither trees nor camels, sheep, goats, nor dogs. Are your women
made like ours?"--"How long didst thou remain in the womb of thy
mother?" said another. "As long," replied I, "as thou in that of
thine."--"Indeed!" replied a third, counting my fingers and toes, "he is
made like us; he differs only in his colour and language, which
astonishes me."--"Do you sow barley in your houses?" meaning our ships.
"No," answered I; "we sow our fields almost in the same season as
you."--"How!" cried out several of them, "do you inhabit the earth? We
believed that you were born and lived on the sea." Such were the
different questions I had to answer, when I had the honour of their
conversation.

[Footnote 38: Thus they name the stars.]

War among them is nothing else than robbery; therefore they never engage
in it, but in the view of indulging their sloth, when they have pillaged
the flocks, and ravaged the fields before they are reaped. One day that
the fields were covered with the whole flocks of the village, one of the
keepers ran up, quite out of breath, to inform us that some squadrons of
the Ouadelims had appeared upon the top of the hills, with an apparent
intention of carrying off the cattle. Immediately the drum[39] beat, all
ran to arms, and advanced towards the enemy. The riders on horseback are
enveloped in a cloud of dust. The camel, who has a very long step, is
almost as agile. Pushed on by the roaring cries of his rider, he darts
into the crowd, an