ts after they were burned. A covered gallery which we had in the
small house we inhabited, seemed convenient to hold the apparatus of our
manufacture. Here we placed our coppers. We then commenced the making of
potass, waiting for the surrender of the colony. The first essay we made
gave us hopes. Our ashes produced a potass of fine colour, and we did
not doubt of succeeding, when we should have sent a sample of it to
France. We made about four barrels, and my father sent a box of it to a
friend of his at Paris to analyze. Whilst waiting the reply of the
chemist, he hired three negroes to begin the cultivation of his island
of Safal. He went himself to direct their operations, but he fell ill of
fatigue. Fortunately his illness was not of long continuance, and in the
month of December he was perfectly recovered. At this period an English
expedition went from Senegal into the interior of Africa, commanded by
Major Peddie,[8] the gentleman who had given so great assistance to the
unfortunates of the Medusa. That worthy philanthropic Englishman died
soon after his departure; we sincerely lamented him.

[Footnote 8: Vide Note B.]

On the 1st of January 1817, the colony of Senegal was surrendered to the
French. The English left it, some for Great Britain, others for Sierra
Leone and the Cape of Good Hope; and France entered into all her
possessions on the west coast of Africa. We remained yet a month in our
first house; at last we procured one much larger. My father then
commenced his functions of attorney, and we at last began to receive
provisions from the French government. The house in which we lived was
very large; but the employment which my father followed was very
incompatible with the tranquillity we desired. To remove us from the
noise and tumultuous conversations of the people who perpetually came to
the office, we had a small hut of reeds constructed for us in the midst
of our garden, which was very large. Here my sister, my cousin, and
myself, passed the greater part of the day. From that time we began to
see a little of the world, and to return unavoidable visits. Every
Sunday the family went to the island of Safal, where we very agreeably
spent the day; for that day seemed as short in the country, as the six
other days of the week were long and listless at Senegal. That country
was so little calculated for people of our age, that we continually
teazed our father to return with us to France. But as he had