of cultivation: the mines of gold and silver, which border upon it,
promise one day to rival the richest in the possession of Spain in the
New World. This conjecture is sufficiently justified by the reports sent
to Europe by the agents of the African and Indian Companies, and
particularly by M. de Buffon, who, in a MS. deposited in the archives
of the colonies, thus expresses himself:--"It is certain that there are
found in the sand of the rivers (in the country of Galam) various
precious stones, such as rubies, topazes, sapphires, and perhaps some
diamonds; and there are in the mountains veins of gold and silver." Two
productions, not less estimable perhaps than gold and silver, are
indigenous to this fine country, and increase in the most prodigious
manner there; viz. the Lotus, or bread-tree, of the ancients, spoken of
by Pliny, and the Shea, or butter-tree,[12] of which the English
traveller Mungo Park has given a description.

[Footnote 11: Vide Note D.]

[Footnote 12: Vide Note E.]

CHAPTER XI.

THE SICKNESS AND DEATH OF MADAME PICARD BREAK IN UPON THE
HAPPINESS OF THE FAMILY--M. PICARD TURNS HIS VIEWS TO
COMMERCE--BAD SUCCESS OF HIS ENTERPRISE--THE DISTRACTED AFFAIRS
OF THE COLONY DISGUST HIM--THE CULTIVATION OF THE ISLAND OF
SAFAL--SEVERAL MERCHANTS PROTEST AGAINST M. PICARD APPLYING
HIMSELF TO COMMERCE--DEPARTURE OF THE EXPEDITION TO THE ISLAND OF
GALAM--M. PICARD IS DEPRIVED OF HIS EMPLOYMENT AS ATTORNEY--HIS
ELDEST DAUGHTER GOES TO LIVE IN THE ISLAND OF SAFAL WITH TWO OF
HER BROTHERS.

We were happy enough, at least content, at Senegal, until the sickness
of my stepmother broke in upon the repose we enjoyed. Towards the middle
of July 1817, she fell dangerously ill; all the symptoms of a malignant
fever appeared in her; and in spite of all the assistance of art and the
care we bestowed upon her, she died in the beginning of November of the
same year. Her loss plunged us all into the deepest affliction. My
father was inconsolable. From that melancholy period, there was no
happiness for our unfortunate family: chagrin, sickness, enemies, all
seemed to conspire against us. A short while after her death my father
received a letter from the chemist at Paris, informing him that the
sample of potass which he had sent to France was nothing but marine
salt, and some particles of potass and saltpetre. This news, although
disagreeable, did not affect us, because we had still greater
misfortunes