e south
of the cotton field. He surrounded the monument of his sorrow with a
kind of evergreen bean tree, which soon crept over the grave, and
entirely concealed it from the view. This little grove of verdure
attracted, by the freshness of its foliage, a multitude of birds, and
served them for a retreat. My father never left this place but he was
more tranquil, and less affected with his misfortunes.

Towards the middle of April, seeing his plants had produced less cotton
than he expected, and that the hot winds and grasshoppers had made great
havock in his plantations, my father decided to leave upon it but one
old negro, for superintending the day-labourers, whom he had reduced to
four. In the mean time, we learned that some merchants, settled at
Senegal, had written to France against my father. They complained that
he had not employed sufficient severity against some unfortunate persons
who had not been able to pay their debts; and they exclaimed against
some miserable speculations which he had made in the country of Fouta
Toro, for procuring grain necessary for the support of his negroes.

The expedition to Galam making preparations for its departure,[13] my
father, in spite of the insinuations of some merchants of the colony,
was desirous also of trying his fortune. He associated himself with a
person who was to make the voyage; he bought European goods, and
refitted his boat, which again occasioned him loss. Towards the middle
of August 1818, the expedition set off. A month after its departure, my
cousin, whom the country had considerably affected, returned to France,
to our great regret. My sister and myself found ourselves the only
society to enable us to support our sorrows; however, as we hoped to
return to France in a few years, we overcame our disappointment. We had
already in some degree recovered our tranquillity, in spite of all our
misfortunes and the solitude in which we lived, when my father received
a letter from the governor of the colony, announcing to him, that, by
the decision of the Minister of Marine, a new attorney had come to
Senegal, and enjoining him at the same time to place the papers of the
office in the hands of his successor.

[Footnote 13: The voyage from Senegal to the country of Galam is
made but once a year, because it is necessary to take advantage of
the overflowing of the river, either in coming or going. The
merchant boats which are destined to make the voyage,