baguey. I ran with the family negroes to disembark our effects, and I
soon had the pleasure of holding my sister Caroline in my arms. My
father came on shore afterwards with the youngest children, and all the
family found themselves united under the roof of the African Cottage, in
the island of Safal. "You see, my child," said my father to me on
entering our huts, "you see all our riches! we have neither moveables
nor house at Senegal; every thing we can claim as our own is here." I
embraced my father, and my brothers and sisters, and then went to unload
our boat. Our house was soon filled. It served at once for a cellar,
granary, store-house, a parlour, and bed-chamber. However, we found a
place for every thing. Next day we began to fit them up more
commodiously. My sister and myself lived in the small house to the west;
my father took up his residence in that towards the east; and the large
hut in the centre was the place where the children slept. Round about
the last we suspended some boards by cords, to hold our dishes and
various kitchen utensils. A table, two benches, some chairs, a large
couch, some old barrels, a mill to grind the cotton, implements of
husbandry, constituted the furniture of that cottage. Nevertheless, in
spite of its humbleness, the sun came and gilded our roofs of straw and
reeds. My father fitted up his cottage as a study. Here were boards
suspended by small cords, upon which his books and papers were arranged
with the greatest order;--there a fir board, supported by four feet,
driven into the ground, served as a desk; at a distance stood his gun,
his pistols, his sword, his clarionet, and some mathematical
instruments. A chair, a small couch, a pitcher, and a cup, formed his
little furniture.

Our cottage was situated on the top of a little hill of gentle ascent.
Forests of mangrove-trees, gum-trees, tamarind-trees, sheltered us on
the west, the north, and the east. To the south was situated the
plantation which we called South-field. This field was already covered
with about three hundred thousand feet of cotton, a third of which had
nearly begun to be productive. Upon the banks of the river, and to the
west of the cotton field, was situated our garden; finally, to the south
of the plain, were our fields of maize, beans, and millet.

Our little republic, to which my father gave laws, was governed in the
following manner:--We usually rose about day-break, and met altogether
in the large cot