tage. After having embraced our father, we fell upon our
knees to return thanks to the Supreme Being for the gift of another
day. That finished, my father led the negroes to their work, during
which my sister and myself arranged the family affairs, and prepared
breakfast, when, about eight o'clock, he returned to the cottage.
Breakfast being over, each took his little bag, and went and gathered
cotton. About noon, as the heat became insupportable, all returned to
the cottage, and worked at different employments. I was principally
charged with the education of my young brothers and sisters, and the
young negroes of the family. Round my little hut were suspended various
pictures for study, upon which I taught them to read according to the
method of mutual assistance. A bed of sand, smoothed upon a small bench,
served the younger ones to trace and understand the letters of the
alphabet: the others wrote upon slates. We bestowed nearly two hours
upon each exercise, and then my scholars amused themselves at different
games. At three o'clock, all returned to the cotton field, and remained
till five. Dinner, which we usually had at six, was followed by a little
family conversation, in which the children were interrogated concerning
what they had been taught during the day. When I was well pleased with
them, I promised them a story, or a fable, in the evening. Sometimes
after dinner, we went to take a short walk on the banks of the river;
then returned to the cottage, where Etienne had had the care of lighting
a large fire, the heat of which forced the musquitoes and gnats to yield
their place to the little circle which our family made round the hearth.
Then my sister Caroline and myself related some fables to the children,
or read them a lesson from the Evangelists or the Bible; whilst my
father smoked his pipe, amusing himself by contemplating all his family
around him. The hour of going to bed being arrived, we made a common
prayer, after which all retired to their separate huts to sleep.

Thus did our days glide away amid the occupations of the fields and the
recreations of the family. On Sundays, our labours were suspended.
Sometimes to spend the day more agreeably, and avoid the molestations of
the hunters, who often came to our island, we went to the island of
Bokos, situated to the east of Safal. On reaching it, we seated
ourselves under a large baobab, which was more than thirty feet in
circumference. After having finis