off to the residence of
M. Lerouge; but he was already at Senegal. We found his house filled
with soldiers, which the governor had sent to defend that position
against the Moors. My father then borrowed a little shallop to take us
to Senegal. Whilst the boat was preparing, we eat a morsel of
millet-bread I had had the precaution to make before we left Safal; at
last, at six in the evening, we embarked for St Louis, leaving our
negroes at Babaguey. My father promised to Etienne to go and rejoin him
to continue the work, if it was possible, as soon as we were in safety.

It was very late before we reached Senegal. As we had no lodgings, a
friend of my father, (M. Thomas) admitted us, his worthy wife loading us
with kindness. During our stay in the island of Safal, my father had
made various trips to Senegal; but as my sister and myself had not
quitted it for a long time, we found ourselves in another world. The
isolated manner in which we had lived, and the misfortunes we had
endured, contributed in no small degree to give us a savage and
embarrassed appearance. Caroline especially had become so timid, she
could not be persuaded to appear in company. It is true the nakedness to
which we were reduced, a good deal caused the repugnance we felt at
seeing company. Having no cap but our hair, no clothes but a half-worn
robe of coarse silk, without stockings and shoes, we felt very
distressed in appearing thus habited before a society among whom we had
formerly held a certain rank. The good lady Thomas seeing our
embarrassment, kindly dispensed with our appearance at table, as they
had strangers in the house. She caused supper to be brought to our
chamber, under the pretext that we were indisposed. In this manner we
escaped the curious and imprudent regards of various young people, who
had not yet been tutored by the hand of misfortune. We learned that we
were known at Senegal by different names, some calling us _The Hermits
of the Isle of Safal_, others _The Exiles in Africa_.

On the morrow, my father hired an apartment in the house of one of his
old friends (M. Valentin.) After breakfast we thanked our hosts, and
went to our new lodging. It consisted of a large chamber, the windows of
which were under ground, filled with broken panes; thus, in the first
night, we had such a quantity of musquitoes, that we thought we were yet
in the island of Safal. On the following day, my father was desirous of
returning to his plantation