conveniences the Arabs themselves are strangers, to, except those who
are rich. During the night, a carpet served for a covering to a whole
family. "Sidy Mahammet," said I to my master, "See, is it possible I can
long exist in such places? Allow me a covering under the tent. I suffer
much from the cold at night, and the ground on which you make me lie is
very wet. I have made your fortune, and you promised in return to use me
as your son, yet you abandon me!"--"It is true," replied he, "I did
promise you my friendship, and I will at this moment give you a
particular proof of it. Your situation, you say, is unhappy, but it will
be much better than you imagine. Tell me, what is the destiny to which
you are appointed? Fire and flame await you, to torment you through all
eternity. Have you considered well your religion?" I quickly replied,
and pointed out to him its excellency. He heard me for some time, and
then went away, telling me, he preferred a bowl of churned milk to all
the absurdities of which I had been talking.--Alas! there is no kind of
torment, which this fanatical priest would not have made me endure, to
compel me to embrace his religion.

Messieurs Devoise and Baudre, who had heard all this conversation,
(which I have here much abridged,) assured me it was very satisfactory.
They promised themselves some mitigation of their sufferings. The hour
of milking the camels being come, they called me to receive my own and
my neighbour's portion. When I saw our portions were somewhat larger
than usual, I concluded it was the good effect which my morality had
produced; but, on tasting it, we discerned that the increase of quantity
was owing to rain water, of which they had now doubled our dose, so that
we had nothing but whitened water to support us. This soon weakened us
to such a degree, that we were reduced to the hard necessity of seeking
our meat with the beasts. The wild plants, which they were trampling
under foot, with raw snails, were our only nourishment from this time,
till the time we regained our liberty. Meanwhile, he continued to
prepare new labours for me. I now had the charge of putting the camels
in the plough, labouring the ground, and sowing it; while my master, not
content with employing me in his own service, hired me out to other
Arabs for a morsel of milk. I would certainly have sunk under this
fatigue, if, from time to time, I had not found opportunity to steal
some handfuls of barley. It was