MISS PICARD LIVES IN THE ISLAND OF SAFAL--HER MANNER OF
LIVING--SUFFERINGS SHE ENDURED--SHE GATHERS FLOWERS WHICH CONTAIN
A DELETERIOUS POISON--HER TWO BROTHERS FALL SICK--THEY ARE
CONVEYED TO SENEGAL--MISS PICARD OVERCOME WITH MELANCHOLY ALSO
FALLS SICK--STATE IN WHICH SHE IS FOUND--A NEGRO BOILS FOR HER AN
OLD VULTURE--RETURN OF MISS PICARD TO SENEGAL--HER
CONVALESCENCE--HER RETURN TO THE ISLAND OF SAFAL--M. PICARD GOES
THERE TO LIVE WITH ALL HIS FAMILY--DESCRIPTION OF THE FURNITURE
OF THE AFRICAN COTTAGE--COUNTRY LIFE--COMFORT OF THEIR
FIRESIDE--WALKS OF THE FAMILY--LITTLE PLEASURES WHICH THEY ENJOY.
For the space of two months I endured, as did my little brothers, the
beams of a burning sun, the irritations of insects and thorns, and the
want of that food to which we had been accustomed. I suffered during all
the day from a severe headache; but I collected from the ground which
belonged to us the cotton, on which were founded all our hopes. At
night my two young brothers and myself retired into the cottage, which
we used in the island; the working negroes brought the cotton we had
collected during the day; after which I set about preparing supper. The
children, accompanied by the old negro Etienne (the keeper of the
plantation), went and picked up some branches of dry wood. We lighted a
large fire in the middle of the hut, and I kneaded the cakes of millet
flour which were to be our supper, as well as what was to supply us next
day. My paste being prepared, I laid each cake upon the fire which the
children had lighted. Often, and especially when we were very hungry, I
placed them on a shovel of iron which I set upon the fire. This quick
mode of proceeding procured us millet-bread in less than half an hour;
but it must be confessed that this species of wafers or cakes, though
well enough prepared and baked, was far from having the taste of those
we eat at Paris. However, to make them more palatable, I added butter
when I had it, or we ate them with some sour milk. With the first dish
was served up at the same time the dessert, which stood in place of
dainties, of roast meat and salad; it generally consisted of boiled
beans, or roasted pistachio nuts. On festival days, being those when my
father came to see us, we forgot our bad fare in eating the sweet bread
he brought with him from Senegal.
In the month of December 1818, having gone one morning with my brothers
to take a walk among the woods behind our cottage, I found a tree
covered with blossoms as white as snow, and which had a delicious smell.
We gathered a great quantity of them, which we carried home; but these
flowers, as we afterwards found by sad experience, contained a
deleterious poison. Their strong and pungent odour caused violent pains
in the head, forerunners of a malignant fever, which brought us within
two steps of the grave. Two days after my young brothers were seized;
fortunately my father arrived on the following day, and removed them to
Senegal.
Now then I was alone with my old negro Etienne in the island of Safal,
far from my family, isolated in the midst of a desert island, in which
the birds, the wolves, and the tigers, composed the sole population. I
gave free course to my tears and sorrows. The civilized world, said I to
myself, is far from me, an immense river separates me from my friends.
Alas! what comfort can I find in this frightful solitude? What can I do
upon this wretched earth? But although I had said I was unfortunate, was
I not necessary to my unhappy father? Had I not promised to assist him
in the education of his children, whom cruel death had deprived of their
mother? Yes! yes! I was too sensible my life was yet necessary. Engaged
in these melancholy reflections, I fell into a depression of mind which
it would be difficult to describe. Next morning the tumult of my
thoughts led me to the banks of the river, where the preceding evening I
had seen the canoe carry away my father and my young brothers. There I
fixed my humid eyes upon the expanse of water without seeing any thing
but a horrible immensity; then, as recovered from my sorrow, I turned to
the neighbouring fields to greet the flowers and plants which the sun
was just beginning to gild. They were my friends, my companions; they
alone could yet alleviate my melancholy, and render my loneliness
supportable. At last the star of day arising above the horizon,
admonished me to resume my labours.
Having returned to the cottage, I went to the harvest with Etienne. For
the space of two days, I continued at my accustomed occupation, but on
the morning of the third, on returning from the plantation to the house,
I felt myself suddenly seized with a violent pain in my head. As soon as
I reached home I lay down. On the morning I found myself unable to rise
out of bed; a burning fever had manifested itself during the night, and
even deprived me of the hope of being able to return to Senegal.
I was incapable of doing any thing. The good Etienne, touched with my
condition, took his fowling-piece, and went into the neighbouring woods,
to endeavour to shoot me some game. An old vulture was the only produce
of the chase. He brought it to me, and, in spite of the repugnance I
expressed for that species of bird, he persisted in boiling some of it
for me. In about an hour afterwards, he presented me with a bowl of that
African broth; but I found it so bitter, I could not swallow it. I felt
myself getting worse, and every moment seemed to be the last of life. At
last, about noon, having collected all my remaining strength, I wrote to
my father the distressed state I was in; Etienne took the charge of
carrying my letter, and left me alone in the midst of our island. At
night I experienced a great increase of fever; my strength abandoned me
entirely; I was unable to shut the door of the house in which I lay. I
was far from my family; no human being dwelt in the island; no person
witnessed my sufferings; I fell into a state of utter unconsciousness,
and I knew not what I did during the remainder of the night. On the
following morning, having recovered from my insensibility, I heard some
person near me utter sorrowful cries; it was my good sister Caroline. I
opened my eyes, and, to my astonishment, found myself at Senegal,
surrounded by my afflicted family. I felt as if I had returned from the
other world. My father had set off on the instant he received my letter,
with Etienne to the island, and, finding me delirious, took me to
Senegal without my being conscious of it. Recovering by degrees from my
confusion, I was desirous of seeing my brothers, who had been attacked
the same way as myself. Our house looked like an hospital. Here a dying
child wished them to take away the monster he imagined he saw before his
bed; there another demanded something to drink, then, refusing to take
the medicines which were offered to him, filled the house with his
groans; at a distance my feeble voice was heard asking something to
quench the thirst which consumed me.
However, the unremitting care we received, as well as the generous
medicine of M. Quincey, with the tender concern of my father and my
sister Caroline, soon placed us out of danger. I then understood that
the flowers I had had the imprudence to collect in the wood of Safal,
had been the principal cause of my illness, as well as that of my
brothers. In the meanwhile, my father built two new huts in the island,
with the intention of going and living there with all his family. But,
as his affairs kept him yet some days at Senegal, he was prevented from
returning to Safal with the children to continue the collecting of
cotton. On the morrow, we all three set off. When we had arrived upon
the Marigot, in the island of Babaguey, we hailed the keeper of our
island to come and take us over in his canoe. In the mean time I amused
myself in looking at our habitation, which seemed to be very much
embellished since my departure, as it had been augmented with two new
cottages. I discovered the country to be much greener since I last saw
it; in a word, all nature seemed smiling and beautiful. At last Etienne,
to whom we had been calling for a quarter of an hour, arrived with his
canoe, into which we stepped, and soon were again in the island of
Safal.
Arrived at my cottage, I began to examine all the changes my father had
made during my illness. The small cottage situated to the west, I chose
as my sleeping apartment. It was well made with straw and reeds yet
green, and the window, whence was seen the cotton-field, was of the
greatest advantage to me. I began to clean the floor of our apartments,
which was nothing else than sand, among which were various roots and
blades of grass. After that I went to visit the little poultry yard,
where I found two ducks and some hens placed there a short while before.
I was very glad of these little arrangements; and returned to the
principal cottage to prepare breakfast. After this we betook ourselves
to the business of cotton gathering.
Eight days had already elapsed since our return to the island of Safal,
when one morning we perceived our shallop upon the river, which we
always knew by a signal placed upon the mast-head. It was my father, who
brought twelve negroes with him, which he had hired at Senegal, for
assisting him in the cultivation of his island. The men were instantly
set to break up the soil; the women and children assisted us in
gathering cotton. My father then dismissed the negroes, who worked by
the day, as he had to come and go to Senegal, where the urgency of his
business yet required his presence.
I remained a long while without seeing him; but, at the end of eight
days, I was agreeably surprised at finding our boat in the little bay of
Babaguey. 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 cottage. 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 finished our humble repast under the umbrage
of that wonderful tree, my father would go and amuse himself with the
chase; my sister Caroline and myself went to search for rare plants, to
assist our studies in botany; whilst the children hunted butterflies and
other insects. Charles, the eldest of the boys, swam like a fish; and,
when my father shot a duck or _aigrette_ upon the water, he would
instantly throw himself in, and fetch the game. At other times he would
climb to the top of the trees to rob the birds, or bury himself in the
midst of bushes to gather the fruits of the country, then ran, all
breathless and delighted, to present us with his discovery. We would
remain in the island till nearly four in the afternoon, then return to
our boat, and our negroes rowed us to our island.
During the time of the greatest heats, for we could not long endure the
rays of the sun, we passed a part of the Sunday under a very bushy
tamarind-tree, which stood at a little distance from our cottage. Thus,
in the good old times, did the lords, barons, and marquises gather
themselves under the old elms of the village, to discuss the concerns of
their vassals; in like manner did my father collect us under the
tamarind-tree to regulate the affairs of his republic, and also to enjoy
the landscapes which our island afforded. We sometimes took our meals
there, and on those occasions the ground served us at once for table,
table-cloth, and seat. The children gamboled on the grass, and played a
thousand tricks to amuse us. We now began to discover that every
condition of life had its own peculiar enjoyments. If the labours of the
week seemed long and laborious, the Sabbath recompensed us by our
country recreations. We lived thus for some time in the greatest
tranquillity. Shut up in a desert island, from all society, we ventured
to think we had discovered the condition of real happiness.
Every Wednesday we sent two negroes to the village of Gandiolle, to
purchase provisions, such as butter, milk, eggs, &c. One day, however,
my father resolved to purchase a cow and thirty fowls, that we might
have in our island all the little necessaries used by a family. Our
poultry yard being thus augmented, we looked upon ourselves as great as
the richest princes in Africa; and in truth, since we had a cottage,
milk, butter, eggs, maize, millet, cotton, tranquillity and health, what
more was necessary for our comfort?