we then had occasion to reflect sadly on the imprudence of our enterprise.  We generally slept amongst habitations.  Once, we found the streets of a village barricaded, because they were fearing an attack from a neighbouring village.  The foremost man of our caravan removed the obstacles; but a woman came out of her house like a fury, and belaboured us with blows from a pole.  We remarked that she was fair, of brilliant whiteness, and very pretty.

Another time we lay down in a lurking-place dignified by the beautiful name of caravansary.  In the morning, when the sun rose, cries of “Roumi!  Roumi!” warned us that we had been discovered.  The sailor, Mehemet, he who figured in the scene of the oath at Palamos, entered in a melancholy mood the enclosure where we were together, and made us understand that the cries of “Roumi!” vociferated under these circumstances, were equivalent to a sentence of death.  “Wait,” said he; “a means of saving you has occurred to me.”  Mehemet entered some moments afterwards, told us that his means had succeeded, and invited me to join the Kabyls, who were going to say prayers.

I accordingly went out, and prostrated myself towards the East.  I imitated minutely the gestures which I saw made around me, pronouncing the sacred words,—­La elah il Allah! oua Mahommed racoul Allah! It was the scene of Mamamouchi of the “Bourgeois Gentilhomme,” which I had so often seen acted by Dugazon,—­with this one difference, that this time it did not make me laugh.  I was, however, ignorant of the consequences it might have brought upon me on my arrival at Algiers.  After having made the profession of faith before Mahomedans—­There is but one God, and Mahomet is his prophet, if I had been informed against to the mufti, I must inevitably have become Mussulman, and they would not have allowed me to go out of the Regency.

I must not forget to relate by what means Mehemet had saved us from inevitable death.  “You have guessed rightly,” said he to the Kabyls; “there are two Christians in the caravansary, but they are Mahomedans at heart, and are going to Algiers to be adopted by the mufti into our holy religion.  You will not doubt this when I tell you that I was myself a slave to some Christians, and that they redeemed me with their money.”

“In cha Allah!” they exclaimed with one voice.  And it was then that the scene took place which I have just described.

We arrived in sight of Algiers the 25th December, 1808.  We took leave of the Arab owners of our mules, who walked on foot by the side of us, and we spurred them on, in order to reach the town before the closing of the gates.  On our arrival, we learnt that the Dey, to whom we owed our first deliverance, had been beheaded.  The guard of the palace before which we passed, stopped us and questioned us as to whence we came.  We replied that we came from Bougie by land.  “It is not possible!” exclaimed all the janissaries at once; “the Dey himself would not venture to undertake such a journey!” “We acknowledge that we have committed a great imprudence; that we would not undertake to recommence the journey for millions; but the fact that we have just declared is the strict truth.”