pity. Fear had dispersed what few inhabitants had escaped this butchery; the three brothers, at the first approach of the conqueror, had fled with their mother on their shoulders, to hide themselves in the thickest forest. Selico would not quit Darina as long as she was exposed to the smallest danger; but he no sooner saw her in safety than, trembling for Berissa, he hastened to Sabi to enquire after her, to save her, or to perish together. Sabi had just been taken by the Dahomais; the streets ran with blood; the houses pillaged and destroyed; the palace of the king, the temple of the serpent, were no longer any thing but smoking ruins, covered with carcases, whose heads the barbarians had,, according to their custom, carried away with them. The unhappy Selico, in despair, wished for death, and dared it a thousand times in the midst of the soldiery, drunk with brandy and with blood. Selico searched all these miserable ruins, looking for, and calling, with cries of grief, on Berissa and Faculho; but in vain! he could not discern their bodies amidst so many mutilated trunks. After having given up five days to this fruitless and melancholy search, Selico set out to return to his mother, no longer doubting but that Berissa and her father had fallen victims to the ferocious Dahomais. He found his mother in the same wood where he had left her with his brothers. The melancholy and distracted looks of Selico, frightened and alarmed a family already miserable. Darina wept over his misfortunes, and attempted consolations to which her son was insensible. He refused all food, and seemed determined to starve himself to death. Guberi and Teloné did not endeavour to alter his resolution by reasoning or intreaties; but pointed to their old mother, who now had not any longer home or bread, or any thing in this world but her children, and then asked if, after such a sight, he did not feel himself bold enough to live. Selico promised he would; and endeavoured to think no more of his misfortunes, but to divide with his brothers their attention to his mother. They penetrated more into the interior parts of the forest, built a hut in a sequestered valley, and endeavoured to supply by the chace the maize and roots of which they were in want. Having lost their bows and arrows, and other things which they had not time to carry off with them, they soon felt the effects of famine. Fruits were scarce in this forest, where the monkies disputed them with the three brothers. The land only produced grass; they had no instruments to work it, and no seed to sow, if it had been worked. The rainy season was setting in, and their distress still augmented. The poor mother continually suffering upon a bed of dried leaves, never complained, but was declining very fast her sons, worn out with hunger, could no longer go into the woods, which were now under water they set traps for small birds, and when they took any, which was very seldom, they carried them to their mother, and

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gave it her with a forced smile; but the mother scarcely would eat it, because she could not make her sons partake of it.

Three months passed without bringing any change to their miserable situation. The three brothers, obliged at last to come to some determined resolution, consulted together unknown to Darina. Guberi proposed first that they should go to the coast, and that one of them should be sold to the first European factory, in order to buy bread, maize, instruments of agriculture, and every thing necessary to support their aged parent. A melancholy silence was the answer of the two brothers. To separate, to quit each other for ever to be the slave of white men! that idea distracted them. "Who will be sold?" cried out Teloné, with a doleful voice-" Fortune shall determine it; (answered Guberi) let us throw three different sized stones into this pitcher of muddy water, shake it well, and he who draws ont the smallest shall be the unfortunate person."-"No, brother, (interrupted Selico) fortune has already determined. It is I who am the unfortunate person you have forgotten then that I have lost Berissa, and that you alone hindered me from dying, by telling me I should be useful to my mother now is the time, perform your promise, and sell me." Guberi and Teloné endeavoured, but in vain, to oppose the generous offer of their brother Selico was deaf to their prayers, refused to draw lots, and threatened to go alone to the factory, if they obstinately persisted in refusing to accompany him. The two eldest at last consented, and it was agreed that Guberi should remain with his mother, and that Teloné should accompany Selico to the Dutch factor, where he should receive the price, of his brother's liberty, and should then return with the provisions, &c. of which they were in want.

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During this agreement Selico was the only one who did not weep; but what difficulty and distress did he suffer to hide his tears when he was to leave his mother, and bid her an eternal adieu to embrace her for the last time! and to deceive her in swearing that he would soon return with Teloné! that they were only going to revisit their former habitation, and find if they could not again take possession of it! The good old woman believed them, but she could scarcely tear herself out of the arms of her sons; she trembled for the dangers they were about to run; and by an involuntary foresight she ran after Selico, when he had disappeared from her presence. The two young brothers, of whom it was difficult to say which was the most to be pitied, arrived in a few days at the city of Sabi. The murders had ceased; peace began to raise her head; and the king of Darhomai, quiet possessor of the states of Juida, wished to encourage an intercourse with Europeans, and had given them an establishment within his walls. Many English and French merchants were admitted to his court, to whom he sold his

numerous prisoners, and he divided among his soldiers the lands of the conquered. Teloné soon found a merchant who offered him an hundred crowns for his brother. Whilst he was hesitating and trembling at this horrible bargain, a trumpet sounds in the square, and a public crier proclaims with a loud voice, that the king of Dahomai would give four hundred ounces of gold to whoever would deliver a negro, as yet unknown, who dared to profane, the preceding night, the seraglio of the monarch, and had escaped at day-break, amidst the arms of his guards. Selico, on hearing this proclamation, made a sign to Teloné not to conclude the bargain with the merchant; and taking his brother aside, spoke thus to him in a firm and determined voice: "Thou must sell me, and I am resolved on it, in order to preserve my mother; but the moderate price this white offers thee will not make her comfortable. Four hundred ounces of gold will be a large fortune for her and you both. You must not let this opportunity slip; no, brother you must bind me directly, and conduct me to the king as the criminal he is in search of. Don't be frightened, I know as well as you what punishment awaits me; I have calculated its duration, and it cannot last longer than an hour; and when my mother brought me into the world, she suffered much longer." Teloné trembled so much that he could not answer. Full of alarm and tenderness, he fell at the feet of Selico, embraced his knees, and, pressing them, besought him by the name of their mother, by that of Berissa, by every thing he held dear and sacred on this earth, to give up so terrible a resolution. "Of whom dost thou speak; (replied Selico, with a smile of anguish) I have lost Berissa; I am anxious to meet her again: I preserve my mother by my death, and render my brothers richer than ever they could have expected, and I save myself a slavery that might have lasted forty years, My determination is fixed; do not argue longer, or I will go and deliver myself to the king; thou wilt lose the benefit of my death, and be the means of destroying her to whom we are indebted for our existence."

Intimidated by the tone and manner with which Selico pronounced these last words, Teloné dared not to make any reply ; he obeyed his brother, and went for cords to bind him. He tied his two arms behind his back, as he bathed it with his tears; and, driving him before him, went to the palace of the king.

Stopped by the first guards, he demanded to be conducted to the king; his name and purpose is announced, and he is presented to the monarch. The king of Dahomai, covered with gold and precious stones, was half reclined upon a sopha of scarlet and gold, his head leaning on the breast of one of his favourites, clothed with petticoats of brocade. The ministers, nobles, and officers, very richly dressed, were prostrated at twenty steps from him; the bravest were distinguished by a collar of

human teeth, each of which was a mark of a victory. Many women, with firelocks on their shoulders, guarded the doors of the apartment: large vases of gold, containing palm wine, brandy, and strong liquors, were placed indiscriminately at a little distance from the king, and the floor was paved with the skulls of his enemies.

"Sovereign of the world! (said Teloné, bowing his forehead to the ground) I come, according to thy sacred orders, to deliver into thy hands" He could say no more, his voice faltered, the king questioned him, but he could not answer. Selico then spoke. "King of Dahomai, you see before you the criminal who, instigated by a fatal passion, penetrated last night into your seraglio. He who holds me bound was so long my confidential friend, that I intrusted him with my secret; zealous to serve thee, he has betrayed his friend. He surprised me when sleeping, bound me, and brings me here to demand thy promised recompense give it him, for the wretch has well earned it." The king, without deigning to answer him, makes a sign to one of his ministers, who seizes the culprit, delivers him to the armed women, and counts out to Teloné the four hundred ounces of gold. He, loaded with this gold, whose touch is dreadful to him, hastens to buy provisions, and then rushes out of the city in a hury to carry them to his mother.

Already, by orders from the monarch, they had begun the preparations for the terrible execution, with which adultery with the king's wives were punished in Juida. Two wide ditches are dug at a short distance from each other. In that destined for the guilty wife the criminal is fastened to a stake, and all the ladies of the seraglio, dressed in their best apparel, carrying large vases of boiling water, march to the sound of drums and flutes, and pour this water upon her head until she expires. In the other ditch there is a pile of wood, above which is an iron bar, supported by two stakes; to this bar the other criminal is tied, and when the pile is lighted, the extremity of the flames do but touch him, and he perishes by length of torture. The square was full of spectators. The whole army under arms formed a square battalion of firelocks and darts. The priests, in their dresses of ceremony, were waiting to lay their hands on the victims and devote them to death. The prisoners came from opposite quarters, guarded by women. Selico, calm and resigned, marched with an erect countenanee and firm step. Having come to the fatal spot, an involuntary movement made him turn his eyes to view his companion in misery: what is his surprise-what is his grief to see Berissa! He screams out and attempts to fly to her, but his executioners prevent him. Indignation directly takes possession of him. "Wretch! (says he to himself) during the time when I was bewailing her loss, and seeking death in order to follow her, she was one of those vile mistresses that

dispute the heart of a tyrant! Not content with having betrayed her love, she was faithless to her master! she deserved the name of adultress, and the chastisement with which they are punished. O my dearest mother! is it for you alone I die! it is you alone that I wish to think of!" At the same instant the unfortunate Berissa had discerned Selico, she cries out, and calls the priests to her, and declares that the young man at the stake is not the person who broke into the seraglio; she confirmed this by the most redoubled oaths. The priests are alarmed, stop the execution, run to inform the king what had happened, who comes in person to the great square. Anger and indignation are strongly painted on the face of the monarch, as he approaches Berissa "Slave! (says he, with a tremendous voice) thou who disdained the love of thy master, thou whom I wished to raise to the dignity of my first wife, and whom I suffered to live in spite of your refusals, what is thy object in denying the crime of thy accomplice? Dost thou wish to save him? If he is not thy lover, name him then, guilty girl; point him out to my justice, and I will immediately deliver the innocent."

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King of Dahomai, (replied Berissa, who was tied to the stake) I could not accept of thy heart; mine was no longer in my possession, and I was not afraid to tell thee so. Dost thou imagine that she who would not tell a falsehood to share a throne, could be capable of it at the moment she is going to expire? No; I have owned every thing; I will repeat all I know. A man penetrated last night into my apartment; he only quitted me at day-break; but that prisoner is not the man. Thou askest me to name him; neither my duty nor my will can consent to do so. I know nothing can save me, and I only wish to prolong these terrible moments to hinder you from committing a crime. I swear, king of Dahomai, that the blood of this innocent man will fall on thine own head. Let him be released, and let me suffer. that is all I request." The king was struck with the tone and manner with which Berissa had pronounced these last words: he remained musing, holding down his head, and astonished himself at his own secret repugnance, for once, to shed blood. But recollecting that this negro had accused himself as being guilty, and fancying that Berissa's eagerness to save him was from her love to him, all his rage returned; he makes a sign to the executioner, who immediately sets fire to the pile; the women begin procession with their vases of boiling water, when an old man, quite out of breath, and covered with blood and wounds, pushes through the crowd, and throws himself at the king's feet. "Stop! (he cried) stop!-it is I who am the guilty person!-it was I who scaled the walls of thy seraglio to carry off my daughter. I was formerly the priest of the deity who was worshipped on this spot my daughter was torn from my arms, and dragged to thy palace; ever since I have constantly watched to see her. This