Narrative of a Voyage to Senegal in 1816 | Page 3

gentlemen of the French Navy, it was necessary
to make use of the technical terms, that they might be able to
understand us.
This second edition is enriched with notes, which will give the reader

interesting details on many points, which in the former we could only
slightly touch upon. He will have nothing more to desire, particularly
respecting the march in the desert after the stranding of the long-boat.
These notes begin with the moment that the frigate stranded, and
terminate with the arrival at St. Louis.
They were communicated to us by Mr. Landry, an officer of the Royal
University, Professor Emeritus of the Academy of Paris, and at present
at the head of a school or Academy, in the Rue Cerisaye, No. 2, quarter
of the Arsenal, at Paris. He has had the kindness to extract them for us
from a narrative, written by his nephew, Mr. Bredif, Engineer of Mines,
belonging to the expedition to Senegal.
The Narrator sent this account to his family above a year ago,
addressing it to his sister. The reader will, therefore, not be surprised at
the tone of simplicity which prevails in this recital. Mr. Landry would
not take away any part for fear of injuring the truth of the
circumstances, by meddling with it. If Mr. Bredif, is always placed in
the fore-ground, that is not surprising; in a sister, a brother is the
principal object which she cannot lose sight of for a moment.
He who loves to observe men, in all the circumstances, in which they
may be placed, will easily judge, after what Mr. Bredif did or felt, what
may have been done or felt by the sharers in the same misfortunes, who
are, besides, never forgotten.
Mr. Bredif is now in the interior of Africa, employed upon the Mission
which the government has entrusted to him; the last accounts from him
are of the 14th of October, 1817. The manner in which he knows how
to give an account of the facts which he has observed, and still more the
courage, the prudence, and humanity, which he displayed in the disaster
of the Medusa, and in all that followed it, give reason to hope, and this
hope cannot be deceived, that be will duly execute his Mission, and
render himself worthy of his Majesty's favours.

[Illustration: PLAN of the RAFT of the MEDUSA, at the moment of its
being abandoned. 150 Frenchmen were placed on this Machine. 15
only were saved 13 days after.]

NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE TO SENEGAL.

INTRODUCTION
The French settlements, situated on the western coast of Africa, from
Cape Blanco to the mouth of the river Gambia, have been alternately
possessed by France and England, and have remained definitively in
the hands of the French, whose ancestors laid the foundations of them
previously to the fourteenth century, when they discovered this
country.
The English made themselves masters in 1758 of the Isle of St Louis,
the seat of the general government of all the settlements which the
French have on that part of the coast; we recovered it twenty years after,
in 1779 and our possessions were again confirmed to us by the treaty of
peace between France and England, concluded on the 3d of September,
1783. In 1808, our possessions fell again into the power of the English,
less by the superiority of their arms, than by the treachery of some
individuals unworthy of bearing the name of Frenchmen. They were
finally restored to us by the treaties of peace of 1814, and 1815, which
confirmed that of 1783 in its whole extent.
The stipulations of this treaty regulate the respective rights of the two
nations on the Western coast of Africa; they fix the possessions of
France as follows:--from Cape Blanco situated in longitude 19° 30', and
latitude 20° 55' 30", to the mouth of the river Gambia in longitude 19°
9', and latitude 13°; they guarantee this property exclusively to our
country, and only permit the English to trade together with the French,
for gum, from the river St. John to Fort Portendick inclusive, on
condition, that they shall not form establishments of any kind
whatsoever in this river, or upon any point of this coast. Only it is said,
that the possession of the factory of Albreda, situated at the month of
the river Gambia, and that of fort James, are confirmed to England.
The rights of the two nations being thus regulated, France thought of
resuming her possessions and the enjoyment of her rights. The minister
of the marine after having long meditated, and taken two years to
prepare an expedition of four vessels, at last gave orders that it should
sail for Senegal. The following is a list of the persons who composed
the expedition.