AN ABORTIVE START 21

rifles of the 1893 pattern, ten revolvers of the very latest

pattern, with ten thousand cartridges, which represented one thousand per man, more than enough in my opinion.

Lastly, the naval authorities let us have a quick-firing Hotchkiss gun, with ammunition and all accessories.

On December 25 all was ready, except that the Davoust

was not quite finished. On Christmas Day Baudry started

for Bordeaux, with the larger portion of our stores, and on

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January 5, I, in my turn, embarked on the steamship Brazil of the Messageries Maritimes, taking with me my boat in sections.

Dakar lies low at the extremity of the bay on which it is

built, at the foot of the heights, which together form Cape Verd. It has inherited the commercial position of Fort Goree, and looks like an islet of verdure framed amongst sombre rocks and gleaming sands.

Alas ! if Dakar were English, what a busy commercial