It may seem possible that a Mulatto born at Senegal, accustomed from his childhood to such behaviour, and having but an imperfect notion of European manners, should put up with this treatment; but how a European, and a Frenchman, can endure it, is what I never could comprehend, though I have seen it. It is true that it is in general the clerks of traders at St. Louis who are forced to submit to these customs, for fear of compromising the interests of the houses by which they are sent. They have only one chance of avoiding the annoyance of such guests, and eating their meals in peace; and that is, to have every thing cooked with bacon or pork; the Moor, in that case, will eat what has been prepared for him in a corner by himself; but he exercises the same rapacity upon bread, sugar and every thing else that pleases his gluttonous palate. Sometimes the dealers, wearied out, attempt to dismiss the princes; but they avoid coming to a quarrel, because, if a blow should be struck, the right of trading would be suspended; fresh negociations must take place, and they would only terminate in the payment of a fine of several pieces of Guinea cloth. When the zenagues come on board to walk about, there is no such thing as getting rid of them without making them some present, or at least giving them a calabash of molasses and water. The traffic generally commences in the month of January, and ends the 31st of July. Towards the end of May, the king comes to the port; he sometimes lodges on board the station-ship, but more commonly on shore in a hut that the dealers have built for him. During his stay, which sometimes lasts two months, the dealers are obliged to feed all his attendants, and to pay a daily tax of two or three pieces of Guinea cloth; this is called, as I said before, _the king’s supper_. He visits one or other of the ships every day, receives presents, and never forgets to call for an enormous calabash of sugar and water for himself and his suite. He is always received with the greatest politeness on board all the ships, for he would break off the traffic if any dealer were not to behave well to him. In this way he is sure of obtaining whatever he desires. Whilst he stays at the port, he levies another tax, which has been established for some years under the name of a “forced present.” He requires from each dealer one hundred pieces or more of Guinea cloth, and if this quantity is not delivered to him within a fixed time, he breaks off the trade. The dealers then contribute each of them according to the tonnage of his vessel, and when the quantity required is made up, it is delivered to the king, who permits them to resume their traffic. A whim, or the slightest complaint made to the king, is enough to interrupt it; nay, I have known it to be broken off because Fatme-Anted-Moctar (the king’s aunt) complained that one of the supercargoes had given her some coffee which she did not like.