During my residence at Freetown, the capital of the colony of Sierra Leone, I became acquainted with some Mandingoes and seracolets.[40] I won their confidence, and availed myself of it to gain information about the countries which I intended to visit. At last, to make sure of their friendship, I gave them a few trifles; and then I told them one day, with a very mysterious air, and a charge of secrecy, that I was born in Egypt, of Arabian parents, and that I had been carried into France, in my infancy, by some soldiers of the French army which had invaded Egypt; that I had afterwards been brought to the Senegal by my master, who in consideration of my services had given me my liberty. I added that, as I was now free, I felt a natural inclination to return to Egypt, to seek my relations, and to adopt the Mahometan religion. At first the Mandingoes did not seem to credit my account, and especially what I said of my zeal for their religion; but their doubts were removed when they heard me repeat many passages of the Koran, and saw me join with them in performing the salam; at last they said to one another that I was really a good Musulman. Need I say that in secret I addressed my fervent prayers to the God of the christians to favour my undertaking? The Mandingoes, deceived by my apparent anxiety to observe all the ceremonies of their religion, confided in me entirely. Our acquaintance ripened into intimacy, and they seemed as if they could never be happy without me; every day I was invited, to my great annoyance, to dine with them upon boiled rice and palm-oil. It will be seen by what follows how far these effusions of friendship were to be trusted.