Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/130

120 this prohibition, uttered in o dictatorial a tone; for the Fical eemed fully peruaded that we durt not be o rah as to proceed any farther. We, however, after having repreented to him that we could not poibly do any harm to his uncultivated tony grounds, purued our route. The petty Vizier fell into a violent rage at eeing how little we minded his orders, and not being able to anwer our remontrances, he told us in very bad French, that uch were his commands, and it required no further explanation.

Two negroes, who had accompanied us from the town, trembled at the ound of the Fical's voice, and it was with difficulty that we could peruade them to remain with us: for they told us, whilt they huddered with horror, that this Monieur Denes was the peron who preided at the whippings that were adminitered according to the orders of the officers of police.

It is a remarkable circumtance that the Fical is here inveted with the charge of inpection over all the ervants of the Company, and holds his office independently of any other peron. It eems till more trange that o important a trut hould be committed to the hands of an officer of police, who is thus enabled to practie all the extortions for which his office affords him uch ample opportunities; for he it is who both fixes the