int do_sliced_copy(char *dest, int *dest_strides, int *dest_dimensions,
		   int dest_nd, char *src, int *src_strides, 
		   int *src_dimensions, int src_nd, int elsize, 
		   int copies) {
	int i, j;
	
	if (src_nd == 0 && dest_nd == 0) {
		for(j=0; j<copies; j++) {
			memcpy(dest, src, elsize);
			dest += elsize;
		}
		return 0;
	}
	
	if (dest_nd > src_nd) {
		for(i=0; i<*dest_dimensions; i++, dest += *dest_strides) {
			if (do_sliced_copy(dest, dest_strides+1, 
					   dest_dimensions+1, dest_nd-1,
					   src, src_strides, 
					   src_dimensions, src_nd, 
					   elsize, copies) == -1) 
			  return -1;
		}
		return 0;
	}
	
	if (dest_nd == 1) {
		if (*dest_dimensions != *src_dimensions) {
			PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, 
			  "matrices are not aligned for copy");
			return -1;
		}
		for(i=0; i<*dest_dimensions; i++, src += *src_strides) {
			for(j=0; j<copies; j++) {
				memcpy(dest, src, elsize);
				dest += *dest_strides;
			}
		}
	} else {
		for(i=0; i<*dest_dimensions; i++, dest += *dest_strides, 
		      src += *src_strides) {
			if (do_sliced_copy(dest, dest_strides+1, 
					   dest_dimensions+1, dest_nd-1, 
					   src, src_strides+1, 
					   src_dimensions+1, src_nd-1, 
					   elsize, copies) == -1) 
			  return -1;
		}
	}
	return 0;
}