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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5a06ce0 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60474 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60474) diff --git a/old/60474-0.txt b/old/60474-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 34a88b5..0000000 --- a/old/60474-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9514 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The last travels of Ida Pfeiffer: inclusive -of a visit to Madagascar, with a biographic, by Oscar Pfeiffer - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The last travels of Ida Pfeiffer: inclusive of a visit to Madagascar, with a biographical memoir of the author - -Author: Ida Pfeiffer - -Translator: H. W. Dulcken - -Release Date: October 12, 2019 [EBook #60474] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LAST TRAVELS *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -[Illustration: MADAME IDA PFEIFFER.] - - - - - THE - - LAST TRAVELS - - OF - - IDA PFEIFFER: - - INCLUSIVE OF A VISIT TO MADAGASCAR. - - WITH - - An Autobiographical Memoir of the Author. - - - TRANSLATED BY H. W. DULCKEN. - - - NEW YORK: - HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, - FRANKLIN SQUARE. - 1861. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -It was at Buenos Ayres that I received the intelligence of the death of -my beloved mother. Shortly before her decease she had expressed the wish -that I should arrange and prepare for publication the papers she left -concerning her last voyage to Madagascar. The dangerous illness which -befell her in the Mauritius immediately after she had left Madagascar, -and which, in spite of the most careful medical attention, and the -kindest nursing on the part of her friends, proved fatal, prevented her -from doing this herself. - -When, after a few months, I returned from Buenos Ayres to Rio de -Janeiro, I found my mother’s papers waiting for me there; but the loss -was too recent, and my grief too violent, to allow me to read them then, -much less to peruse them with the care and attention which must -necessarily precede their publication. - -At length I made up my mind to the task. I was obliged to go through it, -for it was my mother’s last wish. Filial duty induced me to leave my -dear mother’s journal as little altered as possible. In thus giving this -last work of my mother to the world, I trust that our kind readers will -receive it with the indulgence they have so frequently extended to the -other works of the late enterprising traveler. - - OSCAR PFEIFFER. - -Rio de Janeiro, July 8th, 1860. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - -Biography of Ida Pfeiffer Page ix - - -CHAPTER I. - -Departure from Vienna.--Linz.--Salzburg.--Munich.--The Artists’ -Festival.--The King of Bavaria.--Berlin.--Alexander von -Humboldt.--Hamburg 41 - - -CHAPTER II. - -Arrival in Holland.--Amsterdam.--Dutch Architecture.--Picture -Galleries.--Mr. Costa’s Diamond-cutting Works.--The Haarlem Lake.--A -Dutch Cattle-stable.--Utrecht.--The Students’ Festival 51 - - -CHAPTER III. - -Zaandam.--The little Village of Broeck, celebrated for its -Cleanliness.--Strange Head-dresses.--The Hague.--Celebrated -Pictures.--Leyden.--Rotterdam.--Departure from Holland 63 - - -CHAPTER IV. - -London.--Paris.--Sitting of the Geographical Society.--News -from Madagascar.--Popular Life in Paris.--Sights.--A Tale of -Murder.--Versailles.--St. Cloud.--Celebration of Sunday 72 - - -CHAPTER V. - -Return to London and Holland.--Separation Festival in -Amsterdam.--Departure from Rotterdam.--My traveling -Companions.--Emigrant Children.--Story of a poor Girl.--Cape -Town.--Fortunate Meeting.--Alteration of my traveling Plans 87 - - -CHAPTER VI. - -Voyage to the Island of Bourbon.--The Mauritius.--Wealth of -the Island.--The City of Port Louis.--Manner of Life among the -Inhabitants.--Indian Servants.--Grand Dinners.--Country Houses.--Creole -Hospitality 103 - - -CHAPTER VII. - -The Sugar-cane Plantations.--Indian Laborers.--A Lawsuit.--The Botanic -Garden.--Plants and Animals.--Singular Monument.--The Waterfall.--Mont -Orgeuil.--Trou du Cerf.--The Creoles and the French.--Farewell to the -Mauritius. Page 116 - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -A Geographical and Historical Account of the Island of -Madagascar. 131 - - -CHAPTER IX. - -Departure from the Mauritius.--The old Man-of-War.--Arrival in -Madagascar.--Mademoiselle Julie.--Account of Tamatavé.--The -Natives.--Comical Head-dresses.--First Visit in -Antandroroko.--Malagasey Hospitality.--The Europeans at Tamatavé.--The -Parisio-Malagasey.--Domestic Institutions. 139 - - -CHAPTER X. - -The “Queen’s Bath.”--Soldiers and Officers.--Banquet -and Ball.--Departure from Tamatavé.--Second Visit to -Antandroroko.--Vovong.--The Fever.--Andororanto.--Land and -Cultivation.--Condition of the People.--Manambotre.--The bad Roads and -the Bearers.--Ambatoarana. 157 - - -CHAPTER XI. - -Celebration of the National Feast.--Song and Dance.--Beforona.--The -elevated Plateau of Ankay.--The Territory of Emir.--Solemn -Reception.--Ambatomango.--The Sikidy.--The Triumphal -Procession.--Arrival in Tananariva. 173 - - -CHAPTER XII. - -Mr. Laborde.--Prince Rakoto.--Anecdote of his Life.--The -Sambas-Sambas.--Mary.--Review on the Field of Mars.--The Nobility in -Madagascar.--The Secret Treaty.--The English Missionary Society and Mr. -Lambert. 187 - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -Introduction at Court.--The Monosina.--The Royal Palace.--The -Hovas.--Scenes of Horror under the Queen’s Rule.--Executions.--The -Tanguin.--Persecution of the Christians.--One of the Queen’s -Journeys.--Her Hatred of Europeans.--Bull-fights.--Taurine -Mausoleum. 206 - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -Dinner at Mr. Laborde’s.--Foot-boxing.--Ladies of Madagascar and -Parisian Fashions.--The Conspiracy.--A Dream.--A Fancy-dress Ball.--An -unquiet Night.--Concert at Court.--The Silver Palace.--An Excursion of -the Queen. Page 222 - - -CHAPTER XV. - -Failure of the _Coup d’État_.--Prince Ramboasalama.--The _Pas de -Deux_.--Discovery of the Plot.--Death of Prince Razakaratrino.--Freedom -of Manners.--Irreligion.--Beginning of our Captivity.--A -Kabar.--Persecution of the Christians.--The Delivery of the -Presents. 239 - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -Banquets in Madagascar.--A Kabar at Court.--The Sentence.--Our -Banishment.--Departure from Tananariva.--Military Escort.--Observations -on the People.--Arrival in Tamatavé.--Departure from Madagascar.--A -false Alarm.--Arrival in the Mauritius.--Conclusion. 260 - - - - - -A BIOGRAPHY OF IDA PFEIFFER - -(COMPILED FROM NOTES LEFT BY HERSELF). - - -Several biographies of Ida Pfeiffer are already scattered through -various encyclopædias and periodicals. These are based partly on oral -communications made by the deceased lady, partly on particulars -collected from her friends. No authentic sketch of her life has, -however, yet been published, though many whose sympathy has accompanied -the dauntless voyager on her dangerous way will doubtless be glad to -hear something of the earlier life of Ida Pfeiffer. In remarkable -people, the germs of extraordinary faculties are generally recognizable -in early youth; and those readers who have followed the course of a -remarkable life from its meridian to its close will doubtless be -gratified by the opportunity of casting a glance backward to its early -years, when the seeds of future distinction were sown. - -This consideration will probably be thought a sufficient justification -for publishing the following pages; the more so as the facts given in -this biographical sketch rest exclusively on the authority of the -heroine herself. Madame Ida Pfeiffer left behind her a short outline of -her life written by her own hand, and her family very courteously -permitted this manuscript to be used. It is to be followed by a summary -of her travels, and by her diary in Madagascar, to which her son, Mr. -Oscar Pfeiffer, has added the narrative of her sufferings and death. -Thus the whole career of the late adventurous pilgrim, with particular -reference to the latest circumstances of her checkered life, namely, her -interesting and eventful voyage to Madagascar, will be placed before -the reader. - -Our traveler was born in Vienna on the 14th of October, 1797. She was -the third child of the wealthy merchant Reyer, and at her baptism -received the name Ida Laura. Till she was nine years old, all the family -in her parents’ house, except herself, were boys, so that she was the -only girl among a party of six children. Through continual intercourse -with her brothers, a great predilection for the games and pursuits of -boys was developed in her. “I was not shy,” she says of herself, “but -wild as a boy, and bolder and more forward than my elder brothers;” and -she adds that it was her greatest pleasure to romp with the boys, to -dress in their clothes, and to take part in all their mad pranks. The -parents not only abstained from putting any check on this tendency, but -even allowed the girl to wear boy’s clothes, so that little Ida looked -with sovereign contempt upon dolls and toy saucepans, and would only -play with drums, swords, guns, and similar playthings. Her father seems -to have looked with complacency upon this anomaly in her character. He -jestingly promised the girl that he would have her educated for an -officer in a military school, thus indirectly encouraging the child to a -display of courage, resolution, and contempt of danger. Ida did not fail -to cultivate these qualities, and her most ardent wish was to carve her -own way through the world, sword in hand. Even in her early childhood -she gave many proofs of fearlessness and self-command. - -Mr. Reyer had peculiar ideas on the subject of education, and carried -out these notions strictly in his family circle. He was a very honest, -and, moreover, strict man, holding the opinion that youth should be -carefully guarded against excess, and taught to moderate its desires and -wishes; consequently, his children were fed on simple, almost a -parsimonious diet, and were taught to sit quietly at table, and see -their elders enjoy the various dishes that were served up, without -receiving a share of those dainties. The little people were, moreover, -forbidden to express their wish for any much-coveted plaything by -repeated requests. The father’s strictness of discipline went so far as -to induce him to refuse many of the children’s reasonable requests, in -order, as he said, to accustom them to disappointments. Opposition of -any kind he would never allow, and even remonstrances against a -discipline that bordered on harshness were always unavailing. - -There is no doubt that the old gentleman carried his system to excess, -but it is equally certain that, but for this Spartan education, little -Ida would never have ripened into the fearless traveler, able to bear -the heaviest fatigue for months together, living meanwhile on the most -miserable food. The chief characteristics of Ida Pfeiffer’s courage, -endurance, and indifference to pain and hardship became developed by an -eccentric course of education, which would hardly find a defender at a -time like the present, when every thing peculiar is hastily condemned. -The unusual, with its sharp outlines and deep shadows, disappears more -and more in the light of common-sense mediocrity, and the characteristic -heads that we remember in our youth gradually disappear, and are -succeeded by very rational, but somewhat tedious and commonplace -figures. - -Ida’s father died in the year 1806, leaving a widow and seven children. -The boys were in an educational institution, and the mother undertook -the education of the girl, who was now nearly nine years old. Though the -father had appeared formidable to the children by his strictness, his -rule appeared to the girl far preferable to the melancholy _régime_ of -her mother, who watched the child’s every movement with suspicion and -alarm, and caused her daughter to spend many a bitter hour, merely from -an exaggerated notion of duty. - -A few months after her father’s death the first attempt was made to -deprive the girl of the attire she had hitherto worn, and substituted -petticoats for their masculine equivalents. Little Ida, then ten years -old, was so indignant at this measure that she absolutely fell ill from -grief and indignation. By the doctor’s advice her former costume was -restored to her, and it was resolved that the girl’s obstinacy must -gradually be subdued by remonstrance. - -The boy’s garments were received by Ida with a burst of enthusiasm, her -health returned, and she behaved more like a boy than ever. She learned -every thing that she thought a boy should know with industry and zeal, -and, on the other hand, looked with the greatest contempt on every -female occupation. Piano-forte playing, for instance, she despised as a -feminine accomplishment, and would actually cut her fingers, or burn -them with sealing-wax, to escape the hated task of practicing. For -playing the violin, on the contrary, she showed a great predilection. -But her mother would not allow her to have her way in this matter, and -the piano-forte was formally subsidized and maintained at its post by -maternal authority. - -When the year 1809 came, a most eventful period for Austria, Ida was -twelve years old. From what has been said of her ideas and inclinations, -it will readily be believed that she took great interest in the fortunes -of the war. She read the newspaper eagerly, and often traced out on the -map the relative positions of the two armies. She danced and shouted -with glee, like a good patriot, when the Austrians conquered, and wept -bitter tears when the fortune of war brought victory to the enemy’s -standard. Her mother’s house was situated in one of the busiest streets -of the capital; and the frequent marching past of troops caused many -interruptions to study, and gave many opportunities for the expression -of ardent wishes that the Austrian banners might triumph. When Ida, -looking from the window, saw her fellow-countrymen march past to -battle, she would vehemently deplore her youth that prevented her from -taking part in the impending struggle. She considered her youth the only -obstacle that prevented her from going to war. - -Unhappily, the French were victorious; the enemy entered the capital, -and the affairs of Austria were in a very bad way. The little patriot -had the mortification of seeing a number of the hated conquerors -quartered in her mother’s house, and evidently considering themselves -masters of the situation--dining at the table with the family, and -expecting to be treated with the most anxious civility. The members of -the household generally thought it best to keep up an appearance of -friendship toward the conquerors, but nothing could induce the girl to -look at the Frenchmen with favor; on the contrary, she showed her -feelings by obstinacy and silence; and when requested by the Frenchmen -to express her sentiments, she broke out in words of passionate anger -and dislike. She herself has said on this subject, “My hatred to -Napoleon was so great, that I looked upon the attempt of the notorious -Staps to assassinate him at Schönbrunn as a highly meritorious action, -and considered the perpetrator, who was tried by a court-martial and -shot, in the light of a martyr. I thought if I myself could murder -Napoleon, I should not hesitate one instant to do so.” - -It is related that Ida was compelled to be present at a review of his -troops held by Napoleon in Schönbrunn. When the hated emperor rode past, -the girl turned her back, and received a box on the ear for her -demonstrativeness from her mother, who then held her by the shoulders -lest she should repeat the trick. But nothing was gained by this -manœuvre, for when the emperor came riding back with his glittering -staff of marshals around him, Miss Ida resolutely closed her eyes. - -At the age of thirteen she again dressed in female attire, and this time -the change was persevered in. She had indeed become sensible enough to -acknowledge the necessity of the measure, but still it cost her many -tears, and made her very unhappy. With the garb of her sex, she was also -obliged to adopt different manners and occupations, and a new system of -life. “How awkward and clumsy I was at first!” she exclaims, in her -diary; “how ridiculous I must have looked in my long skirts, jumping and -racing about, and behaving generally like a wild, restless boy!” - -“Fortunately, a young man came to us at that time as tutor, who took -particular pains with me. I afterward heard that my mother had given him -secret directions to treat me with especial indulgence, as a child whose -earliest impulses had received a wrong bias. He certainly behaved to me -with great kindness and delicacy, and showed great patience and -perseverance in combating my overstrained and misdirected notions. As I -had learned rather to fear my parents than to love them, and he was, so -to speak, the first human being who had displayed affection and sympathy -toward me, I clung to him, in return, with enthusiastic attachment, -seeking to fulfill his every wish, and never so happy as when he -appeared satisfied with my endeavors. He conducted my entire education; -and though it cost me some tears to give up my youthful visions, and -busy myself with pursuits I had looked upon with contempt, I did it out -of affection for him. I even learned many female occupations, such as -sewing, knitting, and cookery. I owe to him the insight I received in -three or four years into the duties of my sex; and he it was who changed -me from a wild hoydenish creature into a modest girl.” - -At the period when Ida was compelled to give up her boyish character, -there arose in her the first wish to see the world. She turned her -thoughts from war and soldiering to fix them upon travel; descriptions -of voyages excited her warmest interest, and literature of this kind -occupied in her mind the place that, in the majority of young girls’ -heads, is filled with thoughts of dress, balls, theatres, and amusements -generally. When she heard of any one who had attained celebrity by -travel, she would grieve to think that she was debarred by her sex from -the happiness of ever crossing the sea and exploring strange lands. -Often she felt an inclination to occupy herself with scientific studies; -but she always suppressed it, seeming to recognize therein a relapse -into the “extravagant ideas” of earlier days. It must be remembered that -at the beginning of the present century the daughters of middle-class -families did not enjoy the education they receive now. - -An important passage in the life of Ida Pfeiffer shall be related in her -own words. She tells us: - -“In my seventeenth year a wealthy Greek proposed for my hand. My mother -declined to entertain his offer because he was not a Catholic, and she -thought me too young for such a step. According to her ideas, it was -indecorous for a girl under twenty years of age to marry. - -“A great change now took place in my character. I had hitherto had no -idea of the powerful passion which makes mortals the happiest or the -most miserable of beings. When my mother told me of the proposal made to -her, feelings of which till then I had been unconscious became clearly -defined within me, and I felt that I could love no one but T----, the -guide of my youth. - -“I was not aware that T---- was attached to me with his whole soul. I -scarcely knew my own feelings, and far less was I capable of guessing -those of another person. When, however, T---- heard of the proposal that -had been made for me, and when the possibility of losing me arose before -him, he confessed his love to me, and determined to urge his suit to my -mother. - -“T---- had devoted himself to the Civil Service, and had for some years -occupied a post, with a salary on which he could live very well. He had -long given up the profession of a tutor, though he continued to visit -our house as frequently as ever, passing all his leisure hours with us, -as if he belonged to the family. My five brothers were his friends, and -my mother was so fond of him that she often called him ‘her dear sixth -son.’ He was at every party in our house, and went with us wherever we -accepted an invitation; always accompanying us to theatres, in our -walks, and so on. What was more natural than that we should both -persuade ourselves that my mother had intended us for each other, and -would perhaps only stipulate for our waiting till I had attained my -twentieth year, and T---- had a better appointment? - -“Accordingly he proposed for my hand. - -“But who can paint our grievous surprise when my mother not only -entirely refused her consent, but from this moment detested T---- just -as much as she had before liked him. There could be no other objection -to T---- except that I could look forward to having a tolerable fortune, -while T---- had at present nothing but his modest salary. If my mother -could have imagined what was one day to become of my fortune, how very -different my fate would be from what she had sketched out for me in her -mind, what deep sorrow and endless grief might she not have spared me! - -“After T----’s proposal, my mother wished to get me married as quickly -as possible. I declared resolutely that I would become T----’s wife, or -remain unmarried. T---- was, of course, forbidden to come to our house, -and as my mother knew how obstinately I adhered to my resolutions when I -was in earnest about a matter, she took me to a priest, who was enjoined -to explain to me the duty of children toward their parents, and -particularly the obedience the latter are authorized to exact. They -wanted to bind me by a solemn oath, sworn on the crucifix, that I would -not see T---- secretly, nor correspond with him. I refused to take the -oath, but gave the required promise, stipulating, however, that I should -be allowed to inform T---- of every thing. My mother at last made this -concession, and I wrote a long letter to T----, acquainting him with -every thing, and begging him not to believe any thing he heard -concerning me from other people. I added that it was out of my power -either to see him or to write to him again, but that if another suitor -presented himself and was accepted by my mother, I would at once inform -T---- of the circumstance. - -“T----’s reply was short, and full of bitter sorrow. He seemed to -understand that, under the circumstances, there was no hope for us, and -that nothing remained but to obey my mother’s commands. He declared -positively, however, that he would never marry. - -“And thus our correspondence closed. Three long, sorrowful years passed -away without my seeing him, and without any change in my feelings or -position. - -“Walking one day with a friend of my mother’s, I met T---- by chance. We -both stopped involuntarily, but for a long time neither he nor I could -utter a word. At last he conquered his emotion, and asked after my -health. I was too deeply moved to be able to reply. My knees trembled, -and I felt ready to sink into the earth. I seized my companion by the -arm and drew her away with me, and rushed home, scarcely conscious of -what I was doing. Two days afterward I was stretched on my couch in a -burning fever. - -“The physician who was called in seemed to have a suspicion of the cause -of my illness, and declared to my mother, as I afterward heard, that the -source of evil was mental, not bodily; that medicines would be of little -avail in my case, and that every effort must be directed.... But my -mother persisted in following her own course, and told the physician she -could not alter any thing about me.” - -The patient’s life hung for a long time in the balance, and in her -fevered state of mind she wished ardently for death. When by chance she -heard from an indiscreetly-communicative nurse that her dissolution was -daily expected, this intelligence produced such a quieting effect that -she sank into a deep slumber, and the crisis of her disease was happily -passed. - -Ida’s father had left a considerable fortune, and there was no lack of -suitors for her hand. She refused every offer, however, and thereby -increased the discomfort of her position at home, for her mother -insisted more and more strongly upon Ida’s making her choice. These -domestic broils at length broke the girl’s spirit, and any fate seemed -to her preferable to the continuance of such a state of things. She -accordingly declared herself ready to accept the next proposal that -should be made, provided the suitor was of advanced age. She wished to -convince T---- that moral coercion, and not her own inclination, had -impelled her to take this course. - -In the year 1819, when Ida was twenty-two years old, Doctor Pfeiffer, -one of the most distinguished advocates in Lemberg, and a widower, -moreover, with a grown-up son, was introduced to the Reyers. He staid in -Vienna a few days for professional purposes, and at his departure -recommended his son, who was studying law at the University of Vienna, -to the notice of the family. - -About four weeks afterward came a letter from Dr. Pfeiffer, containing a -formal proposal for Ida’s hand. As he had only exchanged a few words -with her on totally unimportant subjects, she had not the least -anticipation of an offer in that direction; but her mother did not fail -to remind her of the promise she had made to accept the next suitor who -came forward. - -“I promised to consider the matter,” she says in her diary. “Dr. -Pfeiffer seemed to me a very intelligent, well-educated man; but a -circumstance that told far more in his favor in my estimation was that -he lived a hundred miles from Vienna, and was twenty-four years older -than I.” - -A week afterward she consented to the marriage on the condition that she -should be allowed to acquaint Dr. Pfeiffer with the real state of her -affections. This she did in a long letter, in which she concealed -nothing from her suitor, evidently indulging the hope that he would -abandon his pursuit of her; but Dr. Pfeiffer at once replied, expressing -himself not in the least surprised to hear that a maiden of twenty-two -years had already loved. The honest, candid avowal of this passage in -her life made Ida appear in his eyes all the more worthy of respect; and -he avowed his intention of persisting in his suit, feeling assured that -he should never have cause to regret it. - -The difficult duty of acquainting T---- with this change in her destiny -now devolved upon Ida. This duty she fulfilled by means of a few lines, -and it will readily be imagined that they were painful ones. The answer -was conceived in the manliest spirit, full of self-abnegation and -nobility of mind. T---- repeatedly declared that he would never forget -her, and would never marry. He kept his word. - -The marriage with Dr. Pfeiffer was celebrated on the 1st of May, 1820, -and a week afterward the newly-wedded couple departed for Lemberg. The -journey brought relief by reviving in the young wife the old -predilection for traveling, and allowing the pair an opportunity of -becoming better acquainted. Ida found that her husband possessed high -principle, candor, and intelligence; and if it was beyond her power to -love him, she could not withhold from him respect and hearty -appreciation, especially as he showed as much affection as delicacy in -his conduct toward her. She was resolved to fulfill her duties -honorably, and looked forward with a certain amount of tranquillity to -the future. - -Dr. Pfeiffer was one of those straightforward, independent-spirited men -who attack and expose wrong wherever they find it, and make no secret of -their sentiments. - -In the official routine in Galicia in those days there were many weak -points, and the number of dishonest and venal employés was not small. In -an important lawsuit which he brought to a triumphant conclusion, Dr. -Pfeiffer discovered peculation of the gravest kind. This he fearlessly -and unflinchingly denounced to the highest authorities in Vienna. An -investigation was ordered; Dr. Pfeiffer’s accusations were found to be -well-grounded, and several officials were dismissed, and others moved. - -Very disagreeable results, however, accrued to Dr. Pfeiffer himself. By -his report of these delinquencies he had drawn down upon himself the -enmity of the majority of official personages; and this enmity was so -frequently and so openly manifested, that Dr. Pfeiffer found himself -compelled to resign his appointment as councilor, for he found that his -advocacy, so far from benefiting his clients, became absolutely -prejudicial to their interests. - -“My husband,” writes Ida Pfeiffer, “had foreseen all this; but it went -against his nature to shut his eyes to flagrant injustice. In the same -year he resigned his office, and, after he had arranged his private -affairs, we removed, in 1821, to Vienna, where, trusting to his skill -and knowledge, he hoped to have no difficulty in obtaining employment. -But his reputation had preceded him: his sentiments and his mode of -action were as well known in Vienna as at Lemberg, and he was looked -upon with suspicion as a restless character and an enemy of existing -institutions. All his applications for employment in agencies, etc., -were consequently unavailing. Posts which he had solicited in vain were -continually given away to the most insignificant and least talented of -the profession.” - -All this had naturally a very disastrous effect on Pfeiffer’s mind. He -saw himself every where crossed and hampered in his work and in his -efforts; and labors which he had formerly performed with zeal and -pleasure now fretted and annoyed him. At length he lost a portion of his -energy, and what he did brought him little or no advantage. - -Thus the social position of the Pfeiffers became more and more critical -from day to day. As a skillful lawyer, Dr. Pfeiffer had earned a -considerable income at Lemberg; but he had liked to live in good style, -kept carriages and horses, and a good table, and had not thought of -providing for the future. Many people who knew his generosity made use -of him, and borrowed his money. Thus Ida’s paternal inheritance vanished -also, being lent to a friend of Pfeiffer’s, whom it was to help out of -his embarrassments. The man failed in spite of the loan, and thus the -whole fortune was lost. - -After vainly seeking employment in Vienna, Dr. Pfeiffer returned, with -his wife, to Lemberg, but afterward came back again to Vienna, and at -length even tried his fortune in Switzerland, his native country, where -he had, however, only passed the earliest years of his life. But fortune -would nowhere smile upon him, and bitter poverty knocked at the door of -the family. - -“Heaven only knows what I suffered during eighteen years of my married -life!” exclaims Ida Pfeiffer; “not, indeed, from any ill treatment on my -husband’s part, but from poverty and want. I came of a wealthy family, -and had been accustomed from my earliest youth to order and comfort; and -now I frequently knew not where I should lay my head, or find a little -money to buy the commonest necessaries. I performed household drudgery, -and bore cold and hunger; I worked secretly for money, and gave lessons -in drawing and music; and yet, in spite of all my exertions, there were -many days when I could hardly put any thing but dry bread before my -poor children for their dinner. - -“I might certainly have applied to my mother or my brothers for relief, -but my pride revolted against such a course. For years I fought with -poverty and concealed my real position, often brought so near to despair -that the thought of my children alone prevented me from giving way. At -last the urgency of my necessities broke my spirit, and several times I -had recourse to my brothers for assistance.” - -Ida Pfeiffer had two sons. A daughter was born to her, but only lived a -few days. The education of the children devolved entirely upon the -mother; and as the younger showed a great appreciation for music, she -took great pains to cultivate his talents. - -In the year 1831 old Madame Reyer died. During the long illness which -preceded her death she was tended by her daughter with the most -affectionate care. After her mother’s death Ida betook herself again to -Lemberg, from whence Dr. Pfeiffer had again written, announcing that he -had a sure prospect of employment. He was now sixty years old, and lived -in a state of constant illusion; a mere promise was sufficient to -inspire him with the greatest confidence in the future. After -experiencing a series of hopes and disappointments during a period of -two years, she returned to Vienna, where she could at least obtain for -her sons a better education. - -At her mother’s death she had not, indeed, come into a great property, -but she inherited enough to keep her in a respectable style, and to -provide good teachers for her children. In 1835 she settled definitely -in Vienna. Dr. Pfeiffer remained in Lemberg, where he was kept by force -of habit, and by his affection for his son by his first marriage. From -time to time, however, he visited Vienna to see his wife and children. - -During a journey to Trieste which Ida Pfeiffer undertook with her -youngest son, in order that he might have sea-baths, she enjoyed her -first sight of the ocean. The impression made upon her by the sea was -overpowering. The dreams of her youth came back, with visions of distant -unexplored climes, teeming with strange, luxuriant vegetation; an almost -irresistible impulse for travel arose in her, and she would gladly have -embarked in the first ship to sail away into the great, mysterious, -boundless ocean. Her duty toward her children alone restrained her; and -she felt happy when she had quitted Trieste, and miles of mountain and -plain intervened between the sea and herself, for the longing to see the -world had weighed like a mountain on her spirit in the maritime city. - -Returning to the routine of every-day life in Vienna, she still secretly -nourished the wish that her health and strength might be spared until -her sons should have been established in life, and she should be enabled -to go out into the world depending on her own resources alone. This wish -of hers was to be fulfilled. Her sons grew and throve, and became -prosperous, successful men in their profession. - -The completion of their education and the establishment of each in his -vocation gave Ida Pfeiffer leisure to mature her plans of travel. The -old project of seeing the world arose anew, and now no obstacle existed -in the calls of duty and common sense. She began to mature a plan for a -long journey, to be undertaken alone; for she must journey by herself, -as her husband’s advanced age prevented him from participating in the -toil and fatigue of such an undertaking, and her sons could not be -spared from their professional duties. The financial aspect of the -question required much consideration. In the countries she wished to -visit railways and hotels were unknown institutions, and travelers in -those regions would be necessarily subjected to the expense of carrying -with them all they required during the journey; and after she had -devoted part of her maternal inheritance to the education of her sons, -the funds at Ida Pfeiffer’s disposal were limited indeed. - -“But I soon settled these weighty points to my satisfaction,” she writes -in her diary. “Respecting the first, namely, the design that I, a woman, -should venture into the world alone, I trusted to my years (I was -already forty-five), to my courage, and to the habit of self-reliance I -had acquired in the hard school of life, during the time when I was -obliged to provide, not only for my children, but sometimes for my -husband also. As regarded money, I was determined to practice the most -rigid economy. Privation and discomfort had no terrors for me. I had -endured them long enough by compulsion, and considered that they would -be much easier to bear if I encountered them voluntarily with a fixed -object in view.” - -Another question, namely, whither she should bend her steps, was quickly -answered. Two projects had occupied her mind for many years--a voyage to -the North, and a journey to the Holy Land. When, however, she imparted -to her friends her intention of visiting Jerusalem, she was looked upon -simply as a crazy, enthusiastic person, and nobody thought her in -earnest in the matter. - -Nevertheless, she kept to her resolution, but concealed the real goal of -her journey, declaring that her intention was to visit a friend at -Constantinople, with whom she had for a long time kept up an active -correspondence. She kept her passport concealed, and no one of those -from whom she parted had any idea of her destination. Very painful was -the parting from her sons, to whom she was tenderly attached; but she -fought bravely against her softer emotions, consoled her friends with -the prospect of soon meeting them again, and on the 22d of March, 1842, -embarked on the steamer that was to convey her down the Danube to the -Black Sea and the City of the Crescent. She visited Brussa, Beyrout, -Jaffa, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Nazareth, Damascus, Baalbek, the -Lebanon, Alexandria, and Cairo, and traveled across the Desert to the -Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea. From Egypt she returned by way of -Sicily and the whole of Italy to her home, arriving in Vienna in -December, 1842. - -As she had carefully kept a diary of her journey, from which she -frequently read extracts to friends and acquaintances, she was often -requested to print her experiences. The thought of becoming an authoress -was repugnant to her modesty, and it was only when a publisher made her -a direct offer that she consented to trust her first book to the press. -It bore the title, “Journey of a Viennese Lady to the Holy Land.” The -first edition appeared in two volumes in 1843, the fourth in 1856; and -though the authoress neither had much that was new to tell, nor rode her -Pegasus in the approved style of the traveled ladies of the period, her -little book was still successful, as the four editions sufficiently -prove. The very simplicity of the narration, and its appearance of -unvarnished truth, at once gained numerous readers for the book. - -The good result of this first journey, which gave the pilgrim fresh -funds in the form of copyright money, awakened within her fresh plans; -and this time she felt impelled toward the far north, where she expected -to see majestic sights, and to behold nature exhibited in new and -startling forms. - -After various preparations, among which may be mentioned the study of -the English and Danish languages, and of the art of taking -Daguerreotypes, and after obtaining accurate information concerning the -countries she purposed visiting, she began her journey to the north on -the 10th of April, 1845. On the 16th of May she landed on the coast of -Iceland, and proceeded to traverse that interesting island in every -direction, visiting the Geysers and other hot springs, and ascending -Hecla, which shortly after her departure began to vomit flame, after -remaining for seventy years in a quiescent state. At the end of June she -sailed back to Copenhagen, and from thence journeyed to Christiania, -Thelemark, across the Swedish lakes to Stockholm, and over Upsala to the -iron mines of Danemora. She returned to her native city by way of -Travemûnde, Hamburg, and Berlin, arriving in Vienna on the 4th of -October, 1845, after an absence of six months. - -The journal of this second voyage appeared under the title, “Voyage to -the Scandinavian North and the Island of Iceland,” in two volumes, at -Pesth, and was much read. The money realized by a sale of the geological -and botanical specimens collected during this tour, together with the -sum paid for the copyright of her book, were put aside by Ida Pfeiffer -as the nucleus of a fund for a new undertaking, and one of a more -ambitious character. A voyage round the world now occupied the thoughts -of this brave woman; and when once she had conceived the idea, she could -not rest until it was put in execution. - -“Greater privations and fatigue than I had endured in Syria and -Iceland,” she writes, “I could scarcely have to encounter. The expense -did not frighten me, for I knew by experience how little is required if -the traveler will but practice the strictest economy, and be content to -forego all comforts and superfluities. My savings accumulated to a sum -barely sufficient perhaps to serve such travelers as Prince -Pückler-Muskau, Chateaubriand, or Lamartine for a fortnight’s excursion, -but which seemed enough for me during a journey of two or three years, -and the event proved that I had calculated rightly.” - -Again concealing the whole extent of her undertaking from her relations, -and especially from her sons, and naming Brazil as her destination, our -traveler bade adieu to Vienna on the 1st of May, 1846, and betook -herself to Hamburg, where she was compelled to wait till the 28th of -June before a suitable opportunity for proceeding to the Brazils offered -itself in the shape of a little Danish brig. - -Retarded by contrary winds and calms, the ship was a full month in -making its way from Hamburg through the English Channel--as long a time -as it required to get from thence to the equator. On the 16th of -September the harbor of Rio Janeiro was reached. From that port Ida -Pfeiffer made several excursions into the interior of the country. On -one of these expeditions she was attacked by a runaway negro slave, -whose purpose appeared to be robbery and murder. The miscreant was armed -with a knife; she received more than one wound, and only owed her life -to casual help which arrived at the critical moment. - -At the beginning of December she left Rio Janeiro, sailed round Cape -Horn on the 3d of February, 1847, and landed at Valparaiso on the 2d of -March. The aspect of tropical scenery, particularly in Brazil, made a -vivid impression upon her; but she was greatly disgusted at the state of -things in what had been Spanish America. Quickly re-embarking, she -traversed the Pacific Ocean, and landed at the island of Otaheite at the -end of April. She was presented to Queen Pomare, of whose court she -afterward published a sufficiently spirited account, which was read with -much interest. The state of Europe at that period was one of such -tranquillity that, for mere want of matter, the papers were often full -of Queen Pomare for weeks together. Her Otaheitan majesty has now gone -considerably out of fashion, inasmuch as Europe has enough to do with -its own concerns, and has neither time nor inclination to patronize -happy islands in the far Pacific. - -From Otaheite the enterprising voyager proceeded to China, arriving at -Macao in the beginning of July. She afterward visited Hong Kong and the -city of Canton, in which she would gladly have spent more time, had not -the appearance of a European woman been too much for the weak nerves of -the natives of the Celestial Empire. The visitor found herself in danger -of being insulted by the mob, and accordingly turned her back on the -fortunate country, paid a short visit to Singapore, and proceeded to -Ceylon, landing there in the middle of October. She traversed this -beautiful island in various directions, and saw Colombo, Candy, and the -famous temple of Dagona. At the end of October she landed on the -continent of India, at Madras, remained for some time at Calcutta, -proceeded up the Ganges to Benares, admired the ruins of Saranath, and -visited Cawnpoor, Delhi, Indore, and Bombay. She also had an opportunity -of seeing the celebrated rock temples of Adjunta and Ellora, and the -islands of Elephanta and Salsette. The houses of many Indians of rank -were thrown open to her, and she showed herself every where a close -observer of foreign manners, customs, and peculiarities. At more than -one tiger-hunt she was also present, and at a suttee. The position and -proceedings of the English missionaries also excited her especial -attention. - -At the end of April, 1848, we find Ida Pfeiffer again at sea, bearing -her pilgrim’s staff toward Persia. From Bushire she intended to proceed -to Shiraz, Ispahan, and Teheran, but was deterred from this project by -disturbances in the interior of the country, and turned her footsteps -toward Mesopotamia. Through the bay Shat-el-Arab she betook herself to -Bassora, and afterward to Bagdad. After an excursion to the ruins of -Ctesiphon and Babylon, she traveled with a caravan through the Desert to -Mosul and the neighboring ruins of Nineveh, and afterward to Urumia and -Tebris. This expedition through Mesopotamia and Persia may be reckoned -among the most daring exploits of this courageous woman. A large amount -of mental energy, as well as of physical stamina, was required, to -enable her to endure without fainting the many hardships of the -undertaking--the burning heat by day, discomfort of every kind at -night, miserable fare, an unclean couch, and constant apprehension of -attack by robber bands. When she introduced herself at Tebris to the -English consul, he would not believe that a woman could have achieved -such a feat. - -At Tebris our traveler was introduced to the vice-king Vali-Ahd, and -received permission to visit his harem. On the 11th of August, 1848, she -resumed her journey through Armenia, Georgia, Mingrelia, by Eriwan, -Tiflis, and Kutais to Redutkale; she touched at Anapa, Kertch, and -Sebastopol, landed at Odessa, and returned home by Constantinople, -Greece, the Ionian Islands, and Trieste to Vienna, where she arrived on -the 4th of November, 1848, just after the taking of the city by the -troops of Prince Windischgrätz. It seemed that even in her fatherland, -distracted as it was by faction, she was to find no rest. - -Ida Pfeiffer’s fame spread more and more after this journey round the -world; for a woman who, trusting to herself alone for protection, could -travel 2800 miles by land and 35,000 by sea, was looked upon, not -unnaturally, as a remarkable character. Her third work, which appeared -in Vienna in 1850, under the title “A Woman’s Journey round the World,” -was well received. It was translated twice into English, and afterward -appeared in a French garb. - -It was now for some time Ida Pfeiffer’s purpose to consider her -traveling days as over, and to settle down in repose. But this resigned -frame of mind did not last long. When, after selling her collections, -and preparing and publishing her journal, she found herself in the -enjoyment of undiminished health and strength, she gradually began to -entertain the idea of a second voyage round the world. Her slender -traveling fund was this time increased by a grant of 1500 florins from -the Austrian government; and on the 18th of March, 1851, she left -Vienna, betaking herself first to London, as she had no fixed goal in -view, and intended to wait till an occasion offered for traveling -farther. Even when she had left London, and arrived in Cape Town on the -11th of August, she had come to no definite determination. For a long -time her mind wavered between the intention of visiting the interior of -Africa and that of proceeding to Australia, till at last she sailed to -Singapore, and decided to visit the Sunda Islands. Landing on the west -coast of Borneo, at Sarawak, she received a hospitable welcome and -energetic assistance from Sir James Brooke, who has established an -independent principality in these regions. During an excursion she made -among the savage, independent Dyaks, she was not only spared by the -“head hunters,” but was even received with great cordiality. Proceeding -to Sinting, she continued her journey westward to Pontianak and the -diamond mines of Landak. Every where the Dutch officials, civil and -military, offered her the readiest assistance, without which she would -have found it impossible to extend her travels so far as she did in the -Indian Archipelago. Ida Pfeiffer’s design was to push on from Pontianak -directly through the interior of the island, a region never yet -traversed by Europeans; but she could endure no one to be her guide or -companion on so dangerous an expedition. She therefore cast her eyes on -Java, and landed at Batavia at the end of May, 1852. Here, likewise, she -received every assistance and support from the Dutch authorities, and, -in consequence of their example, from the native grandees also. This she -often afterward publicly acknowledged, with the warmest thanks. - -On the 8th of July, 1852, her journey to Sumatra began; and this she has -declared to be the most interesting of all her undertakings. From Padang -she proceeded to trust herself among the Battas, who are cannibals, and -have never suffered any European to come among them. Though the savages -opposed her farther advance, she passed forward through the primeval -forest, among a population of man-eaters, almost as far as the Lake -Eier-Tau. But here she was compelled by threatening spears to retreat, -after having been repeatedly assured that she should be killed and -eaten. On the 7th of October she got back to Padang. In Sumatra she was -twice attacked by the malignant intermittent fever of the country. - -Returning to Java, she made excursions to the principalities of -Djokdjokarta and Surakarta, to the temple Boro Budoo, and to Surabaga. -From thence she sailed to several of the smaller Sunda Islands, and to -the Moluccas, Banda, Amboyna, Saparna, Ceram, and Ternate; remained for -a few months among the wild Alfores, and closed her rambles among the -Sunda Islands by a visit to Celebes. - -Again she traversed the Pacific to a distance of 10,150 miles to visit -California. For two months she saw nothing but sea and sky. On the 27th -of September, 1853, she landed at San Francisco, visited the -gold-washing districts on the Sacramento and the Yuba, and slept in the -wigwams of the red-skins of Rogue River. - -At the end of 1853 Ida Pfeiffer sailed to Panama, and from thence to the -Peruvian coast. From Callao she betook herself to Lima, with the -intention of crossing the Cordilleras, and proceeding to Loretto, on the -Amazon, and thus gaining the eastern coast of South America. The -revolution, however, which had just broken out in Peru, made the land -unsafe, and compelled our traveler to try and cross the Cordilleras at -another point. She returned, accordingly, to Ecuador, and in March, -1854, began her toilsome passage across the mountains. She crossed the -chain in the immediate neighborhood of Chimborazo, came to the elevated -plateau of Ambato and Tacunga, and witnessed the rare spectacle of an -eruption of the volcano Cotopaxi--a sight for which she was afterward -envied by Alexander von Humboldt. On reaching Quito on the 4th of April, -she did not, unfortunately, find the assistance she had expected in the -shape of several trustworthy guides to the Amazon. She therefore gave up -her plan of embarking on that river, and had to repeat her wearisome -march across the Cordilleras. In the neighborhood of Guayaquil she twice -stood in imminent danger of being killed--first by a fall from her mule, -and then from an immersion in the River Guaya, which abounds in caymans. -Her companions wished her to perish, and did not render the slightest -assistance. Deeply disgusted at their inhumanity, she turned her back -upon Spanish South America, betook herself by sea to Panama, and at the -end of May crossed the Isthmus. - -From Aspinwall she sailed to New Orleans, remaining there till the 30th -of June; then she ascended the Mississippi to Napoleon, and the Arkansas -as far as Fort Smith. Her projected visit to the Cherokee Indians had to -be abandoned, on account of a renewed and violent attack of the Sumatra -fever. Returning to the Mississippi, she reached St. Louis on the 14th -of July, and paid a visit to the Baden democrat Hecker, who had -established himself in the neighborhood of Lebanon. Then she turned -northward toward St. Paul and the Falls of St. Anthony, proceeded to -Chicago, and thus came to the great lakes and to the Falls of Niagara. -After an excursion into Canada, she staid for some time in New York, -Boston, and other cities, then went on board a steamer, and, after a -passage of ten days, landed in England, at Liverpool, on the 21st of -November, 1854. - -To this great voyage round the world she added a little supplement, by -paying a visit to her son, who was residing at San Miguel, in the -Azores. It was not until May, 1855, that she returned to Vienna, by way -of Lisbon, Southampton, and London. - -The specimens and the ethnographical objects collected by Ida Pfeiffer -were for the most part deposited in the British Museum and in the -Imperial Cabinets in Vienna. Alexander von Humboldt and Carl Ritter, in -Berlin, took great interest in the efforts of Ida Pfeiffer, and -Humboldt especially rewarded her with the warmest praise for her energy -and perseverance. At the request of these two eminent men, the -Geographical Society of Berlin elected Ida Pfeiffer an honorary member, -and the King of Prussia awarded her the gold medal for arts and -sciences. In Vienna the expressions of approval were much more sparing, -probably according to the old rule that no prophet is regarded in his -own country. - -The brave traveler’s journal again appeared in Vienna in 1856, under the -title, “My Second Journey round the World.” - -After each of her former voyages, Ida Pfeiffer had for a time cherished -the idea of retiring from future enterprises, and living in the memory -of the past. But after the second journey round the world, which -resulted entirely to her satisfaction, no such ideas seem to have -troubled her. Before she had even finished arranging her cabinet of -specimens and superintending the publication of her book, she already -conceived the plan of exploring Madagascar, and was not to be dissuaded -from her purpose even by the representations of Alexander von Humboldt, -who proposed various other plans for her consideration. - -The farther fortunes of Ida Pfeiffer will be found chronicled in the -accompanying journal of her voyage to Madagascar, and, with the -communication of her son, Mr. Oscar Pfeiffer, tell the story of her -sufferings and death. But, before we enter upon the last act of her -toilsome and instructive career, it will be well to say a few words -concerning the character of our traveler. - -Ida Pfeiffer did not give those who saw her the impression of an -emancipated, strong-minded, or masculine woman. On the contrary, she was -so simple and downright in word and thought, that those who did not know -her had some difficulty in getting at the depth of her knowledge and -experience. In her whole appearance and manners there was a quiet -staidness that seemed to indicate a practical housewife, with no -enthusiastic thought beyond her domestic concerns. Many people were -accordingly premature in their judgment concerning Ida Pfeiffer, and -felt inclined to ascribe her passion for traveling to mere inquisitive -restlessness. This supposition was, however, completely negatived by a -leading trait in Ida Pfeiffer’s character, namely, a total absence of -any thing like prying curiosity. In proportion as her whole existence -had been troubled, was her appearance quiet and sedate. - -The sharpest observer would fail to detect in her any tendency to push -herself forward, or to interfere in matters not within her sphere. -Serious, silent, and reserved, she presented few of the agreeable -features of her mind to people with whom she was imperfectly acquainted. - -But those who succeeded in gaining her intimacy could not fail to -recognize under this unpretending exterior the qualities which make a -remarkable woman. Strength of purpose, firmness of character, sometimes -amounting almost to obstinacy, were quickly discernible in certain -favorite expressions of hers. If we add to these gifts an amount of -personal courage rarely found in a woman, indifference to physical pain -and to the ordinary conveniences of life, and, moreover, the -never-ceasing desire to add something to the stock of human knowledge, -it will be allowed that she possessed the qualities with which success -is achieved in the world. The value of these gifts was heightened in Ida -Pfeiffer by a strict regard for truth and strong sense of conscientious -responsibility, and a love of right and justice. She never told any -thing that had not happened exactly as she chronicled it, and never made -a promise which she did not keep. She had what, in common life, we -emphatically term _character_. - -That her communications derive an additional value from her well-known -truthfulness is self-evident; and as she was free from sectarian and -other prejudices, her judgments were always based upon a solid -foundation. Had she in her youthful days employed herself more than she -did in scientific study, and gained positive knowledge in that -direction, her travels would doubtless have been more useful; but at the -commencement of our century even men were seldom found who would employ -themselves in scientific pursuits that had no immediate bearing upon -their professions, and learned women were rarer still. Ida Pfeiffer was -conscious of this defect in her education, and in her mature years often -thought of remedying it, but she lacked both the necessary time and -patience. - -To divest her efforts of all scientific value would, however, be unjust, -for the most competent men have given a different verdict. She pressed -forward into many regions never before trodden by European foot; and the -very fact of her being a woman was her protection in her most dangerous -undertakings. She was allowed to pursue her journey where a man would -assuredly not have been suffered to advance. Her communications, -consequently, have often the merit of containing entirely new facts in -geography and ethnology, or of correcting the exaggerations and errors -of previous accounts. Science was likewise benefited by the valuable -collections she made of plants, animals, and minerals. Frequently she -did not herself know the value of what she had brought together; but, -nevertheless, she brought many important specimens; and the sciences of -conchology and entomology are indebted to her for the discovery of -several new genera. - -If we compare the results of Ida Pfeiffer’s undertakings with the -limited means at her disposal for carrying out her plans, her -achievements become marvelous. She traversed nearly 150,000 miles of sea -and 20,000 miles of land; and the funds for these travels were gained -entirely by wise economy, and by the energy with which she kept the -goal continually before her eyes. If her passion for traveling was -great, her talents as a traveler were far greater. Without sacrificing -her dignity or becoming importunate, she had the art of first arousing -and then benefiting by the interest and sympathy of people in all parts -of the world. At last she became quite accustomed to see her plan -furthered in every possible way, and though she never failed to express -her thanks, she seemed at last to receive the good offices of foreigners -in all quarters of the globe as almost a matter of course. She even had -to fight against little outbursts of wrath when she missed the sympathy -for her efforts and herself to which she had become so accustomed. In -later years especially, she was fully conscious of her own value, and -showed it when people attempted to behave in a condescending or -patronizing way to her. Persons of higher rank than herself were obliged -to be very careful in their intercourse with her; but with plain, -unpretending people she never uttered a word that could hurt or offend. -Hating all pretension, and all boastful self-assertion, she showed -herself obstinate and self-willed wherever she met with such qualities. -Antipathy or sympathy were quickly evoked in her, and it was not easy to -make her swerve from an opinion she had once formed. Even when she -appeared to give way, it generally happened that she returned by some -circuitous route or other to her old starting-point. - -For every kind of knowledge she showed the most profound respect, but -particularly for the acquirements of people who had distinguished -themselves in the domain of science. For Alexander von Humboldt her -admiration amounted to perfect enthusiasm, and she never mentioned the -great philosopher’s name without testifying the respect she felt toward -him. Nothing, perhaps, gave her so much pleasure in her later years as -the appreciation for, and sympathy with her efforts manifested by -Humboldt. - -Ida Pfeiffer was of short stature, thin, and slightly bent. Her -movements were deliberate and measured, but she could walk at a very -quick pace for her years. When she returned from one of her journeys, -her complexion used to give strong evidence of the power of the tropical -sun. Beyond this there was nothing in her features to tell of her -remarkable trials and adventures; a quieter countenance could not -readily be found. But when she became animated in conversation, and -spoke of things which strongly awakened her interest, her whole face -lighted up, and its expression became exceedingly engaging. - -In all that related to the toilet, a matter of importance to most women, -Ida Pfeiffer confined her wants within the smallest limits. She was -never seen to wear trinkets or jewels; and none of the lady readers who -honor these pages with their perusal can show more simplicity in the -adornment of her beauty, or greater indifference to the requirements of -custom, than were displayed by this voyager round the world. - -Straightforward, of high principle, with a promptitude and wisdom in -action rarely equaled among her sex, Ida Pfeiffer may justly be classed -among those women who richly compensate for the absence of outward -charms by the remarkable energy and rare qualities of their minds. - - - - -IDA PFEIFFER’S LAST TRAVELS. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - Departure from Vienna.--Linz.--Salzburg.--Munich.--The Artists’ - Festival.--The King of Bavaria.--Berlin.--Alexander von - Humboldt.--Hamburg. - - -On the 21st of May, 1856, I left Vienna, and set forth on another of my -long journeys. At Nussdorf, near Vienna, I embarked on board the fine -steamer “Austria,” bound up the river for Linz. The steam-boat company -was not only so obliging as to give me a free pass, but even placed a -cabin at my disposal, and provided board and every comfort for me. - -The short distance (about thirty German miles) from Vienna to Linz can -be accomplished in twenty-one hours, and a beautiful trip it is. Few -rivers can boast such an endless variety of scenery as greets the eye of -the traveler on the Danube. Hill and valley, city and hamlet, -magnificent convents and elegant villas glide past in endless -succession, nor lacketh there the knightly castle, or the half-decayed -ruin with its appropriate legend of romance. Favored by the Fates with -the finest possible weather, and surrounded by agreeable company, I -could only wish that my journey might continue to present the auspicious -appearance under which it had begun. - -I made acquaintance with several passengers on board, and among the rest -with the wife of the respected physician, Dr. Pleninger, of Linz. This -amiable lady insisted upon my taking up my quarters in her house. -Unfortunately, I had but a short time to stay at Linz, as I purposed -proceeding to Lambach the same day. But kind Dr. Pleninger arranged a -little pleasure party for the morning to the neighboring “Freudenberg” -(Mountain of Joy), on which a great Jesuit convent is built. Besides its -clerical occupants, this establishment numbers more than a hundred and -fifty pupils, who, for the sum of only twelve florins[A] per month, are -boarded and lodged, and get their education into the bargain. The -institution appears to be conducted with care and with notable order. It -already possesses a little collection of ethnographical objects and a -botanic garden, the latter under the superintendence of Herr Hintereker, -a very eminent botanist. The view from the Freudenberg is very charming, -and I herewith recommend this walk to all future tourists, including -those who are unable to see the convent. - -I remained at Dr. Pleninger’s till the afternoon, and then proceeded by -rail to Lambach, a distance of eight German miles, which it required -full three hours to accomplish. - -At Lambach I took the Salzburg omnibus. Unfortunately, this vehicle was -not managed on English principles. It was a true, genuine, and -unadulterated German omnibus, drawn by German horses, who tramped -stolidly along at the rate, as I judged, of a German mile an hour. The -distance is twelve German miles, and in just twelve hours we got to our -destination, so that my calculation was quite correct. - -At Salzburg it was pouring wet weather, of course: my countrymen do not -call this town the “rainy corner” without reason. - -They tell a story of an Englishman who once came to Salzburg at -midsummer, and found town, valley, and hills alike shrouded in mist and -rain. He had read so much of the charming situation of Salzburg that he -lingered there a few days, but, as the sky showed no token of clearing -up, this son of Albion at length lost patience and decamped. Two years -afterward, on his journey home from Italy, he took the route by this -town, in the hope of being more fortunate this time; but, behold, it was -raining as it had rained two years ago. “By Jove!” exclaimed the Briton, -in astonishment, “hasn’t it _left off_ yet?” - -I might have made the same observation; for, although in my journeys I -had several times passed through Salzburg, I had not once had the good -luck to see this beautiful region smiling in the sunshine. And beautiful -it is--wonderfully beautiful. It would be difficult to find a prettier -little town, or one situate in so fertile a valley, and surrounded by -such majestic masses of mountains. One of these, the Watzmann, is nearly -9000 feet high. - -I had only half a day to spend in Salzburg, and had just time to look at -the statue of Mozart, set up here since my last visit. Mozart, as is -well known, was born in this town in the year 1756. - -From Salzburg I took the stage-coach (stellwagen) to Munich. This kind -of conveyance could never be classed among the most agreeable methods of -traveling, but since the invention of railways it has become -intolerable. Crowded together like negroes in a slave-ship, we loitered -for two whole days in accomplishing this little distance of nineteen -German miles. The rain fortunately ceased a few miles from Salzburg, -and, moreover, the scenery is very fine to within four miles of Munich. -The Bavarian frontier is crossed within the first mile. To my great -surprise, the inspection of passports and of luggage was speedily -accomplished. - -Toward evening we came to the Chiem Lake, also called the “Bavarian -Sea.” This beautiful sheet of water is two German miles in length, and -one and a half in breadth. On three sides it is shut in by high -mountains, while on the fourth it is bordered by a plain of seemingly -unlimited extent. - -Not far from Traunstein we struck into a by-road toward Sekon, a pretty -seat belonging to the widowed Empress of Brazil, who was by birth a -princess of Leuchtenberg. Sekon is situate on a tiny lake, whose waters -are said to possess mineral properties. The empress has caused a large -building, originally a convent, on the banks of the lake, to be -converted into a bathing hotel, with fifty rooms, and it has been very -tastefully arranged. A neat garden surrounds the building, the kitchen -is well supplied, and conveyances can be had, and every thing is -marvelously cheap. A very good room, for instance, costs only three -florins per week; the _table d’hôte_, twenty-four kreutzers; a one-horse -carriage can be had for two florins a day, and other expenses are in -proportion. This pleasant bathing-place, when its existence becomes more -widely known, can not fail to attract a multitude of guests, and then, -of course, the prices will rise. - -From Sekon we went on to Wasserburg. This little town is wonderfully -placed as regards situation. It lies in a perfect basin, shut in at -almost every point by steep walls of rock and sandstone. When I came to -the edge a giant crater seemed to open suddenly at my feet, but, instead -of fire and flames, this crater contained a charming rural scene. The -little houses lay there hidden and secluded as if they belonged to -another world. The Inn flowed between them, its yellow waters covered -with signs of a busy life; for hundreds of rafts, built of the trunks of -trees and planks, float down hence to distant harbors. Taking a wide -circuit, we drove down into this crater; and then I became aware that -the basin was much wider than it had appeared from above, and that it -afforded space for numerous hop-gardens. This region might not inaptly -be called the Vineyard of Bavaria. - -On the 26th of May I arrived in Munich. The portion of Bavaria with -which I became acquainted on this little journey pleased me greatly. The -scenery is splendid, the towns and villages look pretty and prosperous, -and the fields are well cultivated. The scattered farms in particular -bear a certain impress of prosperity, cleanliness, and order. The -buildings are of stone, are sufficiently roomy, and generally have an -upper story; the roof is constructed in the Swiss manner, almost flat, -and weighted with heavy stones, as a protection against the violent -storms which prevail here. Exception might be taken to the fact that -dwelling-house, barn, and stable are all under the same roof; for, in -the event of a fire, the farmer would most probably lose all his -property at once. - -No one who looks at these teeming fields and valleys (and when I saw -them the crops were waving in rich abundance), the smiling villages, the -well-built farms, would suppose that poverty could lurk here, and that -many of the inhabitants are forced to emigrate, to seek beyond the sea a -country that will better repay their toil. - -And yet it is so. The chief reason is perhaps to be found in the fact -that in Bavaria, and particularly in Upper and Lower Bavaria and the -Upper Palatinate, farms are not divided, but given to one of the -children, who is chosen by the father from among his family. The -fortunate individual thus selected has certainly the responsibility of -“paying out” his brothers, as it is called; but they never receive much, -as the estate is always appraised considerably below its value, and the -chief heir, moreover, receives a considerable sum under the name of -“Mannslehen.” The rest have naturally no course left but to seek a -service, to learn a trade, or to emigrate. Even in the other provinces, -where the estates are divided, there is a great deal of poverty, and -emigration is always going on. Why this should be so I can not pretend -to determine. - -The costume of the peasant women in these regions is very peculiar. They -wear short but very full skirts, with double bodices, the one with long -sleeves, the other sleeveless. This second jacket, generally of -dark-colored velvet, is put on over the other, and laced with silver -tags. The wealthier peasant women adorn their necks with eight or ten -strings of little real pearls, with great clasps in front. The poorer -ones are fain to content themselves with imitation pearls, of silver. - -Munich seemed to me a very quiet city. There is little traffic, and none -but the principal streets show any signs of life. - -I only remained in this city six days, but in that short time I made the -acquaintance of several families. So far as I could judge, domestic life -appears to be simple and social here, and the fair sex seemed to care -less for outward show than the ladies of other capitals. I must confess -that the mode of life in Munich pleased me much. - -Through a fortunate chance I became acquainted with many distinguished -men here, principally artists. The Artists’ Festival was being -celebrated, and I received a polite invitation to take part in it. Were -I to chronicle the names of all the eminent people to whom I had the -honor of an introduction on this occasion, I should perhaps tire my -readers; but in my memory those names will always be impressed. - -I must devote a few words, however, to the festival, which is celebrated -every year on a fine day in May. - -It was held at Schwanegg and Pullach, in a beautiful meadow surrounded -by forests. At Schwanegg, a chateau built in the Gothic style by Herr -von Schwanthaler, a comic interlude was represented, a parody on -Schiller’s “Fight with the Dragon.” The fortress of Schwanegg is -supposed to have been besieged for a whole year by a dragon, in such -wise that no man could go out or in. A knight comes riding past by -chance; he is seen from the watch-tower, and the inmates of the castle -straightway assemble on the threshold, and in very comic verses implore -the knight to deliver them from their enemy. Then follows the combat, -with discomfiture of the dragon, etc. - -After the dragon had been satisfactorily slain, we had another scenic -show in the little wood near Pullach--_Spring expelling Winter_. Then we -had a series of funny processions. Bacchus appeared seated on a -wine-cask, drawn by gigantic cockchafers (each represented by a man), -with similar insects sporting round him. Apollo came next, on a -triumphal car, with Pegasus as his horse, and surrounded by butterflies, -flowers, and beetles, from one to two feet in height, cut out of -card-board, tastefully colored, and mounted on lofty poles. In short, -one frolic succeeded another, and the appreciating public enjoyed the -sight most unequivocally; it was a thorough “people’s festival.” There -must have been nearly ten thousand people assembled, all passing the day -in hearty enjoyment, and seeming to belong to a single family. Some -found places at long tables under the trees, others simply threw -themselves on the grass; but all seemed equally devoted to the national -beverage of the country, the beer, without which a true Bavarian would -scarcely be able to enjoy himself thoroughly. In spite of this bibulous -propensity, every thing went off peaceably and well, and it was not -until the evening that one or two of the company showed signs of having -overdone the thing a little. Luckily, the Spirit of the Hop seems to be -a good-natured sort of spirit, only promoting hilarity, for I did not -hear of a single quarrel. - -The first representation had been honored by the presence of King Max, -who came in the dress of a plain citizen. Afterward in the theatre I saw -the king and the whole court in private dress. It is a long time since I -have seen a monarch in the garb of a civilian; crowned heads wear -uniforms, and nothing but uniforms, as if they belonged exclusively to -the military class. There is some fitness in that; for what would the -majority of them be without soldiers? - -King Max seems to take a different view of things. He honors the -citizens, and does not scruple to associate with them. He marched along -with the great crowd, with no followers to accompany or police to escort -him. He cleared a path for himself, and the people passed to and fro -around him quite unceremoniously. - -The king was told that my insignificant self was among the audience at -the feast, and I was speedily presented to him among thousands of -spectators. His majesty conversed with me for some time in the most -gracious manner. - -To describe the “lions” of Munich and its Art treasures is no fit task -for a journal like mine. Any of my readers who may wish for information -on the subject will find it amply detailed in one or other of the -capital hand-books which have been published concerning this city of -Art. - -Two amiable ladies, the Baronesses Du Prel and Bissing, were obliging -enough to lead me from gallery to gallery, and from church to church. -But nothing is more tiring, or more exhausting to the mind and body, -than crowding a large amount of sight-seeing into a limited time. These -six days tried me more than a sojourn of double that time in the virgin -forests of the tropics, where I had to walk on the most tiring paths all -day long, with the damp earth for my resting-place at night, and rice -parboiled in water for my daily food. - -Before I take leave of Munich I must relate a funny incident that -occurred one evening on my leaving the theatre. I did not know my way -well, and begged a good dame, who came walking past with a gentleman, to -set me right. As they were walking in the same direction, they invited -me to go with them. On the way she inquired if I had been to the -Artists’ Festival, and if I had seen the “great traveler,” Ida Pfeiffer, -there. My questioner added that she had been with her husband, but only -in the evening, and had not seen the person in question. I replied that -the “great traveler” was a quiet little woman, and that I knew her well -enough; if I wanted to see her I had only to look in a glass. The good -people seemed very glad to see me, and insisted on accompanying me to my -door. - -On the 1st of June I proceeded, by way of Hof, to Berlin (ninety-five -miles), and, arriving on the following day, was received with their -wonted hearty kindness by my dear friends, Professor Weisz and his wife. - -The journey from Munich to Berlin offers few points of interest: the -views are sometimes pretty, but nowhere striking; the country around -Plauen is the most agreeable. Before we got to Hof, the last Bavarian -station, something broke down in the engine; we thus lost a whole hour, -and missed the corresponding train. At the Prussian frontier my passport -was demanded, but the official scarcely glanced at it, and the -inspection of my luggage was also entirely formal; in a few moments the -whole ceremony was over. - -In Berlin a great and joyful surprise awaited me. I received from -Alexander von Humboldt an open letter of recommendation to all his -friends in the wide world. - -The celebrated geographer, Carl Ritter, also did me a great honor by -inviting me to a sitting of the Geographical Society. In March last I -had been received as an honorary member of that body, and was the first -woman to whom such a distinction had been accorded. - -I only staid a week in Berlin, and proceeded thence to Hamburg (a -distance of thirty-eight German miles), taking up my quarters again with -the worthy Schulz family. But in Hamburg also there was no long tarrying -for me. I wanted to husband my time for Holland, a country with which I -was unacquainted, and accordingly, on the 14th of June, I embarked on -board the steamer “Stoomward,” Captain C. Bruns, for Amsterdam, distant -three hundred and twelve sea-miles from this port. - -This was the first passage I made in Europe on a Dutch steamer, and here -I experienced the same kindness I had met with from the proprietors of -Dutch steamers in India during my second journey round the world; not -only did they give me a free passage, but refused to accept payment for -table expenses, etc. How much more easily would my journeys have been -accomplished had I met with similar consideration from English -steam-boat companies! but unfortunately, till now, such has not been my -good fortune. The English directors, agents, and managers have shown far -greater appreciation for my dollars than for my journeyings, and always -made me pay my passage, alike for long and short distances. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - Arrival in Holland.--Amsterdam.--Dutch Architecture.--Picture - Galleries.--Mr. Costa’s Diamond-cutting Works.--The Haarlem - Lake.--A Dutch Cattle-stable.--Utrecht.--The Students’ Festival. - - -I arrived in Amsterdam at midday on the 16th of June. My worthy friend, -Colonel Steuerwald, was waiting for me in the harbor. This gentleman is -one of my oldest traveling acquaintances. I first met him on my journey -from Gothenburg to Stockholm, afterward encountered him again at -Batavia, and here again in his own native land, where he welcomed me in -the heartiest manner, and introduced me at once to his family circle. - -I staid in Holland till the 2d of July, and had an opportunity of -traveling through the greater part of this interesting country; but I -will merely indicate what I saw in as few words as possible, for it does -not come within the scope of my book to give detailed accounts of -well-known lands and cities. - -The thing that struck me most in Amsterdam was the architecture of the -houses, which I can best liken to the old German style, as seen, for -instance, in Magdeburg. The houses, inhabited generally by a single -family, are very narrow, from two to four stories high, terminating in -fronted or rounded gable roofs. They are built of brick stained with a -dark brown tint, and in some instances ornamented with arabesques. The -streets have a singular appearance. The houses stand in straight rows, -but do not by any means rise in a perpendicular line. In some the under, -in others the upper, and in others, again, the middle story, bulges out -beyond the rest, the deviation from the perpendicular frequently -exceeding a foot. It would seem that such houses were peculiarly liable -to fall in; but, from the dates over the doors, I found that the -majority had stood for one, and not a few for two centuries. The narrow -steep staircase is a great drawback in Dutch houses. One ought to be a -born Hollander, and accustomed from childhood to the task of climbing -these stairs, to look upon them with equanimity, especially as in any of -these lofty narrow houses one seems to be mounting and descending the -stairs all day long. I need scarcely say that the houses of the rich, -the hotels, and similar buildings, are free from this inconvenience. - -Equally surprised was I to notice that in houses where the ground floor -is arranged as a shop, the whole width of the front is thus occupied, -and no room left for a private door. The cook with her market-basket, -the water-carrier with his pails, the housewife and the visitors, have -all to go through warehouses sometimes filled with costly wares arranged -to the best advantage. Of course, too, the shop-door must be left open -on Sundays and holidays as on ordinary occasions. - -These inconveniences are all caused by the high price of the ground. -Every one knows with what labor the greater part of the Dutch soil was -won from the sea, and how expensive it is to build on ground where the -foundation must be almost _created_, so to speak, by driving heavy -piles. Generally the building _below_ the ground costs quite as much as -all the rest of the structure. - -Amsterdam is intersected by numerous canals, all sufficiently broad, and -crossed by 250 bridges. This town might indeed be called the Venice of -the North, but that the marble palaces, the bustle and life of the -southern people, the crowd of passing gondolas, and the melodious songs -of the boatmen, are all wanting. Amsterdam has, however, one advantage -over Venice in possessing fine broad streets running parallel with the -canals, so that carriages can be used in traversing the city. Many of -the streets are adorned with tall stately trees, which make the town -look very fresh and pleasant. - -There are some handsome buildings, but none of remarkable appearance -except the royal palace--the council-house of old times. This is built -in a grand style, and beautified with excellent sculpture. - -I must farther mention a few peculiarities of Amsterdam which greatly -surprised me. The first was, that in this great city of 200,000 -inhabitants there are no stands for hired carriages; whoever wants to -drive out must send to the stable-keeper’s house, and wait until the -horses are harnessed. Another peculiarity struck me as very original: in -the middle of summer people may be seen traversing the paved streets in -sledges. These sledges--low carriage bodies mounted on frames of wood -and iron without wheels--are called “steepkoets,” and are used chiefly -by old people. The pace is very slow, but the traveling comfortable -enough. - -The Zoological Garden, adjoining the town, is spacious and tastefully -laid out. The number of foreign animals is considerable, and had just -been increased by the arrival of several giraffes. The classes of birds -and reptiles were very fully represented. - -The Museum contains a valuable collection of sea-shells and land-snails. - -I visited two picture galleries, the Trippenhuis collection and that of -Herr van der Hoop. The word _van_, by the way, unlike the German _von_, -is not an indication of nobility; every Hollander may prefix it to his -name. The principal pictures I saw were “The Watchmen and----,” by -Rembrandt; Van der Helst’s “Meal;” Steen’s “Feast of St. Nicholas;” and -the “School by Moonlight” of Dow. The two galleries can boast of many -masterpieces by the above-mentioned artists and by various others, as -Ruysdael, Wouvermans, Ostade, etc. - -The Van der Hoop gallery is in the Academy, and was a bequest from the -proprietor. The Academy hesitated long before accepting the valuable -present, the institution then lacking funds to pay the high legacy-duty. - -I was much interested during my visit to the diamond-cutting works of -Herr Costa, reputed to be the chief establishment of the kind in -existence. The Dutch enjoy an acknowledged pre-eminence over all the -nations of Europe in the art of cutting diamonds; but in India they have -found their masters, as is proved by the great diamond in the possession -of the sultan, which was cut in Upper India. This diamond, the largest -known to exist, though convex on the under side, has been cut in facets -of uniform size, with an amount of skill which even the Hollanders are -unable to emulate. - -The size of the manufactory is very striking when one considers the -smallness of the objects manipulated; the building is more than a -hundred feet long and three stories high. - -The various operations are conducted in the following way: the rough -diamond passes first into the hands of the planer, then into those of -the cutter, and finally is handed to the grinder. The first of these -operators removes any defects that may be in the stone with a sharp -diamond, wherewith he files the gem, and then chips off the faulty -piece. The cutter gives the stone its proper shape by getting rid of the -corners and inequalities in the same way. The dust obtained by these -operations is carefully collected and husbanded, for the use of it is -indispensable in grinding the diamond. The grinder uses a leaden bullet -inclosed in wood, with the upper portion softened in the fire, so that -the stone may be pressed into it as far as necessary. The diamond is -then ground on a steel plate, on which a little diamond-dust has been -strewn. The great art consists in making the facets and corners -perfectly even, whereby the fire and beauty of the diamond are greatly -increased. - -The turning of the grinding machine (by steam power) is so rapid that -the steel disk does not seem to move at all; it makes two thousand -revolutions per minute. - -A great deal is lost by this grinding; thus the English crown diamond -Kôh-i-Noor was reduced one fourth in size on being cut the second time. -The first cutting of this beautiful diamond had proved a failure, and in -1852 the English government sent for a Dutch workman from Herr Costa’s -establishment to cut the stone artistically. The work occupied the -lapidary for six months, and the mere working expenses, apart from any -profit, which indeed the proprietor of the factory, Herr Costa, would -not accept, amounted to four thousand Dutch guilders, or something more -than £330 sterling. In Herr Costa’s works, of which he is sole owner, -125 workmen are employed, of whom five are planers, thirty cutters, and -ninety grinders. These men earn each from thirty to seventy and eighty -Dutch guilders per week. - -In Amsterdam I saw also the sugar-refining works of Messrs. Spakler, -Neoten, and Fetterode. The sugar is refined by means of steam-engines. I -have seen the same thing done in other countries. This manufactory turns -out about 5,000,000 kilos (about 4885 tons, English weight) of sugar -every year. The greatest establishment of the kind in Holland -manufactures 16,000,000 kilos, and the entire produce amounts to -80,000,000. - -Very near Amsterdam lies the famous Haarlem Lake, the draining of which -may be certainly reckoned among the most gigantic undertakings of the -present century. Where a few years ago great ships sailed, and where the -fisherman spread his nets, thousands of cows now graze, and beauteous -fields and meadows smile with verdure; nay, scattered houses, already -fast increasing, will soon probably expand into towns and villages. - -The pumping out of this lake, which was about thirteen feet deep, was -begun in February, 1849, and the whole great work was completed in four -years. Engines of 400-horse power were set up in three different places; -each of these engines raised the pistons of eight pumps six times a -minute, and poured out the water into the canals leading to the sea. The -twenty-four pumps of the three engines discharged 20,340 kilderkins of -water per minute. - -The area of land thus gained amounts to no less than 60,000 English -acres. The cultivation of this great tract was begun as early as 1853. - -Herr Muyskens, who had the kindness to show me this new wonder of the -world, is the owner of a fair tract of the land, from which he carried -the first harvest last year. His house, too, was finished, and had been -built with much taste. Here I first saw how far the Hollanders’ -predilection for cattle-breeding leads them; the cow-stable was -indisputably the handsomest part of the house. It must be borne in mind, -however, that the greater part of the Dutch soil consists of rich -pastures and meadows, and that stock-breeding is the chief source of the -Dutchman’s wealth; it is thus reasonable enough that every possible -effort should be made to develop this branch of farming. But I had -scarcely expected that their anxiety should go so far as to procure for -the cows cleaner and more comfortable dwellings than many well-to-do -people can boast in the less civilized countries of Europe, to say -nothing of other quarters of the world. The cow-house monopolized the -greater part of the building: its windows, of a handsome oval form, were -absolutely festooned with white curtains, looped up with gay ribbons. -The entrance door, of which the upper part was glazed, also boasted of a -curtain of dazzling whiteness. The interior of this establishment was in -the form of a lofty spacious hall. The stalls were just broad enough to -allow the hind feet of the cows to rest on the edge of a canal or gutter -a foot in depth, so that the straw might be kept perfectly clean. Just -over this gutter, and parallel with it, a rope had been stretched, and -to this rope the tails of the cows were tied, to prevent them from -whisking their sides and raising a dust. All these arrangements were -pleasing enough to the eye; but I fancy, if the poor animals had been -consulted, they would have voted for a little more freedom, although at -some sacrifice of neatness. - -One compartment of the stable was partitioned off by a wall of planks -three feet high: it had a boarded floor, and formed quite a neat little -room, for the use of the farm attendants. The store-houses for milk, -cheese, and similar farm produce were as scrupulously clean as the -stable itself. The walls of the entrance halls, staircases, kitchen, -store-rooms, etc., in almost every house, are covered, to the height of -three or four feet from the ground, with tiles of white porcelain or -green clay, which are not so difficult to keep clean as whitewashed -walls. - -It was at Herr Muysken’s house that, after a long abstinence, I enjoyed -the luxury of good milk to my coffee; milk pure and fresh as it comes -from the cow. One would think that in a country like Holland, where -there are so many cows, good milk could be had in abundance; but it is -not so; for the Hollander is such an enthusiast in making butter and -cheese, that, like the Swiss, he scarcely allows himself enough good -milk for domestic purposes. Almost every where, even in the wealthiest -families, the coffee was very indifferent. - -While I am speaking of coffee-drinking, that most important subject for -us women, I can not help mentioning a custom prevalent throughout -Holland, which, in my humble opinion, is not very seemly or worthy of -imitation. As soon as the coffee or tea-drinking is over, the lady or -daughter of the house, or one of the female authorities, _washes_ the -tea-service at the table, in presence of the company. She pours a little -hot water in each of the cups, rinses them out, wipes them on a cloth, -and the business is done. - -Herr Muyskens was kind enough to lead me right across the drained lake -to one of the three machines used for pumping out the water, and one or -other of which is occasionally put in requisition when there has been an -accumulation of rain-water. We came just in time to see one of these -machines at work. - -We went on to Haarlem, where we saw the fine park, with the elegant -royal palace, and likewise a portion of the town. I noticed over the -door of a house an oval disk, about a foot and a half in length, covered -with pink silk, and ornamented with rich lace in ample folds. They told -me this was a sign that one of the inmates had recently become the -possessor of a baby. A strip of paper projecting above the disk -indicates that the new arrival is a girl. The custom dates from the old -warlike times, when the rough soldier respected the house where the -suffering mother lay, and the practice once prevailed throughout -Holland. It has now fallen into disuse, and is only kept up in Haarlem. - -Besides Colonel Steuerwald, who paid me the kindest attention during my -stay in Holland, I was fortunate enough to meet another very amiable -friend, the “Resident” van Rees, whom the readers of my “Second Journey -round the World” will recollect I had encountered at Batavia. Herr van -Rees lived at the Hague; but as soon as he heard of my arrival in -Holland he came to Amsterdam to invite me to make a short tour through -his native country. - -We began by an excursion to Utrecht, where a great Students’ Festival -happened to be going on when we arrived. The students are in the habit -of celebrating the foundation of the University by an annual -commemoration. The festivities are kept up for a whole week. They -comprise masked processions, concerts, balls, races, dinners, -illuminations, and much more of the same kind. This year the affair was -to be particularly brilliant. The worshipful students, it appears, were -divided into two factions, the aristocratic and the democratic. Each -party wished to out-shine the other, and had stipulated for an entire -week to carry out their laudable purpose. - -We arrived in Utrecht during the aristocrats’ week. The concourse of -visitors was so great that we could not find room in any hotel; -fortunately for us, Herr and Frau Suermondt, friends of Herr van Rees, -received us with friendly hospitality in their house. - -In the afternoon there was a procession. The students were all decked -out in the most costly dresses; nothing was to be seen but velvet, -satin, lace, and ostrich feathers. Some groups represented characters of -the sixteenth century; others figured as princes from Java, Hindostan, -etc., with their splendid retinues. There was even an Indian deity, -carried in a palanquin, and accompanied by a Malay band of music. Whole -scenes were represented in enormously long wagons, and some of these -were really very artistically arranged. Thus, for instance, a whole -house was shown, with the side walls taken out. A married pair sat at a -table; the wife had a child in her lap, and a second was playing about -at her feet; the family doctor and another friend were paying a visit, -chatting and drinking tea, while the maid was scouring the step in front -of the house. - -On another wagon a wind-mill was perched; in front sat a man building a -boat, while a second mended his nets. - -A third wagon showed the interior of a peasant’s farm, where butter was -being churned, sail-cloth woven, and ropes twisted. Next came a hunting -procession, the huntsmen carrying falcons on their wrists, and the whole -thing really capitally carried out. The procession was headed by -military music, and a second band brought up the rear. In the evening -the town was brilliantly illuminated with lamps of colored glass and gay -paper lanterns arranged in festoons along the streets and on both sides -of the canals. In some houses the whole façade was blazing with light, -and the portals and balustrades of the bridges glittered with thousands -of lamps. Some of the streets looked like fairy-land. - -Toward midnight the procession came marching back with a number of -torches spitting forth blue and dark purple flames. The feast was not -over until two o’clock. - -Gay and brilliant it was, I can not deny, but much too grand for -students. It might be allowable if the celebration only took place once -or twice in a century; even then a single day would be sufficient for -it; but in its present form the effect can not be beneficial. The young -men must occupy themselves for many weeks beforehand with their masks, -costumes, balls, and other delectations, much more than with their -studies. Moreover, the expenses are so great that only the rich can bear -them with ease; the poorer students must therefore abstain or run into -debt. For my part, I infinitely prefer the plain burlesque exhibited at -the Artists’ Festival at Munich, which, although inexpensive, was full -of merriment and wit, lasted only a day, and afforded as much, if not -more, pleasure to actors and spectators than could be extracted from -this students’ feast, with all its show and glitter. - -The townspeople, too, are put to an amount of expense by the two -evenings’ illumination that must be any thing but welcome to the poorer -classes among them; but if they neglected to illuminate, the students -would be almost sure to break their windows or play them some other -silly trick. - -Another custom of which I could not approve was the practice pursued by -the students of parading about the whole week in their fancy costumes, -as princes, knights, etc. - -The second entertainment at which I was present consisted of a -horse-race and a few feats of horsemanship by professional -circus-riders. To say the truth, I expected something better. Tilting at -the ring, or a joust executed by the students in their fancy costumes, -would not have cost more, as they had dresses and horses all ready -provided, and would have been more worthy of the grand programme. On -this occasion I noticed how difficult it is to rouse the Hollander from -his phlegmatic repose. A Herr Loisset brought forward a beautiful and -marvelously trained horse, which performed such difficult feats as would -have called forth the loudest plaudits from any other audience. To my -surprise, the people remained as cold as ice, and Herr Loisset left the -circus with his horse without receiving the slightest token of -approbation. - -The town of Utrecht is surrounded by very pretty shrubberies and -park-like plantations; but here, as every where else in Holland, the -want of hills and mountains is evident. There was not much to be seen in -the place. Of the churches, I only visited the Protestant cathedral, -allured by its majestic exterior. Unfortunately, I found the interior -defaced in an incredible way. As the church is very large, and the -congregation found a difficulty in hearing the sermons, a great and high -partition of boards had been erected--a church within the church. Of -course, this hideous plank-work, which occupies above half the entire -space, completely destroys the proper effect of the really beautiful -building. - -My friendly host, Herr Suermondt, seemed reluctant to part with me, and -I readily accepted his hearty invitation to prolong my stay a little -while. The first days were devoted to the town itself and to the -fortifications; and here and there I snatched an hour for a visit to the -fine picture-gallery belonging to Herr Suermondt, and which he has -thrown open to strangers. - -We also paid a visit to the favorite resort of the Utrechters--the -little village of Zeigst, a few miles from the town. The drive to this -place is charming. The road, paved with brick like most of the Dutch -high roads, leads us past pretty country houses with handsome gardens; -in many parts there are avenues of sturdy trees, of a thickness I have -seldom seen surpassed. Lime-trees, oaks, and beech-trees, and among the -latter particularly the red beeches, attain a height in Holland perhaps -unparalleled elsewhere. - -In Zeigst there is an establishment of the Moravian brethren. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - Zaandam.--The little Village of Broeck, celebrated for its - Cleanliness.--Strange Head-dresses.--The Hague.--Celebrated - Pictures.--Leyden.--Rotterdam.--Departure from Holland. - - -On my return from Utrecht to Amsterdam, Herr van Rees took me to Zaandam -and Broeck, an excursion which can be accomplished in a carriage in one -day. - -Zaandam is famous as the place where Peter the Great worked for several -months as a carpenter in order to learn the art of ship-building. They -still show the wooden hut where he dwelt, and this is kept in the same -condition in which the great emperor left it. It consists of two plain -little rooms with a few wooden chairs and tables. To defend it from the -effects of the weather, a roof of brick-work has been built over it, and -in winter this is covered in at the sides with wooden planks. Zaandam, -with its thirteen thousand inhabitants, is a very cheerful little town. -Nearly every house is surrounded by its garden. - -No less celebrated than Zaandam, but for another cause, is the little -village of Broeck, which has acquired fame by its exceeding cleanliness, -and that, moreover, in a country where the streets of the towns are -often cleaner than the interior of the houses in many other lands. I -expected, of course, to see something extraordinary, but must confess -that the reality surpassed my expectations. - -The houses are all built of wood, and painted of some dark color. The -roofs are covered with glazed tiles, and the windows adorned with -handsome curtains, while every door-lock is so brightly polished as to -look as if it had been just fixed. All the houses stand in little -gardens, and each has three doors. One of these is never used but on -the most important events of life: when the bridegroom and bride go -forth to be married; when the child is carried to the font; and when man -is borne forth to take possession of his last earthly dwelling. This -strange fashion is found nowhere except in this village. Of the two -remaining doors, one is used for daily purposes of entrance and exit; -the other leads to the stable, which forms part of the building. - -The somewhat narrow streets are bordered by wooden palings; behind the -houses room is left to drive in the cattle, to stack the harvest of hay, -etc. The streets were washed and swept so clean that, though they are -skirted by trees, I did not see a single leaf on the ground. The people, -I believe, keep no domestic animals except oxen and cows, for fear the -streets should be dirtied. Verily, this is carrying cleanliness to -extremes. - -We went into several of the houses. The rooms showed the perfection of -cleanliness and adornment. The floors were covered with plain carpets or -mats, and every piece of furniture polished so highly that it looked -like new, though, to judge from the shape of the different pieces, they -evidently dated from the last century. The interior arrangements were -handsome enough, with plenty of glazed cupboards, full of all kinds of -rarities, particularly china, among which I noticed specimens of Chinese -and Japanese manufacture. I saw no beds; their place was supplied by -false cupboards in all the rooms, which are metamorphosed into couches -at night; but great was the store of bed and table linen. The floors of -these rooms must not be desecrated by shoes; like the Oriental, the -Dutch peasant leaves his slippers at the door. It certainly does not -cost him much trouble to divest himself of them, for they are of wood, -and he has only to kick them off. Not but that he has better ones for -Sundays and visiting days; it is only at his work that he is shod with -wood. - -The cow-stables were far handsomer than those I had seen at Herr -Muysken’s establishment in the Lake of Haarlem. They consist of long -halls, with handsome ceilings, resting on pillars of wood. But a stable -of this kind is, in fact, only half a stable, for the cattle only live -in it during the winter. On the first of May the beasts are driven to -pasture, and there they remain until the first of November, and during -this time the farmer may be said to make a summer residence of his -stable. The hall is divided into compartments or rooms by partitions -four feet high, and in these rooms the family lives the whole of the -day, only using the real dwelling-house at night. The walls and pillars -of the hall are hung with glittering paraphernalia of china, plates, -dishes, and metal cans, and even pictures are seen there. The implements -for making butter and cheese are ranged in perfect order in the various -compartments, and every thing glistens and gleams as brightly as if it -had never been used. Not a stain, not an atom of dust is tolerated any -where. - -It happened to be on a Sunday that we visited Broeck, and the villagers -were at church. We proceeded there to see them in their Sunday garb. -There was nothing peculiar in the costume of the men, who were all very -neat and tidy; but all the women wore that unhappy head-dress, common -throughout Holland, which seems to have been invented to deprive the -female sex of its chief natural ornament, for it entirely conceals the -hair. - -This head-dress, probably invented of old by some dame of high degree -who had lost her hair, is worthy of a particular description. A hoop of -gilt metal encircles the head. This hoop is about an inch and a quarter -in width at the forehead, increasing to two inches at the back of the -head. This fillet is surmounted by a white cap, fitting tight to the -skull, and trimmed with broad folds of lace, while a long strip of the -same fabric hangs down over the shoulders. Chased gilt ornaments an -inch and a half long, and an inch broad, are attached to each temple, -producing very much the effect of the blinkers with which the bridles of -carriage-horses are furnished. Three little locks of silk hang down over -the eyes. This head-dress certainly has no pretensions to taste, but has -the advantage of being subject to no change in fashion. It is expensive -enough, costing generally from sixty to eighty Dutch guilders, and even -some hundreds in the cases of rich people, who ornament their coifs with -pearls and precious stones; but these are heir-looms, descending from -generation to generation. - -Many women absolutely place a structure of straw, with a broad brim bent -upward in front and behind, on this wonderful cap when they go out, and -this queer affair they call a hat. I was astonished to find that girls -and women endowed by nature with beautiful hair subjected themselves to -this foolish fashion--the motive could scarcely be vanity. - -In the remaining costume of the women I found nothing very worthy of -remark. On Sunday they all wear gowns of black merino. The fashionable -world dresses as it does every where else; and some of the citizens’ -wives paid homage to the present fashion so far as to wear a stylish -bonnet over their hideous Dutch caps. - -On the following morning, my indefatigable Mentor, Herr van Rees, took -me to the Hague to see his family. - -The Hague, a city of eighty thousand inhabitants, does not look so -ancient as Amsterdam, but is very much cleaner, principally from the -fact that the Hague is not such a manufacturing and commercial city as -Amsterdam. Like all Dutch cities, it is intersected by numerous canals. -The Hague is the seat of government and the abode of the court, the -foreign embassadors, and officials generally. The king has several -palaces, not remarkable either for size or for their architecture. They -look merely like handsome private houses. The old chief palace, built in -the town itself, is a fortress surrounded by moats, and built on a low -mound or redoubt. The heavy gates, the tower, and especially the dark -color with which it is stained all over, give this place an appearance -of antiquity. - -About the churches there is not much to be said. The cathedral is a very -handsome building, dreadfully disfigured by being surrounded by a number -of mean-looking little houses. - -The picture gallery, here called the “Museum,” owes its celebrity -chiefly to two pictures, which are reckoned among the great masterpieces -of the Dutch school--a cattle-piece in life size, by Paul Potter, and -Rembrandt’s “Doctor,” or “Anatomist.” - -The cattle-piece is so true to nature, so warm in tone, and powerful in -execution, that one almost wonders, after a lengthened contemplation of -the work, to see the bull, the sheep, the cow, and the shepherd remain -so still and motionless, expecting them to begin to move. - -The other picture is just as extraordinary in its way, but I thought the -subject less attractive. The surgeon is dissecting a corpse. He has just -laid open the palm of the hand and the arm sufficiently to expose the -whole system of veins and nerves, and he is explaining these to his -audience. The calmness of the operator, to whom the business is -familiar, and the rapt attention of his hearers, some of whom are -hanging upon his words, while others gaze fixedly upon the dissected -subject, are admirably rendered; in my poor opinion, this picture is the -great painter’s masterpiece. Besides these two great paintings, there -are many charming pieces by Steen, Ostade, Rubens, and others. - -Herr de Boer’s bazar is well worth a visit. I have seen similar -establishments in other great towns, but none to compare with this. The -objects to be seen are innumerable, and are arranged in the most -attractive manner in large halls. There is a great variety, in -particular, of Chinese and Japanese objects. That Nature may not be -forgotten amid the charms of Art, these halls are surrounded by -beautiful green-houses, which, with their palms and cactuses, -sugar-canes, and coffee-trees, remind the Hollander who has returned -from India of the El Dorado he has left. Another arrangement, -unfortunately not universal, is, that all who come to Herr de Boer’s -bazar, whether purchasers or visitors, are alike treated with great -civility and attention. - -The Dutch seat of government possesses a very fine park, whose fresh -verdure, glorious trees, and blooming slopes reminded me of the parks in -England. Very charming, too, is the road from the Hague to Scheveningen, -a fishing village on the coast, some half a dozen miles from the city, -and a place much frequented by the townspeople in summer for bathing -purposes. The action of the waves here is said to be particularly -invigorating. Thick shady avenues for pedestrians, carriages, and horses -extend to the entrance of the village. Scarce a sunbeam struggles -through the thick foliage, so that there is coolness and refreshment on -the hottest day of summer. Unfortunately, however, real summer days are -very sparingly meted out to the Hollanders, the full power of the sun -being felt only for a short period in this land. It was in June that I -visited Holland, and yet it was only at noon that I found it agreeable -to lay aside my warm cloak. In the evening and the morning the -thermometer often showed only six to eight degrees Réaumur, and in the -night the mercury must have sunk some degrees lower. They told me, -however, that this year was an exceptionally cold one, and strong north -winds were continually blowing. - -From the Hague I made a few excursions--one to the city of Leyden, and -another to the busy port of Rotterdam. - -Leyden is a very dull place. In the busiest streets it is very easy to -count the passengers, and it very seldom happens that one must step -aside to avoid a passing carriage. But the place possesses great Art -treasures. The museums of Leyden are celebrated for their great -collections, particularly of specimens of animals, fishes, and reptiles, -and likewise of skulls of men of almost every race. The Museum of -Antiquities possesses many rolls of Egyptian papyrus, mummies, and -Egyptian and Buddhist idols. - -Messrs. Leeman and Schlegel, the curators of these museums, were -obliging enough to conduct us through them in person. Unhappily, our -time was so limited that we could only give a passing glance at all -these wonders. The museums are separated, because it was impossible, we -were told, to find a single building with the requisite number of great -rooms. The collections are at present deposited in ordinary -dwelling-houses. - -The Japanese Museum, an exceedingly complete collection of the natural -and artificial products of that country, is the private property of Dr. -Siebold. - -If Leyden did not appear very attractive to me as a city, I was much -delighted with Rotterdam: if I had to fix my residence in one of the -cities of Holland, it should certainly be here. In this rich commercial -town there is business and bustle all day long, especially on the -canals, which are broader and deeper than those of the other towns, and -as navigable for great three-masted ships as for little cockboats. - -Few towns offer such an aspect as Rotterdam, where marine colossi with -high masts, as well as smoking steamers, are seen parading, as it were, -through the middle of the city. I stood for hours at the window, and was -never weary of gazing. Yonder a great East Indiaman is slowly getting -under way; here a ship has just arrived from a long voyage, and the -sailors are shouting, waving their caps, and calling to their wives, -who, informed of the vessel’s arrival, stand waiting on the banks of the -canal. Here weighty chests of sugar and bags of coffee are being dragged -out of the hold of a ship and deposited in the huge warehouses; there -they are loading a brig with Dutch produce for conveyance abroad; -steamers of all sizes are swirling by every moment, and hundreds of -boats dart to and fro among them. To be able to see all this from my own -window seems so strange, that I rub my eyes, fancy myself in a dream, -and refuse to believe in the reality. - -Rotterdam has many great and handsome houses; some are particularly -remarkable for having flat terraces instead of ordinary roofs. The park -adjoins one of the best streets; though less spacious than the Haagsche -Bosch, it is charmingly laid out. - -In Rotterdam I took leave of my worthy and generous friend, Herr van -Rees. The good-nature of this gentleman was so great, that he wished to -take me through the whole of Holland, as far as Gueldres and Friesland; -but it would have been more than encroaching on my part to take -advantage of his liberal offer. I alleged that the time had come when I -must embark on my new journey, and that I must proceed at once to London -to make the necessary preparations. - -My stay in Holland had been a brief one--about a fortnight. During this -time I had seen many interesting things, but few scenes of natural -beauty. In this respect Holland is poor. A great portion of the land, -having been won from the sea, necessarily consists of a continuous -plain, broken here and there only by low banks and “dunes,” about twenty -or thirty feet high. In Gueldres and Friesland, these “dunes,” or sandy -banks, are said to attain a height of from fifty to a hundred feet. The -views, therefore, show the same features every where--green meadows, -with cattle grazing, a few fields, pretty shrubberies, great massive -trees, and neat farms and villages. The picture thus presented is -cheerful enough, but when one has it continually before one’s eyes it -soon becomes monotonous, and creates a craving for the sight of -mountains, or, at least, of a range of hills. - -The most striking objects to the traveler in Holland are the numerous -canals, great and small, which intersect both town and country in all -directions. Every patch of field, every meadow, is, as it were, a little -island, surrounded in all directions by canals two or three feet broad. - -The part of Holland through which I passed consists principally of marsh -land. As far as the eye can reach, it rests upon pastures full of -fine-looking cattle, which constitute the chief wealth of the country. -In Holland there are about 1,130,000 head of cows, oxen, and calves, to -a population of 3,200,000 souls, a proportion to which no other country -presents a parallel. No wonder that Holland provides half the world with -butter and cheese. - -The soil is decidedly fertile--witness the fat pastures and meadows, the -plentiful crops of great heavy corn-ears, and the strong, lofty trees. A -fruitful land is Holland, I will not deny, but certainly not a beautiful -one. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - London.--Paris.--Sitting of the Geographical Society.--News from - Madagascar.--Popular Life in Paris.--Sights.--A Tale of - Murder.--Versailles.--St. Cloud.--Celebration of Sunday. - - -On the 2d of July I quitted Rotterdam, and embarked in a steamer -belonging to Messrs. Smith and Ers for London (distance 150 sea-miles, -time of passage 20 hours). This company was the first English one that -refused to allow me to pay. I had already taken my passage; but, as soon -as Mr. Smith heard my name, he insisted, in the kindest way, on -returning me the passage-money. - -In London I spent about four weeks with my worthy friend, Mr. -Waterhouse, of the British Museum; and on the 1st of August I proceeded -to Paris. - -The chief aim of my journey was to visit the island of Madagascar, with -whose government the French alone have relations. I was therefore -obliged to go to Paris to obtain information respecting this, to me, -unknown country. To say the truth, I was not sorry for this; for, -strange as the fact may appear to many of my readers, in all my -wanderings through the world I had never visited Paris. - -I reached that city on the morning of the 2d of August, and at once set -about my work. My fortunate star led me to make my first visit to -Monsieur Jaumard, the President of the Geographical Society, and on that -very evening the society was to hold its last meeting for the present -summer. - -I had a very warm letter of recommendation to Monsieur Jaumard from -Professor Carl Ritter, of Berlin. Monsieur Jaumard received me in the -kindest manner, and invited me to be present at the sitting. I was -introduced by the celebrated geographer, Monsieur Malte-Brun. A place -was assigned to me at some distance from the table. At the commencement -of the sitting the president made a speech in which he introduced me to -the society, said a few words respecting my travels, and concluded by -proposing that I should be received as an honorary member. The assembled -members held up their hands in assent, and my admission was carried -without a dissentient voice. - -I was as much gratified as astonished at this distinction, which I had -not anticipated in the least; my pleasure was all the greater from the -fact that my old tutor, who had taught me history and geography, -officiated as corresponding member of this same society. The president -rose, and led me from my place to the table, at which I now took my -place as a member, amid the cordial congratulations of the whole -company. - -I immediately consulted the gentlemen present with respect to my -intention of undertaking a voyage to Madagascar: they were unanimous in -thinking the plan quite impracticable under existing circumstances. -During my stay in Holland I had already gleaned from newspaper reports -that the French government intended sending a squadron to Madagascar, -and that a serious war was considered imminent. I now learned some -farther particulars. The French have for centuries possessed a little -island, called St. Maria, on the coast of Madagascar. In the time of the -late king Radama they succeeded in obtaining a footing in Madagascar -itself by acquiring a district in the Bay of Vanatobé. In this district -there is a rich depôt for coals; and the French employ 180 colored -workmen, Indians, negroes, etc., from the Mauritius, under the -superintendence of three white men. On the accession of Queen Ranavola, -after the death of Radama, the new sovereign ordered these people to -evacuate the district. They refused to obey the mandate, as they -considered the place to be the property of the French government. -Hereupon the queen sent 2000 soldiers, who fell upon the community, -killed two white men and a hundred negroes, and dragged away the rest -and sold them as slaves. The French government naturally demanded -satisfaction, though there was little chance of obtaining justice -without resorting to violent measures; and thus every one was prepared, -as I have said, for the breaking out of a serious war. - -Wherever I made inquiries, these reports were confirmed; and I -consequently found myself compelled, if not to give up the plan of my -journey, at all events to modify it. As a matter of precaution, I took -with me a letter of recommendation from the French Admiralty to the -commanders of their vessels on foreign stations. I was asked to wait for -the return of the emperor, who had gone to some bathing-place, that I -might be introduced to him; but that would have kept me too long; and I -quitted Paris with my business in a very unfinished state. - -The few days which I spent in this great city I utilized as much as -possible in getting at least a glance at its many objects of interest. -Of course I should not dream of giving an accurate description of what I -saw. The rage for traveling is so universal at the present day, and the -facilities for getting over hundreds of miles of ground, at least in -Europe, in a few days’ time, are so great, that a large majority of my -readers have probably been to Paris themselves; and those who have not -seen the great city are sure to know, from the descriptions of other -travelers, as much as I could tell them about it. I will, therefore, -only describe in a very few words the impressions I carried away with -me. - -London and Paris differ as widely from one another as the English -character from the French. In both cities there is plenty of life and -bustle; but one can see at the first glance that in Paris it is not all, -as in London, a _business life_. One does not see those rigid -self-contained figures, wending their way with restless steps, careless -of all that is passing around them, and seeming to consider every wasted -minute as an irreparable loss. In Paris, lounging seems the order of the -day, and even the bustling man of business finds time to greet his -friends and exchange a few words with them, and to pause, moreover, for -a few minutes in front of this or that shop, and admire the wares -displayed with such really wonderful taste in the window. - -The houses themselves don’t look so grave as the London domiciles. They -are of large size (for in some more than thirty families live), and are -not nearly so much blackened by coal-smoke as the London houses are. The -doors are all open, and afford a view into neat court-yards, which are -sometimes adorned with flowers--decidedly a more agreeable aspect than -the tightly-closed doors of London, which seem to give the houses an -uninhabited look. - -In the evening the difference is most perceptible, for then the -characteristic restlessness and love of pleasure inherent in the French -display themselves in full force. All the streets, the public squares, -the places of amusement, are equally crowded; and the Englishman, -accustomed to spend his evenings in the family circle, by the fireside, -for seven or eight months in the year, and in the garden of his cottage -during the remaining four or five, might fancy, on first seeing the -pressure and crush in the streets of Paris, that some public festival -was being celebrated. - -The centres of all this life are the Boulevards; and very bright and -fairy-like is the scene there, on a fine summer evening, with their -magnificent cafés standing wide open, and splendid shops, bright as day -with the glare of thousands of gas-lamps, and with their motley crowd of -carriages in the roads and of pedestrians, either wandering to and fro -on the broad pavements, or sitting at neat little tables in front of the -coffee-houses. - -The Champs Elysées are no less attractive, though they scarcely realize -their name of _fields_; for, except in the short space between the Place -de la Concorde and the Rondpoint, trees and grass-plots have begun to -vanish rather rapidly, to be replaced by handsome houses and hotels. The -view in the Champs Elysées is closed by one of the finest monuments of -modern architecture--the Arc de l’Etoile--a colossal triumphal arch, -built by Napoleon the Great, in the style of the Roman gate of Septimius -Severus. The chief victories of the great conqueror are sculptured with -exquisite skill on this monument. - -A broad road, or avenue, which in a short time will probably also be -quite filled with houses, leads from this point to the celebrated Bois -de Boulogne. The name of this wood was so frequently in every body’s -mouth, that I naturally expected to see a forest of great sturdy trees, -something in the style of the “Prater” at Vienna, or the “Thiergarten” -at Berlin; but it was not so. In spite of its age, the Bois de Boulogne -has never become a forest. The trees have remained small and spare, and -it is a difficult matter to find a shady spot. The new and tasteful -arrangement of this locality, and the addition of a beautiful fountain, -are due to the present emperor, Napoleon III. He seems to be so -fortunate in all his undertakings, that I should not wonder if he -succeeded in making the trees grow. - -The Tuileries Gardens are not very spacious, but they contain glorious -specimens of venerable old trees. Here, as in all public places in -Paris, chairs in abundance are to be had. You must pay for them; but the -sum asked is very moderate--one sou per chair, whether you are a tenant -for five minutes or for half a day. - -Between the Champs Elysées and the Tuileries Gardens lies the Place de -la Concorde, one of the finest squares in Europe. In old times it was -called the Place Louis XV.; and here it was that the guillotine worked -with horrible industry during the years 1792, 1793, and 1794, numbering -Louis XVI., Marie Antoinette, Philippe Egalité, Marie Helène of France, -Robespierre, and hundreds besides, among its victims. Now this place is -adorned by two beautiful fountains, and on the spot occupied by the -guillotine rises the great obelisk of Luxor. This obelisk, seventy-two -feet in height, and of five hundred thousand pounds weight, is hewn out -of a single block of stone: 1550 years before the Christian era it was -set up in front of a temple at Thebes, in Upper Egypt. Mehemet Ali -presented it to the French government. Louis Philippe had a ship built -at Toulon expressly for its conveyance to France, peculiarly fashioned, -so as to ascend the Nile to Luxor, near Thebes. Eight hundred men were -engaged for three months in removing the obelisk from the temple to the -ship. In the month of December, 1833, it arrived in Paris, but its -erection was not accomplished until October, 1836. The cost of -transporting and setting it up amounted to two millions of francs. - -Late building operations have completely united the palace of the -Tuileries with the Louvre, so that the two now form a single -structure--undoubtedly the grandest of its kind in Europe. A few years -ago houses of irregular architecture separated these two palaces, and -the quarter of Paris surrounding them is said to have been one of the -most extensive and the dirtiest in the city. Louis Philippe intended to -have these old buildings pulled down, and to build broad straight -streets that should unite the Tuileries with the Louvre; but millions of -money were required to realize the idea, and constitutional kings can -not dispose of the funds of the state at their own sweet will. Napoleon -arranged all that more conveniently; the Senate and the Corps -Legislatif, far more accommodating than were their predecessors, the -Chambers of Peers and of Deputies, are always happy to fulfill the -wishes of their sovereign. - -There is so much to be seen in both these palaces, in the way of -pictures, antiquities, models of fortresses, ships, and other -curiosities, that one might wander about for weeks in the labyrinth of -halls and galleries, quite unconscious of the lapse of time. One of the -apartments is dedicated entirely to relics of Napoleon the First. Here -are to be seen his tent-bed, his writing-table, his arm-chair, his -robes, various uniforms and hats, many golden keys of conquered cities -and fortresses, Turkish and Arabian saddles, and many other properties. -The worshipers of this modern Cæsar attach a great value to the -handkerchief with which the death-damps were wiped from his brow at St. -Helena. Not one of the other members of the Bonaparte family is -represented by any article in the collection, except perhaps the Duke of -Reichstadt, one of whose coats is displayed there. - -The Luxembourg Gardens, on the south bank of the Seine, are very -prettily laid out. The palace, built in a severe style, possesses a rich -gallery of pictures, mostly modern pieces. The halls and chambers are -arranged with great splendor and true artistic taste. - -Of the churches I visited but few. Notre Dame is distinguished by its -pure Gothic architecture. The church of St. Geneviève is one of the -oldest in Paris. It contains the tomb of the patroness of Paris, in a -neat chapel, built in the Byzantine style, behind the chief altar. In -the church of St. Sulpice, the façade, with its double rows of pillars -and a gallery, is remarkable. In the background of this church, in a -kind of niche, is a marble statue representing the Virgin Mary standing -with the infant Jesus on a globe. A cupola-shaped roof, with a beautiful -fresco of the Ascension, rises over the statue, which, exquisitely -chiseled, and with the light falling upon it with magic effect, has a -most solemn and impressive appearance. Again, I could not help remarking -the amount of poetry and effect developed in the Roman Catholic -religion--and what an advantage does this effect give it among the -excitable masses of the people, over the simple and rather monotonous -forms of Protestant worship! It is unfortunate, however, that abuses, -more or less objectionable, have every where crept in, and are very -damaging, if not entirely destructive, to this poetic feeling. Take, for -instance, the wretched custom adopted in French churches of paying for -chairs. There are few or no benches, but great stores of chairs are -heaped up against the walls. For each chair the charge is a sou; and at -the end of the year all these sous no doubt make up a round sum, which -is very welcome to the worthy dignitaries of the church; but the -devotions of the congregation are terribly disturbed. Every moment the -verger comes pushing his way through the people; first he brings a -chair, then takes one away; now he asks for money, and then he chats -with some regular customer. And is not the idea of being obliged to pay, -in a temple of God, for the right of sitting down, enough in itself to -drive away all serious and devout thoughts? - -The Pantheon is built in the Grecian style; the interior forms a cross. -This church contains monuments of many celebrated Frenchmen. I felt the -greatest interest in those of J. J. Rousseau and Voltaire. - -The Hôtel des Invalides is a magnificent institution for the reception -of 5000 old soldiers who have been frequently wounded in battle, or have -lost an arm or a leg. The building seems very conveniently arranged, and -the old pensioners are said to be well treated; but no one has thought -of providing a grass-plot for their delectation. Even the courts are -destitute of trees and benches. The officers have had a small garden -laid out at their own expense. The dome of the “Invalides” is of great -size. The interior is ornamented with a great number of captured flags, -and on the walls appear great tablets, graced with the names of -celebrated generals. Behind the high altar is the chapel, where the -remains of Napoleon, solemnly brought from St. Helena in 1840, are to -rest until the mausoleum is finished. It was nearly completed at the -time of my visit. It consists of a beautiful rotunda, surrounded by -twelve pillars, with twelve colossal statues of marble in the -intervening spaces. The floor is likewise of marble, with a laurel -wreath in mosaic surrounding the sarcophagus, which is cut out of a -single block of porphyry. The entrance porch, from which two flights of -steps lead downward into the rotunda, is supported by two gigantic -statues. The gate and the statues, which are of bronze, are beautifully -executed. The part of the church that rises over the mausoleum is nearly -covered with gilding, and when the full light of day shines upon it the -effect is magical. - -With the celebrated cemetery of Père la Chaise I was greatly -disappointed; but seeing the cemetery at New York had perhaps spoiled me -for admiring any other. The graves are certainly adorned with tombs, -flowers, and shrubs, but every thing is so crowded together that there -is scarcely room to walk. The number of monuments distinguished by grace -and richness of adornment is small, and their effect is lost by their -position. The most interesting among these is that of Abélard and -Heloise, who died in the twelfth century, and whose ashes were removed -to this resting-place in the nineteenth. - -The graves of the poor are in a division by themselves. Here I found on -many--particularly on the graves of children--monuments that seemed to -me much more attractive and more touching than the tombs of the rich. -They consisted of little glass cases, containing tiny altars, on which -the favorite playthings of the dead babies were displayed. In one I -noticed a tiny basket, in which lay the thimble and sewing implements of -some industrious little worker whose labor here on earth was finished--a -simple memorial, but one that spoke eloquently to the heart! - -The cemetery of Père la Chaise was not opened till the year 1804; it -contains 100 acres, and is entirely surrounded by a high wall. The view -from the hill that rises in the midst is the best reward for a very -toilsome walk. - -I could only pay a flying visit to the Jardin des Plantes and the -Museum. The wealth of the former in exotic plants and animals is well -known; both institutions are reckoned among the most remarkable in -Europe. - -I was much pleased with my visit to the Manufacture des Gobelins, or, as -I might term it, Picture Carpet. This tapestry is wrought with such -perfection, that a close inspection is required to convince the beholder -he is gazing, not at an oil-painting, but a woven fabric. The drawing is -very correct, and the mingling and transition of the various colors -delicate and finished, as if a practiced pencil had been at work. For -hours I stood watching the workmen, without obtaining the slightest clew -to the secret of the art they practiced. The workman has a kind of large -frame before him, on which the threads, or tissue, or warp (I am -unacquainted with the right term) are perpendicularly fastened; at his -side he has a huge basket of Berlin wool, wound on shuttles, and of all -imaginable hues and shades. The picture he has to copy is not a worked -pattern divided into squares, but an oil-painting; and it is not placed -in front of the artistic weaver, but behind him. He works at the wall of -threads before him, beginning from below and making his way upward, -without even sketching the picture he wants to copy; I noticed some -workmen, however, who had indicated the part at which they were -working--a foot, for instance, or a hand--by a few strokes on the edge -of the frame. Those men who imitate Persian and Indian carpets, -producing fabrics a quarter of an inch thick, and which resembles cut -velvet, have the original, also an oil-painting, suspended above their -heads. In some apartments the most gorgeous Gobelins were displayed. -They are very dear; a piece of tapestry, fifteen to twenty feet in -height by eight or ten in breadth, will cost from 100,000 to 150,000 -francs. But then a workman has frequently to labor for ten or more years -at such a piece. The wages of the workmen are not very high; I was told, -however, that after a certain number of years of service they receive a -pension, which is granted in a shorter period should they become blind -over their work--a calamity which not unfrequently befalls them. - -My last visit was to the Morgue, where the bodies of persons found dead -are exposed for identification by relatives or friends. Many of my -readers will perhaps wonder how I, a woman, could visit such a place; -but they must remember that, during my journeyings, I have frequently -been face to face with death, and that its aspect, consequently, was -less terrible to me than to the majority of people; and I can therefore -look at times even with a kind of mournful complacency upon its image, -mindful of that last journey all of us must take. - -The Morgue is a large vaulted apartment, divided into two halves by a -partition of glass. In the division behind the glass wall are six or -eight low tables, or slabs, on which the corpses are laid out. The -clothes they had on when found are hung upon the walls. The other half -of the room is for the visitors, among whom, if any of the bodies show -marks of violence, secret agents of the police are accustomed to mingle, -to glean from the expression of countenance, or from any chance remark, -a clew by which to track the criminal. The corpses are thus exposed for -three days, but the clothes are left hanging for a longer period. The -most terrible sights are sometimes seen here. Thus I saw a male corpse -that had lain for some months in the water, and on the next table a -young girl whose head had been completely cut off; it had afterward been -sewn on the neck. The poor creature had been murdered by her lover -through jealousy. A remarkable incident in this murder was that the -perpetrator, disturbed in the very fact, leaped from the window of a -room on the sixth story without injuring himself. He scrambled up from -the ground and ran away. Three days afterward, when I left Paris, he had -not been apprehended. - -I was told that a few weeks before, some fishermen had brought in a -table-leaf with the body of a woman tied to it, but the head and feet -were missing. The fishermen had discovered the body in the river by -chance; it had been weighted with stones, and sunk. All possible -measures were immediately taken by the authorities to find the head and -feet; and, contrary to expectation, they were eventually found, though -hidden in separate places. The body was then put together and exposed in -the Morgue. One of the secret agents quickly noticed among the -spectators an old woman who could scarcely suppress an exclamation on -seeing the corpse. When she left the room the agent requested her to -accompany him to the commissary, and on being asked if she knew the -deceased, she replied that she recognized in the poor creature a -likeness to a woman who had lived in her neighborhood a short time ago, -but who had lately removed to quite another quarter of the town. Farther -questioning brought out the fact that the murdered woman had come from -the provinces a few months before with a sum of money, intending to -carry on some small trade in Paris; she made acquaintance with a man who -professed himself willing to serve her, and announced to her, after a -short time, that he had found a better and cheaper dwelling for her. She -accepted his offer, left her old domicile without giving the address of -her new one, and since that time nothing more had been heard of her. -Inquiries were made of the commissionaires, or porters of the -neighborhood, one of whom remembered carrying her luggage, and pointed -out the house where he had deposited it. A secret agent betook himself -thither, but found the door locked. At his summons the porter appeared. -The agent asked him if a Monsieur X---- did not live in that house; and -on receiving an answer in the negative, added, “That is very singular, -for the address is quite correct,” at the same time showing a paper. The -porter declared there must be some mistake, for the house belonged to -Monsieur L----, who passed the greater part of the year in the country, -but had given particular orders that not a single room should be let. -The agent departed, but the house was watched, and at about eleven -o’clock at night two suspicious-looking characters were seen to enter. -After making sure that there was no other means of exit, a sufficient -number of armed policemen rushed into the house, and secured the porter -and his two associates without much resistance. The house was carefully -searched, and in one of the rooms they discovered not only the -frame-work of the table on a leaf of which the woman had been bound, but -traces of blood, and the bloodstained axe with which the unhappy -creature, lured into the house by the murderers, had been killed. But -enough of these horrors, of which, alas! Paris offers but too many -examples. - -My excursions in the environs of the capital were limited to Versailles, -Trianon, and St. Cloud, which I visited on one and the same day. - -The railway takes one, in an hour, to Versailles, past the little town -of Sèvres, celebrated for its great porcelain manufactory. Sèvres is -picturesquely situated in a broad valley watered by the Seine. The -railroad runs, throughout nearly the whole distance, parallel with the -valley at a considerable elevation, so that the traveler sees the -charming, highly-cultivated country gliding past like scenes in a magic -lantern. - -As regards Versailles itself, I candidly confess myself unable to -describe it. I can only assure my readers that such splendor in -buildings, gardens, halls, pictures, and general arrangements could -only arise in France, under a king like Louis XIV., who rivaled the -Romans themselves in luxury, and held the modest opinion that _he_ was -the state, and the people but an accessory to his greatness. - -Hurrying through the lofty halls, and marking the innumerable pictures, -representing battles, assaults, burning towns and villages, with the -inhabitants half naked and in full flight, I could not help asking -myself in what we are superior to the wild Indian. Our civilization has -refined our customs, but our deeds have remained the same. The savage -kills his enemies with a club; we slay ours with cannon balls. The -savage hangs up scalps, skulls, and similar trophies in his wigwam; we -paint them on canvas to decorate our palaces withal; where, then, is the -great difference? - -At St. Cloud I could only visit the gardens, the palace being occupied -by the empress. The fountains here are said to be very grand, but they -do not play every Sunday. It was on a Sunday that I went to St. Cloud, -but, unfortunately, not on one of the high days; there were, however, -pedestrians in plenty, and, had I been an Englishwoman, I should have -been horrified; for there were children here, and even young men and -maidens, so lost to all sense of propriety as to play at ball on a -Sunday! - -I have already observed that the good Parisians are rather too fond of -pleasure, and I am ready to allow that too much of any thing is -objectionable; but, on the other hand, I submit, even at the risk of -being anathematized as unchristianlike by English ladies generally, that -it is quite natural for people who have to sit for the whole week long -at the work-table, in the shop, or in the counting-house, to indulge in -a little recreation on Sundays. I can not imagine the bountiful Creator -of all things looking with displeasure upon really innocent relaxation. -It is all very well for rich people, who can amuse themselves every day -in the week, and let their children have a holiday on Saturday, to make -it a rule to observe the Sabbath strictly; but to the poor man, who -works hard all the six days to maintain himself and his family in -honesty, the Almighty will surely grant permission to forget his cares -in harmless pleasure on the seventh. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - Return to London and Holland.--Separation Festival in - Amsterdam.--Departure from Rotterdam.--My traveling - Companions.--Emigrant Children.--Story of a poor Girl.--Cape - Town.--Fortunate Meeting.--Alteration of my traveling Plans. - - -On the 12th of August I left Paris, as I have said, with my business -unconcluded, and returned to London. - -After mature deliberation, I had at length taken my resolution. The -exceedingly kind reception I had met with in the Dutch Indies on my last -journey aroused in me the wish to make a second voyage in the same -direction, particularly as there were many islands yet to be explored. -The state of affairs in Madagascar might also change during my absence, -and on my return I might find it possible to visit this almost unknown -region. I made inquiries about the price of a passage, but found it was -£75--too much for my purse. As a special favor, I was to be allowed a -reduction of five pounds; but I hoped to find more favorable conditions -offered in Holland, and the sequel proved that I was not mistaken. - -Before leaving London I paid a visit to Mr. Shaw, the Secretary of the -Geographical Society. He had read in the papers of the honor accorded to -me by the Geographical Society of Paris. He seemed somewhat embarrassed, -and expressed his regret that a similar step could not be taken in -London, inasmuch as it was expressly forbidden by the statutes to -receive a woman as a member. I wonder what the emancipated ladies of the -United States would say to such a prohibition! That I should not be -received was natural enough, for I can not lay claim to a deep -knowledge of any branch of the science. But no one will doubt the -existence of many really scientific women at the present day, and to -exclude such persons merely on account of their sex I think -incomprehensible. It might pass in the East, where the female sex is not -held in great estimation, but not in a country like England, which -professes to take pride in its civilization, and to keep pace with the -spirit of the times. - -So far as I am personally concerned, I have every reason to be grateful -to the Geographical Society of London. It made me a valuable present, -without my having taken any steps in the matter; for it never was my way -to thrust myself forward or to petition for any thing. - -On the 22d of August I again set foot on Dutch soil, and it was in -Rotterdam. My valued friend, Colonel Steuerwald, had recommended me to -Herr Baarz; and by this friendly and exceedingly obliging gentleman I -was received in the heartiest manner, and spent some very agreeable days -in his house. Herr Baarz introduced me to Herr Oversee, one of the -principal ship-owners of Rotterdam. One of his ships was just ready to -sail for Batavia; she was to be dispatched at the end of August. This -was a capital opportunity for me. But Herr Oversee tried to dissuade me -from going in this ship, as all the berths were not only taken, but -overcrowded as far as the Cape of Good Hope, where the vessel was to -touch. Besides the cabin passengers, there was to be a whole cargo of -children, boys and girls, of from ten to fourteen years of age, nearly a -hundred in number, who had been bespoken by Dutchmen settled at the -Cape, to be trained as men-and maid-servants. As I heard that a separate -part of the ship had been allotted to the girls, and that they had been -placed under the superintendence of a matron, and as I was anxious not -to miss this opportunity of starting, I urged Herr Oversee to give me a -berth in this portion of the ship. The kind man acquiesced at once. He -put me on a par with the first-class passengers as to diet and other -details: from the Cape to the end of my journey I was to have a separate -cabin, and the charge for the entire voyage was not more than twelve -pounds ten shillings sterling. - -This affair concluded, I went to Amsterdam to take leave of the amiable -Steuerwald family, and came just in time to be present at some public -festivities, celebrated, as it seemed to me, on very extraordinary -grounds. The festival was in honor of the separation effected between -Belgium and Holland twenty-five years before. This separation had been -any thing but voluntary on the part of Holland, but it was nevertheless -commemorated with great enthusiasm. The affair had already been going on -for some days when I arrived, and was not to be finished under three or -four more. Dutchmen seem to think it impossible to get through with a -holiday under a week. On the other hand, the people are certainly very -moderate in their requirements: all they want is license to parade about -the streets from morning till late in the evening, to look at a few -flags and wooden triumphal arches, and to see those who really do feast -drive past on their way to banquets and to balls. - -The chief solemnity was fixed for the 27th of August, the anniversary of -the “separation.” I arrived on the afternoon of the 26th, and found -every window decorated with flags, little triumphal arches here and -there, gay with green boughs and colored paper, and such a crowd in the -streets that my carriage could scarcely force its way through. - -Next day there was certainly something extra to be seen. In spite of the -streams of rain which kept pouring from the heavens (perhaps in token of -mourning for the “separation”), the military turned out on parade; the -king appeared on a tribune erected in the cathedral square, opposite the -palace, listened to the speeches of the burgomaster, and of the leaders -of the troops who still survived from those days, and made speeches in -reply. Four hundred children sang the national anthem and other hymns. A -monument was moreover uncovered--an obelisk, with the Goddess of Union -standing thereupon, and its base resting on the heads of many lions, -from whose open jaws streams of water gushed forth. In the evening we -had a display of fire-works and illuminations. - -I should not like to incur the imputation of passing a hasty judgment -upon the people, nor do festivities of this description afford much -opportunity for forming an opinion, for the same curiosity and the same -contentment are found among the people all the world over when there is -any thing to be seen. I was, however, disagreeably impressed here, as I -had been already at the Hague and at Utrecht, by the frequent appearance -of groups of slatternly women, three or four of them arm-in-arm, pushing -their way noisily through the crowd, and sometimes even heading troops -of half-drunken men, like so many Megæras, shouting and dancing as -noisily as the topers themselves. This the Hollanders call jollity. I -call it shamelessness; and am always grieved to see women fallen so low -as to brazen out their shame in the face of the world. - -After a hearty farewell to my friends I returned to Rotterdam, and on -the 31st of August I betook myself on board the “Salt-Bommel,” 700 tons -burden, Captain Juta, master. - -Our ship was the first that was to carry a cargo of children from their -native land; and as the 31st of August happened to be Sunday, and a very -fine day, and as the Hollanders are just as inquisitive as any other -nation, it is not to be wondered at that from the early morning the -quays and the shore were lined with thousands of spectators. The good -people had the consolation of looking at our ship all day long, for the -steam-tug which was to take us in tow as far as the Nieuwe Sluis did not -make its appearance till four o’clock in the afternoon. - -On board there was as much life and bustle as on shore. The children -came trooping in, a few at a time, accompanied by their relatives, and -laden with eatables and with little keepsakes. Here a mother might be -seen pressing her child to her bosom for the last time; there a father -gave his son a few last words of counsel and exhortation before the -journey began; and many parents, after several partings from their -children, came hastening back to take a last look at the beloved faces. -And when the ship at last moved from the shore, many were there who -could be seen crying “farewell” after distance had rendered the sound -inaudible. Handkerchiefs and hats were waved to wish us God-speed, and -mighty “hurrahs” were raised; the whole city seemed to take an interest -in our outgoing, as though the children had belonged to the people at -large. This universal sympathy and excitement was a good panacea against -mournful reflections. Children and parents shouted their loudest with -the rest; and if many a poor mother sat down and dropped a tear as she -parted from her darling, her low sob was drowned in the louder accents -of rejoicing and farewell. - -Whenever we passed a village, the shouting and waving of handkerchiefs -began again. Happy youth, that can thus look forward with light heart to -the unknown future! - -Our progress to-day did not extend beyond eight miles (I must always be -understood to mean _geographical_, or sea-miles, sixty to a degree). The -steam-tug took leave of us in the evening. On the following day we -drifted lazily as far as the wharf of Helvoetsluys, and here we had to -remain at anchor for some days, with what patience we might, waiting for -a wind. - -These few days were enough to convince me that I must prepare myself for -a very uncomfortable voyage with very uncongenial companions. - -The cargo of children was bound, as I have said, for the Cape Colony. -Some were to be landed at Cape Town, the others at Port Elizabeth, a few -hundred miles distant, on the northeast coast. At the Cape it is almost -impossible to get respectable industrious servants or artisans: people -there are compelled to employ Hottentots and Caffres, who will only hire -themselves out for a few days, or at most for a week or two; and they -frequently run away, leaving their work half done. The Dutch settlers, -therefore, bespeak children from their mother country, with the object -of training them up as servants and artisans. - -These children receive board, lodging, and clothing from the day of -their embarkation. On reaching their destination they serve without -wages for the first two years and a half, during which time they are -considered as working off the expenses of their journey. For every -following year they receive, besides board and clothing, sixty Dutch -guilders (£5), one guilder per month being handed to them as -pocket-money. The other forty-eight guilders are deposited with the -authorities, and on completing their twenty-first year the balance is -paid over to them. They have then the right of leaving their masters, -should they wish to do so. - -In several towns in Holland committees were formed for the selection of -these children. From the orphan asylums none were taken. The children -are asked, in the presence of the authorities, if they are content to -travel beyond sea. Unfortunately, however, the committee seem to have -taken matters very easily, and to have troubled themselves very little -about the prescribed regulations. Thus the _children_ were not children -at all; almost without exception they numbered from sixteen to twenty -years, instead of from ten to fourteen; and they must certainly have -been picked up out of the streets, for in all my life I never saw such -an amount of riff-raff collected together. The grown-up girls must have -been lounging about for years in the sailor’s taverns; the younger ones -followed the example of the elder, and the whole community swore like -the sailors themselves, sang the most uproarious songs, and stole from -one another. Their want of cleanliness was awful. - -But I will not be too bitter against these poor wretches; and let him -who would condemn them consider the curse that weighs from their -birth-hour upon the children of poverty. It is not because they are -wretchedly clothed and half fed that I pity them so heartily; their -greatest misfortune consists in their having nobody to take charge of -the education of their hearts and minds. The parents are seldom capable -of fulfilling this trust, for did not the same curse rest upon their -infancy? They work hard through the day, and give their children the -indispensable bread, and think they have done their duty. If several -other children come, the loaf becomes insufficient, and they are obliged -to put the elder children to work at the earliest possible moment. If -this work to which they are put were but regular, it might be rather an -advantage to the child than otherwise; but what can a little boy or a -little girl of seven or eight years old do? Those who get into the -factories, or are bound apprentices, are the best off; but there is not -employment of this kind for all, and for many there is no refuge left -but to do all kinds of little offices in the streets, hawk newspapers, -sweep crossings, and run on errands. Left to themselves, without -guidance, without definite notions of right and wrong, and too often, -alas! with the evil example of their parents before their eyes, is it to -be wondered at if they at last succumb to the temptations that hover -round them in such varied forms? - -Far more worthy of condemnation do those men appear to me to whom the -education of the people is intrusted, and who so often leave their duty -unperformed. They can not, like the children of the poor, plead -ignorance in their own defense; for if they fail, they do so with a full -consciousness of their offense. - -I speak of the priests and schoolmasters, who, to my thinking, are the -most important men among the people; for in their hands lies the real -education of the rest. They are the chief personages in every village; -they can, if they earnestly desire it, effect an incalculable amount of -good, and the government ought to keep the most vigilant watch upon -them. Is this done? Alas! I fear not. - -The clergymen are generally so little attended to by their consistories, -that the whole village will sometimes be crying out about the misconduct -of its minister, while his superiors know nothing about it. And if the -affair becomes too bad at length, what is the punishment? Simply his -translation to some other parish. - -The schoolmasters, moreover, are so badly paid, that scarcely any one -will take up with this profession who can earn his living in another -way. - -With a few notable exceptions, clergymen and schoolmasters think they -have done their duty when the former have preached a dry sermon on -Sundays, and the latter have managed to teach their pupils to read and -write. But how few, how very few, trouble themselves about the moral -training of the children intrusted to their charge, by teaching them the -difference between right and wrong, by endeavoring to rouse their hearts -and minds to healthy action, and, above all, by setting them a good -example! - -We had a schoolmaster on board, Herr Jongeneel, and his wife: he was to -superintend the boys and she the girls. These good people ate their -rations with great perseverance, said many prayers and sang psalms, but -they cared very little about the behavior of those who had been -intrusted to them. The last note of the psalm had scarcely died upon the -lips of the girls before they would be hurrying away to the deck, where -they spent the evening and half the night bandying jests with the mates -and sailors. Even in the daytime their behavior was so unbecoming that -I and a married female passenger, with her step-daughter, were obliged -to pass nearly all our time in the cabin. - -I hear that Herr Jongeneel is to have a post as a missionary at the -Cape. What is to be expected from such a man? He began the voyage with a -falsehood. He had assured the committee he had no children, yet came on -board with a child, and his wife was daily expecting another, which duly -arrived on the 3d of September. - -Under these circumstances, it was, of course, impossible for me to sleep -in the girls’ cabin. Captain Juta, a very good, obliging man, saw this, -and as there was no other vacant place, he had a berth arranged for me -on a settle in the chief cabin. It was not very comfortable, for the -seat was not more than a foot broad, and it was a very difficult matter -to maintain my place upon it, particularly when the ship rolled. - -The rest of the company consisted--besides the young wife, her -step-daughter, and myself--of eight or nine gentlemen, who were not the -most eligible of fellow-passengers. They were generally very fond of -seizing every opportunity of conversing with the girls, in a very -sailor-like style. In the evening there was often such a disturbance -that we quiet women could not find a peaceful spot on the deck where we -might enjoy a little fresh air. The gentlemen and the girls raced wildly -round the decks, pricked one another with needles, and shouted, laughed, -and screamed like denizens of the lowest public houses. Mr. Schumann, a -young chemist, was an honorable exception. - -It was not till the 4th of September that a slight breeze arose, aided -by which (and a little steam-tug) we made our way into the North Sea. -The sails soon began to fill, and on the 5th we entered the English -Channel, through which we sailed in two days and a half--the quickest -run through this dangerous passage I have ever made in a sailing-vessel. - -The 7th of September was a Sunday. The schoolmaster and missionary -expectant read the service with half-closed eyes, and with such an -appearance of unction and importance that one would have thought he had -been born a priest. His address or sermon was so dry and bald as to be -fit only for savages, who would not understand a word, good or bad. At -the dinner-table he seemed more at home--ye powers, what an appetite he -had! In the afternoon we had almost a calm. The captain, who was ever -ready to give pleasure to all, had a fine organ on board. He had it -brought on deck, and played, that the young people might dance. It was -quite a little festival. Every one was in good spirits, cheerful, and -decorous, for the captain remained present the whole time. The sailors -also sang, and danced among themselves or with the girls. The boys -clambered about the rigging, played with each other, or executed all -kinds of gymnastic feats. We passengers stood about in groups, watching -the gambols of the merry youngsters. - -One of the girls took no part in the general hilarity. The poor thing -seemed the only one who felt how mournful it was to go forth into the -wide world without staff or stay. On the very first night which I passed -in the girls’ cabin I had been struck by her mournful countenance; she -had cried herself to sleep, called for her mother in her dreams, and in -the morning when she awoke, and saw all the strange faces round her, she -seemed to lose all courage, cowered in a corner, and wept long and -bitterly. Great indeed must have been the poverty of the parents that -induced them to part with a child who clung with such passionate -tenderness to the remembrance of home, and bitter the parting of the -poor mother from the child that was going to the far country with such a -slender prospect of returning. Surely there is a sharper sting in such a -parting than in following the remains of a beloved relative to the -church-yard. In the one case there is the consoling belief that the -soul is safe from harm, but alas for the perils that encompass soul and -body on a life-long journey among strange faces! - -Oh, that all into whose houses these orphan children come would endeavor -to make up to them, by a little love, the mighty loss these poor -creatures have sustained! I tried to console the girl as well as I -could, and the good captain spoke kind words to her, and promised to -take her back to Europe if she did not feel happy at the Cape. But as -the girl’s sorrow wore off from day to day, she began to take -pleasure--as we find is too frequently the case--in the conduct of her -companions, and in a few weeks home and parents were alike forgotten. - -The only girl on board whose behavior was uniformly good was one from -whom I should least have expected propriety of conduct. Mary, as they -called her, was the daughter, by a first marriage, of a man who had -married again shortly after the death of his first wife. There was a son -by this marriage, two years younger than Mary. The second wife disliked -her step-children, scolded them continually, and frequently ill treated -them, particularly when she had taken too much brandy, which she -appeared to do pretty frequently. When Mary had reached her eighteenth, -and her brother his sixteenth year, she declared that they were old -enough to earn their own living, and turned them out of the house. For -three months the poor creatures slept in the streets or in any corner -where they could get shelter; no one would receive them, no one would -take pity on the poor, ragged, half-starved wretches. They had learned -nothing, and could barely manage by begging, and by little earnings now -and then, to get a few farthings to buy bread. Once they had a hope of -seeing their condition improved. One evening, as they stood at the -corner of a street, they saw an elderly man crossing the road, and -leading a little girl by the hand. A merry boy of seven or eight years -of age was following them; he had loitered a few paces behind, playing -with his hoop. Just when he was in the middle of the road a carriage -came round the corner. The startled boy tried to spring aside, but fell -over his hoop, and would probably have been crushed by the wheels, or -trampled under foot by the horses, if Mary’s brother, who happened to be -close by, had not rushed toward him, and dragged him out of the way. - -The old gentleman came hurrying up, took the boy in his arms, examined -him carefully, and could scarcely believe he had escaped entirely -without injury. As a crowd had begun to gather round, he beckoned Mary’s -brother to follow him, and went toward his own house accompanied by the -children. He made the two beggars--for Mary had kept close to her -brother--come in with him, and asked where they lived. They told him -their history in a few words. The old gentleman seemed touched, wrote -down the address of their father, and dismissed them with a small -gratuity and a direction to call again on the following evening. - -They were quite overjoyed; for the first time in three months they could -enjoy a warm meal and sleep under a roof, and they hoped that next -evening the good gentleman would find them work, and perhaps even take -them into his house. With what impatience they waited for the appointed -hour! At last the evening came, and with beating hearts they knocked at -the door. An old servant appeared, and desired them to wait; after a -short absence he reappeared, put a few guilders into their hands, and -said that his master could do nothing more for them. Great was the -disappointment of the poor children; but they did not dare to question -the servant, and went away weeping silently. - -The old gentleman had probably gone to make inquiries at the parents’ -house, and finding the step-mother alone, the wicked woman, to justify -herself for having turned the children out of doors, had told some -horrible tale about them. - -The poor wretches were looking forward with great fear to the -approaching winter, when fortunately they heard of the committee which -sent out young people to the Cape. They went at once to the office, and -were accepted. - -A girl who remains good and virtuous under such circumstances deserves -the greatest respect and admiration. Mary continued, like a heroine, -unspoiled by the bad step-mother, by starvation in the streets, or by -the bad example on board. God grant poor Mary happiness and blessings, -for surely she deserves them! - -On the 19th of September a very strange incident took place. We were -going quietly before the wind, when suddenly it changed and took us “all -aback.” The sails could not be furled quickly enough to save one of the -yards from being sprung and the sail torn to shreds. The whole affair -was over in a few moments, and the passengers in the cabin knew nothing -about it. The captain ascribed the occurrence to a great water-spout. We -could not see it, but had probably come within the domain of the -whirlwind it raised. - -At the end of our passage, which was somewhat tedious and thoroughly -uneventful, we had a death on board; the schoolmaster’s eldest child -died of the croup. I was very disagreeably impressed on this occasion by -the behavior of the mother. With the child on her lap--it had only died -a few minutes before--the bereaved mother eagerly asked for bread, -butter, and cheese, and a glass of water. When she began to drink the -water, and found it was not sweetened, she scolded the girl, and sent -her off for the sugar. After she had satisfied her hunger and thirst, -the poor little child was dressed, and the scene of grief began. She -took it in her arms, wept and sobbed, and seemed as if she could not -part from it. A few hours afterward all signs of mourning had vanished, -and one would have thought the poor child had never existed. - -On the 16th of November, at noon, we at length cast anchor in front of -Cape Town. For a description of this place, I refer my readers to my -“Second Voyage round the World.” - -It was Sunday, and I therefore refrained from going on shore. Where -English people form the majority of the population, it is not customary -to pay visits on this day; the good folks are all day long either at -church, or praying at home, or supposed to be praying. - -Cape Town is not so great but that the name of every stranger is known -within a few hours after arrival; and on this first afternoon I received -two friendly offers of hospitality for the time of my stay here--one -from Madame Bloom, the other from Mr. Juritz, an apothecary. - -On the morning of the 17th of November, I was engaged in packing up my -few possessions before going ashore with the captain when a gentleman -came on board and inquired for me. He introduced himself as Mr. Lambert, -a Frenchman, and told me that he had been living in the island of -Mauritius some years, and had, in fact, landed here on his return voyage -to that island. He had heard in Paris of my intention of proceeding to -Madagascar, and that I had been dissuaded from attempting the journey. -Hearing yesterday of my arrival, he had hastened to invite me to go to -Madagascar with him, if I had not entirely abandoned my project. He had -been in the island about two years before, and was personally acquainted -with the queen. He had written to her from Paris, requesting permission -to pay a second visit, for no one is allowed to land in Madagascar -without the queen’s consent. He hoped to find this permission awaiting -him at the Mauritius, and would write immediately on his arrival to -obtain a similar permission for me, which he had no doubt would be -granted; only, if I intended to undertake the journey, I must make up -my mind at once, as the steamer would start for the Mauritius on the -following day. In consequence of the rainy season having set in at -Madagascar, the voyage from the Mauritius thither could not be commenced -until the beginning of April; but, in the interval, Mr. Lambert assured -me I should find the heartiest welcome in his house. - -It would be difficult to picture my surprise and joy at this. I had -given up all hope of carrying out my plan, and now I should be able to -do it, and, moreover, in the most agreeable and the safest way. I hardly -knew what to say to Mr. Lambert. I felt ready to shout for joy, and tell -every one I met of my good fortune. Yes, I have had good luck in my -journeyings--never-ending luck. At Rotterdam I found a ship which was to -touch at the Cape--a thing that hardly occurs twice in the course of a -year, as the Dutch have scarcely any communication with the colony; and -here at the Cape I arrive just in time to meet Mr. Lambert, who would -have been gone had I landed twenty-four hours later. These are the happy -chances one reads of frequently enough in novels, but they very seldom -occur in actual life. - -I immediately sent my baggage to the steamer, and hastened ashore to see -my friends. An adjutant of the governor, Sir George Grey, came with an -invitation from his excellency to visit him at his country house. I -could not resist so flattering a summons, and spent the whole evening at -his excellency’s. Sir George made me the tempting offer of a journey -through the greater part of the Cape territory in his company; but -nothing in the world would have induced me to give up Madagascar. I -therefore gratefully declined his liberal offer, the value of which, -however, I fully appreciated, and that, under different circumstances, I -should have joyfully accepted. This kind gentleman seemed to take a real -interest in my doings, and to be sorry that he could not in any way be -of service to me. He made me promise to let him know by letter if I -should require his recommendation or any other assistance on my journey. - -On the morning of the 18th of November I was escorted back to the town -to Mr. Lambert, and a few hours later we were again at sea. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - Voyage to the Island of Bourbon.--The Mauritius.--Wealth of the - Island.--The City of Port Louis.--Manner of Life among the - Inhabitants.--Indian Servants.--Grand Dinners.--Country - Houses.--Creole Hospitality. - - -I made the voyage from the Cape to the Mauritius in the handsome and -entirely new steamer “Governor Higginson,” Captain French, of 150-horse -power. The vessel had been built in shares, Mr. Lambert being the chief -shareholder. He refused to let me pay for my passage, and would not have -allowed me to do so even had he not possessed a single share. He -declared that I was now his guest, and must remain so till I finally -left the Mauritius. - -Our voyage of 2400 sea-miles to the Mauritius was very prosperous. The -sea was certainly stormy when we set sail, and we had to struggle much -against contrary winds; still, it was said that no other steamer had -ever made so quick a passage. - -Except some small water-spouts, we saw nothing remarkable till we -reached the island of Bourbon. - -On this steamer I learned the amount of the current expenses of -navigation. Without reckoning coals, it exceeds £500 per month. The crew -consisted of forty-seven persons. The consumption of coal was about -twenty-five tons in twenty-four hours. These coals are in some places -exceedingly dear; at the Cape, for instance, where they cost £2 10_s._ -per ton. - -On the morning of the 1st of December we discovered land, and in the -afternoon cast anchor in the little-known harbor of St. Denis, the -capital of the island of Bourbon. - -This pretty little island, also called Ile de la Réunion, lies between -the Mauritius and Madagascar, in latitude 20° 21° south, and longitude -52° 53° east. It is forty English miles in length by thirty in breadth, -and has about 200,000 inhabitants. Discovered in 1545 by Mascarenhas, a -Portuguese, it was occupied by the French in 1642; from 1810 to 1814 it -was under English dominion, and since that time it has been a French -possession. - -Ile de Bourbon has lofty chains of mountains and plains of considerable -extent, stretching parallel with the sea-coast. The flats are planted -with the sugar-cane, which flourishes here famously, and gives the whole -island an appearance of luxuriant verdure. - -The town of St. Denis is built far out into the sea, and surrounded by -evergreen trees and gardens. In the background rises a hill, crowned by -a palatial edifice, which I at first took for the governor’s residence; -but it has been built for a nobler purpose--it is the hospital. The -Catholic church also stands upon the hill, and against its foot leans a -long building of only one story, and with handsome rows of pillars, -which make it look like a Roman aqueduct; but, on a nearer inspection, -one detects windows and doors, and the place turns out to be the -barracks. The whole picture is closed in by a chain of mountains, which -divides into two parts, and affords a magnificent glimpse of a deep -gorge thickly shaded with plants and trees. All this I saw from the -steamer’s deck, for we only staid here a few hours, and these were -passed in the usual formalities--the visit of the physician, the -officials from the post-office and custom-house, etc. The business was -no sooner over than the steam began to puff and gurgle, the wheels were -put in motion, and we were off to the island of Mauritius, a hundred -miles away. - -Next morning we had not only long lost sight of Bourbon, but the -Mauritius lay before us; and in the afternoon our steamer anchored in -the safe harbor of Port Louis, the capital of the island. But three -hours passed before we landed, and I took up my quarters in Mr. -Lambert’s country house. - -The island of Mauritius, seen from the sea, presents a similar aspect to -Bourbon, only that the mountains are higher, and are piled up in -successive chains. The town has not so picturesque an appearance as St. -Denis; it wants the fine stately buildings which give such an imposing -effect to the latter place. - -The Mauritius, formerly called “Ile de France,” is situate in the -southern hemisphere, between latitude 19° 20°, and longitude 54° 55°. It -is thirty-seven miles long by twenty-eight broad, and has a population -of 180,000. - -Like Bourbon, the Mauritius belongs to Africa. It was taken possession -of by the Dutch in 1570, but is said to have been discovered earlier by -the Portuguese Mascarenhas. The Dutch gave it the name “Mauritius,” but -left the island in 1712. Three years afterward the French took -possession, and called the island “Ile de France.” In 1810 the English -conquered it, and have kept it ever since. They have also restored its -old name of Mauritius. - -The island was uninhabited at its first discovery. The whites introduced -slaves--negroes, Malabar Indians, and Malagaseys, from whose -intermarriages all kinds of shades of color and nationality arose. Since -the abolition of slavery in the year 1835, almost all the working-people -have come from India. The Anglo-Indian government makes contracts for -five years with people who wish to hire themselves out in the Mauritius; -at the expiration of that time they have to apply to the government in -the Mauritius, at whose cost they are sent back to their own country. -Those who fail to report themselves lose their right to a free passage. - -The hirer must pay to the government for each laborer two pounds the -first year, and one pound every year following; this money covers the -expense of the passage out and home. To the laborer himself he has to -give five or six rupees a month, and board and lodging. This scale only -applies to common laborers; for cooks, artisans, and skilled workmen, -the wages are much higher, rising according to their capacity. - -I found the inhabitants of the Mauritius in a state of great excitement. -Intelligence had lately arrived from Calcutta that the exportation of -coolies, or laborers, was forbidden, as it had been alleged that the men -were very badly treated in quarantine, which they are compelled to keep -on account of the cholera. They say, however, that the government here -is to redress the quarantine grievances with all due care, and they -therefore hope the prohibition will soon be relaxed. If this is not -done, the island will be threatened with ruin in a few years. - -At present it is in the most flourishing condition; the income which -this little island yields, not only to the planters, but to the -government, is perhaps larger, in proportion to its extent, than the -amount yielded by any other territory whatever. In the year 1855, for -instance, 2,500,000 cwt. of sugar were grown, the value being £1,777,428 -sterling. The revenue of the government for the same year amounted to -£348,452. The expenses were much less than the income; and as this is -the case nearly every year, and the surplus is not sent to England, but -remains in the country, the treasury is always well filled. At the -present time it is reported to contain £300,000; and with every year the -wealth of this fortunate island increases. In the year 1857 the revenue -increased by £100,000, this great sum being raised solely by the new -duty on spirituous liquors. That the inhabitants partake of this -prosperity is proved by the difference between the exports and imports. -In the year 1855, the former exceeded the latter by half a million -sterling. Could the same be said of some of our great European states? - -The government officials are exceedingly well paid, but not nearly so -well as in British India, though the expenses of living are much greater -here. The reason is, that the climate of India is considered very -unhealthy for Europeans, while that of the Mauritius is salubrious -enough. The governor has a house, and £6000 a year salary. - -Mr. Lambert’s country house, “Les Pailles,” to which I proceeded, is -seven miles from the town, in the district of Mocca. The whole island is -divided into eleven districts. - -At my kind host’s I found every thing heart could desire--handsome -rooms, good living, numerous servants, and the greatest independence; -for Mr. Lambert drove to town every morning, and frequently did not -return till the evening. - -After a few days’ rest I began my wanderings through the island. - -First of all, I visited the town of Port Louis. There was little enough -to be seen in it. Though of tolerable size (it has a population of -50,000), it possesses not a single fine public building, with the -exception of the government house and the bazar. The private houses, -too, are generally small, and never exceed one story in height. The -bridge across the big river--frequently so destitute of water that it -can be easily forded--is built tastefully enough, only they have been so -sparing of its breadth that only one carriage can go across at a time; -when two meet, one has to wait till the other has passed. Governments -seem to act very much like private people: so long as they have little -money, or, indeed, are in debt, they are generous, and even extravagant; -but from the moment when they become prosperous they grow saving and -avaricious. At least this seems to be the case with the government of -the Mauritius, which is much more stingy, with its well-filled chest, -than our European states that are burdened with debt. Does it not show a -miserable want of spirit to have such a narrow bridge in the busiest -part of the town? - -Two other bridges of hewn stone fairly fell in during my stay; -fortunately, no one was hurt. Each governor thinks only of filling the -treasury; his greatest pride is in being able to say that under his rule -the surplus of income over expenditure had increased by so many thousand -pounds. Acting on this principle, the present governor objected strongly -to the estimates given in for the building of the two bridges, ordered -that they should be constructed at a cheaper rate, and--has the pleasure -of building them twice over. - -The town possesses a public walk, called the “Champ de Mars,” which is, -however, little frequented, and a theatre, in which a French company -perform. - -The rich people generally live in their country houses, and only come to -town for the day. - -The mode of life among Europeans and Creoles (under the latter term are -understood people born on the island of white parents) is similar to -that in the British or Dutch Indies. At sunrise we refreshed ourselves -with a cup of coffee, brought into the bedroom; between nine and ten the -bell summoned us to a breakfast of rice, curry, and a few hot dishes; -and at one came a luncheon of fruit or bread and cheese. The chief meal -was taken in the evening, generally after seven o’clock. - -Living is very dear here. House rent, the better kind of provisions, -servants’ wages, etc., are paid for at very high prices. The simplest -establishment of a respectable family with three or four children costs -from thirty-five to forty-five pounds per month. The staff of servants, -though much smaller than in an Indian household, is as much in excess of -a European one. Families who make little appearance must keep a footman, -a cook, a man for carrying water and cleaning the crockery, another to -wash the linen, and a couple of boys from twelve to fourteen years old. -The lady of the house has, besides, a maid for herself and one or more -for the children, according to their number. Those who have carriages -keep a coachman for each pair of horses. The monthly wages of servants -are from thirty to thirty-six shillings for a man-cook; twenty-four to -thirty shillings for a footman or maid; and forty-five to ninety -shillings for a coachman. Quite a common helper gets at least eighteen -shillings, and the boys six shillings and their clothes: lodging is -found for them, but not board. In British India fewer rupees are paid -than dollars here. Domestics do not pay more for their board than four -shillings a month at the most; they live on rice and red pepper, -vegetables, and a few fishes, and these articles they can get for almost -nothing. The servants perform their offices worse there than in any -country I know, except perhaps at Amboyna in the Moluccas. Every where -the visitor must bring his own servants; for if, for instance, he goes -into the country and has no attendants with him, he stands a very good -chance of finding his bed unmade and his water-jug empty at night. The -poor housewives have great difficulty in keeping their houses in any -thing like order. In India they are much better off: there the chief of -the servants bears the lofty title of “major-domo,” and has the -supervision of all household details. All the articles in use in the -domestic economy--the plate, linen, and china--are intrusted to his -keeping. He is responsible for the safety of all; he superintends the -servants--reckons with them, cashiers one and engages another. If cause -of discontent should arise, application is at once made to the -major-domo. But here the lady of the house must herself undertake this -arduous office; and as the Creole ladies are not remarkable for -carefulness and love of order, it may be imagined that the interior -arrangements of all households are not in the best state. I would not -counsel any visitor rashly to set foot in any but the reception-room. - -Social intercourse does not flourish in the Mauritius. There is not -even a club here: the chief reason may be that the society consists of -French and English in almost equal numbers--two nations whose characters -and modes of thinking vary too much ever to amalgamate freely. - -Besides this chief obstacle, there are other minor hinderances; for -instance, the late dinner-hour, and the great distances between the -various houses. As I have observed, the usual dinner-hour is between -seven and eight o’clock, and thus the whole evening is lost. In other -hot countries, when it is customary for people to live in country houses -outside the town, the gentlemen generally come home from their business -at five o’clock, and dine at six, so that at seven people are ready to -receive visitors and friends. - -But here all visits are paid before dinner, as it is too late to do so -afterward, and whoever wants to assemble a few people for the evening -must invite them solemnly to dinner. These dinners are conducted with -great ceremony. Every one appears in full dress, the officials generally -in uniform, as if they had received an invitation to court. At table, -one is frequently seated between two perfect strangers, and after -suffering the horrors of ennui for hours, a move is made at past nine -o’clock into the reception-rooms, there to suffer ennui for some time -longer. Music is very seldom introduced. Packs of cards are every where -displayed on the tables, but I never saw them used. Every guest seems to -be waiting with impatience for the time when he may take his leave -without appearing rude: he is devoutly thankful when the evening has -come to an end, and then accepts the next invitation with the greatest -pleasure. - -These dinners do not take place very often; for, ready as the good folks -are to put up with the dreary ennui in consideration of the good company -and the well-furnished table, the generous giver of the feast has to -remember that each cover costs him at least from eighteen to -twenty-four shillings. Nor is the thirst of his honored guests to be -appeased on easier terms; for Frenchmen and Englishmen are alike judges -of good grape-juice, and the Mauritius would be no English colony if the -rarest wines of Europe had not found their way there. - -If the fortunate guest be not the fortunate possessor of a carriage and -horses, a dinner of this kind puts him to some expense likewise; for he -has generally four, or six, or more English miles to go, and the hire of -a coach costs fifteen shillings at least. - -There is more hospitality to be met with in the country than in the -town, but its practice is not universal. I received many invitations, -among the rest one from the governor, Mr. Higginson, who has a country -house at “Reduit,” seven miles from the capital. Most of these -invitations I declined, particularly those in which I suspected more -etiquette than real friendliness. I have never been an advocate of -ceremonious visits and stiff parties, but a small circle of kind, -educated persons I am always glad to join. In this respect I was -gratified in some houses, particularly in those of the English families -Kerr and Robinson, who lived in the Mocca district. - -Mr. Kerr had lived long in Austria, and with the language he had -acquired all the friendly ways of my dear countrymen; and his wife, too, -was quite free from the proverbial English reticence. I came to this -friendly family with all my little requests, and felt really at home -with them. The Robinsons were also very good, friendly people, and -musical withal. - -The district of Mocca has an advantage over the other divisions of the -island in its agreeable climate, especially in that part distant five or -six miles from the town, where the land rises a thousand feet above the -sea-level. - -The region around is very romantic. The volcanic mountains exhibit -themselves in the strangest shapes. The vegetation is most luxuriant. A -peculiarity which I rarely noticed in the other districts was the -presence of deep, broad clefts, forming gorges or defiles. I explored -several of these; among others, one on a little plateau near Mr. Kerr’s -country house. It varied from eighty to two hundred feet in depth, and -was about forty feet broad at the bottom; at the top the breadth was -much more considerable. The sides were richly decked with stately trees, -graceful shrubs, and climbing plants, while below, a foaming crystal -streamlet, rushing onward, formed several pretty cascades. - -One of the finest views, perhaps, in the whole island is to be obtained -from Bagatelle, Mr. Robinson’s country seat. On one side the eye rests -upon picturesque mountains, on the other it roams over fields luxuriant -in verdure, stretching over a sunny plain to the boundless ocean. It is -said that on a clear day the island of Bourbon can be discerned from -this point. - -Of all the country seats I saw in the Mauritius, those of Mr. Robinson -and Mr. Barclay seemed to me the handsomest. The dwelling-houses are -surrounded by parks and gardens tastefully laid out, where tropical -flowers, shrubs, and trees (particularly beautiful palm-trees) are seen -in close community with the European plant-world. In Mr. Robinson’s -garden we had peaches as fine as any in Germany or France. - -The houses of these two gentlemen stand in very advantageous contrast to -the other houses in the island. The rooms are high and spacious, the -arrangements very convenient; order and cleanliness reign every where. - -These praises, unfortunately, can not be extended to the country houses -of the Creoles. To speak frankly, I mistook most of the latter -establishments for the dwellings of poor peasants. They are generally -built of wood, are very small and low, and very much hidden by bushes; -one would never believe that rich people are to be found living in -these hovels. - -The interior arrangements are quite in conformity with the exterior. The -reception-room, and perhaps the dining-room, are passable; but the -sleeping-rooms are so small that one or two beds and a few chairs fill -them completely. And this in the Mauritius, a country where the heat is -oppressive, and lofty and roomy apartments almost a necessity! To fill -up the measure of inconvenience, many people have had the odd fancy of -partly roofing their houses with white metal. The visitor who is -unfortunate enough to be lodged in a room just under one of these roofs -can form a lively idea of the sufferings endured by the unhappy captives -of old in the lead-roofed prisons of Venice. Every time my unlucky -destiny led me into such a house, I looked forward with terror to the -night, which I was sure to pass in sleepless discomfort, burning with -heat, and half stifled for want of air. In Ceylon the roofs are also -sometimes covered with lead or zinc; but the houses are much more lofty, -and the metal is not exposed to the burning rays of the sun, but covered -with wood or straw. - -I found many of the houses in such a dilapidated condition, and so -tottering in appearance, that I marveled greatly at the courage of the -people who dared to inhabit them; for my part, I am not ashamed to -confess that I feared every gust of wind would blow the house to pieces, -the more so as the winds in the Mauritius are very violent, and there -are frequent hurricanes. The worthy Creoles quoted these same winds and -hurricanes as an excuse for the mean architecture of their hovel-like -homes, declaring that loftier buildings would be unable to resist the -storm. If they were as badly built as these huts, certainly; but the -country houses of Mr. Barclay and Mr. Robinson have always held their -own against wind and storm, though they are lofty and spacious, and have -been built many years. - -I have often noticed that there is more true hospitality in the country -than in towns; but the rule will not apply universally, as I found by -personal experience. For though, in the houses of such worthy people as -Mr. Kerr, Mr. Robinson, and Mr. Lambert, I felt thoroughly at home, it -sometimes happened, on the other hand, that I allowed myself to be -tempted by the seeming friendship of Creoles to accept invitations -involving disagreeable consequences, which made me rejoice greatly when -I regained my freedom. - -Persons of high position and great influence must, of course, every -where be received with consideration, but strangers and ordinary guests, -from whom there is nothing to be expected, are sometimes very cavalierly -treated in these parts. There is enough to eat and drink, but a -“plentiful lack” of every thing besides. The unimportant guests are -lodged in the “pavilion,” a little hut frequently a hundred yards -distant from the dwelling-house, necessitating a pleasant walk in the -rain or in the broiling sunshine every time the family assembles for a -meal; and as the main building itself is generally ruinous, the state of -the pavilion may easily be imagined. - -That delectable retreat generally consists of two or three little rooms, -where neither door nor windows can be induced to shut, where the rain -beats in through the broken panes, where the lock of the entrance-door -is so rusty that the door must be barricaded from within, or every gust -of wind would blow it open. Each of the little rooms is provided with a -bed, a rickety table, and one or two chairs. Of a cupboard I never saw a -trace. My clothes and linen could never be unpacked, and I was obliged -to stoop and unlock my boxes whenever I wanted the most trifling -article. - -But these discomforts would have been of little moment if any -friendliness or readiness to oblige on the part of host or hostess had -made amends. Unfortunately, such readiness is rarely found. In most -houses the guest is left to himself all day long. No one takes any -trouble about him, or cares to do any thing to make the time pass -pleasantly. Nearly every establishment boasts five or six horses; but -these are intended exclusively for the master of the house, or perhaps -for his sons. The guest is never offered the use of them, and the lady -of the house herself is seldom able to say, “I will take a drive -to-day.” - -Even the luxury of a cold bath, necessary as it is to health in a hot -climate like that of the Mauritius, I found unattainable except when it -rained. Then, indeed, I had it perforce--in my bedroom; for the roof was -generally so ruinous that the water poured in on all sides. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - The Sugar-cane Plantations.--Indian Laborers.--A Lawsuit.--The - Botanic Garden.--Plants and Animals.--Singular Monument.--The - Waterfall.--Mont Orgeuil.--Trou du Cerf.--The Creoles and the - French.--Farewell to the Mauritius. - - -The greatest sugar-cane plantations are in the district of Pamplemousse, -in which also the Botanical Gardens are situated. I visited the -Monchoisy plantation, the property of Mr. Lambert. The manager, Mr. -Gilat, was kind enough to escort me through the fields and buildings, -and to give me such a lucid explanation of the method of growing and -preparing the sugar-cane, that I can not do better than give his own -words, as nearly as I can remember them. - -“The sugar-cane is not raised from seed, but pieces of cane are planted. -The first cane requires eighteen months to ripen; but as, during this -time, the chief stem puts out shoots, each of the following harvests can -be gathered in at intervals of twelve months, so that three crops are -obtained in four years and a half. After the fourth harvest the field -must be thoroughly cleared of the cane. If the land is virgin soil on -which no former crop has been raised, fresh slips of cane can at once be -planted, and thus eight crops may be obtained in nine years. If this is -not the case, ambrezades must be planted--a leafy plant, which grows to -the height of eight or nine feet, and whose leaves, continually falling, -decay on the ground and fertilize it. After two years the plants are -rooted out, and the land becomes a sugar plantation again.” - -For about the last ten years the custom has prevailed of dressing the -land with guano, and very good results have been obtained. On good -ground 8000 lbs. per acre have been raised, and on bad soil, that -formerly yielded 2000 lbs. at the most, the produce has been doubled. - -I was much astonished to see the beautiful widespread plains of -Pamplemousse covered with great pieces of lava. It would appear as if -nothing could grow under such circumstances; but I heard that this -peculiarity of the soil is favorable to the sugar-cane, which will not -bear a long drought. It is planted between these fragments of rock, and -the rain-water, collecting in pools in the clefts and holes, keeps the -ground moist for a long time. - -When the canes are ripe and the harvest begins, no more is cut down each -day than can be pressed and boiled at once, for the great heat soon -spoils the sap in the canes. The cane is pressed between two rollers, -turned by steam, with such force that it is crushed quite flat and dry; -it is then used as fuel for boiling the kettles. - -The juice runs successively into six kettles or pans, of which the first -is most fiercely heated; the force of the fire is made to diminish under -each of the others. In the last kettle the sugar is found almost half -produced. It is then placed on great wooden tables where it is left to -cool, and here the mass granulates into crystals of the size of a pin’s -head. As a final operation, it is poured into wooden vessels perforated -with small holes, through which the molasses still contained in the -sugar may filter. The whole process requires eight or ten days for its -completion. Before the sugar is packed, it is spread out on great -terraces to dry for some hours in the sun. It is shipped in bags -containing 150 lbs. each. - -Mr. Lambert’s sugar plantation contains 2000 acres of land, but of -course only a part of this is planted each year. He has 600 laborers, -who are engaged for seven months in the year in the field, and during -the other five in getting in the crop and boiling it. In a good -year--that is, when the rainy season sets in early and lasts long--Mr. -Lambert gets three million pounds of sugar from his plantation; but he -is well content with two millions and a half. A hundred pounds of sugar -are worth from nine to twelve shillings. - -The largest planter in the Mauritius is a Mr. Rocheconte, who is said to -produce nearly seven million pounds of sugar annually. - -Sugar, and nothing but sugar, is to be seen in this island. Every -undertaking has reference to sugar, and all the conversation is about -sugar. Mauritius might be called the sugar island, and its coat of arms -should be a bundle of sugar-canes and three sugar-bags rampant. - -During a residence of some weeks I had opportunities of observing the -condition and circumstances of the laborers. They are called “coolies,” -and come, as I have mentioned, from all parts of India. They hire -themselves for five years, and the planter who hires them has to give -each laborer 8s. or 10s. a month, 50 lbs. of rice, 4 lbs. of dried fish, -4 lbs. of beans, 4 lbs. of fat or oil, a sufficiency of salt, and a -little hut to live in, besides the sum he has to pay to the government -for their passage. - -The laborer’s condition is not nearly so good as that of a servant. He -has to work heavily in the cane-field and the boiling-house, and is much -more exposed than the domestic servant to the arbitrary power of his -master; for he may not leave until his five years’ contract has expired. -He may certainly go and complain if he is hardly used, for there are -judges to hear, and laws to redress his woes; but as the judges are -frequently planters themselves, the poor laborer seldom finds the -verdict given in his favor. The laborer has also frequently to walk -eight or ten miles before he gets to the court. In the week he has no -time to go, and on Sundays he finds it closed. If, after much trouble, -he at length succeeds in reaching the abode of justice, he finds, -perhaps, that the court is engaged in a multiplicity of affairs, and is -told to go and come again some other day. To make the thing more -difficult for him, he is not admitted at all unless he brings witnesses. -How is he to get these? None of his companions in misfortune will dare -to render him such a service, for fear of punishment, or even corporal -ill usage at the hands of his master. - -I will relate an incident which happened during my residence in the -Mauritius. - -On one of the plantations ten laborers wished, upon the expiration of -their contract, to quit their employer and take service with another. -The planter heard of this, and three weeks before the articles of these -ten men expired, he persuaded ten others to give in the papers of the -malcontents as their own, and to have the contract renewed for a year. -Then he called the discontented laborers separately before him, showed -each one the contract, and told him he had another year to serve. Of -course the people persisted that this was impossible, as they had not -been at the court at all, and had never had the writing in their hands. -The planter replied that the contract was perfectly valid, and declared -that if they complained before the court they would not be heard, and -that corporal chastisement would most likely be their reward. Moreover, -if they went, he would not pay the wages he owed them for five months’ -work, unless under compulsion. - -The poor fellows were at a loss what to do. Fortunately, an official of -high position lived close by, and one who was known as an honest, -philanthropic man. To him they went, told their story, and begged his -protection, which he at once promised. The affair came before the court, -but the trial went on very slowly, as none of the planter’s people dared -to give evidence. Even if they had the will, it would have been -difficult for them to do so, as the planter forbade his people to go -out, and had them carefully watched and prevented from communicating -with any one all the time the action was proceeding. - -In the course of some ten weeks, five sittings or hearings took place. -The first three were held before a single judge, who was a planter into -the bargain. The protector of the poor plaintiffs insisted that three -judges should be appointed, as the law demands, and protested against -the one judge, who could not but appear as influenced by his position as -a planter. As this demand proceeded from a man in a high position, and -was, moreover, strictly legal, it was complied with, and the first judge -only attended the two subsequent sittings to give explanations -respecting the former three. - -At the fifth sitting the action was certainly decided in favor of the -coolies, but the verdict was given in a manner I should never have -thought possible in a land under English rule. - -The judge, or planter, who had heard the plaintiffs in the first three -sittings declared that when the ten people first came to him, he could -not know whether they were the real proprietors of the papers, for that -hundreds of laborers came to him with similar complaints every day. - -He had written out the new contract on unstamped paper, as he happened -to have none with a stamp by him, and the people, not one of whom could -write, had attached their crosses as signatures. Afterward he had the -contract rewritten on stamped paper, as it would otherwise have been -invalid, and in order not to call up the people again, his clerk had -affixed the crosses. As the people had, therefore, not signed with their -own hands, the contract was void, and the coolies were free; and thus -the action was decided. - -The real circumstances of the case were entirely different. If the poor -coolies had not found an influential protector, the planter-judge would -have decided the affair in favor of the employer. The appearance of the -official personage upon the stage compelled the judges to show at least -an appearance of justice; and so they saved themselves by finding out a -FORGERY, for which, in any other country, the judge and his clerk would -not only have lost their places to a certainty, but have been provided -with board and lodging, and a restricted number of companions, in a -certain great public establishment. - -The planter got off unpunished, though, even according to the Mauritian -laws, framed with great regard for the planter’s convenience, he should -have been subjected to a fine and a year’s imprisonment. - -To crown his worthy action, he cheated the poor coolies, and mulcted -them of a month’s pay, under the pretext that they had done little work, -broken some of their implements, and stolen others. - -This paltry person is very much looked up to in the Mauritius, and is -received with pleasure in society. He is rich certainly, and is a -regular attendant at church, and here, as elsewhere, people have -peculiar ideas as to wealth and religion--ideas which plain honest folks -are too dull to appreciate. - -I would not quit the district of Pamplemousse without visiting the -Botanical Garden, which is under the superintendence of the accomplished -botanist and director, Mr. Duncan. - -Scarcely had I spent a quarter of an hour with this amiable man, a -Scotchman by birth, before he invited me, in the most friendly manner, -to spend a few days in his house, that I might be able to examine the -treasures of the garden at my leisure. Though I had become somewhat -careful in the matter of Mauritian invitations, I could not resist the -real good-nature of Mr. Duncan. I staid with him, and had no cause to -repent it. Mr. Duncan was a man of a few words, but he _did_ what he -could to make my residence in his house agreeable. When he saw that I -was collecting insects, he himself helped me in my search, and often -brought me some new specimens for my collection. - -I walked several times with him through the Botanical Garden, which is -very rich in plants and trees from all parts of the world. Here I saw -for the first time trees and shrubs from Madagascar, indigenous to that -island. I particularly admired a water-plant, the _Hydrogiton -fenestralis_, whose leaves, three inches in length and one in breadth, -are quite pierced through, as if by artificial means pieces had been -broken out. A tree, the _Adansonia digitata_, is remarkable, not for its -beauty, but for its ugliness. The stem is of uniform clumsy thickness to -a height of eight or ten feet; then it becomes suddenly thin: the bark -is of a light, unsightly color, quite smooth and almost shining. - -There were many spice-trees, and a few specimens of the beautiful -water-palm, which I have already seen and described in my “Second Voyage -round the World.” - -I am no botanist, and therefore can give no detailed description of the -garden; but competent persons have assured me that it is very -judiciously and scientifically laid out. To look at the varied and -numerous plants, and the extensive plantations, sometimes requiring -great labor to cultivate, no one would believe that Mr. Duncan has very -restricted resources at his command. The government only allows him -twenty-five laborers, Malabars and Bengalees, who certainly do not get -through as much work as eight or ten strong Europeans would accomplish. - -As I am on the subject of plants and trees, I will mention the fruits -produced in the Mauritius. Among the most common are many kinds of -bananas and mangoes, citchy, butter-fruit, splendid pine-apples, sweet -melons and watermelons. The watermelons here attain an enormous size, -some weighing more than thirty pounds, but they have little flavor. -Peaches are abundant, but require much care to bring them to perfection. -Pomegranates are also found of great size, besides papayas and other -similar fruits. I have described all these in my former works, to which -I accordingly refer my readers. - -As regards the animal world, the Mauritius is fortunate in possessing -neither beasts of prey nor poisonous reptiles. The centipedes and -scorpions found here are small; their sting is painful, but not -dangerous. Ants are also not so numerous here as in India and South -America. I could sometimes leave the insects I had collected for half a -day together on the table, and the ants did not get at them, while in -other hot countries these depredators would be devouring their prey -within a few minutes. The musquitoes are troublesome enough, and -sometimes drive strangers to desperation. Those who have been resident -here for some years are said, like the natives, to enjoy a comparative -immunity from their attacks. - -The disagreeable kakerlak sometimes plays his pranks here, but is far -less obnoxious than in other countries. They say that very exciting -combats sometimes takes place between the kakerlak and the beautiful -green fly called _Sphex viridi-cyanea_. I was not fortunate enough to -witness such a fight, but only read the account of one in the “Voyages -of Monsieur Bory de St. Vincent.” The fly flutters round the kakerlak -until the latter becomes motionless, as if magnetized; then she seizes -him, drags him to a hole already selected for the purpose, lays eggs in -his body, stops up the hole with a kind of cement, and leaves her victim -to his enforced companions, by whom he is quickly devoured. - -I had almost forgotten to mention an object of interest in the district -of Pamplemousse--a tomb, in remembrance of the pretty story of “Paul and -Virginia,” the scene of which Bernardin de St. Pierre has laid in this -island. - -The month of April was already coming round, and, excepting in my -excursions in the district of Pamplemousse and a few drives in and -about Mocca, I had seen nothing of the Mauritius. I was loth to quit the -island without at least visiting the most interesting points, but how to -manage this was the question. The friendly judge, Mr. Satis, invited me -to an excursion to the Tamarin waterfall. On the way we passed the -country house of Mr. Moon, who had been invited by Mr. Satis to join our -party. - -We soon came to the waterfall, distant scarcely an English mile from Mr. -Moon’s country house; and just opposite to the cascade, under some shady -trees, Mr. Satis had taken care to have a good luncheon ready for us. - -A more beautiful spot could scarcely have been chosen. We encamped on an -elevated plateau, 1160 feet above the level of the sea; on one side was -a gorge 800 feet deep, and at least 500 broad at its top, but narrowing -toward the sea. Into this gorge the stream leaps headlong, forming seven -beautiful waterfalls, two of them more than 100 feet in depth. It -rushes, foaming in headlong haste, through a region clothed with the -richest verdure, and closes in the neighboring sea its short but -troubled course. The appearance of the fall is said to be much more -majestic after long rains, when the smaller cascades become absorbed -into one great fall, and the whole mass of water rushes down into its -deep bed in only two leaps. - -This delightful day will be always a bright spot in my memory, not only -for the beautiful spectacle I saw, but for the pleasure I derived from -my acquaintance with the amiable Moon family. I became as friendly with -Mrs. Moon as if I had known her a long time, and very glad was I when -she heartily invited me to stay some time in her house. Unhappily, the -time fixed for my departure for Madagascar was at hand, and I could only -spend three days with the family--three happy days, which made amends -for many previous disappointments. - -In Mrs. Moon I not only made the acquaintance of a very amiable but of -a very accomplished lady; her talent for painting is quite remarkable. -At the request of the directors of the British Museum she has made -colored drawings of all the 120 different kinds of mangoes, and also of -the medicinal plants found in the Mauritius. - -Mr. and Mrs. Moon, and their equally obliging relative, Mr. Caldwell, -were at once eager to show me the “lions” of their island, and the next -day they took me to “Mont Orgueil,” from which the best view of the -country and of the mountains can be had. On one side appears the “Morne -Brabant,” a mountain extending far out into the sea, and connected with -the main land only by a narrow tongue of earth; not far from this rises -the “Piton de la Rivière Noire,” the highest mountain in the island, -2564 feet. In another direction the “Tamarin” and “Rempart” rear their -heads; and in a fourth is to be seen a mountain with three tops, called -“Les Trois Mammelles.” Very near these summits there opens a deep -caldron, two of whose sides have almost completely fallen in, while the -remaining two rise high and steep. Besides these mountains there are the -“Corps de Garde du Port Louis de Mocca;” “Le Pouce,” with its narrow top -rising suddenly up out of a little mountain plateau, like a thumb or -finger; and the marvelous “Peter Booth.” This mountain takes its name -from the first man who ascended to its summit, which was long regarded -as inaccessible. Peter Booth managed to do this by shooting an arrow, -with a strong twine thereto attached, over the summit. Luckily, the -arrow fell upon an accessible spot on the other side of the mountain. To -this twine a strong rope was fastened, which was thus drawn over the -mountain-top and secured on both sides; and Peter Booth hauled himself -up by it, and attained at once the summit and the honor of immortalizing -his name. The last of the mountains seen from this point is the -“Nouvelle Découverte.” - -The mountains of this island are remarkable for their manifold and -beautiful shapes. Some are in the form of broad perpendicular walls; -others rise like pyramids; some are covered to their summits with rich -forests, while others are only covered to half their height, and their -high rocky points rise abruptly, smooth and bald, from amid the green -sea of leaves. Beautiful valleys and deep gorges lie between, and above -appears a cloudless sky. I could scarcely tear myself away from the -charming picture, and the longer I gazed upon it, the greater the -beauties I discovered. - -Our next, and, unfortunately, our last excursion was to the “Trou du -Cerf,” or “Stag’s Hole,” a crater of perfectly regular form, filled with -rich vegetation. This crater produces a very startling effect, for -nothing betrays its existence till the visitor stands upon its very -brink. Though the sides are steep enough, a path leads down to the -centre, which is filled with water during the rainy season. - -From the edge of the crater the visitor has a striking view over three -fourths of the island. Before him rise majestic mountains with their -luxuriant virgin forests, from which the steep, smooth mountain-tops -come peering forth; wide-spreading plains, rich with sugar-cane -plantations, bright with green foliage all the year round; and the azure -sea, whose foaming waves fringe the coast with a margin of white foam--a -wondrous landscape, wanting only a few rivers to make its beauty -perfect. - -The island does not suffer from want of water, but is too small to -possess a real river; this, however, has not prevented the inhabitants -from dignifying some of the larger streamlets with that title. - -I left the Moon family with the greatest regret. It was through their -friendship that I was enabled to visit any points of interest in the -Mauritius: in the last few days of my stay I saw more than in the four -long months I had previously spent in the island. - -In most houses, especially in those of the Creoles, people made all -kinds of protestations, and promised all manner of things; but the -promises remained unperformed. Not the smallest service was rendered, -not one of those attentions offered which are much more gratifying to a -stranger than the board and lodging which every one can procure by -paying for them. Still less did any among them think of making -excursions to the more beautiful points. The people themselves have no -idea that the beauties of Nature are pleasant things to see, and wonder -that strangers should expose themselves to the slightest fatigue merely -to see a waterfall, a mountain, or a fine view. - -The men are solely and exclusively engaged in the business of acquiring -wealth as quickly as possible: sugar is a sort of golden calf to them, -and whatever has no reference to sugar is to them worthless. The women -are not much better. They have too little education, and too much of the -indolence so frequently found in hot countries to take an interest in -any serious subject. With the exception of the care of their own -valuable selves, the only thing that can rouse them into life is the -agreeable occupation of inventing or disseminating slanderous gossip; -and I have even found gentlemen who, in this charitable and exciting -amusement, would for a few moments forget the claims of sugar. I did not -escape the common fate. The amiable inhabitants, male and female, of -Port Louis, have absolutely done me the honor to represent me as a -_poisoner_; they absolutely asserted that I had been hired by the -English government to poison Mr. Lambert! - -That gentleman had brought from Paris some very valuable presents for -the Queen of Madagascar, and had been so wanting in proper consideration -for the feelings of people generally as to neglect to tell every one -what the object of these presents really was. Of course, said Mauritian -good-nature, it must be some secret political movement of the French -cabinet, which the English government had found out, and had -commissioned me accordingly to put this dangerous man out of the way. - -Stupid as this fiction was, it obtained credence among the Creoles, and -even among the French, and prevented me from undertaking an interesting -little journey. Before setting out on his journey to Madagascar, Mr. -Lambert went to Zanzibar and Mozambique, commissioned by the French -government to hire negroes and bring them to the Ile de Bourbon. This is -a new kind of mitigated slave-trade, discovered by France and -countenanced by England. The negro is only in servitude for five years, -and receives two dollars per month from his master, besides board and -lodging. After five years he has leave to continue toiling, or he may -die of hunger if he does not choose to work. He may buy himself this -privilege earlier for fifty dollars (between seven and eight pounds), -and may even return to his own country if he has money enough to take -him home. - -Mr. Lambert, knowing my fondness for traveling, and my eagerness to -avail myself of every opportunity of seeing new lands, offered to take -me with him. The French agent heard of this, and immediately went to Mr. -Lambert to request him not to take me, alleging that I was employed as a -spy by the English government. Whence this hatred of Creoles and French -toward me, poor insignificant being that I was? The only reason I can -suggest is that I associated almost exclusively with English families. -But it was surely not my fault that English families sought me out, and -always treated me with great kindness when I accepted their invitations? -Why did not the French do likewise? All the favors and all the kindness -I received came from English people: among the French residents, only -Mr. Lambert and Mr. Genève showed me hearty friendship. The rest, like -the Creoles, contented themselves with empty promises. I must confess -that I contracted such a dislike to the French population of this part -of the world, that I could not make up my mind to visit the neighboring -island of Bourbon, gladly as I would, under other circumstances, have -done so. - -I am glad indeed that, when the desire to travel awoke so strongly in me -fourteen years ago, I did not begin with the Mauritius. My zeal would -soon have grown cold. Well--perhaps my readers would have been saved -many a wearisome hour. - -But then, on the other hand, I should not have visited Russia, and -learned the notable fact that, in this much-abused despotic empire, -there are many institutions more liberal in character than those of a -colony of England, the country especially proud of its progress. - -And yet it is so--notably as regards the passport system. If a traveler -wishes to leave St. Petersburg, or any of the great towns in Russia, to -start on a journey, he has to give notice of his intention a week before -he departs. The traveler’s name is published three times in the -newspaper, so that, if he has debts, his creditors may take the -requisite steps. Here, on this vast and extensive island, a week is -considered far too short a notice. Three weeks are required, or, as in -Russia, a surety must be provided. - -I was so little prepared to find such an old-world regulation in force -in an English colony, that I did not take any trouble about my passport. -A few days before my departure, however, I asked the French consul for -his _visa_, more, as I thought, as an attention than from necessity. - -By chance, I heard at dinner the same day that this was not enough, and -that the permission of the police to depart was also necessary. I was -dining at Mr. O----’s, a partner of Mr. Lambert; and as several -gentlemen were present, I asked if any of them would have the kindness -to go through what appeared to me a mere formality on my behalf, and be -bail for me. To my great astonishment, the gallant, refined Frenchmen -exhausted themselves in empty excuses; not one would do me the service I -required. Next morning I went to Mr. Kerr, an Englishman, and in a few -hours I had my passport. - -To my sorrow, I must confess that at last I was treated with lack of -courtesy by an Englishman, and that Englishman was the governor. - -When I first arrived in the Mauritius, this gentleman had received me -very courteously; he even asked me to his country house, and had, -unasked, offered me a letter to the Queen of Madagascar. On my going to -him, a short time before my departure, for the promised letter, he -likewise put me off with an excuse. I was going to visit the Queen of -Madagascar in company with Mr. Lambert, and he pronounced my companion -to be politically a dangerous man. Verily great honor was mine in the -Mauritius; the French took me for an English spy, and the English -governor for a spy of the French government! - -After all these pleasant experiences, no one will wonder when I say that -I looked forward with longing expectation to the moment when I might -leave this little island, with its still more little-minded inhabitants. -I will try to keep no other remembrance of it than the memory of its -natural beauty, and of the friendship and kindness I received from the -good people whose names I have mentioned, and from some others. I have -not had an opportunity of naming them all; for others, Messrs. -Fernyhough, Beke, Gonnet, etc., rendered me many a good service. To one -and all I return my heartiest thanks. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - A Geographical and Historical Account of the Island of Madagascar. - - -With the exception of certain strips on the coast, the island of -Madagascar is almost an unknown land; only here and there has a traveler -been able to penetrate into the interior, and none have had an -opportunity of studying the country at their leisure. So far as I am -concerned, I have unfortunately not sufficient knowledge to describe the -country in a scientific way. The most I can do is to give a simple but -truthful account of what I have seen; beyond this my powers do not -extend. It would, perhaps, be not uninteresting to my readers, -therefore, if, before I relate my own experiences in Madagascar, I give -an historical and geographical summary, compiled from the various works -that have appeared concerning this island. - -Madagascar is said to have been known to the ancients. In the thirteenth -century Marco Polo makes mention of the island. The Portuguese visited -it in 1506, and the first European nation that attempted to form -settlements thereon were the French, in the year 1642. - -Madagascar lies to the northeast of Africa, from which it is separated -by the Mozambique Channel, seventy-five miles in breadth. It stretches -from latitude 12° to 25° south, and from 40° to 48° east longitude. -After Borneo, it is the largest island in the world. Its area is about -10,000 geographical square miles. Estimates of its population differ -greatly, some writers giving from a million and a half to two millions, -others raising the numbers to six millions. - -The island contains woods of immense extent, far-stretching plains and -valleys, many rivers and lakes, and great chains of mountains, whose -summits rise to a height of from ten to twelve thousand feet, and even -higher. The vegetation is exceedingly luxuriant, the climate very hot. -The coasts, where there are many swamps, are very unhealthy for -Europeans, but the interior of the island is more salubrious. The chief -productions are some peculiar balsams and gums, sugar, tobacco, silk, -maize, indigo, and spices. The forests yield the handsomest kinds of -wood for buildings and furniture, and trees bearing almost every fruit -of the torrid zone. Among the various descriptions of palms, the -beautiful water-palm is frequently found. In the animal kingdom -Madagascar also possesses some peculiar species; for instance, the -maquis, or half ape, and the black parrot, besides much horned cattle, -many goats, sheep, and beautiful birds. The woods and savannas swarm -with wild cattle and pigs, wild dogs and cats; but there are no -dangerous animals beyond these. The snakes are innocuous; and there are -very few reptiles, none of them being poisonous except the centipede, -and the little black spider which lives underground, and whose sting is -said to be deadly; but this spider is seldom met with. In metallic -substances, too, this island is said to be very wealthy, especially in -iron and coal; but its mineral treasures have as yet been very little -explored. - -The population consists of four distinct races. On the south side dwell -the Kaffirs, on the west the negroes, while the Arab race predominates -on the east, and the Malay family in the interior. These chief races are -subdivided into various tribes, among whom the Hovas, who belong to the -Malay race, are the most numerous and most civilized in the whole -island. The Hovas occupy the greater part of the interior; and as far -back as the period of the first discovery of Madagascar, they formed a -powerful empire, of which the capital was Tananariva, situated in an -elevated plain in the district of Emir, and consisting of a union of -many villages. Least known, or, to speak accurately, quite unknown, is -the southwest coast, where the inhabitants are considered the most -inhospitable of all, and the most inveterate foes of Europeans. - -Like most nations in their infancy, all these various races and tribes -are very indolent, superstitious, inquisitive, and unprincipled. As I -have stated, the French have been endeavoring, since the year 1642, to -establish themselves in Madagascar. They conquered certain strips of -land, and erected _comptoirs_ and little forts here and there, but could -never maintain their position. All their efforts failed, partly in -consequence of the unhealthy climate, partly through the harshness and -cruelty with which they treated the natives, and partly because they -were never assisted with money and troops from home, when these were -required. - -Neither the French government nor the “Société de l’Orient” could ever -come to a decision respecting this island. At one time they wanted to -conquer it entirely, at another to abandon it altogether. Troops and -ships were several times dispatched, and then left to their fate, and -nothing was accomplished. The last of these undertakings occurred in the -year 1733, under the command of the Polish Count Benjowsky, who received -beforehand the title of Governor of Madagascar. Count Benjowsky seems to -have been a very capable and resolute man, and as he had a larger force -under his command than had been engaged in any previous expedition, he -would perhaps have succeeded in annexing Madagascar definitely to -France, or at least in founding a permanent and important colony on the -island, had he not been treated as badly as, or even worse than, his -predecessors; for not only did the promised succors fail to arrive, but -the Governor of Bourbon, who was to have assisted him, proved a most -dangerous enemy. Instead of sending him money and troops, he tried in -every way, from jealousy, to weaken the power of his new rival; and so -it happened that, in spite of his first successes, Count Benjowsky was -soon scarcely able to hold a few unimportant forts and factories. After -his death even these were lost, and in the year 1786 the French left -Madagascar altogether. Of all their conquests they only retained the -little island of St. Maria. - -After the beginning of the nineteenth century the English attempted to -found settlements in Madagascar, but they too were unsuccessful. They -took possession of the harbors of Tamatavé and Foul Point, but only kept -them a short time. Meanwhile the empire of the Hovas in the interior had -increased considerably. Dianampoiene, the chief of Tananariva, carried -on successful wars against the petty chiefs, and annexed their states to -his own. He is reported to have been a very active and intelligent man, -and to have given good laws to his people; under his rule the use of -spirituous liquors and of tobacco was forbidden. Dianampoiene died in -the year 1810, and left his kingdom, which had already become powerful, -to his son Radama. - -This potentate was only eighteen years old when he came to the throne. -Like his father, he was intelligent, upright, and very ambitious. He -loved the Europeans, and sought to increase his knowledge by consorting -with them. - -The English very cleverly made use of this disposition of the king’s, -and managed to get into high favor with him. Radama was soon so -prepossessed by them that he allowed them distinctions of every kind, -and sometimes even wore an English uniform. He likewise made a treaty -with England, by which he bound himself to give up the export -slave-trade. As an indemnity he received money and presents to the -amount of about £2000; and the English government farther undertook to -send ten young men from Madagascar to England, and ten others to the -Mauritius, to be instructed in various handicrafts and trades. - -Radama kept the treaty strictly; but not so did the English General -Hall, who succeeded Mr. Farquhar as Governor of the Mauritius. General -Hall seems to have held the doctrine that savages are not men. He was -not ashamed to declare openly that a contract made with a chief of -savages was entirely invalid, and accordingly he constantly broke the -treaty. A natural consequence of this manner of dealing was, that Radama -again licensed the slave-trade, and began to favor the French at the -expense of the English, giving his new friends a small strip of land in -the Bay of Vanatobé. - -The English strove for a long time to regain their influential position, -but in vain. They had made themselves so hateful not only to Radama, but -to the people, that every thing false and mendacious used to be called -“English.” Nevertheless, they succeeded at last in getting the treaty -renewed, and even obtained fresh privileges. They got permission to -bring in missionaries, to build schools, and to teach the Bible. In -consideration of a duty of five per cent. they were allowed to enter all -the harbors, to carry on trade, to cultivate the ground, and to found -industrial establishments. - -Radama died in his thirty-sixth year, on the 27th of July, 1828. - -Following out the ambitious projects of his father, he had succeeded in -extending his rule over the greater part of the island, and had made -himself King of Madagascar. Besides the country of the Hovas, the land -of the Teklaves, on the northwest coast, with its capital, Bambetock; -Mozangage, on the west coast, and the countries of the Antawares and of -the Betimsaras, on the north, obeyed his sceptre; the southwest coast -and the district of the Anossij, in the southeast, had alone maintained -their independence. - -Radama possessed great oratorical talents, and was very fond of -exhibiting them. He was altogether very vain and exceedingly open to -adulation: his people were obliged to worship him as if he had been a -god, and the influence the missionaries obtained under his government -they doubtless owed chiefly to the praise and flattery with which they -continually plied him. They compared him to the First Napoleon, of whose -great deeds the French had told him, and whom he appeared to have taken -as his model. The parallel was not altogether inapplicable, however, and -the title, Radama the Great, may be allotted to him when we consider how -much he achieved during his short reign. The conquest of a great portion -of the island, the abolition of capital punishment for many offenses, -the prohibition of the export of slaves, the establishment of a -tolerably well-disciplined army, the introduction of many European -handicrafts--all this was his doing. He was the first to open a door to -civilization in Madagascar; in his reign the first public schools were -built, and the Roman letter taken as the character wherein the national -language was to be written. Bent in every way upon improving the -condition of his empire, he made an exception only in one particular--he -set his face resolutely against every proposal to construct roads, -declaring, like most rulers of half-savage tribes, that the bad roads -were his best defense against the Europeans. During the last years of -his life he unfortunately gave himself up to lamentable dissipation, -which probably caused his early death; many, however, declare that he -was poisoned. - -At Radama’s death, not only the English, but all European influence -ceased. His first wife, Ranavola, succeeded him on the throne, and added -to her name the regal title “Manjaka.” This cruel, bloodthirsty woman -began her rule by the execution of seven of the nearest relatives of the -late king; indeed, according to the account given by a missionary, Mr. -William Ellis, not only were all killed who belonged to Radama’s family, -but those nobles also who stood near the throne, some of whom Ranavola -feared might advance a claim to it. - -The treaty which Radama had made with the English she abrogated at once. -Her hatred for the British was very great, and extended to every thing -that came from England, even to the cattle introduced from that country. -All people of English descent were to be killed, or at least banished -from her dominions; nor did the French find favor in her eyes. She set -her face generally against civilization, and tried hard to stifle its -every germ. She drove away the missionaries, prohibited Christianity, -and made all communication with Europeans difficult. Her subjects, -especially those who do not belong to the race of the Hovas, from which -she came, she treated with great severity and cruelty: for the smallest -offenses the most rigorous punishments were inflicted, and sentences of -death were, and still are, executed daily. - -One only among those related by ties of blood to the late King Radama -had succeeded in saving his life by timely flight. This was Prince -Ramanetak. This prince had just claims to the throne; and as Queen -Ranavola soon made herself hated by the people for her cruel and -bloodthirsty rule, he might well have succeeded, with French help, in -effecting a revolution and taking possession of the throne. This would -have been very advantageous to the French, for Prince Ramanetak was very -favorably inclined toward that nation. But the government in France -remained true to the policy pursued toward Madagascar for the last two -centuries, and the magnificent aid they offered to the prince consisted -of--sixty muskets and twenty kegs of powder. - -As I have already stated, when describing my visit to Paris, the French -were ultimately expelled by Queen Ranavola even from the strip of land -given them by Radama in the Bay of Vanatobé. Whether France will demand -satisfaction, and show the insolent rulers of Madagascar the might of a -European people, or whether she will let the opportunity pass by as she -has done on former occasions, I can not take upon myself to conjecture. -Time will show. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - Departure from the Mauritius.--The old Man-of-War.--Arrival in - Madagascar.--Mademoiselle Julie.--Account of Tamatavé.--The - Natives.--Comical Head-dresses.--First Visit in - Antandroroko.--Malagasey Hospitality.--The Europeans at - Tamatavé.--The Parisio-Malagasey.--Domestic Institutions. - - -On the 25th of April, 1857, I quitted the Mauritius. Thanks to the good -offices of Mr. Gonnet, the owners of the “Triton” gave me a free passage -to the harbor of Tamatavé, on the coast of Madagascar, distant 480 -sea-miles. Our vessel was an old worn-out brig of war, which in her -youthful days formed part of the British fleet at the great victory of -Trafalgar in 1805. Deeply had she fallen from her former high estate; -for now, in her old age, she was used for carrying oxen during the fine -season of the year from Madagascar to the Mauritius. Accommodation for -passengers there was none, all the space being divided into berths for -the oxen; and as to the security of our vessel, the captain gave me the -consolatory assurance that she was utterly unfit to do battle with any -thing approaching to a storm. - -My desire to leave the Mauritius behind me was nevertheless so great -that nothing could dissuade me from going. I commended myself to Heaven, -embarked with a light heart, and had no reason to repent my boldness. If -the ship was bad, her captain, Mr. Benier, was a remarkably good one. -Though not of high birth, for he was half Creole in color, he behaved -with a courtesy and consideration which would have done honor to the -most cultivated man. He at once gave up his cabin to me--the only place -in the ship not monopolized by preparations for the four-footed -passengers--and did all in his power to make the voyage as agreeable to -me as possible. For the first three days our passage was rather a quick -one. The wind was in our favor, blowing from the east, as it always does -in these seas from April to the end of October. A quick-sailing ship -would have made the voyage in three days; but not so our old war-craft, -wending painfully on her way. We were still far distant from our goal, -and, to our dismay, a strong contrary wind arose in the night between -the third and fourth day of our voyage. Notwithstanding the consoling -verdict of the captain with regard to the safety of the ship, I sat -expectant every minute of some catastrophe. But the night and the -following day passed away without accident, though the wind, still -contrary, compelled us to cast anchor toward evening off the island of -“Prunes.” On the fifth day we came to Tamatavé, but could not run in -there; at length, on the sixth day, we came to anchor in the harbor. - -Violent falls of rain, frequently of long duration, had contributed -their share in rendering the voyage irksome; I had no books with me, and -the good captain’s library consisted of a cookery-book and an English -and French dictionary. But such minor inconveniences are easily -forgotten, particularly when a long-sought goal is in view, as was now -the case with me. The land I had ardently wished, during many years, to -visit, now lay before my eyes. - -I wished to quit the ship at once; but it appears that, in spite of her -contempt for civilization and her dislike of European institutions, -Queen Ranavola has adopted the two among them most obnoxious to -travelers--police and custom-house. Just as though I had been in France -or any other European country, I was compelled to wait till the -inspecting officers had come on board, and looked very carefully at the -ship and at me. As I had the queen’s royal permission to set foot in her -kingdom, no farther difficulty was made, and I was free to land. Here -certain custom-house _employés_ of Madagascar at once took possession of -me, and led me to the custom-house, where all my baggage was opened and -searched. How they searched! not the smallest object escaped their eyes, -not the tiniest paper packet was overlooked. The officials exhibited the -keenness of bloodhounds, and could hold their own beside the sharpest -_douaniers_ in France or Germany. Fortunately, nothing was stolen from -me; and I looked complacently on a scene that so whimsically reminded me -of my own country. - -At Tamatavé I was to meet Mr. Lambert, who intended not to return to the -Mauritius after his visit to the eastern coast of Africa, which he had -undertaken on behalf of the French government, but to proceed to -Madagascar at once. Mr. Lambert had not yet arrived, but he had already -told me in the Mauritius that, in the event of having to wait, I should -put up at Mademoiselle Julie’s, and he would take care to inform her of -his arrival. - -My lady-readers will probably expect to be introduced, in the person of -Mademoiselle Julie, to an unmarried European female, cast by some -strange freak of fortune on this distant island. Unfortunately, I must -disenchant them: Mademoiselle Julie is a true Malagasey woman, and, -moreover, a widow, and the mother of several children. In Madagascar, -the strange custom prevails of calling every member of the sex feminine -“Mademoiselle,” even though she may have a dozen little olive-branches -to show, or may have been married half a dozen times. - -Mademoiselle Julie is, nevertheless, no ordinary personage, and -decidedly one of the most interesting characters, not only in Tamatavé, -but in the whole island. She was left a widow about eight months ago, -but continued to carry on her husband’s business, and with a better -result, it is rumored, than the deceased himself could attain. She is -the possessor of sugar plantations and a rum distillery, and engages in -commercial speculations of various kinds. Her penetration and industry -would render her a remarkable woman any where; and they are the more -surprising in a country like Madagascar, where the women are generally -completely ignorant, and have a very low place in the social scale. - -Mademoiselle Julie received part of her education in Bourbon. She speaks -and writes French perfectly. Unfortunately, she has retained some of the -usages, or rather _ab_-usages, of her native land. Her greatest delight -is to lie for hours extended on the ground, resting her head on the lap -of a friend or a female slave, who is engaged in clearing mademoiselle’s -head of certain little occupants which shall be nameless. This agreeable -occupation, by the way, forms a favorite diversion of the women of -Madagascar, who pay visits to each other in order to indulge in it _con -amore_. Mademoiselle Julie was also violently addicted to using her -fingers at dinner instead of fork and spoon; but she only indulged her -inclinations so far when she thought herself unobserved. - -Mademoiselle Julie did not receive me in the most cordial way exactly. -She surveyed me from top to toe, rose in a leisurely way, and led me to -a neighboring little house, worse appointed than even the pavilions of -the Mauritius. The one room contained no furniture except an empty -bedstead. Mademoiselle Julie gruffly inquired where I had left my -bedding. I replied that I had brought none with me, as Mr. Lambert had -assured me I should find every thing necessary in her house. “I can give -you none,” was her curt rejoinder; and although, as I afterward found, -she had a store of bedding sufficient for the need, not of one, but of -half a dozen travelers, she would have let me, old as I was, sleep on -the bare bedstead. Fortunately, another woman, a Madame Jacquin, was -present, who at once offered to supply me with bedding, and gave -mademoiselle her opinion of her conduct in some rather strong -expressions. Very grateful was I to good Madame Jacquin for her -friendly offer, but for which I should have had to make shift as best I -could till the arrival of Mr. Lambert with my cloak, and a pillow which -I usually carry with me. - -All other comforts were, of course, out of the question, and I had to -provide every thing I wanted for myself. My stay at Tamatavé lasted for -some weeks, for Mr. Lambert arrived much later than he had intended. - -The harbor of Tamatavé is the best in the whole island; and in the fine -season, from April to the end of October, many ships arrive here from -the Mauritius and Bourbon, to take in cargoes of oxen, of which between -ten and eleven thousand head are exported annually. About two thirds of -the number go to the Mauritius, and only one third to Bourbon, although -there is no great difference between these two islands, either in extent -or in population. But there are many Englishmen in the Mauritius, who -are more ardent admirers of roast-beef than the French. - -It is a singular circumstance that Queen Ranavola does not allow the -exportation of cows; she thinks, in her cunning wisdom, that if she -allowed cows to be taken away, the recipients would soon breed cattle -for themselves, and the demand for them from Madagascar would cease. Of -course, she has no idea that the two islands derive far greater profits -from their sugar plantations than the land would yield as mere -pasture-ground for cattle. A fine ox, worth about £2 5_s._ in -Madagascar, would cost four or five times that sum if reared in Bourbon -or the Mauritius. - -Besides the oxen, rice, rabanetas, and poultry are exported. Rabanetas -are a kind of mats, on which the sugar is spread out to dry when it -comes out of the last pan. They are also used as tapestry to cover the -walls and floors of rooms, and the poorest classes even wear them as -clothes. - -During the fine-weather season there is much bustle in Mademoiselle -Julie’s house. There are sometimes four or five ships in the harbor at -once. The captains are all friends of my hostess, who gives them a -general invitation to dinner, and may be said to keep free table. At the -time of my visit, which, however, was quite at the commencement of the -fine season, the concourse was certainly not so great. I never saw more -than two ships in the harbor at once. - -Tamatavé may one day become a very important place, when this fruitful -island is thrown open to Europeans, and free trade allowed to all -nations. - -Now, the place looks like a poor but very large village. Its population, -including that of the district immediately around, is reckoned at four -or five thousand souls: among these are 800 soldiers, and about a dozen -Europeans and Creoles from Bourbon. Except the few houses belonging to -these latter, and to a few well-to-do Hovas and Malagaseys, one sees -nothing but little huts, some scattered about without order or -arrangement, others forming narrow streets. These huts rest on poles -from six to ten feet in height, are built of wood or of bamboo, thatched -with long grass or palm-leaves, and contain a single room, of which the -fireplace occupies a large part, so that the family can scarcely find -sleeping room. Windows there are none, but two doors, at opposite sides -of the wall; the door on the windward or weather side is always kept -closed. - -The houses of the wealthier inhabitants are built of the same materials -as the habitations of the poor, but they are larger and loftier. They -contain only one room, which is, however, divided by low partitions into -three or four portions; these houses of the wealthy have also windows, -but they are not glazed. - -The bazar is situate in the midst of the village, on an ugly, uneven -plot of ground, and is remarkable alike for its poverty and its dirt. A -supply of beef, some sugar-cane, rice, rabanetas, and a few fruits, are -generally all that is to be found there; and the whole stock of one of -the dealers, who squat about on the ground, is often not worth more -than a quarter of a piastre. The oxen are slaughtered in the bazar -itself, and the skins are not taken off, but sold in strips with the -meat, being considered a great delicacy. Meat is not bought according to -weight, but according to the size of each piece, measured by the eye. -Whoever wants to buy or sell any thing in this country must provide -himself with a small pair of money-scales, for there are no coins in -Madagascar except the Spanish dollar; and it is only within the last two -years, since Mr. Lambert came here for the first time and brought some -five-franc pieces with him, that the last-mentioned coins have become -current. In the absence of small change, the dollars and five-franc -pieces are cut into greater and smaller portions, often into more than -five hundred chips. - -To my great surprise, I heard that, in spite of their ignorance and -savagery, the natives knew so well how to counterfeit these dollars, -that it requires some practice and a close inspection to detect the -spurious coins. - -The natives of Tamatavé are principally Malagaseys. They appeared to me -more repulsive than the negroes and Malays, whose ugliest features are -found united in their physiognomy. They have wide mouths, with thick -lips, broad flat noses, protruding chins, and prominent cheek-bones. -Their complexion varies through all shades of a muddy brown. As a sole -redeeming point, some of them have regular teeth of a pearly whiteness; -and sometimes a handsome pair of eyes may be seen. Their hair, on the -other hand, is marked by peculiar hideousness; it is coal-black, but as -woolly as the negro’s, and much coarser and longer, sometimes attaining -a length of two feet. When this hair is worn in all its native -luxuriance, it has a horribly disfiguring effect. The face seems quite -lost in a virgin forest of thick frizzled hair, standing out in all -directions. Fortunately, few wear it in this way. The men often have -their hair cut off quite short at the back of the head, and leave only a -length of six or eight inches in front, which looks comical enough, as -the hair stands upright, and forms a woolly topknot; but it is not so -bad as the virgin forest. The women, and some of the men too, who are -exceedingly proud of their hirsute ornaments, and can not make up their -minds to shorten them, plait them into a number of little tails. Some -let these tails hang all about their heads, while others unite them into -bands or bunches, so as to cover the whole head. This kind of head-dress -takes a good deal of time in preparing, particularly in the cases of the -richer Malagaseys, who have their hair plaited into an infinite number -of these little tails. On the head of one of these native beauties I -counted above sixty plaits. The good lady’s slaves must have had a good -day’s work in bringing them to the right pitch of perfection. On the -other hand, it may be urged that such a head-dress does not require -renewing continually, but will remain in all its pristine loveliness for -several days. - -To leave the hair free in all its natural beauty is considered a token -of mourning. The Malagaseys are generally above the middle height, and I -saw many tall, powerful figures, especially among the men. - -Their costume is that generally adopted by half-civilized nations who do -not go quite naked; the only difference is in the name. The two chief -articles of clothing used by the Malagaseys are called _sadik_ and -_simbu_. The first of these is as primitive as can well be imagined, -consisting only of a strip of cloth worn round the loins. Many of the -natives consider this garment as sufficient, and do not extend their -wardrobe beyond it. The simbu is a piece of white stuff, about four -yards long and three broad. The natives wrap themselves in their simbus -like the Romans of old in their togas; and they really often wear them -gracefully enough. Sometimes, to leave their movements unimpeded, they -roll up the simbu and wrap it round the upper part of their bodies. - -The dress of males and females is the same, except that the women have a -little more drapery, and often wear, besides the sadik and simbu, a -third garment--a short, very tight jacket, which they call _karrezu_. - -The simbu gives its wearers continual employment. It is always coming -loose, and has to be adjusted every minute. It might almost be said that -men and women here had only one hand to work with, the other being -monopolized by the management of this refractory garment. - -The food of the Malagaseys is as primitive as their clothing. Rice and -anana are the staple of every meal. Anana is a kind of vegetable very -much resembling spinach, and which would be very agreeable to the taste -if they would not prepare it with rancid fat. The people who live on the -banks of rivers or on the sea-coast sometimes eat fish, but very seldom, -for they are far too indolent to carry on a systematic fishery: meat, -too, and poultry, though they are to be had in great quantity, and at -the cheapest prices, are only eaten on special occasions. The natives -usually eat two meals, one in the morning, the other in the evening. - -The usual drink is _ranugung_, or rice-water, which is prepared in the -following way. Rice is boiled in a vessel, and purposely burned, so that -a crust forms at the bottom of the vessel. Water is then poured on, and -allowed to boil. This water assumes the color of very pale coffee, and, -like every thing else that is burnt, tastes abominably to a European -palate. But the natives consider it delicious, and when they have drunk -the rice-water, they eat the burnt crust with the greatest relish. - -The Malagaseys keep many slaves, who are not considered very valuable -here. A slave usually costs from thirty-six to forty-five shillings, and -no difference is made with regard to age, though children of eight or -ten years find readier purchasers than adult slaves. They start on the -principle, ordinarily correct enough, that children may be brought up as -their owner likes, but that a grown-up person who has contracted bad -habits can not often be made to mend his ways. Adult males are also -rarely offered for sale, except men who, once free, have been condemned -as a punishment for some crime to be sold by public auction, and those -among the slaves who have behaved ill to their masters. Female slaves -are generally higher in price than males; and a great value is set upon -those who can weave silk. A slave who is expert at this work often -fetches as much as £30. - -The position of the slaves is here, as among all half-civilized nations, -much better than that of their fellow-bondmen among Europeans and -Creoles. They have but little work to do, are fed about as well as their -masters, and are seldom punished, though the laws do not at all protect -them. On the contrary, a master may beat his slave to death; but the -stick he uses in administering the chastisement must not be tipped with -iron; for if it be thus shod, the master is liable to fine or some other -punishment. - -In Tamatavé the thievish propensity is very much developed, and that not -only among the slaves, but it is widely diffused among almost the whole -inland population, not excepting officers and exalted personages; I had -to learn this to my cost. In the little hut assigned to me by -Mademoiselle Julie as a dwelling, there was no lock to the door; but as -my quarters were in close proximity to her dwelling-house and other -buildings, and Mademoiselle Julie had not informed me of the -predilection entertained by her fellow-countrymen for the goods and -chattels of others, I did not think of being suspicious about it. One -day, on being summoned to table, I happened to leave my watch, a -valuable keepsake from a lady friend at New York, on the table, and when -I returned in the evening it had vanished. - -I returned immediately to Mademoiselle Julie to inform her of this -circumstance, and to ask what steps I should take to regain possession -of my watch, declaring myself ready to give a reward of some dollars to -whoever would restore it to me. Mademoiselle Julie replied with the most -perfect coolness that there was nothing to be done; the watch had -probably been stolen by one of the domestic slaves, for that here every -body stole; and that another time when I left my hut I should do well to -lock the door and close the window apertures. She did not even take the -trouble to question any of her slaves; and the only result that accrued -from my loss was, that three days afterward I managed, with much -difficulty, to get a lock put to my door. - -The country immediately surrounding Tamatavé consists of nothing but -sand, vegetation not beginning to show itself for one or two miles -inland. I could not undertake long walks, as it rained every day, and it -behooves Europeans in this country neither to expose themselves to wet -nor to go out immediately after rain, for the slightest dampness is -likely to bring on fever. - -By chance I learned from Mademoiselle Julie that she was the possessor -of two estates, lying seven miles from the town, very near the woods, -and that her sons resided there. I hoped to be able to take good walks -there, and to gather treasures for my collection of insects, and -accordingly begged Mademoiselle Julie to have me taken there. In this -country journeys are made in a light kind of sedan-chair, called -_tacon_, suspended between two poles, and carried by four bearers. Even -if one has to go only a few hundred steps, the sedan-chair is brought -into requisition. No one goes on foot except the slaves and quite poor -people. On long journeys eight or twelve bearers are taken instead of -four, so that they can continually relieve each other. - -I quitted Tamatavé betimes in the morning. The road to Antandroroko, as -one of the estates of my hostess was called, was very good, particularly -when we got out of the domain of sand into that of vegetation. Where -there were no hills the bearers ran along with me as if I had been no -weight at all for them, and we accomplished the seven miles in an hour -and a quarter. - -At Antandroroko lived Mademoiselle Julie’s younger son, a young man of -twenty-two, who had been partly educated at Bourbon. I should not have -suspected this, for he differed in nothing from his fellow-countrymen -save in his European garb and his knowledge of French, and had again -become a thorough Malagasey. - -A clean little room was allotted to me in his house, with mats on the -floor, but no furniture. I seated myself on my carpet bag and waited -patiently for breakfast. Mademoiselle Julie had allowed me to depart -fasting, and thus my anxiety on the subject of the commissariat was -natural enough. But hour after hour went by, and no one called me to -table. I ascribed this delay in the appearance of breakfast to my -arrival, and flattered myself that some special dish was being prepared -on my account--perhaps even a fowl was being sacrificed, and thus the -meal was naturally retarded; so I waited and waited, until at last a -slave entered, and said a few Malagasey words which I could not -understand. But I very well understood the signs he made, inviting me to -follow him, and obeyed joyfully. - -I was conducted into another room, unfurnished like my own, and with a -mat spread out on the floor in the midst. On the mat lay a large leaf, -surrounded by several smaller ones; the first representing the dish and -the latter the plates for the entertainment. They had been obliging -enough to put a real plate, with a veritable knife, fork, and spoon for -me, and likewise a chair. As for my hosts, they crouched upon the -ground. A slave appeared with a kettle of rice, and emptied the contents -into the improvised dish. Then he brought boiled beans, and a great pot -containing a dried fish boiled up in water, and smelling so badly that I -could scarcely remain at table. The much-desired fowl never appeared. I -thought with a gentle regret of the Dyaks of Borneo, who are considered -so savage and cruel, and who, while they themselves ate rice, could -always find a chicken for me; and here, in the house of a semi-European -host, and in a country where poultry is so cheap and plentiful, I had to -content myself with rice and beans. - -The manner in which the natives ate was any thing but appetizing. -Instead of a spoon, they make use of a piece of leaf, which they fold -very dexterously, and wherewith they manage not only to eat rice and -beans, but even to carry fluids safely to their mouths. This leaf-spoon -being very large, they distend their mouths to the utmost extent, and -then shovel the provisions in. This might pass without comment, for it -will not do to be too particular on one’s travels; but the worst of it -is that they all take their supplies with their own spoons from the -common store in the dish. - -Near the fish-kettle a slave is generally posted, whose duty consists in -ladling the broth out of the kettle, and pouring it over the rice as the -company take it up in their spoons. The fish is taken in the hand in -pieces, and eaten like bread. I do not wonder that a Malagasey who has -never left his own country, or seen any thing better than its usages, -should be content to live in this way; but how the young man who had -been educated among Europeans could so entirely readopt the customs of -his countrymen, I can not understand. Not only in the manner of eating -and drinking was this peculiarity shown, but in every thing else -likewise. He could sit for hours in his arm-chair without reading or -otherwise occupying himself. In fact, he did nothing all day long but -rest, smoke tobacco, and talk to the highly intellectual slaves who -continually surrounded him. - -With true sorrow I had already noticed at Tamatavé that the few -Christians who lived there--namely, a few Europeans and some Creoles -from Bourbon--instead of setting a good example to the natives, and -seeking to improve them by their own respectable lives and the purity of -their behavior, seemed to have sunk to the level of the people among -whom they dwelt, and adopted all their immoral habits. Thus, for -instance, they contract no regular marriages, but, like the natives, -change their wives at their pleasure, and sometimes even keep two at the -same time, besides being attended on exclusively by female slaves. - -Some of these people send their children to Bourbon, or even to France; -but for what purpose? When the young man has really learned -something--when he has contracted better habits and customs--he returns, -and every thing is spoiled only too quickly by his father’s bad example. -But what passes my wit to understand is the fact that a European who has -earned money enough to live comfortably in his native land, can of his -own free will remain in this country; and yet such a wonder did I most -certainly behold in the person of a certain Mr. N----. - -This man has made a considerable fortune by commerce, and went to his -native France a few years ago with the intention of remaining there. But -the intercourse with cultivated men and women seemed to him no -equivalent for the idle, entirely animal life in Madagascar. So he soon -returned to Tamatavé, to his slave-women, and there he will probably end -his days. The European is truly a wonderful creature. In Europe he can -scarcely find a girl to his taste, and his chosen one is expected to -possess all the perfections under the sun; and here he is charmed by -black, or muddy-brown coarse beauties, whom I really would almost as -soon class among the genus Simia as among the human race! I pity men who -can sink so low as to lose all taste for the noble and beautiful, and -all recognition of the dignity of humanity; and evil indeed are the -effects of their example upon the natives, and lamentably is the -progress of civilization checked thereby. - -But to return to my amiable host. The splendid breakfast was over, and -my hopes had been shattered; still, I firmly bade defiance to despair, -and built my trust upon the principal meal, which is always taken in the -evening. With the greatest impatience I awaited the hour--alas! of new -disappointment; the same dishes appeared that had decked the morning -meal; not one less, and not one more. It was too much for human -endurance. Fortunately, however, the elder brother of my host had come -over from the second estate. He was a young man who had not only been in -Bourbon, but had lived for nine years in Paris. Although, like his -brother, he ate his supper in true Malagasey fashion, by means of the -leaf-spoon, I felt more confidence toward him, and invited myself -without ceremony to breakfast with him next morning, certain that I -could not be worse entertained than I was here. - -In the evening a very good bed was made up for me on the floor of my -room; but, unfortunately, the musquito-net was forgotten. The -consequence was that I could not close my eyes all night. Before -retiring to rest I had begged my host to send me up a cup of coffee, -with milk, to my room in the morning. But what was the result of my -request? They brought me a washing-basin of milk and some sugar, but -neither coffee-cup nor spoon. The sight of the basin was of course quite -sufficient to take away my appetite, though the milk looked refreshing -enough. I modestly hinted at coffee, and heard that they were going to -look for some, and that it would then be roasted and ground. I therefore -declined to wait, took leave of my obliging host, and again set out on -my journey breakfastless. - -A boat took me up the pretty river Foondro, which falls into the sea -half a mile from this place, to the dwelling of the Parisian Malagasey. -He lived in a handsome house; came out some distance to me, and--oh -happy hour!--led me at once to the dining-room, where, to my great -jubilation, I found the table covered in European fashion, and a good, -plentiful repast spread out upon it. - -This young man in many respects presented a favorable contrast to those -of his countrymen who had been, like himself, in Bourbon or in Europe. -He is, I think, the only one who does not endeavor to forget every thing -he has learned in Europe as quickly as possible. I asked him if he did -not miss Paris, and if he did not feel a desire to live there. He -replied that he should certainly like to dwell in a civilized land, but -that, on the other hand, Madagascar was his native country--that his -whole family lived here, and he could not make up his mind to leave -them, altogether. - -His manner showed that these were not mere words--that he _felt_ what he -said. It greatly astonished me, for in general there is nothing more -ridiculous than to hear a Malagasey speak of his family and of domestic -ties. I have never met with a more immoral people than the inhabitants -of Madagascar; and where there is such demoralization, family ties must -be of the loosest. I dare not trust my pen to chronicle the many immoral -customs which prevail, not only among the people generally, but in the -highest families in the island, and appear quite natural to the people -here. I can only say that female virtue is looked upon as quite -valueless, and that the laws regarding marriage and progeny are of a -stranger kind than any where else in the world. Thus, for instance, a -man may divorce his wife and take another as often as he chooses. The -woman may live with another man, though she may not marry again; but all -the children born to her after she has been separated from her husband -are looked upon as belonging to him; the second husband has not the -slightest claim to them, and the mother is compelled to deliver them up -to her first husband immediately upon his claiming them. When a man -dies, too, any children his widow may afterward have are looked upon as -his; and it is in consequence of this law that Prince Rakoto, son of -Queen Ranavola, though he was born long after King Radama’s death, is -looked upon as the son of that monarch. - -It likewise frequently happens that men who have no children by their -own wives marry girls who expect to become mothers, so that they may be -able to call the child that is about to be born their own. This craving -for progeny is caused by an existing law, which declares the property of -any man who dies childless forfeit to the state. - -To speak of domestic ties in such a state of society would sound like -mockery; and if I had not noticed in my host, on several occasions, a -rare amount of real feeling, I should have attached little credence to -his words. - -I had a good deal of conversation with him, and asked him farther if he -did not feel any craving for intellectual companionship--for the -agreeable domestic relations found in Europe; if it did not seem hard to -him to live continually among coarse, uncultivated men? He acknowledged -that the total want of cultivation among his countrymen rendered their -society any thing but agreeable to him, but that he sought relaxation in -books and study. He mentioned to me several very good works which he had -brought with him from France. - -I felt truly sorry for this young man. I will not assert that he showed -any extraordinary amount of quickness or depth of intellect, but he has -an adequate amount of talent, and so much real sensibility and feeling -that he could not fail to gain friends in any country in the world. I -pity him; for, amid this complete dearth of congenial society, it will -be wonderful indeed if he does not become a true Malagasey at last. - -I remained with Mr. Ferdinand Diche--for so my host was called--for a -whole day. The weather continued so bad that I could neither walk out -nor occupy myself in hunting for insects. On the following day I -returned to Tamatavé. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - The “Queen’s Bath.”--Soldiers and Officers.--Banquet and - Ball.--Departure from Tamatavé.--Second Visit to - Antandroroko.--Vovong.--The Fever.--Andororanto.--Land and - Cultivation.--Condition of the People.--Manambotre.--The bad Roads - and the Bearers.--Ambatoarana. - - -At length, on the 13th of May, Mr. Lambert arrived. On the 15th I -witnessed the preliminary celebration of the great bath-feast of the -queen. This is the only national feast in Madagascar, and it is kept -with great solemnity in all the dominions subject to the sceptre of -Ranavola. - -I did not see the great feast itself, and can therefore only repeat to -my readers the description I received from several eye-witnesses. It is -celebrated on the first day of every year, and may thus be called the -New-year’s feast of Madagascar. But the Malagaseys do not follow our -method of reckoning time, though they divide the year into twelve months -as we do. Each of their months is _lunar_, and when the moon has renewed -itself twelve times their year is past. - -On the eve of the feast, all the high officers, nobles, and chiefs -appear at court, invited by the queen. They assemble in a great hall, -and presently a dish of rice is carried round, each guest taking a pinch -in his fingers and eating it. That is the whole extent of the ceremony -on this first evening. - -Next morning the same company assemble in the same hall. As soon as they -have all met, the queen steps behind a curtain which hangs in a corner -of the room, undresses, and has water thrown over her. As soon as she -has been dressed again, she steps forward, holding in her hand an -ox-horn filled with the water that has been poured over her. Part of -this water she sprinkles over the assembled company. Then she betakes -herself to a gallery overlooking the court-yard of the palace, and pours -the rest over the military drawn up there on parade. - -On this auspicious day nothing is seen throughout the whole country but -feasting, dancing, singing, and rejoicing, continued till late at night. -The celebration is kept up for eight days, dating from the day of the -bath. It is the custom for people to kill as many oxen on the first day -as they contemplate consuming during the other seven: whoever possesses -any oxen at all, kills at least one at this feast. The poor people get -pieces of meat in exchange for rice, sweet potatoes, tobacco, etc. The -meat is still tolerably fresh on the eighth day. It is cut into long -thin strips, which are salted and laid one upon the other. The -preliminary celebration of the feast occurs a week earlier, and consists -of military processions. The votaries of pleasure then begin their -feast, and thus have a fortnight’s jollity--a week before the feast, and -a week after. - -The soldiers whom I saw in the processions at Tamatavé pleased me well -enough. They went through their drill and manœuvres with tolerable -accuracy, and, contrary to my expectation, I found the music not only -endurable, but positively harmonious. It appears that, some years ago, -the queen sent for a European band-master and a complete set of -instruments, and her worthy subjects were inducted into a knowledge of -music, probably by means of the stick. She succeeded in her attempt, and -many of the pupils are already become masters, and spread the science -among their fellow-countrymen. - -The soldiers were dressed in a simple, neat, and perfectly uniform -manner. They wore a tight-fitting jerkin, reaching to the chest and -covering part of the loins. The chest was bare, and covered by the -gleaming white belts supporting the cartridge-box, which had a good -effect in contrast to the black skins of the soldiers. Their heads were -uncovered. Their arms consisted of a musket and the national lance, -called _sagaya_. - -The officers looked comical enough. They went about in threadbare -civilian suits, that forcibly reminded me of the fashions which -prevailed when I was a child. - -To these quizzical costumes, the ugly black faces and woolly hair gave -such an effect that the whole was overwhelmingly funny, and I lamented -that I had no skill in drawing, for I might have produced some wonderful -caricatures from the models before me. - -Except on parade and at exercise, the officers, like the soldiers, wear -a costume that suits them. The soldiers live in a kind of barracks, in -the court-yard of which the exercise is performed and the courts-martial -are held. Europeans are strictly prohibited from entering these -barracks. - -The Queen of Madagascar can easily put herself at the head of a powerful -army. Nothing but her potent word is needed to bring it together; for -the soldiers receive no pay, and are obliged, moreover, to clothe and -feed themselves. They procure provisions by going out to work, with the -permission of their superiors; or they go home to cultivate their -fields. But the soldier who wants his officer’s permission for frequent -absence must propitiate the latter by giving him a part of his -earnings--at least a dollar annually. The officers are generally very -little richer than the soldiers. They certainly receive, like the civil -officials, a remuneration for their services from the customs revenue; -but the pay is so small that they can not live upon it, and are -compelled to have recourse to other means, not always of the most honest -description. According to the law, a very small portion of the customs -revenue ought to come to the private soldier; but I am told the officers -find the amount so trifling that they do not take the trouble to give -any account of it, and prefer keeping it entirely for themselves, so -that the poor soldier who can not find work, and is too far from his -home to be able to visit it from time to time, is literally in danger of -being starved to death. He is obliged to endeavor to support life with -herbs and roots, and all kinds of makeshifts (sometimes very nauseous -ones), and may think himself lucky if he gets a little rice now and -then. This rice the poor fellow throws into a large vessel filled with -water, drinks the thin rice-water in the daytime, and only at evening -allows himself a handful of the grain. But in war-time, as soon as he is -on an enemy’s territory, he makes amends to himself for the hardships he -has endured; then he plunders and steals right and left; villages are -burned to the ground, and the inhabitants killed or dragged away to be -sold as slaves. - -After parade was over, the officers drew up, accompanied by the band, -before our (or, more properly, speaking, Mademoiselle Julie’s) house, to -salute Mr. Lambert, and invite him to a feast in the queen’s name. This -is the only expense the queen is in the habit of incurring for people -whom she wishes to treat with distinction. - -Mr. Lambert treated the officers to some good wine, whereupon they -marched off to the strains of the national hymn, which really sounded -melodious enough. - -On the 17th of May, the solemn banquet was held in the house of the -first judge of the kingdom. The hour was fixed for three o’clock, but -they did not come to fetch us until five. We betook ourselves to the -house, which stood in the midst of a large square or court-yard, with -palings around it. The soldiers stood in a double line from the entrance -of the court to the house, and the national hymn was played as we -passed. We were conducted at once to the dining-hall. Two sentries, with -crossed muskets, stood before the door, but this did not prevent any one -who listed from going quietly in and out. - -The company, consisting of about thirty people, had already assembled -to receive the guest of the day, Mr. Lambert, with due honor. - -The first governor, who is at the same time commandant at Tamatavé, wore -black European clothes, and across his chest a broad red satin ribbon, -like that of an order; but, wonderful to relate, there are no orders yet -in Madagascar. The second governor had donned an old European suit of -faded sky-blue silk velvet, richly embroidered with gold; and the other -gentlemen were likewise dressed in European fashion. - -The table was covered with dishes of meat of all kinds, tame and wild -fowl, fish, and other marine productions. I do not think I exaggerate -when I say there were above forty dishes, great and small. The principal -show-dish was the head of a calf of rather large size, so stripped of -flesh that it looked like a skull, and produced any thing but an -agreeable effect. There were likewise many different kinds of beverages, -French wines and port, English beer, etc. After the meat, little -badly-made tarts of various kinds were served, and the banquet ended -with fruit and Champagne. Of the last-mentioned wine there was plenty, -and it was drunk out of tumblers. - -As far as I could see, all the guests seemed blessed with extraordinary -powers as trenchermen, nor did they forget to do honor to the wines, and -great was the number of toasts proposed. - -Whenever the health of the commandant, of the second governor, or of an -absent prince was proposed, one of the officers went to the door and -shouted out to the soldiers in the yard the name of the person thus -honored; thereupon the music struck up, and all the gentlemen drank the -toast, standing. - -The dinner lasted full four hours. It was nine o’clock at night when we -quitted the table and betook ourselves to an adjoining room, where -English beer was again offered to us. After this, to my great -astonishment, two of the highest officers danced a kind of -_contre-danse_; others followed their example and indulged in a polka. -At first I considered this fancy for dancing to be a consequence of the -Champagne they had imbibed; but Mr. Lambert enlightened my ignorance, -and told me that these dances were part of the etiquette of the -occasion. I thought it a strange custom, but was infinitely amused at -the grotesque figures of the performers, and felt quite sorry that they -did not continue the exercise longer. As a conclusion to the solemnity, -the health of the queen was drunk in a liqueur flavored with aniseed, -and to the accompaniment of the national hymn. After the royal toast -nothing more may be proposed; to do so would be considered an offense -against her royal majesty, who, like her deceased husband, exacts -something very like worship from her people. - -Accordingly we broke up. When, on my way out, I went for my parasol, -which, on entering the room, I had deposited in a corner, I found it was -gone--it had shared the unhappy fate of my watch. - -Though theft is punished with great severity, frequently even with -death, and though it is lawful to kill a thief caught in the fact -without any explanation to the authorities, there is more thieving in -Tamatavé than any where else. As I have already said, it is not at all -unusual for officers and men of rank to take part in nocturnal -burglaries. A few years ago a robbery of some magnitude was perpetrated -in Tamatavé, and the majority of the stolen articles were discovered in -an officer’s possession. The man who had been robbed did not receive -back the chief part of his property; but he got some, with an injunction -to say nothing about the robbery, unless he wished to expose himself to -very disagreeable consequences; and so the affair ended. - -It is seldom that any one gives information to the authorities of a -theft. In small affairs it is not worth while, as the detection of the -thief and restoration of the property scarcely ever follow; and in -robberies of any magnitude, persons of high position are almost sure to -be implicated, and it would be dangerous to proceed against these. That -the soldiers are among the most confirmed thieves is not to be marveled -at, considering their miserable position. The officer or employé -certainly has only a very small salary, but, at any rate, he gets -something. Besides, he is a merchant or a landed proprietor, has slaves -who work for him, and even makes a profit out of the soldiers who serve -under him; but the poor private generally receives nothing at all, and -it is almost too much to expect that he should submit quietly to die of -hunger. - -On the 19th of May we at length set out on our journey to Tananariva, -the capital of the island. Our party consisted of Mr. Marius, Mr. -Lambert, and myself. Mr. Marius, a Frenchman by birth, had been living -for twenty years in Madagascar. He accompanied Mr. Lambert on his -journey from a feeling of friendship, and undertook the office of -interpreter and the general direction of the journey, and his kind -assistance was of the greatest value to us. - -The whole previous day and half of the present one we had been fully -employed wrapping up the chests and boxes containing presents for the -queen and Prince Rakoto, and our own baggage, in great dry leaves, to -protect them against the rain. - -Mr. Lambert had bought the presents for the queen and her court with his -own money, and not, as they asserted in the Mauritius, with funds from -the French government. The presents consisted of full and very expensive -toilets for the queen and some of the princesses, her relations, rich -uniforms embroidered with gold for Prince Rakoto, and valuable -art-objects of all kinds, including several musical clocks, barrel -organs, and similar toys. On these presents Mr. Lambert had spent more -than 200,000 francs. For the conveyance of these treasures to the -capital more than four hundred persons were required, who received the -same pay as the soldiers; that is to say, none at all, for service of -this kind is compulsory. Along the whole route the convoy had been -announced, and the poor bearers had to be at certain stations on the -road at an appointed time. - -The people, about two hundred in number, who were to carry us and our -personal luggage, were paid by Mr. Lambert. The fee for a bearer from -Tamatavé to Tananariva, a distance of two hundred and twenty miles, is -only a dollar; and even provisions are not found by the hirer. Mr. -Lambert promised them good food besides the dollar, whereupon they -expressed their gratitude by loud shouts and rejoicings. - -The first day we only traveled seven miles, and passed the night at -Antandroroko, the estate of Mademoiselle Julie’s younger son. Here -things looked very differently from the appearance they had presented on -the day when I came alone. I am far from being vain enough to suppose -that I should have been received like Mr. Lambert, the powerful friend -of the queen; but the difference need not have been quite so glaring. -To-day every thing was done in European style, and the table was hardly -large enough to hold the dishes piled together upon it. - -But so it is all the world over--rich people find friendly faces every -where, and are received with every mark of good-will and respect; but -when the poorer guest arrives, the mask is taken off; and whoever -travels as I do, gets to know human nature as it is, and the verdict can -very seldom be given in its favor. How different from my description of -this country would an account be from the pen of Mr. Lambert! What -encomiums might he not pass on the hospitality of the people who often -received me with frigid, uncourteous welcome! I fancy it was only to the -consideration with which Mr. Lambert treated me that I owed the boon of -a musquito-net, which was actually provided for my bed on this occasion. - -May 20th. To-day we traveled the whole day long on lakes and rivers. The -largest of the former was the Nosive Lake, which is about eleven miles -long by five broad. The Nossmasay and Rassaby are almost of equal -extent. As we approached a small island in the last of these lakes, our -boat’s company suddenly began to yell and execrate with all their might. -I thought some accident had happened, but Mr. Marius gave me the -following explanation of the affair: - -Many years ago a marvel of female beauty is said to have dwelt near this -lake, but her life was the reverse of virtuous. This Messalina of -Madagascar attained great fame, and considered herself greatly flattered -thereby. She died young, and, in order to keep her memory green in -future days, she besought her numerous admirers, on her death-bed, that -she might be buried on this little island, and furthermore expressed a -wish that all who passed by should roar and swear as loudly as they -could, in remembrance of her. - -Her admirers complied with her wish, and gradually the custom became -universal. - -The other lakes which we had to traverse were very small, and so were -the rivers. A great loss of time was occasioned by the fact that very -few of these silent highways communicated with one another. Between -almost every lake and stream and its neighbor lay a little tract of dry -land, from a hundred to a thousand paces in length, so that our boats -were continually being unloaded and carried over. This was a hard day’s -work for our people; but, at any rate, they had the satisfaction of -being well fed on their journey. Mr. Lambert had quite a paternal care -for their comfort, and there was always fresh meat and rice in -abundance. - -Our way lay near the sea-coast, and we constantly heard the sound of the -breakers. The land was flat and monotonous, but the rich vegetation gave -it a cheerful appearance; in our progress we noticed some very -flourishing plantations, and water-palms in abundance. - -Our quarters for the night were fixed in the village of Vovong, in a -house belonging to the government. On the way from Tamatavé to the -capital there are houses of this description in many villages, and these -houses are open to all travelers. The interior is spread with clean -mats, which the inhabitants are bound to furnish; they are also -responsible for the repairing the houses, and keeping them in proper -condition. - -May 21. To-day our journey was again on the waters: first, a short -distance on the River Monsa; then our bearers had to carry the boat for -at least half a mile, after which we embarked again on a little stream, -very narrow, and so overshadowed by small trees, bushes, and aquatic -plants that we could often scarcely force the boat through. This journey -reminded me of similar trips in Singapore and Borneo, with this -difference, that in the latter places our way lay through virgin forests -of gigantic trees. After a few miles we came to a broader stream, of -peculiarly transparent and limpid water, in which every object was -reflected with a clearness and brilliancy I had never before seen. - -In these lower lands, and, with few exceptions, along the whole coast of -Madagascar, the climate is very unhealthy, and dangerous fevers are -prevalent. The chief reason for this probably is, that the land lies -deep, and the rivers are choked up with sand at their mouths. In the -rainy season the water pours unchecked over the plains, forming swamps -and morasses, the exhalations from which, in the hot months from -November till the end of April, produce a malignant miasma. Even the -natives who live in the healthy districts, in the interior of the -island, are just as liable to its effects as the Europeans themselves, -when they come to the unhealthy lowlands in the hot season. Of the -Europeans, I saw a few in Tamatavé who were attacked every summer by the -fever, though they had lived there for three or four years. - -Our journey to-day did not exceed eight or nine miles; betimes in the -afternoon we halted at the village of Andororanto to wait for our -baggage, which had been taken overland by another route. - -May 22. This morning we traveled three hours by water on the River Fark, -which falls into the sea not far from the village where we had passed -the night. This river is very broad, but has few deep parts. Its banks -afford a greater variety of scenery than the rivers we had hitherto -seen. The uniform flats begin now to alternate with little clusters of -hills, and in the far background a low ridge becomes visible. - -Coming to a great bend in the river, we disembarked. The boats remained -behind, and our journey by land began in earnest. This day we -accomplished eight miles more inland toward the east. The road was -tolerably good, except in the neighborhood of a few wretched villages -which we passed. - -As far as I have yet seen of this country, it is exceedingly fertile, -except a few sandy tracts. Capital pasture-grass grows every where -luxuriantly. The plains at the higher level are said to be excellently -calculated for sugar plantations, and the low-lying lands for -rice-fields, and yet all was lying fallow. The population is so scanty -that we hardly passed a tiny village in every three or four miles. This -is certainly inevitable in a country whose government seems determined -to lay waste and depopulate the land. In Madagascar scarcely any one is -a landed proprietor except the queen and the high nobility. The peasant -may cultivate the land and sow seed where he finds a tract unoccupied, -without asking permission of any body; but this gives him no proprietary -right, and after he has cultivated the land the owner may take it away -from him. This circumstance, added to the natural indolence inherent in -all savage tribes, readily accounts for the fact that the peasant only -cultivates just as much land as he finds necessary to grow enough for -himself. - -The taxes are not oppressive. The peasant has to deliver about a hundred -weight of rice to the government annually; but compulsory service and -other exactions are very burdensome, for they prevent the peasant from -attending properly to his work. - -Rice is the plant principally cultivated in Madagascar. The crop is sown -twice a year, and the government prescribes a month each time to be -devoted to the work. With an active people this would be enough time to -get the harvest gathered, and the new crop put into the ground; but, -unfortunately, the natives of Madagascar are very far from being an -active race, and so it often happens that the month has passed away -before the work is finished. After the month is over, the government -requires the men for all kinds of services, of more or less importance, -just as the queen or the officers appointed by her majesty may please to -order. Those are worst off who live on roads leading from the harbors to -the capital, for they have to do so much compulsory service as bearers -that they have scarcely any time left for agriculture. At one time many -left their huts and fields, and fled into the interior of the country to -escape this hardship, so that the villages began to be deserted. To -check this, the queen condemned every fugitive to death; but, on the -other hand, she relieved the inhabitants of villages on the roads from -military service, the most hateful of all obligations to the people. A -few little villages were also stocked with royal slaves, who had no -other duty assigned to them but to act as carriers. If the people had -only to transport the royal luggage and goods, their service would not -be a heavy one; but every nobleman, every officer, can procure an order -for similar service, and even compel the people to work without showing -any authority at all. They can not complain, for a peasant would never -gain a cause against a nobleman or an officer, and so they pass the -greater part of the year working on the roads. In the districts where -there are no goods and chattels to be carried, other work is found for -them; and if there happens to be nothing to do, they are summoned in a -body, not only the men, but the women, children, and all, to attend a -_kabar_ at some place or other. Kabar is the name given to public -judicial sessions, councils, audiences, and assemblies of the people, -where new laws and royal orders are promulgated, and much similar -business enacted. - -The kabars are sometimes held in distant places, so that the poor people -have to travel some days to get to them. Nor are the laws at once read -out to them; this part of the business is often postponed from day to -day, so that they are sometimes kept away from their homes for weeks. On -such occasions many die of hunger and misery, from having taken an -insufficient supply of rice; money they have none, and must therefore -seek to sustain life as best they may with roots and herbs. Their -destruction seems to be the object of the queen; for she hates all the -people who are not of her own race, and her greatest desire would seem -to be to annihilate them all at one blow. - -So far as the cultivation of the land is concerned, there are people -enough in Bourbon and the Mauritius who would be glad enough to lay out -large plantations. A few even have tried it, clearing great tracts of -land and planting sugar-canes. But they met with the greatest -difficulties; for, as the land every where belonged to the queen, or to -one or other of the nobles, the new-comers were obliged to propitiate -the owners by presents of money to obtain permission to carry on their -operations. Besides this, the government demanded ten per cent. on -their profits, and, in spite of all the heavy sacrifices, they were not -much better off than the natives; for the peculiar judicial institutions -of Madagascar allowed the owner to break off the contract at any moment, -and drive away the planter. - -Some preferred to make a treaty with the queen herself, her majesty -therein engaging to provide the ground, the laborers, wood, iron, in a -word, every thing necessary to a plantation; the planter, on his part, -undertaking to set the work in motion, and to find provisions for the -hands; while the produce was to be divided equally between the -contracting parties. The queen entered into several contracts of this -kind, but never kept to them. In King Radama’s time, the land, they told -me, had been more populous; under the rule of the present queen, not -only have innumerable towns sunk down to a few scattered huts, but -others have altogether vanished. Spots were often pointed out to us -where fine villages had once stood. - -We passed the night at Manambotre. At a little distance from this -village we passed a place where great blocks of rock lay scattered here -and there. Their appearance in this place astonished me not a little, as -the soil consisted every where of vegetable earth on which not the -smallest stone was to be found. Mr. Lambert had two oxen killed this -evening for the benefit of our bearers. They were dragged out in front -of our hut by ropes passed round their horns; then several men armed -with knives crept up from behind, and cut the sinews of the poor -creatures hind legs, so that they sank down powerless, and could be -dispatched without danger. As I have already remarked, they are not -flayed, but the skin is roasted with the meat; nay, the natives even -prefer it to the flesh, because the greater portion of fat adheres to -it. - -The oxen are fine large animals, and very tame; they are of the buffalo -kind. - -May 23. To-day the bad roads began. I did not feel afraid of them, for, -in many of my journeyings--for instance, in Iceland, when I ascended the -Hecla; also in Kurdistan, in Sumatra, and other countries--I have seen -far worse; but my companions seemed horrified at the sight. They were -certainly far from good, I must allow. The land is here more than -wave-like in form: it consists of a succession of lofty hills -sufficiently steep, and so closely packed together that barely a few -hundred yards of level land are left between. Instead of winding along -by the foot of these hills, the roads go straight up and down each of -them. The soil, too, a rich loam, becomes as smooth and slippery as ice, -from the rain, and there are, moreover, innumerable holes made by the -cattle, thousands of oxen being driven this way from the interior. - -Our bearers won my unfeigned admiration; indeed, surprising strength and -skill are required to carry heavy loads along such roads. The bearers, -whose duty it was to transport my little meagre figure, were the most -lucky. I felt almost inclined to be angry with them, for they trotted -with me, up hill and down dale, as if I had been no weight at all, and -that was not quite the case. And when the ground happened to be somewhat -level, they almost ran, although I tried in vain to induce them, by all -kinds of deprecating signs, to moderate their ardor; for the long, quick -strides they made were as disagreeable as the trot of a heavy horse. The -hills were covered with rich grass; some also were clothed with plants. -Among the latter there was much bamboo, with delicate clusters of leaves -of a light green color, and of a luxuriant freshness I had never seen -elsewhere. Like shade alternating with light in a picture, the bright -bamboo stood near the Kafia palm, with its feathery dark leaves fifteen -feet long. This palm is a very valuable tree to the natives, who plait -their rabanetas with the fibres of its leaves--those coarse mats which I -have mentioned in my account of Tamatavé. - -Of the water-palm I saw some splendid specimens. This tree flourishes -here, in the interior of the country, much better than on the sea-coast. -I remember to have read in some works of travels that this palm only -occurs in situations where water is scarce, and that it is called -water-palm, and also traveler’s palm, because a small quantity of water -collects between each leaf and the stem, to the great delectation of the -thirst-tormented wayfarer. The natives here assert, on the contrary, -that this palm only flourishes in a damp soil, and that water is always -to be found in its neighborhood. Unluckily, I had no opportunity of -investigating the subject, so as to judge of the truth of these reports; -but I hope the time will come when botanists will roam at pleasure -through this great island, and settle, not only this, but many other -doubtful questions in geography and natural history. - -The sago-palm is another variety that flourishes greatly in Madagascar. -Strangely enough, the natives dislike its pith, although they are in -general any thing but squeamish in their diet, for they devour not only -herbs and roots, but insects and worms likewise. - -The time passed very quickly to-day, for from every hill and mountain a -fresh view opened before us more beautiful than the last. But the -population became thinner and thinner; in the whole day’s journey we -only passed by a few very insignificant villages. - -This night we stopped at a village called Ambatoarana. The arrival of -Mr. Lambert had been every where announced, and as it was known that he -stood high in favor with the queen, the inhabitants of the village -received him with the greatest demonstrations of respect, and vied with -each other to propitiate the influential man. Here, too, the judge came -at once to call upon us, and in the name of the community presented to -Mr. Lambert a couple of oxen, besides a great quantity of rice and -poultry. Mr. Lambert accepted these presents, but gave others of far -greater value in return. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - Celebration of the National Feast.--Song and Dance.--Beforona.--The - elevated Plateau of Ankay.--The Territory of Emir.--Solemn - Reception.--Ambatomango.--The Sikidy.--The Triumphal - Procession.--Arrival in Tananariva. - - -May 24th. It had not rained for four-and-twenty hours, and, -consequently, we found the roads in somewhat better condition than -yesterday. The hills we encountered were also less high and steep. - -We generally divided our day’s journey into two parts. At daybreak we -started, and marched for three or four hours; then we stopped to -breakfast on rice and poultry, frequently diversified by wild birds of -some kind, often black parrots, and other beautiful specimens which Mr. -Lambert shot on our way. After a rest of about two hours we set out to -accomplish the second portion of our day’s march, which generally about -equaled the first in length. - -To-day, however, we contented ourselves with getting through the first -stage, for it was the day for celebrating the great national feast. The -queen had no doubt taken her auspicious new-year’s bath this morning. -Mr. Lambert would not rob his bearers of the pleasure of participating -in the enjoyments of the day; so, at ten o’clock in the morning, we -halted in the village of Ampatsiba. - -The first business was to slaughter the oxen. The rule of the feast, -which enjoins that as many shall be slain as are sufficient for the day -and the seven following, was not strictly carried out, for the weight of -meat would have been too great for the men to carry; but five of the -finest animals were offered up as a sacrifice to the day; for Mr. -Lambert entertained not only our people, but the whole village. In the -evening four or five hundred people assembled--men, women, and -children--in front of our huts; and, to complete the enjoyment of the -feast, Mr. Lambert had their favorite drink, _besa-besa_, served out to -them. This beverage, which seemed to me the reverse of agreeable, is -made from the juice of the sugar-cane mixed with water, and the bitter -bark of afatraina. The water is first poured on the cane-juice, and when -the mixture ferments, the bark is added, and a second fermentation takes -place. - -The festal character of the day, assisted perhaps by the besa-besa, put -the little community in such good spirits that they volunteered an -exhibition of their songs and dances, which were all equally stupid and -uninteresting. - -Some of the girls beat a little stick with all their might against a -thick piece of bamboo; others sang, or rather howled, at the top of -their voices: the noise was horrible. Then, two of the ebony beauties -danced; that is, they moved slowly to and fro on a small space of -ground, half lifted their arms, and turned their hands, first outward, -and then toward their sides. Now, one of the men approached to exhibit -his capabilities as a dancer. He was, most likely, the “lion” of the -village. He tripped to and fro much in the style of his charming -predecessors, only in rather more energetic fashion. Whenever he -approached any of the women or girls, he was not deterred by our -presence from making very expressive gestures, which were received by -the assembled company with shouts of laughter and obstreperous applause; -but the same thing is done at the public balls in Paris. - -On this occasion I saw that the natives do not smoke tobacco, but take -it in the form of snuff. The pinch is not inhaled through the nose, but -inserted in the mouth. Both men and women enjoy their tobacco in this -way. - -In asserting that the “queen’s bath” was the only feast celebrated in -Madagascar, I was right to this extent, that the aforesaid solemnity is -the only occasion of universal rejoicing. The natives, however, practice -the custom of circumcising their children, and these occasions are -celebrated with much rejoicing. The ceremony takes place in the larger -villages designated for the purpose by government, and to these places -the parents have to bring their children at a certain period of the -year. The happy fathers invite their relations and friends to the -solemnity, and recreate themselves with song and dance, eating and -drinking as long as their stores of beef, rice, and besa-besa hold out. - -May 25th. After yesterday’s jollification, our bearers had hard work -to-day. The hills were very steep, and far loftier than the former ones, -averaging from five to seven hundred feet in height. Fortunately it had -not rained, and on the dry earth climbing was not so very difficult a -matter. - -All the hills and mountains are here covered with virgin forests; but I -looked in vain for the thick, lofty trees I had been accustomed to see -in the wilds of Sumatra and Borneo, and even of America. The greatest -trunks were scarcely four feet in diameter, and not more than a hundred -in height. There was likewise no great profusion of flowering trees, -orchidaceæ, and climbing plants; and the only remarkable feature in -these forests seemed to be the large and varied genera of ferns, in -which Madagascar rivals the Mauritius. I was informed that in the -neighborhood of the roads all the great trees had already been cut down, -but that in the depths of the forests splendid specimens might be met -with, and that flowers, climbing plants, and orchidaceæ likewise abound -in those solitudes. - -From the summits of a few of the higher hills we had to climb we enjoyed -glorious views of quite a peculiar kind. Never yet have I seen so great -an expanse of land as this, consisting entirely of hills, lofty -mountains, and narrow valleys and gorges, with not a single plain -between. Twice we could descry the sea in the far distance. - -This region must be admirably adapted for the cultivation of coffee; for -it is well known that the coffee-tree grows best on the sides of steep -hills. The land here is said, moreover, to be well adapted for pasture, -especially for sheep. In future times flourishing plantations will -perhaps arise here, adding life and variety to the glorious landscape. -To-day, alas! all around is an unpeopled desert; hardly a miserable hut -to be seen here and there half hidden in the verdant screen. - -We slept in a village called Beforona. - -May 26. Our journey to-day has been a repetition of yesterday’s march, -with the single additional incident that we met a drove of oxen in a -steep, hollow way. It was fearful to see how the creatures clambered -about. Almost at every step they slipped, and I expected every moment -they would come tumbling down upon us. With difficulty we found a place -where we could stand, pressing against the bank till they had gone by. - -Rather late in the afternoon we arrived at our station for the night--a -very little village with a very long name--Alamajootra. - -May 27. The hills to-day were less lofty and steep, the gorges and -valleys somewhat broader, and the roads better. A few miles from our -station for the night, on the only high hill we had to cross on this -day’s march, the wooded region suddenly came to an end, and a charming -landscape lay before us. In the foreground, extending in wavy lines, -extending north and south, rose a chain of hills, which we could -overlook from our high post of observation; and behind these lay the -beautiful elevated plateau Ankay, at least fifteen miles broad (and of -much greater length still) from north to south. Toward the east, in the -background, two low ranges of mountains rose up against the horizon. - -Our station for the night was a village called Maramaya. - -May 28. We came to the elevated plateau Ankay, on which we found -tolerable roads, so that our journey now proceeded rapidly. On the other -hand, we lost a great deal of time in crossing the River Mangor. There -was nothing to be had in the way of boats but a few hollowed trunks of -trees, each of which would scarcely hold three or four people; thus -several hours were consumed in ferrying over our numerous train and -multifarious baggage. The rivers which I have as yet seen in Madagascar, -including the Mangor, are very broad at certain spots, but they have no -depth; the largest of them would not be navigable for a craft of fifty -tons. They are very well filled, but, unfortunately, there are many more -caymans in these rivers than fishes. - -We crossed the low mountain ridge of Efody, and then the way wound -onward through pleasant little valleys to the village of Ambodinangano, -where we passed the night. - -Near many villages I had noticed great upright stones, always placed at -some miles’ distance from the village. Some of these, I was told, were -funeral monuments; the rest were to mark the spots where the weekly -markets are held. It would really seem as if the inhabitants of -Madagascar were determined to do every thing differently from other -nations, and so, instead of having their markets in the villages, they -hold them in lonely desert places miles away from every human dwelling. - -May 29. To-day my traveling companions were fully justified in -complaining of the roads, which were so bad that, in spite of my -enlarged experience in this particular, I was compelled to acknowledge -that I had seldom seen any thing to equal them. But the chief problem -was how to cross the second little mountain chain of Efody, the sides of -which are exceedingly steep. Even my bearers seemed to-day to feel that -my frame was decidedly composed of mundane materials, and not of air. -Right wearily did they drag me up over the steep heights, resting for a -few moments, from time to time, to take breath and gather new strength. - -After scaling this ridge we came into the territory of Emir, the native -region of the Hovas, in the midst of which the capital of the island is -situated. - -The territory of Emir consists of a lofty, splendid, elevated plateau, -nearly four thousand feet above the level of the sea. Many isolated -hills rise up from this plain; we pass no more forests, and, as the -capital is approached, some amount of cultivation, in the shape of -rice-fields, begins to appear. Where there were no rice-fields, the -ground was covered with the short bitter grass of which I had noticed so -much in Sumatra. Unfortunately, it is entirely useless, as the cattle -will not eat it. - -The district of Emir did not appear to be very populous; even in the -neighborhood of the rice-fields I looked in vain for villages--perhaps -they were hidden behind the hills. - -In the few villages we passed I noticed that the houses were not built -like those at Tamatavé, and in the wooded regions through which we had -passed, of bamboo or timber, but of earth and clay. They are also -loftier and more roomy, and have exceedingly high roofs, thatched very -neatly with a sedgy grass that grows here in abundance beside all the -rivers. But the internal arrangement is just the same. The house -generally contains only one room; in very few is a small portion walled -off by a partition of matting. Furniture is entirely wanting. The -majority of the inhabitants of Madagascar possess nothing of the kind -beyond a few straw mats with which they cover the bare floor, and a few -pots of iron or clay wherein to cook rice. Nowhere did I see beds, or -even wooden chests in which clothing or other articles could be kept. -Certainly they do not feel the want of either of these conveniences, for -they sleep on the floor, and their wardrobe generally consists of a -single simbu, which they draw over their head at night. The most -luxurious among them go so far as to cover themselves with one of the -straw mats of their own plaiting. Nowhere else have I found such an -entire want of all the comforts of life, except among the Indians of -Oregon Territory, in North America. - -Some of the little villages, and a few separate houses also, are -surrounded with ramparts of earth, a custom originating in the times -when the country was divided among a multitude of small tribes who were -continually at war with one another. It has already been mentioned that -the two great chiefs, Dianampoiene and Radama, put an end to these feuds -by reducing most of the tribes beneath their dominion. A few miles from -the village of Ambatomango, our resting-place for this evening, a great -procession of men came to meet us, accompanied by military music. This -was a kind of deputation sent by Prince Rakoto, the son of Queen -Ranavola, and heir-apparent to the throne, to receive Mr. Lambert, and -assure him of the prince’s respect and affection. The deputation -consisted of twelve adherents of the prince, a number of officers and -soldiers, and a complete troop of female singers. - -The “adherents” of Rakoto, forty in number, are young noblemen who love -and honor this prince so much that they have bound themselves by an oath -to defend him in every danger to the last man. They all live near him, -and in his expeditions he is always surrounded by at least half a dozen -of these faithful followers, although he has no need of such a guard, as -he is said to be much beloved by all the people, commons and nobles -alike. - -Mr. Lambert was received by this deputation with the honors usually -accorded to a prince of the blood royal, a distinction which has never -yet been shown to any of the high nobles, much less to a white man. - -As often as our procession passed by a village, the whole community -turned out to see the strangers. Many attached themselves to the train, -so that it grew as it went, like an avalanche. The good people might -well be astonished to see white men received with such honor, for the -like had never been witnessed before. - -In the village of Ambatomango, Mr. Lambert was surprised by a mark of -affection on the part of Prince Rakoto. We found the prince’s only son, -a little boy five years old, waiting for us. Prevented by the illness of -the queen from coming himself to meet Mr. Lambert at Ambatomango, he had -sent his child, which Mr. Lambert had adopted during his first stay at -Tananariva. - -The custom of adopting children prevails widely in Madagascar; in most -cases this is done by the adopter for the sake of possessing a child, -but in others it arises from the fact that the father of the child -wishes to give the man who adopts it a striking proof of his friendship. -The adoption is announced to the government, which, in a written -document, accords to the second father full authority over the child. -The infant receives the name of the adopted parent, is admitted into his -family, and possesses every right enjoyed by his own children. - -Prince Rakoto had conceived such an affection for Mr. Lambert upon their -first becoming acquainted, that he wished to give him a striking proof -of his respect and friendship, and thus offered him his best -treasure--his only child. Mr. Lambert adopted the infant, but did not -avail himself of all the rights his position gave him; the child -received his name, but was left in the care of its own father. - -This child is not by birth a prince, his mother being a slave. Her name -is Mary; but she is not, as her name would imply, a Christian. I am told -she is very intelligent and good-natured, but, nevertheless, of a firm -character. The prince loves her exceedingly, and, in order to have her -continually about his person, he has nominally married her to one of his -faithful followers. - -Till late at night, a good deal of jollity was kept up in our camp. A -great feast was prepared, of which we partook in native fashion, seated -on the ground; on the other hand, toasts were drunk in true European -fashion, and the healths of all imaginable people proposed. Merry music -and loud shouts of rejoicing accompanied every fresh toast. - -The choir of female singers sent by Prince Rakoto to do honor to our -arrival consisted of twenty girls, who crouched down in a corner of the -room, and tortured our ears with their harsh, grating voices. They -screamed and howled just like the women and girls in the village where -we celebrated the feast of the queen’s bath. They had a man with them, -as a leader or teacher, but he wore a woman’s garb, and that of a -European too; as the features of the two races vary very little, their -beauty or ugliness being much the same, I should not have suspected this -comical figure to be a man if the fact had not been mentioned by Mr. -Lambert. - -May 30th. This morning a deputation of villagers came to invite Mr. -Lambert to a bull-fight which they proposed to give in his honor. After -getting through the important business of breakfast, we proceeded to the -scene of action, but found the preparations for the promised spectacle -in a very backward state. It was evident that some time would be -required for their completion. We thanked the people for their offer, -but thought it best to take the will for the deed. We particularly -wished to get to the capital, still a good half-day’s journey distant, -as quickly as possible--the more so, as the Sikidy, or oracle, had -designated the present day as a fortunate one for our entry into -Tananariva, and the queen wished that Mr. Lambert should not let the -auspicious moment go by. - -Throughout Madagascar, but particularly at court, it is customary to -consult the Sikidy oracle on every occasion, great and small. It is done -in the following manner: A certain number of beans and small stones are -mixed together, and from the figures they form, the people learned in -the art of divination predict the favorable or unfavorable result of an -undertaking. Of such oracle-interpreters or augurs there are more than -twelve appointed at court, and in the most trifling matter the queen is -accustomed to consult them. So devoted a believer in the Sikidy is she, -that she in many things entirely sacrifices her own will, and is thus -the greatest slave in the country she governs so despotically. If, for -instance, she wishes to make an excursion any where, the oracle must -decide on what day and at what hour this can be done. She will put on no -garment and partake of no dish till the Sikidy has spoken, and the -oracle must even decide from what spring the water she drinks is to be -taken. - -A few years ago a universal custom prevailed of asking the Sikidy, when -a child was born, if the hour of its birth was fortunate. If an answer -in the negative was returned, the poor baby was laid in the middle of -one of the roads along which the great herds of oxen were driven. If the -animals passed carefully by the child without injuring it, the bad magic -influence of the oracle was considered to be broken, and the child was -carried back in triumph to its father’s house. Few were, however, -fortunate enough to go through this dangerous ordeal unscathed; the -majority of the infants were killed. The parents who were unwilling to -submit their children to such a test turned them adrift, especially if -they were girls, and took no more trouble about them. The queen has -forbidden both the ordeal and the exposure; and this is, perhaps, the -only humane law she has passed during her whole life. - -All travelers who wish to come to the capital must apply to the queen -for permission, and halt at least a day’s journey from the city to -receive the verdict of the Sikidy, which determines on what day and at -what hour they may make their entry. Day and hour must be kept with the -greatest strictness; and if the traveler should fall ill in the interim, -and find it impossible to present himself at the gates of the city at -the appointed time, he must send a new embassy to the queen, and await a -second decision of the Sikidy, whereby he loses some days, and may be -detained for weeks. - -In this respect we were very fortunate. The Sikidy was obliging enough -not to keep us waiting a single day, and designated that day as a -fortunate one on which, according to the arrangements already made for -our journey, we could reach the capital. - -I vehemently suspect that the curiosity of the queen had some influence -on the speech of the oracle. The good lady was naturally impatient to be -put in possession of all the treasures which she knew Mr. Lambert had -brought for her. - -Our journey to-day seemed like a triumphal progress. In the van marched -the military band; then came many officers, some of them of very high -rank; next we came, surrounded by the adherents of the prince; the -female singing choir, with a number of soldiers and people, bringing up -the rear. As was the case yesterday, old and young came thronging round -in every village through which we passed. All were desirous of seeing -the long-expected strangers; many, too, joined the procession, and -accompanied us for miles. - -Our way wound onward through the beautiful elevated plain of Emir. How -splendid an appearance would this glorious tract of land make if it were -properly cultivated and populated! There are certainly many more fields -and villages to be seen here than in the other districts through which -our way had as yet led us, but very few could compare with this in -fruitfulness of soil and fortunate position. A peculiar charm is -imparted to this plain by the numerous hills intersecting it in all -directions, the majority rising quite isolated and unconnected with any -of the rest. There is no lack of water; for, although no great rivers -are seen, there are numerous small streams and ponds. - -About forty years ago, the whole plateau of Emir was covered, they say, -with forests; but now, for an area of about thirty square miles, it is -so treeless that only the rich people use wood, procured from a distance -by their slaves, as fuel. The poorer people make shift with a kind of -short prairie grass, with which hills and plains are thickly covered, -and which gives a fierce but not a very lasting flame. Fortunately, the -people only require fire for preparing their food, and can dispense with -fuel for their rooms, though in winter the thermometer falls to three or -four degrees, and sometimes even to 1° Réaumur; but the houses are built -with clay walls of tolerable thickness, and the roofs are thickly -covered with long grass, and so the houses are sufficiently warm, in -spite of the cold out of doors. - -The roads were now exceedingly good, and our bearers ran jauntily on, as -if they had nothing to carry. From afar we could see Tananariva, the -capital of the country, situated almost in the midst of the plain, on -one of the highest hills, and early in the afternoon we came to the -suburbs, by which the city itself is surrounded on all sides. - -These suburbs were at first villages; increasing gradually in size, they -have at last been united into a whole. The majority of the houses are -built of earth or clay; but those which belong to the city must be -constructed of planks, or at least of bamboo. I found all the houses -here greater and more roomy than the dwellings of the villagers; also -much cleaner and better kept. The roofs are very high and steep, and -have long poles reared at each end by way of ornament. Here I again -noticed that many separate houses, and in other instances three or four -attached, were surrounded by low ramparts of earth, for no other -apparent purpose than to separate the court-yards from the neighboring -tenements. The streets and squares are all very irregularly built: the -houses are not placed in rows, but stand about in groups, some at the -foot of the hill, and others on its shelving sides. The royal palace -stands on the summit. The portion of the suburbs through which we passed -was, to my great astonishment, kept very clean, and this cleanliness was -not confined to the streets and public places, but extended to the -court-yards. The only places that showed signs of neglect were the -narrow lanes between the walls of earth. - -I was astonished at the number of lightning conductors that every where -appeared still more than by the general aspect of cleanliness; each -large house seemed provided with one. They were introduced by Mr. -Laborde, a Frenchman, who had lived for many years at Tananariva, and -whose adventurous history Mr. Marius told me during our journey. I shall -soon have to introduce my readers to this extraordinary man. - -I was told that there is, perhaps, no place in the whole world where -thunder-storms rage so fearfully, and where the lightning strikes so -frequently as is the case here. At Tananariva about three hundred people -are stated to be killed by lightning annually, and last year the number -is said to have risen to four hundred. In one house a single flash -killed ten persons. These fearful storms take place chiefly from the -beginning of March to the middle of April. - -In the mean time we had arrived at the city gate, before which we found -a guard of soldiers drawn up with crossed muskets, who refused, in the -most polite manner possible, to let us pass. It appears to be the custom -at this court to surround every thing with a kind of halo of despotism. -Although every stranger who wishes to come to the capital is obliged to -obtain permission from the queen, and she is therefore informed of the -intended journey long before its commencement--the traveler is moreover -obliged to send on a messenger when he has arrived within a day or two’s -march of the capital, and to receive the report of the Sikidy as to the -day on which he may make his entry--he is again obliged to halt at the -city gate to announce his arrival to the queen, and petition for -admittance. If her majesty happens to be in a bad humor, she often lets -the poor stranger stand waiting some hours for her answer, exposed to -the broiling summer heat or to the pouring rain. - -We were so far favored as to obtain leave to enter the town after -waiting only half an hour. - -The interior of the town looks much like one of the suburbs, with this -difference, that, in compliance with the law I have mentioned, all the -houses are built of planks or of bamboo. - -We proceeded to the house of Mr. Laborde, a very warm friend of Mr. -Lambert’s, and who is also a great protector of every European that -arrives at Tananariva. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - Mr. Laborde.--Prince Rakoto.--Anecdote of his Life.--The - Sambas-Sambas.--Mary.--Review on the Field of Mars.--The Nobility - in Madagascar.--The Secret Treaty.--The English Missionary Society - and Mr. Lambert. - - -Our host, Mr. Laborde, favored us with the following account of his -life. - -He was born in France, and is the son of a well-to-do saddler. In his -youth he served for several years as a cavalry soldier in the French -army, but, being always prompted by a desire to see something of the -world, he gave up the service after his father’s death, found a -substitute, and embarked for the East Indies. In Bombay he established -several workshops, repaired steam-engines, manufactured weapons, set up -a saddlery, and did very good business; but his restless spirit would -not let him remain long in one place, so he gave up his workshops to a -friend, and in the year 1831 shipped himself off to the Indian -Archipelago. The ship, driven out of its course by a storm, was wrecked -on the coast of Madagascar. Mr. Laborde not only lost all he possessed, -but his liberty into the bargain; for, as is well known, all shipwrecked -men are made slaves of in this hospitable island. Mr. Laborde was taken, -with a few of his companions in misfortune, to Tananariva to be sold. - -Fortunately, tidings of his skill in manufacturing weapons and other -articles reached the queen’s ears. She sent for him to court, and -promised him his freedom if he would serve her faithfully for five -years. Mr. Laborde did this. He established a workshop, and furnished -the queen with all kinds of weapons, even to little cannons, and also -with powder and other articles. In spite of her general hatred toward -Europeans, he gained the queen’s confidence, and she soon got to value -him so highly that she took his advice in several important affairs, and -he succeeded, not unfrequently, in dissuading her from pronouncing -sentences of death. - -But it is not only in the queen’s estimation that Mr. Laborde stands -high. The people and the nobility also set great store by him; for his -many good qualities have made him popular every where, and all who need -counsel or help come to him, and never come in vain. He is physician, -confidential friend, and helper to them all. - -The five years Mr. Laborde was to pass in the queen’s service extended -to ten. His patroness gave him house and home, lands and slaves; and as -he is married to a native woman, and has a son by this marriage, he will -probably remain here to the end of his life, though he has long been -free and independent, and may leave the island whenever he chooses to do -so. - -Besides his manufactories for arms and powder, this industrious man has -also established works for glass-blowing, indigo-dyeing, soap and tallow -boiling, and a distillery for rum. He wished also to stock the island -with European fruits and vegetables, and most of those he planted -flourished wonderfully, but his example remained unfollowed. The natives -preferred to live on in their pristine indolence, and to continue eating -nothing but rice, with the addition of a piece of beef now and then. - -If Mr. Laborde, however, did not succeed in producing all the results he -expected from his undertakings, they have at least done good service in -showing the capability of this beautiful land for cultivation. - -It was toward four o’clock in the afternoon when we arrived in Mr. -Laborde’s house. - -Our friendly host immediately introduced two Europeans to us, the only -ones then staying at Tananariva. The two gentlemen were clergymen; one -of them had been living for two years, the other for seven months, in -Mr. Laborde’s house. It was not the time to appear as missionaries, and -they concealed the fact of their belonging to a mission very carefully, -the prince and the Europeans being the only persons admitted into the -secret. One passes as a physician, the other as tutor to Mr. Laborde’s -son, who had come back two years since from Paris, where he had been -sent by his father to be educated. - -We were soon assembled at a good dinner round our host’s table. Every -thing was arranged in European style, with the exception that the dishes -and plates were all of massive silver, and silver goblets supplied the -place of drinking-glasses. I observed jokingly to Mr. Laborde that I had -never met with such luxury at any table, and that Tananariva was the -last place in the world where I should have expected to find it. He -replied that similar luxury prevailed in all the houses of the rich, but -that there were certainly not many houses of this description. He said -he had himself introduced the fashion, but not from ostentation, but, on -the contrary, on economical grounds. He found that china-ware had -continually to be replaced, as the slaves were perfect adepts in the art -of breaking any given number of articles in the shortest possible time, -so that the use of china became very expensive. - -Before we had nearly concluded our pleasant meal, while Champagne was -being handed round, and the toasts were beginning, a slave came running -up in hot haste to announce the approach of Prince Rakoto. We rose -hastily from table, but had little time to go and meet the prince, for, -in his impatience to see Mr. Lambert, he had followed close at the -slave’s heels. The two men held each other in a long embrace, but for -some time neither of them could find a word to express his joy. It was -easy to see that a deep and true friendship existed between them, and -we who stood round could not view the scene without feelings of -pleasurable emotion. - -Prince Rakoto, or, to call him by his full name, Rako-dond-Radama, is a -young man twenty-seven years of age. Contrary to my expectation, his -appearance was far from disagreeable. He is short and slim in stature, -and his face does not betray a likeness, in form or color, to any of the -four races who inhabit Madagascar. His features have quite the type of -the Moldavian Greeks. His black hair is curly, but not woolly; he has -dark eyes, full of life and fire; a well-shaped mouth, and handsome -teeth. His features wear an expression of such childlike goodness that -one feels drawn toward him from the first moment of seeing him. He often -goes about in European costume. - -The prince is honored and beloved alike by high and low; and I was -assured by Mr. Laborde that he fully deserved all this affection and -honor. The son is, in fact, as kind-hearted as the mother is cruel; he -is just as averse to the shedding of blood as his mother is addicted to -it, and his chief efforts are directed toward mitigating the severe -punishments the queen is continually inflicting, and obtaining a -reversal of the sentences of death which she is always too ready to -pronounce upon her subjects. - -He is always ready to listen to the unfortunate, and to help them; and -has strictly forbidden his slaves to turn any applicant away on the -score that he is sleeping or engaged at his meals. Well aware of this, -people often come in the middle of the night and wake the prince from -his sleep, with petitions for their relations who are to be executed -early next morning. If he can not obtain a pardon from his mother, he -manages to pass as if by accident along the road by which the poor -culprits are led, bound with cords, to meet their fate. Then he cuts -their bonds asunder, and either tells them to flee, or to go quietly -home, according as their offenses have been grave or venial. When the -queen is informed of what her son has done, she never makes any remark, -but only tries to keep the next sentences she pronounces as secret as -possible, and to hasten their execution. Condemnation and punishment -thus often succeed each other so rapidly, that if the prince is absent -from the town when sentence is passed, the application to him for -assistance is almost sure to come too late. - -It is strange, considering how radically different their dispositions -are, that mother and son should love each other so tenderly. The prince -is devoted to the queen with the utmost affection; he tries to excuse -her deeds of severity by every conceivable argument, and it is a bitter -reflection to him that she can be neither loved nor respected by the -nation. - -The prince’s character is the more remarkable, inasmuch as he has had -his mother’s bad example before his eyes from his earliest youth, and -can not escape from her influence; moreover, not the slightest care has -been taken of his education. In most similar cases, the son would -certainly have imbibed the prejudices and acquired the vices of the -mother. - -No one has attempted to teach him any thing, with the exception of a few -words of the English language; what he knows, and what he is, he owes -entirely to himself. What might this prince not have been had a -judicious education opened his mind and developed his talents? I had -frequent opportunities of seeing and observing him, for a day seldom -passed without his paying Mr. Lambert a visit. I found no fault in him -except a certain want of independence and a distrust of his own -abilities; and the only thing I fear, should the government one day fall -into his hands, is, that he will not come forward with sufficient -energy, and may fail in thoroughly carrying out his good intentions. - -A few of the actions of this man will sufficiently prove the nobility of -his mind. - -It frequently happens that the queen orders hundreds of her subjects to -perform the heaviest labor for months together for some favored -personage--such work, for instance, as hewing timber for building, and -then dragging it thirty miles along the road; hewing stone, and kindred -occupations; for all which the poor people get not the slightest reward -of any kind. When the prince hears of a case of this kind, he manages to -pass by the neighborhood where the people are at work, meets them as if -by chance, and asks for whom they are laboring thus. On receiving their -reply, he farther inquires if they are properly fed, for wages are of -course out of the question. Then it generally turns out that they not -only have no food provided for them, but frequently have consumed all -the provisions they have brought with them, and are trying to satisfy -their hunger with herbs and roots. The prince then has one or two oxen -killed, according to the number of the laborers, and this meat, with a -good supply of rice, is by his command distributed among them. If the -owner should come forward in surprise at this order, and attempt to -remonstrate, the prince sends him away with this assurance: “Whoever -works for you has a just claim to be supported by you; and if you will -not make the arrangement yourself, your steward must.” - -A few years ago, a ship was wrecked on the coast of Madagascar, and the -majority of the crew perished. Five sailors who had escaped from the -wreck were sent, according to the usual custom, to the capital, to be -sold there as slaves. The prince met them during an excursion he was -making, about a day’s journey from Tananariva, and noticing that one of -the sailors had no shoes, and was limping painfully after the rest, he -drew off his own and gave them to him. He also took care that the poor -men were well fed. Mr. Laborde bought these five sailors, clothed them, -gave them money and letters of recommendation, and helped them to get -back to their own country. The prince is seldom in a position to carry -out his benevolent designs, for he has no money, or, at any rate, very -little; his whole wealth consisting in slaves, rice-fields, and oxen -given to him by his mother. - -Another time the prince saw a European being led as a prisoner to the -capital by several natives. The poor wretch was being urged on like a -brute beast by his guards with blows and pushes; he was so exhausted and -weak from the long journey and the bad roads that he could drag himself -no farther. The prince reproved the guards for their cruelty, himself -alighted from his tacon, or sedan-chair, and told the captive to take -his place. - -The prince, moreover, found an opportunity of showing his generosity -toward one of our bearers. True to the habits of his country, this poor -wretch had stolen an ox in the vicinity of the capital, driven it to one -of the markets, and tried to dispose of it; but he was caught in the -fact, and brought to the capital. In cases of this kind, justice in -Madagascar is very quick in taking its course; on the same day sentence -of death was passed upon him, and toward evening he was to be executed -in the manner of the country, with the lance or gagaya. Mr. Laborde -heard of this, and sent in all directions in search of the prince to -obtain his mediation. Luckily, the prince was found in time, scarcely -half an hour before the execution was to have taken place. He proceeded -at once to the prison, opened the door for the captive, and recommended -him to flee to his own home as fast as he could. - -Many similar traits were told me of the prince, and seldom, it is said, -do many days elapse without his saving lives or performing some generous -action. He often gives away his last dollar, distributes all his stores -of rice and other provisions, and is doubly glad when he can help some -unfortunate being without letting the recipient of his bounty know who -is his benefactor. - -The following words, which I heard from his own mouth, speak more -eloquently than my weak pen could do the praises of this really noble -man. He declared it to be a matter of indifference to him whether the -French or the English, or any other nation, took possession of the -island, if only the people were properly governed. For himself, he -wished neither for the throne nor for the regal title, and would at any -time be ready to give a written abdication of his claims, and retire and -live as a private man, if he could by such a course insure the -prosperity of the people. - -I must confess that this declaration moved me deeply, and inspired me -with a high respect for this prince--such respect as I feel for very few -human beings. To my mind, a man of such sentiments is greater than the -most prominent among the ambitious and egotistical monarchs of Europe. - -May 31. This morning the queen sent one of the grandees of the empire to -inquire after our health, and to invite us to take the _sambas-sambas_ -next day in the house of the Lady Rasoaray. - -On this occasion she sent Mr. Lambert a present as a mark of her favor. -The gift consisted of a magnificent fatted ox, of proportions I had -rarely seen equaled even in Europe, besides some very fine poultry and a -basket of eggs. The presents of the queen never consist of any other -articles, and are generally confined to poultry and eggs; oxen are only -added when she wishes to confer on the recipient a mark of peculiar -distinction. - -The sambas-sambas is a dish made of fine strips of beef broiled in fat, -and of rice. It is customary, in the first month of the new year, to -regale friends and relations who come to visit you with this dish. Every -one takes a pinch of it, rises from his seat, turns to the right and to -the left, and says, “May the queen live a thousand years.” After this he -may eat as much as he likes of the preparation, or may leave it -untouched, as he pleases. This ceremony is somewhat equivalent to -wishing a happy new-year among us. - -As we happened to arrive in the first month of the new year, and the -queen wished to show Mr. Lambert all kinds of attention, she invited him -to this feast, and my humble self and the other Europeans were included -in the honor as friends of Mr. Lambert. - -All the banquets to which friends are invited are not held in the royal -palace, but at the house of the Lady Rasoaray, who is of very high -birth, and whose spacious, richly-furnished dwelling is well adapted for -such purposes. To eat in the palace of the queen, or, still more, in her -company, would be considered too great an honor for a stranger; so far -the condescension of this haughty, self-opinioned potentate extendeth -not. - -I made use of this day to visit the town, of which, however, I can say -nothing more than that it is very bustling, and extends over a large -space of ground, especially if the suburbs be taken as part of it. It is -said, with its immediate environs, to contain 50,000 houses, or “roofs,” -as they are called here, and 100,000 inhabitants. This estimate is -probably much exaggerated; but certainly the proportion of dwellings is -unusually great, from the simple reason that the houses themselves are -particularly small, consisting of no more than one room, or at most but -two. If the family is large, two or three additional little houses are -built up around the original dwelling; all who have any pretensions to -wealth have their kitchen under a separate roof; and, of course, the -slaves are also quartered in various small houses. Still, I do not think -Tananariva can contain many more than 15,000, or, at the most, 20,000 -houses. - -Mr. Laborde, for instance, is the owner of nine small dwellings, -tenanted by seven free men and thirty slaves; here, then, the proportion -of inhabitants to houses would be as four to one. But Mr. Laborde is a -European, and does not live with his people in such a crowded manner as -the natives affect--with them six, or certainly at least five, -inhabitants may be reckoned to every roof. - -June 1. At two o’clock in the afternoon we betook ourselves to the house -of the Lady Rasoaray, and were conducted to a large hall, the walls -papered in European fashion, and the floor covered with handsome mats. -In the middle of the room stood a table, elegantly spread, in a style of -which no prince in Europe need have been ashamed. The other arrangements -in the room were simple, but tasteful. Many an English lady would have -been exceedingly scandalized by the fact that in the room in which we -were to dine stood two beds--two very handsome beds, with heavy curtains -of rich silk. As I am, however, not an Englishwoman, but only a simple -German, I took no notice of the circumstance, and the presence of the -two beds did not prevent me from eating my share of beef and rice in all -peace and quietness of spirit. These two dishes are the only ones -admitted at the sambas-sambas, and water is the only beverage allowed on -these occasions. - -I particularly admired two silver vases, with carving on them in relief, -which stood on the table; and my wonder rose considerably when I was -informed that they had been executed by native artificers. They would -certainly have met with high approval even in Europe. Like the Chinese, -the natives are gifted in a high degree with the faculty of imitation, -but they lack originality. - -Among the high personages invited with ourselves to the feast were many -who spoke either French or English, English being the more common. The -knowledge of this language dates from the time of King Radama, in whose -reign English missionaries came to Madagascar, and a certain number of -young men were sent to the Mauritius or to England for their education. - -The ceremony of the sambas-sambas was very soon ended, and we returned -home early; in the evening we were surprised by a visit from Prince -Rakoto. He brought with him the mother of his little five-year-old son, -to introduce her to me. As I have already mentioned, the prince can not, -according to the laws that prevail here, marry this woman, because she -is a slave, and her son has, therefore, not the smallest claim to his -father’s rank; nevertheless, they are both honored with the princely -title. It may certainly be said that in this country the laws are of -little importance in so far as they affect the ruler; they depend solely -and entirely upon the will of the reigning sovereign; and as soon as -Prince Rakoto comes to the throne, he can alter them at his pleasure, -and make his former slave his queen and her son heir-apparent. - -I have spoken of the character of this woman. As regards her beauty, if -it is to be discovered, it must certainly not be judged of by European -eyes, or the beholder should have lived long enough among the natives to -have become accustomed to their ugly features, and to consider the least -hideous among them as handsome. - -June 2. To-day we were present at a great review on the Field of Mars, a -beautiful meadow spreading out at the foot of the hill in front of the -town. It is asserted that from ten to twelve thousand soldiers are -always assembled at Tananariva; but, like the estimate of the houses, -this number must probably be reduced about one half. The military who -appeared on this occasion did not certainly exceed 4500 or 5000 men. The -soldiers formed a great double square, with the officers and band in the -centre. - -A review of this kind is held every fortnight--namely, on the third day -of every second week; its object is to ascertain that the soldiers who -should be on duty are present; that they are in health, and their -weapons and clothes in proper condition. Their names are called over, -and if in a company only a few are missing, the captain merely receives -a reprimand; but if the list of absentees is a long one, the commanding -officer is punished on the spot with a dozen blows or more. The latter -incident is reported to be of frequent occurrence; for among such a -large number of soldiers, there are many whose homes are several days’ -journey from the capital, so that they can hardly find time, between one -review and another, to go thither, cultivate their fields, provide -themselves with food, and return punctually. - -No military manœuvres were undertaken, and I was told that war is -carried on entirely without system, as among the wildest tribes. -Especially when a company thinks itself lost, all subordination ceases, -and the men take to flight on every side. - -Horrible is the fate of the sick and wounded soldiers, not only during a -flight, when, of course, no one cares about them, but even during -ordinary marches. Their comrades are bound to take care of them, and to -carry and feed them; but how can people be expected to do this who are -themselves in want of every thing, and often so much weakened by hunger -and toil of every kind that they can scarcely drag themselves along and -carry their weapons? It frequently happens that efforts are made by the -soldiers to rid themselves of these poor wretches. They are not killed -outright, which would be rather a benefit to them, under the -circumstances; but their comrades drag them along the ground, without -giving them any food, or even a refreshing draught from the nearest -spring. When they have ceased to give any sign of life, they are left by -the wayside, no one caring to ascertain whether they are dead or not. - -On these marches a fearful number of lives are sacrificed. In the last -war, for instance, which the queen waged against the Seklaves two years -ago, ten thousand men were sent into the field. More than half died on -the march for want of food; many deserted; and when the army reached -the scene of action, its force is said to have scarcely exceeded three -thousand men. - -The prisoners are much better off, for care is taken of them, as a -profit is derived from their sale; and even as slaves they are not in -nearly so unhappy a condition as the soldiers and peasants. Their owners -feed, clothe, and lodge them; nor are they overworked; for, by -transgressing in this respect, the owner runs the risk of losing his -bondman, for his slave runs away; and fugitive slaves are seldom -captured, there being no police or similar institution in the country. -The master certainly has the power of beating his slave to death; the -government will not interfere with him; but his own interest will deter -him from any extreme measures. Many slaves pay their owners a small -yearly tax in money, and live like free men; others even keep slaves -themselves, who work for their master-bondmen. - -After the review, the officers and music marched past our house to -welcome Mr. Lambert. - -The officers were mostly clothed, like their brethren at Tamatavé, in -European garb, and looked ridiculous and comical enough. One wore a -dress-coat, the tails of which reached almost to his heels; another had -a coat of flowered chintz; a third, a faded red jacket, which had once -done duty as part of a marine’s uniform. Their hats were just as diverse -in character. There were straw hats and felt hats, of all sizes and -shapes, caps and head-coverings of fearful and wonderful forms. The -generals wore the regulation cocked hat of Europe, and were mounted. - -The military grades are modeled quite on the European plan; there are -thirteen gradations from the private soldier up to the field-marshal. - -I succeeded also in finding European titles in Madagascar; there were -crowds of barons, counts, and princes, as at the most aristocratic -European courts. - -The whole population of Madagascar is divided into eleven castes. The -eleventh caste consists of the regal personage; the tenth of the -descendants of the royal family. In this caste alone brothers and -sisters may intermarry, probably in order to prevent there being too -many scions of the blood royal. The six following castes, from the ninth -to the fourth inclusive, comprise the nobles of higher and lower rank; -the people belong to the third caste, the “white” slaves to the -second--a class including all who were once free, and have been sold as -prisoners of war or as a punishment for crimes; and the first, or lowest -caste, consists of the “black” slaves, namely, those who have been born -in that condition of life. - -A noble may take a wife not only out of his own caste, but out of the -two immediately below him, but never from a higher one. On no account -may he marry a slave-woman; and the law does not even allow any other -kind of connection between a noble and a slave. In this respect, by the -way, Madagascar might serve as a model to those countries governed by -white men where slavery exists; for the morality of the entire community -would be greatly benefited if this custom were observed. This law was in -former times very stringently enforced, and on the discovery of a -connection of the kind alluded to the noble was sold as a slave, and the -slave-woman beheaded. If the woman in the case was a noble and the man a -slave, both were beheaded. In these latter days, however, this -strictness has been much relaxed. Indeed, in the universally low state -of morality prevailing here at the present time, the greater number of -the nobles and officials would have to lose their heads or their -freedom; and what would then become of the court? Some amount of good -is, however, still effected by the law; for when such an affair between -a nobleman and his slave is suspected, he is compelled to set her free -to escape punishment. - -As polygamy has been introduced here, every man may have as many wives -as he pleases; but among the nobles only a certain number of these women -have a claim to the actual title of wife, and the first wife always -keeps precedence over those taken subsequently. She alone lives in her -husband’s house, and great respect is shown to her; her children, too, -have privileges beyond those of the other wives. The other children, -like the subsequent wives, live in little separate houses. The king may -take twelve lawful wives, but they must be all members of the highest -families. The ruling queen and her sisters and daughters have the right -of sending away their husbands and taking new ones as often as they -choose so to do. - -Our breakfast was just over, and I had retired to my room, when Mr. -Lambert came to announce that the queen had summoned us to an -introduction or audience. This honor is generally accorded to strangers -eight or ten days after their arrival; but her majesty seemed desirous -of showing distinction to Mr. Lambert above all Europeans who had ever -visited her court, and so, not later than the fourth day, we had the -happiness of appearing before that exalted personage. - -All these tokens of honor and consideration astonished Mr. Lambert not a -little. He had already told me in the Mauritius that he had very many -good friends at the queen’s court, and dangerous enemies also, who might -have taken advantage of his absence to slander him in the vilest manner, -not only in her eyes, but in Prince Rakoto’s too. But a circumstance -that Mr. Lambert now confided to me for the first time was, that -attempts had been made in another quarter to prejudice the queen against -him, and that he expected not exactly to be coldly received, but to be -looked upon with some degree of suspicion. - -And now, for the first time, I got an insight into Mr. Lambert’s real -plans and intentions, which were certainly not calculated to prepossess -the queen in his favor. - -When Mr. Lambert came to Tananariva for the first time in the year 1855, -and saw with what cruelty the queen ruled, a wish arose in his mind to -free the unhappy people from this tyrant. He succeeded in gaining the -friendship of Prince Rakoto, who was also deeply moved by the people’s -misery, and who at that period told Mr. Lambert that he cared not who -ruled over the nation so long as the government was good and just. They -soon came to an understanding, and Mr. Lambert made a treaty with Prince -Rakoto, and conceived the design of seeking help from either the French -or English government. - -In the year 1856 he went to Paris, and in a private interview with the -emperor he made him acquainted with the boundless misery of the people -of Madagascar, and tried to induce the French autocrat to come to the -assistance of that unhappy country. But it is difficult to enlist the -sympathy of a European government where philanthropy and not state -interest is in question. This audience had no result, and an interview -of Mr. Lambert with the English minister, Lord Clarendon, also led to -nothing; nay, instead of any advantage accruing from this step, it was -productive of difficulty and discomfiture, for every thing Mr. Lambert -had done in reference to Madagascar came to the ears of a great -missionary society in England. The society feared that, in the event of -the French occupation of the island, the Roman Catholic religion might -be the only form of worship introduced and licensed, which, in their -opinion, would be, of course, a much greater misfortune for the -inhabitants than the mere fact of their being ruled by an utterly cruel -woman, like Queen Ranavola, who plays with human lives and sacrifices -them at her pleasure! The society accordingly formed the notable -resolution of opposing Mr. Lambert in every possible way, and -immediately dispatched a chosen member, a missionary, to Tananariva to -acquaint the queen with Mr. Lambert’s design against her. - -To judge from what occurred, as it was reported to me, it would appear -that even an English missionary is capable of abandoning truth and -sincerity in order to effect a purpose, and, upon occasion, to employ -arts of a Jesuitical kind. - -In the Mauritius, where the missionary made some stay before proceeding -to Madagascar, he ventured to assert that Queen Ranavola had summoned -him to Madagascar! - -On his arrival at Tananariva he took care to impress upon the queen that -he had been dispatched to her by the English government for the purpose -of assuring her that England desired nothing more than to continue the -same friendly relations with her country which had existed in the time -of George the Fourth. He farther informed the queen of every thing that -Mr. Lambert had undertaken against her in France and England; -represented that gentleman as a very dangerous person, and a spy in the -employ of the French government; and predicted that Mr. Lambert would -speedily make his appearance, accompanied by a body of French troops, to -depose her in favor of her son. - -If even these misrepresentations had been made to effect some noble -purpose, they could only have been justified by the very Jesuitical -axiom that “the end sanctifies the means.” But the object sought here -was to impede, or perhaps altogether to frustrate, a truly Christian and -philanthropic work, an undertaking calculated to promote the well-being -of the entire nation. A missionary society ought surely to understand -the principles of brotherly love better than this, and keep in view the -maxims of religion, and especially to remember that they are not to be -made subservient to political views. - -The missionary’s calling is the most exalted of any, for to few men are -vouchsafed the opportunities of doing good that fall to his lot; but the -misfortune is, that the majority of missionaries busy themselves more in -worldly intrigues than in the amelioration of the human race, and that, -instead of inculcating charity, union, and toleration, they excite their -followers by their preachings to hate, contemn, and, if possible, to -persecute every sect but their own. I can only refer my readers to what -I have written on this subject in my former works, particularly -concerning the English and American missionaries. - -So the missionary from England came to Tananariva bearing the sword -instead of the olive-branch. He not only unfolded Mr. Lambert’s alarming -schemes to the queen, but gave Prince Rakoto a long lecture on the -exceeding turpitude of his conduct toward his royal mother in meditating -revolt, declaring, moreover, that the English court had been so shocked -by the news as verily to have _put on mourning_! - -The prince condescended to excuse himself by asserting, in reply, that, -had he meditated removing his mother from the throne to place himself -upon it, he should have merited the reproach; but that such was not the -case, as he merely wished to deprive the queen of the power of -perpetrating cruelties; every other privilege he wished her to retain, -and for himself he had asked nothing at all. - -At Tananariva, and also in the Mauritius, a report was circulated that -Mr. Lambert had obtained the prince’s signature to the contract by -fraud; that the prince had not been at all inclined to enter into a -private treaty with Mr. Lambert, but that the latter had invited him to -a banquet, intoxicated him, and prevailed on him to sign while in that -condition. It was farther stated that when, on the following day, Prince -Rakoto heard what he had done, he was so incensed against Mr. Lambert -that he had banished him from his presence forever. Mr. Lambert was -therefore very considerately advised never to return to Madagascar, as -he might fear the worst from the hatred and contempt alike of the queen -and of Prince Rakoto. - -At Tananariva the prince himself told me the story of the signing of the -treaty. He let me read the document, and assured me that the tale of the -intoxication was a fiction; that he had perfectly understood what he was -doing, and that he never repented this step at all. I much wish the -author of this scandalous report could have seen with what contemptuous -anger he was spoken of on this occasion. - -I must also contradict a statement that the English missionary spread -abroad in the Mauritius on his return from Madagascar. He boasted every -where of the favorable reception he had met with at Tananariva, and of -the great favor he enjoyed at the hands of the queen and of Prince -Rakoto. This favor was so great, in fact, that after a stay of scarcely -four weeks at Tananariva he received a peremptory order to depart. He -applied for permission to remain longer, alleging as a reason that the -fever season was not yet past, and disease was still rife in the -lowlands. He begged the queen to take this into consideration, and not -to expose him to mortal danger. But all was in vain; he was compelled to -quit Tananariva. The queen was highly exasperated against him because he -had distributed some Bibles, while Prince Rakoto resented his behavior -toward Mr. Lambert. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - Introduction at Court.--The Monosina.--The Royal Palace.--The - Hovas.--Scenes of Horror under the Queen’s Rule.--Executions.--The - Tanguin.--Persecution of the Christians.--One of the Queen’s - Journeys.--Her Hatred of Europeans.--Bull-fights.--Taurine - Mausoleum. - - -Our introduction at court took place on the 2d of June. - -Toward four o’clock in the afternoon our bearers carried us to the -palace. Over the door is fixed a great gilt eagle with extended wings. -According to the rule laid down here by etiquette, we stepped over the -threshold first with the right foot, and observed the same ceremony on -coming to a second gate leading to a great court-yard in front of the -palace. Here we saw the queen sitting on a balcony on the first story, -and were directed to stand in a row in the court-yard opposite to her. -Under the balcony stood some soldiers, who went through sundry -evolutions, concluding with a very comic point of drill, which consisted -in suddenly poking up the right foot as if it had been stung by a -tarantula. - -The queen was wrapped, according to the custom of the country, in a wide -silk simbu, and wore on her head a big golden crown. Though she sat in -the shade, a very large umbrella of crimson silk was held up over her -head; this being, it appears, a point of regal state. - -The queen is of rather dark complexion, strong and sturdily built, and, -though already seventy-five years of age, she is, to the misfortune of -her poor country, still hale and of active mind. At one time she is said -to have been a great drunkard, but she has given up that fatal -propensity some years ago. - -To the right of the queen stood her son, Prince Rakoto, and on the left -her adopted son, Prince Ramboasalama; behind her sat and stood sundry -nephews and nieces, and other relatives, male and female, and several -grandees of the empire. - -The minister who had conducted us to the palace made a short speech to -the queen, after which we had to bow three times, and to repeat the -words “Esaratsara tombokoe,” equivalent to “We salute you cordially;” to -which she replied, “Esaratsara,” which means “Well--good!” Then we -turned to the left to salute the tomb of King Radama, lying a few paces -on one side, with three similar bows, whereupon we returned to our -former place in front of the balcony and made three more. Mr. Lambert, -on this occasion, held up a gold piece of fifty francs’ value, and put -it in the hands of the minister who accompanied us. This gift, which -every stranger has to offer when he is presented for the first time at -court, is called “Monosina.” It is not necessary that it should consist -of a fifty-franc piece; the queen contents herself with a Spanish dollar -or a five-franc piece. Mr. Lambert had, however, already given fifty -francs on the occasion of the “sambas-sambas.” - -After the delivery of the gold piece, the queen asked Mr. Lambert if he -wished to put any question to her, or if he stood in need of any thing; -to which he answered “No.” She was also condescending enough to turn to -me, and ask if I was well, and if I had escaped the fever.[B] After I -had answered this question, we staid a few minutes longer looking at -each other, when the bowings and greetings began anew. We had to take -leave of Radama’s monument, and on retiring were again reminded not on -any account to put the left foot first over the threshold. - -Such is the way in which the proud Queen of Madagascar grants audiences -to strangers. She considers herself far too high and exalted to let them -come near her at the first interview. Those who have the great good -fortune to win her especial favor may afterward be introduced into the -palace itself; but this is never achieved at a first audience. - -The royal palace is a very large wooden building, consisting of a ground -floor and two stories, surmounted by a peculiarly high roof. The stories -are surrounded by broad galleries. Around the building are pillars also -of wood, eighty feet high, supporting the roof, which rises to a height -of forty feet above them, resting in the centre on a pillar no less than -a hundred and twenty feet high. All these columns, the one in the centre -not excepted, consist of a single trunk; and when it is considered that -the woods which contain trees of a sufficient size to furnish these -columns are fifty or sixty English miles from the capital, that the -roads are nowhere paved, and in some places quite impassable, and that -all the pillars are dragged hither without the help of a single beast of -burden, or any kind of machine, and are afterward prepared and set up by -means of the simplest tools, the building of this palace may with truth -be called a gigantic undertaking, and the place itself be ranked among -the wonders of the world. In bringing home the chief pillar alone, five -thousand persons were employed, and twelve days were occupied in its -erection. - -All these labors were performed by the people as compulsory service, for -which they received neither wages nor food. I was told that during the -progress of the work fifteen thousand people fell victims to the hard -toil and the want of proper nourishment. But the queen is very little -disturbed by such a circumstance; half the population might perish, if -only her high behests are fulfilled. - -In front of the principal building a handsome spacious court-yard has -been left; around this space stand several pretty houses, all of wood. -The chief building is, in fact, uninhabited, and contains only great -halls of state and banqueting-rooms; the dwelling-rooms and -sleeping-rooms of the queen are in one of the side buildings, -communicating by a gallery with the palace. - -On the left, the “silver palace” adjoins the larger one. It takes its -name from the fact that all the Vandyked ends with which the roof is -decorated, and the window and door frames, are hung with innumerable -little silver bells. This palace is the residence of Prince Rakoto, who, -however, makes very little use of it, generally living at his house in -the city. - -Beside the silver palace stands the monument of King Radama, a tiny -wooden house without windows; to this fact, however, and to the farther -circumstance of its being built upon a pedestal, it owes its sole -resemblance to a monument. - -The singular custom prevails in Madagascar, that when a king dies, all -his treasures in gold and silver ware and other valuables are laid with -him in the grave. In case of need, the heir can dig up the treasure, -and, so far as I could ascertain, this had been done in every instance. - -Radama’s treasure is only estimated at 50,000 piastres, but his father’s -was valued at a million. The treasure or property of the present -reigning queen is computed, according to the account I received, at -between 500,000 and 600,000 dollars, and her yearly income at 30,000 to -40,000 dollars. The latter sum she is able to add annually, almost -without deduction, to her fund, for she incurs no expense in her -government or for her personal wants. As to the first, the whole burden -falls upon the people, who have to work without pay; and with respect to -the latter, the queen is the owner of the land, and possesses a great -number of slaves, who have to provide every necessary for her household. -Even the very clothes she wears are mostly made of materials produced -in the country, and woven and prepared by male and female slaves. - -Among the natives at Tananariva there are said to be some who have -property to the amount of several hundred thousand dollars; but they -make a secret of their wealth, for if the queen should obtain -intelligence of the whereabouts of such a treasure, the wish to seize it -and carry it off might very probably enter her royal mind. - -The whole wealth of the island in ready money is estimated at one -million dollars at most. - -I do not grudge the queen the treasure she has accumulated; but it would -be a fortunate thing for the population of the island if it were to be -buried very soon, in company--of course--with its gracious possessor. -She is certainly one of the proudest and most cruel women on the face of -the earth, and her whole history is a record of bloodshed and deeds of -horror. At a moderate computation, it is reckoned that from twenty to -thirty thousand people perish annually in Madagascar, some through the -continual executions and poisonings, others through grievous labor -purposely inflicted, and from warfare. If this woman’s rule lasts much -longer, the beautiful island will be quite depopulated; the population -is said to have already shrunk to half the number that it comprised in -King Radama’s time, and a vast number of villages have disappeared from -the face of the land. - -Executions and massacres are often conducted in wholesale fashion, and -fall chiefly upon the Seklaves, whom the queen seems to look upon with -peculiar hatred; but the Malagaseys and the other nations are not much -less distasteful to her; and the only tribe that finds any favor at all -in her eyes is, as I have already said, the Hovas, from whom she herself -is descended. - -These Hovas were once the most scorned and hated of all the races in -Madagascar; they were regarded as the Pariahs are regarded in India. -Under King Radama, however, and especially under the present queen, this -race has distinguished itself, and attained the first place by dint of -intelligence, bravery, and ambition. But, unhappily, the race has not -been improved by prosperity, and the good qualities of the Hovas are -more than overbalanced by their evil propensities: Mr. Laborde even -declares that the Hova embodies in himself the vices of all the tribes -in the island. Mendacity, cunning, and hypocrisy are not only habitual, -but cherished vices with him, and he tries to initiate his offspring -therein at the earliest possible age. The Hovas dwell among themselves -in a continual state of suspicion, and friendship is with them an -impossibility. Their cunning and slyness are said to be incredible: the -most practiced diplomatists of Europe would be no match for them in -these qualities. - -Of Malay origin, the Hovas are undoubtedly less ugly than the other -races in Madagascar. Their features have less of the negro type, and are -even better shaped than those of the Malays in Java and the Indian -Archipelago, whose superiors they are also in stature and bodily -strength. Their complexion varies through every shade from olive-yellow -to dark reddish-brown. Some are very light; but, on the other hand, I -noticed many, especially among the soldiers, whose color approximated so -much to the red tint that I should have taken them for more genuine -“red-skins” than even the North American Indians, to whom that name is -applied from the ruddy tinge in their skin. Their eyes and hair are -black; they wear the hair long, and this is of a frizzly woolly texture. - -Even the Hovas, the favorites of the queen, are ruled with a ruthless -iron hand; and though they may not be put to death by hundreds and -thousands like the other nations, they are still punished with death for -very trifling offenses. - -Blood--and always blood--is the maxim of Queen Ranavola, and every day -seems lost to this wicked woman on which she can not sign at least half -a dozen death-warrants. - -That my readers may become better acquainted with this queen, whose -cause the English missionary society, in its philanthropy, has so warmly -espoused, whose defense their agent has dared to undertake, and whom he -has sought to maintain on the throne, I will cite a few of the deeds of -horror which have been perpetrated on the unhappy land at her command, -and of which the first alone would be sufficient to brand with infamy -the name of Ranavola forever. - -In the year 1831, when the army was still well trained, and the -discipline introduced by King Radama had not yet been quite forgotten, -the queen conquered a great portion of the eastern part of the coast, -whose chief population consisted of Seklaves. She ordered all the men of -the conquered country to come to an appointed place to do homage to her. -When the men, twenty-five thousand in number, were assembled, they were -commanded to lay down their arms, and they were then led out into a -large open space quite surrounded by soldiers. Here they were told to -kneel down in token of submission; but scarcely had they done this, when -the soldiers fell upon the unhappy wretches, and massacred them every -one. Their wives and children were afterward sold as slaves. - -Such is the lot of the conquered nations; but the queen’s own subjects -are not much better off. - -In the year 1837, for instance, the queen received a report from her -ministers to the effect that there were many magicians, thieves, -violators of graves, and other evil-doers among the people. The queen -immediately convened a kabar, or judicial meeting, for seven weeks, and -at the same time caused it to be proclaimed to the people that all -evil-doers who delivered themselves up should have their lives granted -to them, but that those who failed so to do should suffer the punishment -of death. A body of nearly sixteen hundred men gave themselves up -accordingly. About fifteen hundred had voluntarily surrendered -themselves to justice, and ninety-six had been denounced. Of these -ninety-six, fourteen were burnt; and of the remaining eighty-two, some -were hurled over a high rock, in the district of Tananariva, which has -been the death-place of thousands; others were put into pits, and -scalded to death with boiling water; others, again, were executed with -the spear, or poisoned; a few were beheaded, and several had their limbs -separately hacked off. The most painful death of all, perhaps, was -inflicted on a portion of the victims, who were sewn up in mats in such -a way that the head only protruded, and who were then left alive to rot. - -Those who had been their own accusers were spared from execution, in -accordance with the royal promise; but their fate was far worse than -that of the men condemned to death. The queen declared that it would be -dangerous to set such a number of criminals at liberty, and that they -must, at any rate, be made harmless. So she had heavy irons fastened -round their necks and wrists, and the unhappy victims were fastened -together in gangs of four and five by very thick iron bars, about -eighteen inches long. After this operation had been performed on them, -they were set free--that is to say, they were at liberty to go where -they would, only that guards were appointed in all directions, whose -office it was to give strict heed that none of the irons were filed off. -If one of a group died, it was necessary to cut off his head to -extricate the corpse from the iron neck-ring, and the dead man’s fetters -were left to weigh upon the survivors, so that at last they could hardly -drag themselves from place to place, and perished miserably at last -under the heavy weight. - -In the year 1855 certain people in the province of Vonizonga -unfortunately took it into their heads to assert that they had -discovered a means of catching a thief by invisible agency; that when he -stretched out his hand with felonious intent, they could charm his arm -so as to prevent him from drawing it back or moving from the spot. When -the queen heard of this, she commanded that the people in question -should be severely punished, for she fancied she herself might one day -come into that district, and be killed by similar witchcraft. Two -hundred persons were taken prisoners, and condemned to the _tanguin_, of -whom a hundred and eighty perished. - -The tanguin, or poisoning test, is often applied to persons of all -grades--to the high nobles as well as the slaves; for the mere -accusation of any crime is sufficient to bring it upon the victim. Any -man may start up as accuser. He need not bring forward any proofs, for -the only condition he has to fulfill is to deposit a sum of twenty-eight -and a half dollars. The accused persons are not allowed to make any -defense, for they must submit to the poisoning ordeal under all -circumstances. When any one gets through without perishing, a third part -of the deposited money is given to him, a second third belongs to the -queen, and the remainder is given back to the accuser. If the accused -dies, the accuser receives all his money back, for then the accusation -is looked upon as well founded. - -The poisoning process in managed in the following manner: The poison -employed is taken from the kernel of a fruit as large as a peach, -growing upon trees called _Tanguinea Veneniflora_. The lampi-tanguini, -or person who administers the poison, announces to the accused the day -on which he is to take it. For forty-eight hours before the appointed -time he is allowed to eat very little, and for the last twenty-four -hours before the trial nothing at all. His friends accompany him to the -poisoner’s house; here he has to undress himself, and make oath that he -has not had recourse to any kind of magic. The lampi-tanguini then -scrapes away as much powder from the kernel with a knife as he judges -necessary for the trial. Before administering the dose to the accused, -he asks him if he confesses his crime; but the culprit never does this, -as he would have to take the poison notwithstanding. The lampi-tanguini -spreads the poison on three little pieces of skin, about an inch in -size, cut from the back of a fat fowl; these he rolls together, and bids -the accused swallow them. - -In former days, almost every one who was subjected to this ordeal died -in great agony; but for the last ten years every one who has not been -condemned by the queen herself to the tanguin is permitted to make use -of the following antidote. As soon as he has taken the poison, his -friends make him drink rice-water in such quantities that his whole body -sometimes swells visibly, and quick and violent vomiting is generally -brought on. If the poisoned man is fortunate enough to get rid not only -of the poison, but of the three little skins (which latter must be -returned uninjured), he is declared innocent, and his relations carry -him home in triumph with songs and rejoicings. But if one of the pieces -of skin should fail to reappear, or if it be at all injured, his life is -forfeited, and he is executed with the spear or by some other means. - -One of the nobles who frequently visited our house had been condemned -several years ago to take the tanguin. Happily for him, he threw up the -poison and the three pieces of skin in perfect condition. His brother -ran in great haste to the wife of the accused to announce this joyful -event to her, and the poor woman was so moved by it that she sank -fainting to the ground. I was astonished at hearing of such a display of -feeling from one of the women of Madagascar, and could not at first -believe the account true. I heard, however, that if the husband had -died, she would have been called a witch, and probably condemned to the -tanguin likewise, so that the violent emotion was probably caused more -by joy at her own deliverance than the good fortune of her husband. - -During my stay in Tananariva a woman suddenly lost several of her -children by death. The mother was accused of causing the fate of the -poor little ones by magic arts, and was condemned to the tanguin. The -poor creature threw up the poison and two of the skins, but as the third -did not make its appearance, she was killed without mercy. - -As I have already said, the queen, immediately on her accession, had -strictly forbidden the profession of the Christian faith, which had been -introduced under King Radama. Notwithstanding this, there are said to be -a considerable number of Christians still in the island, who, of course, -keep their belief as secret as possible. In spite of all their caution, -however, about six years ago all the members of a little congregation -were denounced and captured. One of their number was burnt by the -queen’s orders. This punishment is generally inflicted only on nobles, -officers, and soldiers; fourteen were thrown over the rock, and many -others beaten to death. Of the remainder, the nobles were deprived of -their titles and honors, and the commoners sold as slaves. All the -Bibles discovered were publicly burnt in the great market-place. - -The punishment of being sold as a slave is one of the lightest to which -the queen condemns her subjects. The following facts will show on what -slight grounds such sales are effected. - -Once the queen had caused some Spanish dollars to be melted down for -silver dishes. When these dishes were brought to her, she found fault -with the workmanship, summoned the goldsmiths and silversmiths to the -palace, and exhorted them to furnish better work. The good people did -their very best, and, to their own misfortune, turned out better dishes -than they had at first produced. The queen was satisfied, praised the -workmen, and, as a reward for their exertions, had the whole guild sold -as slaves, on the ground that they had not at first delivered such good -dishes as they had since proved themselves able to make. - -At another time many persons lost their freedom in consequence of a -death in the royal family. When a nobleman of any caste dies, the duty -of wrapping him in the dead-cloth and placing him in the grave devolves -upon the fourth caste. The deceased in this case had fallen into -disgrace, and been banished from the capital, and mourning was not put -on for him at court; under these circumstances, the nobles of the fourth -class feared to offend the queen by paying the last honors to the dead -man, and left this duty to men from among the people. As soon as this -came to the queen’s ears, she laid a fine of four hundred dollars upon -the whole caste, and had one hundred and twenty-six persons selected -from it and sold as slaves; among these were many women and children. - -The entire population of a village sometimes fall into slavery merely -for eating the flesh of a stolen ox. Stealing an ox is a crime punished -with death; but if the stolen beast belonged to the queen, not only is -the thief executed, but all who have partaken of the ox’s flesh are sold -into slavery; and as no one takes the trouble to ascertain who has been -implicated and who not, the punishment falls upon the whole village in -which the ox was sold and slaughtered. None are spared but unweaned -children, who are graciously supposed not to have eaten any of the meat. - -To have attained to wealth and independence is too great a crime in a -subject not to draw down all kinds of persecution on the luckless -delinquent. If the queen gets to know that any village is rich in -cattle, rice, and other produce--money, of course, is out of the -question among the villagers--she imposes a task upon the people which -they can not execute; for instance, she requires them to deposit a -certain amount of wood, or a certain number of stones, at a given place -on an appointed day. The quantity of materials to be delivered is made -so large, and the time allowed for their delivery so short, that, even -with the greatest exertion, and every anxiety to fulfill the conditions, -the completion becomes impossible. The people are then condemned to pay -a fine of some hundreds of dollars; and as they have no money, they are -obliged to sell their cattle, their rice, their slaves, and not -unfrequently themselves. - -Separate wealthy persons are plundered in the following way: An -Ysitralenga--that is to say, a man who does not tell lies--proceeds to -the house of the selected victim, accompanied by some soldiers; here, -sticking a lance in the ground, he accuses the head of the family of -some offense against the government--of having spoken disrespectfully of -the queen, or committed some other crime, and takes him prisoner, and -leads him before the judge. If the accused loses the suit, his whole -property is confiscated; if he wins it, half his wealth will have gone -in bribes and other expenses; for, although Madagascar is a half savage -country, the judges understand their business just as well as in the -most civilized states in Europe. - -But executions, poisonings, slavery, plunderings, and other punishments -do not exhaust the people’s catalogue of woes. In devising plans of -malignity and cruelty, Queen Ranavola’s penetration is wonderful; and -she has invented farther means for ruining the unhappy population, and -plunging it still deeper into misery. One device for carrying out this -end, often adopted by the queen, is a royal journey. Thus, in the year -1845, Queen Ranavola made a progress to the province of Mancrinerina, -ostensibly to enjoy the sport of buffalo-hunting. On this journey she -was accompanied by more than 50,000 persons. She had invited all the -officers, all the nobles, far and near, around Tananariva; and that the -procession should appear as splendid as possible, every one had to -bring with him all his servants and slaves. Of soldiers alone, 10,000 -marched with them, and almost as many bearers, and 12,000 men always -kept a day’s journey in advance, to make the roads broader and repair -them. Nor were the inhabitants of the villages spared through which the -queen passed. A certain number, at least, had to follow the train with -their wives and children. Many of the people were sent forward, like the -road-menders, to prepare the night’s lodging for the queen; no trifling -task, as the houses or tents prepared for the royal family had to be -surrounded by a high rampart of earth, lest her gracious majesty should -be attacked by enemies during the night, and torn forcibly away from her -beloved people. - -Inasmuch as this philanthropic potentate is accustomed, on a journey of -this kind, only to make provision for her own support, and gives her -companions nothing but the permission to live on the stores they have -brought for themselves (provided, of course, they have been able to -procure any), famine very soon makes its appearance among the mass of -soldiers, people, and slaves. This was the case in the journey of which -I speak; and in the four months of its duration, nearly 10,000 people, -and among them a great proportion of women and children, are said to -have perished. Even the majority of the nobles had to suffer the -greatest privations; for, wherever a little rice was left, it was sold -at such a high price that only the richest and noblest were able to -purchase it. - -In the first years of Queen Ranavola’s rule, before she found herself -seated securely enough on the throne to gratify her bloodthirsty -propensities on her own subjects, her hatred was chiefly directed toward -the descendants of King Radama and toward the Europeans. Regarding the -latter, she frequently held councils with her ministers and other -grandees concerning the measures to be taken to keep the detested race -away from her territories. Mr. Laborde informed me that on these -occasions the most absurd and extravagant propositions were brought -forward. Thus, for instance, one of the wise councilors urged the -expediency of building a very high, strong wall in the sea round about -Madagascar, so that no ship should be able to approach any of the -harbors. A second wiseacre proposed to the queen to have four gigantic -pairs of shears manufactured, and fixed on the roads leading from the -various harbors to the capital. Whenever a European came along, the -shears were to be clapped to the moment he stepped between them, and -thus the daring intruder would be cut in two. A third councilor, as wise -as his companions, advised the queen to have a machine prepared with a -great iron plate, against which the cannon balls fired from hostile -ships would rebound, and sink the aggressive vessels by being hurled -back upon them. - -All these suggestions were received by her majesty with much -approbation, and formed matter for deliberation in the exalted council -for days and weeks; but, unfortunately, none of them were found -practicable. - -I must mention another touching trait, which the English missionary -society will not fail to interpret greatly to the advantage of Queen -Ranavola, should it not have done so already. - -The queen is particularly fond of witnessing fights between bulls, and -this noble sport is frequently carried on in the fine large court-yard -in front of the palace. Among the horned combatants, some are her -favorites: she asks after their health every day, and is as anxious -about them as a European lady might be about her lapdogs; and, to carry -out the simile, she often takes more interest in their well-being than -in the comforts of her servants and friends. - -In one of these contests, one of her favorite bulls--in fact, the chief -of them--was slain: the poor queen was inconsolable at her loss. Until -now, no one had ever seen her weep. But then, she had never before met -with so heavy a misfortune. She had certainly lost her parents, her -husband, a few children, and some brothers and sisters; but what were -all these in comparison to the favorite bull? She wept much and -bitterly, and it was long before she would take comfort. The animal was -buried with all the honors accorded to a grandee of the state. It was -wrapped in a number of simbus, and covered with a great white cloth, and -the marshals had to lay it in the grave. The marshals showed on this -occasion that the race of courtiers flourishes in Madagascar; they were -so proud of the distinction that they boast of it to the present day. -Two great stones are placed upon the grave, in memory of the dear -departed; and the queen is said to think of him still with gentle -sorrow. - -The bull’s monument is in the inner town. I saw it myself, and thought, -also with sorrow, not of the bull, but of the unhappy people languishing -under the cruel oppression of this barbarous queen; and with sorrow, -too, I thought of the equally unhappy sectarian spirit that can induce -any section of a Christian community to become the champions of such a -woman! - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - Dinner at Mr. Laborde’s.--Foot-boxing.--Ladies of Madagascar and - Parisian Fashions.--The Conspiracy.--A Dream.--A Fancy-dress - Ball.--An unquiet Night.--Concert at Court.--The Silver Palace.--An - Excursion of the Queen. - - -On the 3d, 4th, and 5th of June I was very unwell, with premonitory -symptoms announcing a coming attack of the malignant fever of -Madagascar. It luckily happened that, during these days, nothing of any -interest occurred. - -On the 6th of June Mr. Laborde gave a grand dinner in honor of Prince -Rakoto, in his garden-house, situate at the foot of the hill. - -Although the dinner was announced for six o’clock, we were carried to -the house as early as three o’clock. On the way we passed a place in the -upper town on which nineteen heavy guns (eighteen-pounders) were -planted, the muzzles pointing toward the lower town, the suburbs, and -the valley. They were placed there by King Radama, who had received them -as a present from the English. They were not landed at Tamatavé, but at -Bombetok, on the eastern coast. The distance from this place to the -capital is greater than from Tamatavé, but the roads are better, and -river conveyance can be made available for several days’ journey. - -On our arrival at Mr. Laborde’s garden-house, all kinds of efforts were -made to shorten the interval before dinner: several native sports were -exhibited, the most popular of which was a kind of “foot-boxing.” The -combatants kicked each other all over, and with such hearty good-will -that I expected every moment broken legs or ribs would be the result. -This delicate sport is in particular favor among the people in winter, -as it effectually warms those engaged in it. The coldest season here is -between the month of May till the end of July, when the thermometer -often falls to four, three, or even to one degree (Réaumur). -Nevertheless, every thing remains green; the trees do not lose their -leaves, and the landscape looks as pretty and blooming as in Europe in -the middle of spring. The inhabitants of Tananariva are fond of the -summer heat, and as they have no means of procuring wood, and of thus -artificially supplying the want of animal heat, they resort to the -aforesaid pastime of foot-boxing. - -The rich make their slaves bring wood from the distant forests to kindle -fires. In Mr. Laborde’s house, a coal fire was kept up in a great -brazier from early in the morning till late at night, but, of course, -the door or the windows remained always open. This piece of luxury costs -a dollar per day--a very high price compared with the cheapness of all -other necessaries. - -The foot-boxing was followed by dancing and gymnastic exercises; nor was -music wanting, for a band had been provided, which executed some pieces -skillfully enough. I was not so well pleased with the songs of a number -of native girls, who had been taught by a missionary residing with Mr. -Laborde. They knew a number of songs by heart, and did not scream in -such shrill fashion as those whom we had before heard; on the contrary, -their performance was tolerably correct; but it was a dreary -entertainment, and I was devoutly thankful when they came to the last -bar. - -A little before six o’clock came the prince, accompanied by his little -son, his beloved Mary, and a female friend of hers. Mary made even a -less favorable impression upon me than when I first saw her. The fault -was in her dress, for she was attired completely in the European style. -Whatever other people may say, the stiff, exaggerated fashions diffused -by Paris over the world do not charm me, even when worn by our own -countrywomen, and only look well on those whom nothing can disfigure; -but where there is a complete lack of natural beauty and grace, they -become whimsical and ridiculous, and particularly so in conjunction with -clumsy figures and monkey faces. Madame Mary may be a very good -creature, and I should not like to offend her in any way; but that did -not prevent me from being obliged to bite my lips till the blood almost -came in the effort to avoid laughing aloud at her appearance. Over half -a dozen stiff-hooped petticoats she wore a woolen dress with a number of -great flounces, and great bows of ribbon, the latter fastened, not in -front, but at the back. She had thrown a French shawl over her -shoulders, and could never arrange it to her satisfaction; and on the -top of her head, woolly as a curled poodle’s, was perched a quizzical -little bonnet of reeds. - -Her friend wore a muslin dress, and a cap of such antiquated form that, -sexagenarian as I am, I could never remember having seen one of similar -fashion; but afterward I remembered having seen a similar one on a -portrait of my grandmother, who lived about the middle of the last -century. This woman, who was of a more clumsy figure and had uglier -features than Mary, positively frightened me every time I looked at her; -she always gave me the idea of a cannibal chief in disguise. - -The dinner-party was very cheerful. I had never seen Mr. Lambert in such -excellent spirits; as for the prince, he seems always in good-humor. -After dinner, Mr. Lambert and Mr. Laborde held a short political -discussion with the prince in another room. I was admitted to take part -in this conversation, and shall have to recur to it. The evening was -unfortunately somewhat spoiled for me by the singing chorus. The -plentiful repast seemed to have inspired the ladies with peculiar -powers, for they screamed much worse than before dinner, and, to -increase the noise, clapped their hands as an accompaniment. A few also -performed the dreary dance of Madagascar to the sound of the -_marovane_, the only instrument yet invented by Malagasey musical -genius. It consists of a bamboo, as thick as a man’s arm, and four feet -long. Shreds of the bark are fastened all around it, supported by little -bridges of wood. The tone is very like that of a bad, worn-out cithern. - -As a conclusion, the guests themselves danced, and between the dances -Mr. Lambert gave us some very pretty songs. - -About ten o’clock Mr. Laborde whispered to me that I should allege the -weakness that still remained from my late indisposition as a pretext for -breaking up the party. I replied that this was not my province, but that -of Prince Rakoto; but he urged me to do it, adding that he had a -particular reason for his request, which he would explain to me later; -and, accordingly, I broke up the party. - -Favored by the brightest of moonlight, we marched up the hill toward our -dwellings to the sound of merry music. - -Prince Rakoto and Mr. Lambert then called me into a side-chamber, and -the prince declared to me once more that the private contract between -himself and Mr. Lambert had been drawn up with his full concurrence, and -that he, the prince, had been grossly calumniated when he was -represented as intoxicated at the time of his signing it. He told me -farther that Mr. Lambert had come to Madagascar by his wish, and with -the intention, in conjunction with himself and a portion of the nobility -and soldiers, to remove Queen Ranavola from the throne, but without -depriving her of her freedom, her wealth, or the honors which were her -due. - -Mr. Lambert, on his part, informed me that we had dined in Mr. Laborde’s -garden-house because every thing could be more quietly discussed there, -and that I had been requested to break up the party that the little -feast might seem to have been given in my honor; finally, that we had -gone through the town with the noisy music as a sign that the object of -our meeting had been social amusement. - -He then showed me in the house a complete little arsenal of sabres, -daggers, pistols, and guns, wherewith to arm the conspirators, and -leather shirts of mail for resisting lance-thrusts; and told me, in -conclusion, that all preparations had been made, and the time for action -had almost come--in fact, I might expect it every hour. - -I confess that a strange feeling came over me when I found myself thus -suddenly involved in a political movement of grave importance, and at -the first moment a crowd of conflicting thoughts rushed through my -brain. I could not conceal from myself the fact that if the affair -failed, my life would be in the same danger as Mr. Lambert’s; for, in a -country like Madagascar, where every thing depends on the despotic will -of the ruler, no trouble is taken to determine the question of guilty or -not guilty. I had come to Tananariva in the company of one of the chief -conspirators; I had also been present at several meetings; more was not -required to make me an accomplice in the plot, and therefore just as -worthy of punishment as the active members themselves. - -My friends in the Mauritius had certainly warned me previously against -undertaking the journey in Mr. Lambert’s company, and, from what had -been reported there, and likewise from some scattered words which Mr. -Lambert had let fall from time to time, I was able to form an idea of -what was going on; but my wish to obtain a knowledge of Madagascar was -so great that it stifled all fear. Now, indeed, there was no drawing -back; and the best I could do was to put a good face upon a bad matter, -and trust in that Providence which had already helped me in many and -great dangers. - -I gave Prince Rakoto and Mr. Lambert my most heartfelt wishes for the -success of their undertaking, and then retired to my room. It was -already past midnight. I went to bed, and, exhausted as I was, soon fell -asleep; but all night long I had disturbed dreams, and, among others, -the following very singular one: I dreamed that the plot had been -discovered, and that the queen had summoned Mr. Lambert and myself to -the palace. We were brought into a large room, and had to wait there a -long, long time. At length the queen appeared with all her court; Prince -Rakoto was there too, but he stood aside in a window, and dared not look -at us. - -One of the ministers--the same who had taken us to court on our first -reception--made a long speech, the purport of which I understood, in -spite of my ignorance of the Malagasey languages, and in which he -reproached Mr. Lambert for his ingratitude and treachery. Another -minister then took up the harangue, and announced that we were condemned -to the tanguin. - -Hereupon we were led into another room, and a tall negro, wrapped in a -full white garment, came toward us with the little skins of poison. Mr. -Lambert was obliged to take them first; but, at the moment when I was -about to follow his example, there arose suddenly a loud din of music -and rejoicing shouts, and--I awoke, and really heard music and shouting -in the streets. It was broad day; I hastily wrapped myself in my -clothes, and hurried to the gate to see what was going on; and lo! two -men who had been condemned to the tanguin had fortunately got rid of the -poison and the three little pieces of skin, and were being led home in -triumph by their friends. - -If I were of a superstitious nature, who knows what importance I might -have attached to this dream, which was partly verified by subsequent -events; but, fortunately, my temperament is not of that kind, and dreams -never trouble me but during my sleeping hours. - -June 8th. To-day the prince held a grand kabar in our house, at which -many nobles and officers were present. From this period not a day passed -in which greater or smaller kabars were not held at our house, which -was, in fact, the head-quarters of the conspiracy. - -June 9th. A great fancy-ball has been given at court to-day in honor of -Mr. Lambert. - -What strange contrasts! On one side a conspiracy hatching--on the other, -festivals are the order of the day! - -Does the queen really doubt the existence of the treaty between Prince -Rakoto and Mr. Lambert, and has she no suspicion of its intended -accomplishment? or does she wish to let the conspirators commit some -overt act, that she may afterward satiate her revenge with apparent -justice? Events will show. - -Although both Mr. Lambert and myself were still very unwell, we made up -our minds to be present at this feast. - -The ball began soon after one o’clock in the day, and was not held in -the apartments of the palace, but in front of the building, in the great -fore-court in which we had been admitted to our audience. As on that -former occasion, the queen sat on the balcony under the shade of her -great parasol, and we were obliged to make the usual obeisances to her -and to the tomb of King Radama. This time, however, we were not made to -stand; comfortable arm-chairs were assigned to us. Gradually the ball -company began to assemble; the guests comprised nobles of both sexes, -officers and their wives, and the queen’s female singers and dancers. -The nobles wore various costumes, and the officers appeared in European -dress; all were obliged to make numerous obeisances. Those who appeared -in costume had seats like ours given them; the rest squatted about as -they liked, in groups on the ground. - -The queen’s female dancers opened the ball with the dreary Malagasey -dance. These charming creatures were wrapped from top to toe in white -simbus, and wore on their heads artificial, or, I should say, very -inartificial flowers, standing up stiffly like little flagstaffs; they -crowded into a group in such a way that they seemed all tied together. -As often as they staggered past the queen’s balcony or the monument of -King Radama, they repeated their salutes, and likewise at the end of -every separate dance. After the female dancers had retired, the officers -executed a very similar dance, only that they kept somewhat quicker -time, and their gestures were more animated--that is to say, they lifted -their feet rather higher than the performers of the other sex. Those who -had hats and caps waved them in the air from time to time, and set up a -sharp howling, intended to represent cries of joy. - -After the officers followed six couples of children in fancy dresses. -The boys wore the old Spanish costume, or were attired as pages, and -looked tolerably well; but the girls were perfect scarecrows. They wore -old-fashioned French costumes--large, stiff petticoats, with short -bodices--and their heads were quite loaded with ostrich feathers, -flowers, and ribbons. After this little monkey community had performed -certain Polonaises, Schottisches, and contre-danses, acquitting -themselves, contrary to my expectation, with considerable skill, they -bowed low and retired, making way for a larger company, the males -likewise clad in the old Spanish, the females in the old French garb. - -All these various costumes are commanded by the queen, who generally -gets her ideas from pictures or engravings that come in her way. The -ladies add to the costume prescribed by royalty whatever their own taste -and invention may suggest, generally showing great boldness and -originality in the combination of colors. I will give my readers an idea -of what these costumes are like by describing one of them. - -The dress was of blue satin, with a border of orange color, above which -ran a broad stripe of bright cherry-colored satin. The body, also of -satin, with long skirt, shone with a brimstone hue, and a light -sea-green silk shawl was draped above it. The head was covered in such -style with stiff, clumsily-made artificial flowers, with ostrich -feathers, silk ribbons, glass beads, and all kinds of millinery, that -the hair was entirely hidden; not that the fair one lost much thereby, -but that I pitied her for the burden she had to carry. - -The costumes of the other ladies showed similar contrasts in color, and -some of these tasteful dresses had been improved by a farther stroke of -ingenuity, being surmounted by high conical hats, very like those worn -by the Tyrolese peasants. - -The company, consisting exclusively of the higher aristocracy, executed -various European dances, and also performed the Sega, which the -Malagaseys assert to be a native dance, though it is really derived from -the Moors. The figures, steps, and music of the Sega are all so pleasing -that, if it were once introduced in Europe, it could not fail to become -universally fashionable. - -This beautiful dance was far from concluding the ball. After a short -pause, during which no refreshments were offered, the _élite_ of the -company, consisting of six couples, stepped into the court-yards. The -gentlemen were Prince Rakoto, the two Labordes, father and son, two -ministers, and a general--all the ladies were princesses or countesses. -The gentlemen were dressed in old Spanish costume except Prince Rakoto, -who wore a fancy dress so tastefully chosen that he might have appeared -with distinction in any European court ball. He wore trowsers of dark -blue cloth, with a stripe down the side, a kind of loose jerkin of -maroon-colored velvet, ornamented with gold stripes and the most -delicate embroidery, and a velvet cap of the same color, with two -ostrich feathers, fastened by a golden brooch. The whole dress fitted so -well, and the embroidery was so good, that I thought Mr. Lambert must -have taken the prince’s measure with him to Paris, and that the clothes -had been made there; but this was not the case. Every thing, with the -exception of the material, had been prepared at Tananariva--a proof -that, if the people of Madagascar are deficient in invention, they are -exceedingly clever in imitating models set before them. - -This group of dancers appeared with much more effect than their -predecessors, for all the ladies and gentlemen were much more tastefully -attired than the rest of the company. They only performed European -dances. - -The ball was concluded, as it had been begun, by the female court -dancers. - -The whole of these festivities, which occupied three hours, had not put -the queen to the slightest expense. The court-yard was the -dancing-floor, the sun provided the illumination, and every guest was at -liberty to take what refreshment he chose--_when he got home_. Happy -queen! how sincerely many of our European ball-givers might envy her! - -June 10. Again there was noise and singing in the streets. I hurried to -the gate, and saw long files of men carrying earth and stones in -baskets. The labor of these people, eight hundred in number, had been -granted by the queen to the commander-in-chief of the army to build him -a house. They received neither wages nor food, and were obliged to sing -and shout, to prove to the queen that they were happy, and contented -with their lot. - -A few days before I had seen similar processions still more numerous, -consisting of fifteen hundred men; they were carrying fuel to the royal -forge, in which a thousand workmen are employed in manufacturing all -kinds of weapons, under the superintendence of Mr. Laborde. Like the -coal-bearers, the smiths receive nothing at all for their labor; and not -only does the queen require all kinds of work from her subjects without -paying them, but when there is any government expense to be incurred -they have to find the money. Thus, in the year 1845, when the queen -imported 30,000 muskets from France at a cost of 145,000 dollars, the -whole sum was raised among the people. A few of the richest had to give -as much as 500 dollars each; but even the poorest had to contribute, and -not even the slaves were excepted. - -June 11. Last night I heard a slight noise and muffled footsteps in our -house. I knew that the conspirators were to go from here during the -night to the palace. I listened for many hours--all was silent as the -grave; but suddenly there resounded a loud barking of dogs, followed by -quick footsteps of men. I started involuntarily. I thought that the -attempt must have failed, and that the hurrying steps were those of -fugitives, and I felt how much more trying it is to be obliged to remain -in passive suspense amid threatened danger than boldly to oppose and -combat the peril. - -I would not leave my room, lest I should betray my weakness if it proved -to be a false alarm; so I avoided waking my companions, and awaited -patiently what Heaven should send. But nothing farther occurred; the -remainder of the night passed quietly, and next morning I learned that -nothing had been undertaken, and that the favorable moment was not yet -come. - -I begin to fear that every thing will be spoiled by this long delay; the -more so, as the meetings are not very cautiously conducted, and a -traitor might easily be found among the nobles and officers apparently -devoted to the prince. A good deal of the fault may lie with the prince -himself. He is, as I have observed, a man of many good and noble -qualities, but he wants decision and firmness of purpose; and his -affection for the queen is, moreover, so great, that he might lack -courage at the decisive moment to undertake any thing against her. It -behooves him, however, to consider that there is no intention of robbing -the queen of her titles, her freedom, or her wealth; the sole object of -the movement being to take from her the power of perpetrating the -cruelties and deeds of blood which have brought her subjects to misery -and despair. The prince, who loves his mother above every thing, and -only seeks to prevent her from being the scourge of a whole country, can -not certainly be considered guilty of a crime. God strengthen him, and -give him courage to be the deliverer of his people! - -June 12. Mr. Lambert had so severe an attack of fever that for several -days his life was in the greatest danger. But he terribly neglected all -dietary precautions. As soon as he felt himself at all better, he ate -all kind of things one after another, just as the whim took him--cold -Strasburg pie, meat, and fruit, and drank Champagne and other wines. The -other Europeans do just the same thing, so that I should not at all -wonder if all who caught the fever fell victims to it. While I was in -the Mauritius in the month of March, a stout gentleman from Tamatavé -arrived there, and remained a few days in Mr. Lambert’s house, waiting -for an opportunity to get to Bourbon. This gentleman asserted that he -had the Madagascar fever, and when he appeared at breakfast complained -that he had been suffering from it all night. Accordingly, some strong -meat broth was prepared for him, which he enjoyed exceedingly; but it -did not nearly satisfy him, for he ate in addition a mighty slice of -sweet melon, partook of the other dishes to an extent which would have -served me for a week, and finished his repast with a mango. He did equal -justice to the various beverages; and at the evening meal he returned to -the attack with renewed vigor, eating as if he had fasted the whole day. - -In Tananariva I had frequent opportunities of noticing similar -imprudences in diet; and when I made any remark, I was met with the -profound reply, “What would you have? It is the custom of the country; -the people say that the fever is very weakening, and that one must try -to get up one’s strength by taking nourishing things.” - -This belief really prevails among the people; the worse a man is, the -more he is urged to eat. When a Malagasey is at the last gasp, they -stuff rice into his mouth; and when he dies, they cry out in -astonishment, “How wonderful! only just now he was eating!” - -And because the stupid, uncultivated natives do this, the sensible and -educated Europeans think it right to do likewise! - -June 18. To-day I had the great honor of displaying my skill, or rather -my want of skill, on the piano in the presence of the queen. Mr. Lambert -had made her a present of a piano from the manufactory of Mr. Debain, in -Paris, on his first visit to Tananariva. These pianos are not only made -for playing upon with the hands, but can also be played in the manner of -a barrel-organ by turning a handle or “manivelle.” - -Mr. Lambert had told me of this when we were in the Mauritius, and added -that the queen had never seen any one play the piano with their hands, -and that it would be a great surprise to her. In my youth I had been a -tolerably accomplished pianist, but that is a long time ago; for more -than thirty years I had given up music, and had nearly forgotten all I -once knew. Who would ever have thought that I should have to give a -concert, under royal patronage, in my sixtieth year, when I strummed -worse than many children at home who have only learned for a few months! -But so it is when people go out in quest of adventure, and roam through -the wide world; one never knows what may happen, and must be prepared -for every thing. - -With great difficulty I forced my stiff old fingers through a few scales -and exercises, and contrived to remember a few easy, melodious waltzes -and dance tunes; and, thus prepared, I ventured to risk the criticism of -the strict royal connoisseur of Madagascar. - -The invitation, however, was very welcome to me; for I hoped to be -introduced into the inner apartments of the palace, and to have the high -felicity of obtaining a near view of her majesty. - -As Mr. Lambert was ill of the fever, the two clerical gentlemen -accompanied me to the palace. When we got to the court-yard--oh, sad -disenchantment!--there sat the queen on the eternal balcony, and away -fled all my hopes of seeing the interior of the palace. Besides, what a -shock to my artistic pride! It seemed that I was to be treated like a -street musician, and made to play here in the court-yard. - -But it was not quite so bad as that, though enough was done to make me -duly sensible of the enormous difference between my insignificant person -and the mighty queen. This overbearing, puffed-up woman seems really to -believe herself a sacred being, raised above all the rest of the human -race, and appears to think it would derogate from her dignity to permit -a stranger to come close to her. It was only with Mr. Lambert, when he -first came to Tananariva, three years ago, that she made an exception, -admitting him not merely into the interior of the palace, but even -allowing him the honor of accompanying her on a short excursion. - -We were conducted to the gallery on the ground floor of the Silver -Palace, where chairs had been already placed for us. The broad door -leading to the court-yard was thrown quite open, the piano brought -forward, and placed just in the doorway, in such a manner that the queen -could look down from her balcony upon the key-board. - -While these preparations were being made, I had an opportunity of -examining the reception-room of the Silver Palace, which, as my readers -will remember, belongs to Prince Rakoto. It is spacious and lofty, and -furnished quite in European style. The furniture seemed rich, but not -overladen with ornament, and had been arranged with taste. True to the -custom of Madagascar, there stood a bed in the room--a right royal bed, -certainly, with no lack of gold ornament or of silken hangings, and in -which I was assured no mortal had ever slept; but still it was a bed, -and that particular piece of furniture in a reception-room always -disturbs the idea of fitness in the eyes of a European. - -Far more, however, was my taste offended by the drawings and paintings -that decorated the walls of the hall--productions of native -genius--representing officers in red uniforms, and female figures in -European costumes. I hardly knew which to admire most in these sketches, -the coloring or the drawing. The latter was more wooden and stiff in -character than the worst Chinese work of the kind, and the coloring was -a wonderful chaos of the most glaring hues daubed together without any -attempt at light and shade. I had never in my life seen such works of -Art. The landscape backgrounds had the most comical effect of all. The -figures stood with little trees on each side of them. They were only -half-length portraits; but as the genial artist wished, nevertheless, to -indicate the fact that the trees grew out of the earth, he had drawn a -green stripe from the girdle of each person to that of his neighbor, -intending thereby to represent the earth, thus unintentionally giving -his heroes the unusual appearance of being buried up to the waist; out -of the green stripe rose a brown line, the stem of the tree, straight as -an arrow, as high as the shoulders of the figures, and a few green -patches were added to represent the leafy crown. - -I was still absorbed in the contemplation of these masterpieces when one -of the missionaries came to inform me that the piano was ready, and that -I could begin my performance. Before doing this I had to present the -usual “monosina” to the queen, and deliver it into the hands of an -officer; this tribute is demanded of every stranger, not only at his -first introduction at court, but every time he sets foot in a building -belonging to royalty. This was my case in the Silver Palace; but I -considered it unnecessary to give a fifty-franc piece, as Mr. Lambert -had done, and therefore confined my liberality to the offer of a dollar. - -I took my seat at the piano, and played a few preliminary chords to test -the qualities of the instrument; but what was my horror on finding it so -woefully out of tune that not a single note produced any thing like -harmony with the rest; many of the keys, moreover, were so obstinate as -to refuse to emit any sound whatever. I had to loosen them, lift them, -press them down, and resort to all sorts of expedients to bring them -into working order; and upon such an instrument as this I was to give my -grand concert! But true artistic greatness rises superior to all adverse -circumstances; and, inspired by the thought of exhibiting my talents to -such an appreciating audience, I perpetrated the most wonderful runs -over the whole key-board, thumped with all my might on the stubborn -keys, and, without any attempt at selection or sequence, played the -first part of a waltz and the second of a march, in short, any thing and -every thing that came into my head. But I had the great satisfaction to -find that my talents were fully appreciated by the whole audience, and I -was rewarded with her majesty’s especial thanks. Prince Rakoto even gave -me the flattering assurance that every thing I had done had met with the -queen’s approbation, especially the waltzes, and that in a short time -she would do me the honor of letting me play before her in the interior -of the palace. Who knows, if the unhappy conspiracy had not occurred, if -I might not have enjoyed the distinction of becoming pianiste to her -majesty the Queen of Madagascar! - -On the same day she sent me, as a proof of favor and condescension, a -large quantity of fat poultry and a great basket of eggs. - -On the 17th of June the exalted lady made an excursion to one of her -pleasure palaces, situate at the foot of the hill on an island in the -middle of a large pond. Whenever the queen makes such excursions, all -the officers and nobles, and the European residents in Tananariva, have -to accompany her. I would gladly have taken part in this expedition, but -as the queen knew that Mr. Lambert was still lying very ill, and did not -wish to deprive him of any of his nurses, none of us were invited. The -procession passed close by our house, and we were all, with the -exception of Mr. Lambert, made to stand at the gate to salute her -majesty as she passed. - -Every festival in this country bears on its face a peculiar stamp of -whim and folly: in these excursions, for instance, the notables who -accompany the queen are ordered to appear in Turkish or Arab costume, -with turbans on their heads. These dresses, however, suit the natives -much better than the Spanish costume, although here, too, their peculiar -taste is brought into play, to spoil the effect of what would be -handsome enough if left alone. - -Women seldom take part in these expeditions, and when they do they are -wrapped in simbus. The queen herself wore a large simbu of silk, but had -her great crown on her head. Without this regal ornament she never shows -herself to her subjects; and I should really not be surprised to hear -that she usually wears a small crown when she goes to sleep at night. - -She remained all day in her little palace, and did not return to the -city till just before sunset. The people take part in these excursions -to some extent, being obliged to crowd into the streets through which -the procession passes, and many who wish to show peculiar loyalty join -the train. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - - Failure of the _Coup d’État_.--Prince Ramboasalama.--The _Pas de - Deux_.--Discovery of the Plot.--Death of Prince - Razakaratrino.--Freedom of Manners.--Irreligion.--Beginning of our - Captivity.--A Kabar.--Persecution of the Christians.--The Delivery - of the Presents. - - -June 20. This was at length to be the great and decisive day. Mr. -Lambert was nearly recovered from the fever; so there was to be no more -delay, and to-night the long-contemplated _coup d’état_ was to be -carried out. - -The two missionaries, who were not to appear to bear any part in these -political disturbances, went in the morning to one of the possessions of -Mr. Laborde, distant thirty miles from the capital. It was proposed to -send me there too; but I preferred remaining at Tananariva; for I -thought, if the attempt should fail, it would not be difficult to find -my head, even if I were a hundred miles from the capital. - -The following plan had been devised by the conspirators. The prince was -to dine at eight o’clock in the evening with Mr. Lambert, Marius, -Laborde, and his son, in the garden-house belonging to the latter, and -thither all reports from the other conspirators were to be carried, that -it might be known if every thing was progressing favorably, and that -every man was at his post. At the conclusion of the dinner, at eleven -o’clock at night, the gentlemen were to march home to the upper part of -the town, accompanied by music, as if they came from a feast; and each -man was to remain quiet in his own house until two o’clock. At the -latter hour all the conspirators were to slip silently into the palace, -the gates of which Prince Raharo, the chief of the army, was to keep -open, and guarded by officers devoted to Prince Rakoto; they were to -assemble in the great court-yard, in front of the apartments inhabited -by the queen, and at a given signal loudly to proclaim Prince Rakoto -king. The new ministers, who had already been nominated by the prince, -were to explain to the queen that this was the will of the nobles, the -military, and the people; and, at the same time, the thunder of cannon -from the royal palace was to announce to the people the change in the -government, and the deliverance from the sanguinary rule of Queen -Ranavola. - -Unhappily, this plan was not carried out. It was frustrated by the -cowardice or treachery of Prince Raharo, the commander-in-chief of the -army. While the gentlemen were still at table, they received from him -the disastrous news that, in consequence of unforeseen obstacles, he had -found it impossible to fill the palace exclusively with officers devoted -to the prince’s interest, that he would consequently be unable to keep -the gates open to-night, and that the attempt must be deferred for a -more favorable opportunity. In vain did the prince send messenger after -messenger to him. He could not be induced to risk any thing. - -In the year 1856 Prince Rakoto had placed himself at the head of a -similar conspiracy against the queen. Then also the night and the hour -had been fixed upon for the attempt, and, as in the present -instance, every thing failed through the sudden defection of the -commander-in-chief. It may be that this occurred partly through that -personage losing courage at the decisive moment; but I am more inclined -to think that his participation in the plot must be a feigned one, and -that he is in reality a creature of the queen and her prime minister, -Rainizahoro; and, I fear most of all, that he is a partisan of Prince -Ramboasalama. - -This prince, a son of a sister of Queen Ranavola, was adopted by the -queen many years ago, when she had no son of her own, and, owing to her -time of life, could scarcely hope to have any offspring. So she looked -upon the prince as her natural successor, and declared him her heir -with all the usual formalities. Soon afterward she had hopes of becoming -a mother, and Prince Rakoto was born. It is asserted by many that -though, in consequence of this event, she removed Ramboasalama from the -succession, and declared her own son to be the heir-apparent, this was -not done with the usual ceremonies, and it is much to be feared that -upon the queen’s decease great and bloody dissensions may arise between -the parties of the rival princes, and the faction of Ramboasalama may -obtain the mastery. This prince, several years older than Rakoto, is -naturally far more experienced than the latter; he has also the -reputation of being very astute and enterprising; and, though not so -good-natured and philanthropic as the queen’s son, he is far less cruel -and bloodthirsty than Ranavola. - -So far as I could judge from what was told me, he appears to have formed -a powerful party for himself, and to have secured the greater portion of -the nobility, chiefly through great concessions, and from the fact that -he is entirely averse to the abolition of slavery, while, on the other -hand, Prince Rakoto means to carry out this measure, and wishes in -general to curtail the privileges of the higher classes. - -These reasons ought in themselves to be sufficient to induce one of the -European powers to take Prince Rakoto’s part; but European governments -only take up cases in which they have the prospect of some immediate and -material advantage--to act from mere philanthropy forms no part of their -plans. - -The plot has unfortunately become what may be called a “well-known -secret.” Every body knows of it, and even among the people reports of -the contemplated change in the government have become rife; and it is -only the queen, we have been assured, who is in profound ignorance of -what is going on around her. I can not believe this. We are certainly -told that no one would venture to accuse the prince to his mother, for -in such a case the queen would surely at once summon her son and make -him acquainted with the charges against him, when it might be -anticipated that he would deny every thing, and the denouncer would be -considered as a traitor, and executed accordingly. I can not believe -that the adherents and favorites of the queen have entirely left out the -prince’s name, and merely have denounced Mr. Lambert, Mr. Laborde, and a -few of the other conspirators. Of adherents and favorites the queen has -plenty, in spite of her cruelty and egotism; and she knows how to attach -the most influential men in the land to her person, though they do not -receive the smallest salary from her; but she gratifies them with -estates and slaves, or gives them a still more valuable reward, by -assigning to them, under the name of aids-de-camp, a number of people -who are obliged to do them service like slaves, receiving neither -provisions nor wages in return. Thus Raharo, the present -commander-in-chief of the army, has eight hundred of these aids-de-camp -continually under his command; his father, who preceded him as -commander-in-chief, had fifteen hundred. - -June 21. To-day Prince Rakoto told us that his mother would receive Mr. -Lambert as soon as his health was restored, and me too, in the inner -palace, and that she wished very much to see us dance together. He added -that it would give her great pleasure to see us exhibit some new dance, -and that, as Europeans, we were doubtless acquainted with several. A -strange idea this! First I had to give a concert, and now I am to turn -ballet-dancer, and perhaps afterward dancing-mistress--I who, even in my -youth, cared very little for dancing, and always had the greatest -difficulty in remembering the various steps and figures. And Mr. -Lambert! What a thing to expect from a man who is still young, that he -should execute a _pas de deux_ with a woman nearly sixty years old! -Neither of us had the slightest intention to gratify this ridiculous -whim; and as Mr. Lambert suffered much again this morning from the -fever, and I also had a renewed attack of that insidious disease, we -made our illness serve as an excuse for the present. - -June 22. To-day we received very bad news: the queen has received -information of the plot. Our friends told us, however, that efforts were -being made to divert her suspicions from the right direction, and to -make her believe that the people wished for a change in the government. -It is said that no names have been denounced to her, but that the wish -is represented as having been generally expressed among the people. - -Our friends may try to screen us, but our enemies, of whom Mr. Lambert, -as I have already remarked, has several, will not be so considerate; and -it is unfortunately certain that the queen has for some time looked upon -Mr. Lambert with suspicion, for to-day she told her son that when Mr. -Lambert lay dangerously ill of the fever, she had consulted the oracle -upon the question whether he had any evil design against her, and if so, -whether he would die of the fever. The reply of the Sikidy was, that “if -Mr. Lambert had any such evil design, the fever would assuredly carry -him off:” as this had not been the case--as he had not died, she thought -he could not be plotting any evil against her. - -Is this the truth, or does the cunning woman only say it in the hope of -worming something out of the prince himself? Even if it is the truth, -can she not consult the Sikidy over and over again, until, some fine -day, it may give a different answer? - -At any rate, I consider our cause is lost; and Heaven knows what the -queen may intend to do to us. These are the consequences of the prince’s -delays and irresolution. But who knows? Several times the thought has -arisen in my mind, chiefly from the demeanor of Prince Raharo, that the -prince is surrounded by traitors, who pretend to acquiesce in his -projects, but only do so to obtain a knowledge of them, and afterward -carry intelligence to the queen. Perhaps in this view they treat him -like a child, and let him have his hobby, always, however, taking the -necessary precautions to be able to stop his highness’s sport before -things go too far. - -June 27. Last night died Marshal Prince Razakaratrino, the queen’s -brother-in-law. The death of this grand lord will give me an opportunity -of seeing a new and interesting sight, for the funeral of such an -exalted personage is conducted in Madagascar with the greatest -solemnity. After the body has been washed, it is wrapped in simbus of -red silk, often to the number of several hundred, and none of which must -cost less than ten piastres, though they generally cost much more. Thus -enshrouded, the corpse is placed in a kind of coffin, and lies in state -in the principal apartment in the house, under a canopy of red silk. -Slaves crouch around it, crowded together as closely as possible, with -their hair hanging loose, and their heads bent down in token of -mourning; each of them is furnished with a kind of fan to keep off the -flies and musquitoes from the deceased. This strange occupation is -continued day and night; and as high personages are frequently kept -unburied for several weeks, the slaves have to be continually relieved -by others. - -During the time the corpse is lying under the canopy, envoys come from -every caste of the nobility and from every district of the country, -accompanied by long trains of servants and slaves, to present tokens of -condolence for themselves, and in the names of those by whom they are -sent. Each of the envoys brings an offering of money, varying according -to his own fortune, and the amount of popularity enjoyed by the -deceased, from half a dollar to fifty or more. These presents are -received by the nearest relation of the dead man, and are devoted to -defraying the expenses of the burial, which often come to a great sum; -for, besides the large number of simbus to be purchased, a great many -oxen must be killed. All visitors and envoys stay until the day of the -funeral, and are entertained, as well as their servants and slaves, at -the expense of the heirs. When the funeral ceremonies extend over -several weeks, and the number of the guests is large, it may be easily -imagined that a goodly stock of provisions is consumed, especially as -the people of Madagascar, masters and servants, are valiant trenchermen -when they feed at the cost of another. Thus, at the death of the last -commander of the army, the father of Prince Raharo, no fewer than 1500 -oxen were slaughtered and eaten. But then this man had stood very high -in the queen’s favor, and his funeral is recorded as the most splendid -in the memory of man: he lay in state for three weeks, and young and old -streamed in from the farthest corners of the kingdom to pay him the last -honors. - -With regard to the performances of the people of Madagascar as -trenchermen, I have been told that four natives can eat up an ox in a -space of twenty-four hours, and that after such a meal they go away as -comfortable and light as if they had barely satisfied their hunger. I -should be sorry, however, to vouch for the authenticity of this report -to my readers. I have never witnessed such a feat; and, looking at the -size of the oxen that are sacrificed upon such occasions, I should say -that the estimate was undoubtedly exaggerated. - -Voracious as the natives are (I can use no milder epithet) when an -opportunity for gluttony occurs, they have, on the other hand, like the -wild Indians, the power of enduring great privation with consummate -patience, and will support themselves for weeks together on a little -rice and a few thin slices of dried meat. - -When the corpse is carried out of the house, a few slaughtered oxen must -be laid at the door, and the bearers have to step over their bodies. - -The period of lying in state, and of mourning generally, is fixed by the -queen herself; for this marshal the former ceremony was fixed for four -days, the latter for ten. If he had been a near relation of the queen--a -brother or uncle--or one of her particular favorites, he could not have -been buried under from ten to fourteen days, and the period of mourning -would have extended to twenty or thirty days at least. - -The body is prevented from becoming offensive by the number of simbus in -which it is wrapped. - -We did not follow the funeral procession, but saw it pass from Mr. -Laborde’s house; its extent was very great, and it consisted of nobles, -officers, women, mourning women, and slaves, in large numbers. From the -highest to the lowest, all wore their hair loose as a token of mourning; -and with this loosened hair they looked so particularly hideous--so -horribly ugly--that I had never seen any thing like them among the -ugliest races of India and America. The women especially, who let their -hair grow longer than the men wear it, might indeed have passed for -scarecrows or furies. - -In the midst of the procession came the catafalque, borne by more than -thirty men. Like the costumes at the court balls, so this catafalque had -evidently been copied from some engraving, for its ornamentation was -quite European in character, with this one difference, that the machine -was hung with red and variegated silk stuffs instead of the customary -black cloth. The marshal’s hat, with other insignia of rank and honor, -were placed upon it, and on both sides marched slaves, with clappers to -scare away the flies from the catafalque. - -The corpse was conveyed thirty miles away to an estate of the deceased, -to be burned there; the greater number of nobles and officers only -escorted it for the first few miles, but many carried their politeness -so far as to go the whole distance. - -In all Madagascar there is no place exclusively set apart for the burial -of the dead. Those who possess land are buried on their own estates; the -poor are carried to some place that belongs to nobody, and are there -frequently thrown under a bush, or put into any hollow, no one taking -the trouble even to throw a little earth upon them. - -When I saw this funeral conducted in such truly European style, I -thought, as I had frequently done before, what a strange country this -Madagascar was, and what striking contrasts were found among these -people--cultivation and savagery, imitation of European manners and -customs and the rudest barbarism go here hand in hand. One finds here, -as in Europe, all the titles of rank and nobility, from the prince down -to the lieutenant: many of the nobles often go about in European garb; -many speak and write English or French, and the rich dine off plate, and -possess handsome, well-furnished houses. Farther imitations of our -European customs are seen in the etiquette with which the queen -surrounds her own person, the ceremonious splendor she seeks to impart -to her court, the solemn excursions to her pleasure palaces, the fancy -balls, the great dinners, the funerals of high personages, and other -occasions of the kind. - -The industrial education of the people has also made great progress in -certain districts; and it is easy to see that, if properly cultivated -and directed, industrial arts would soon attain a higher development. -Thus, as already stated, the goldsmiths and silversmiths furnish -specimens that excite my unqualified admiration; the women silk-weavers -make very pretty pieces from native silk; and Mr. Laborde turns out from -his various factories of native workmen all kinds of weapons, even to -small cannon, and powder, as well as glass, soap, wax-lights, rum, and -the most delicious liqueurs. - -With respect to the cultivation of the mind and heart, the inhabitants -of Madagascar have not sought to imitate the Europeans. In this -particular, indeed, many of the wildest tribes, who have scarcely come -into communication with Europeans at all--for instance, the Dyaks of -Borneo; the Afoxes, in the island of Celebes; the Anthropophagi, in the -interior of Sumatra, and others--stand far above the Hovas and -Malagaseys. Incredible as it may appear, the latter have no religion at -all--not the slightest idea of a God, of the immortality of the soul, or -even of its existence. The queen, I was told, certainly worships a few -household idols, but she places far less reliance on these than on the -verdicts of the Sikidy; and when a missionary once spoke to her of the -immortality of the soul, she is said to have considered him mad, and to -have laughed aloud in his face. The people are allowed to worship any -thing they like--a tree, a river, or a rock--but belief in Christ is -strictly forbidden. With the exception of the few who have become -converted to the Christian faith in spite of the queen’s prohibition, -the bulk of the people believe in nothing at all, at which I wondered -the more when I considered that some of the races living in Madagascar -are descended from the Arabs and Malays, nations who in the earliest -times had some ideas of God and of religion. - -Oh, how much it is to be wished that the government should pass into -Prince Rakoto’s hands! I am certain that this beautiful country would -then make the most rapid strides in intellectual progress and in -material wealth. - -June 30. When I was traveling in the United States, I thought I had -found the country where women had the greatest freedom, and the greatest -independence of thought and action. What an error! Here, in Madagascar, -they lead a much more independent, unrestrained life. I do not speak of -Queen Ranavola, whose rank gives her a kind of right to follow only the -dictates of her will, but of the other women, who are not subjected to -the laws of propriety which trammel us poor European females. Thus, for -instance, Mary, the favorite of Prince Rakoto, came very frequently, -with his full knowledge, quite alone to our house, not only to pay a -visit to Mr. Lambert while he was ill with the fever, but when he was in -perfect health. She had often partaken of our evening repast, and to-day -she joined us again. While we were sitting at table they brought her -little son. I had never seen her in a domestic circle with her child, -and was anxious to see how her feelings would be displayed, so I noticed -the mother and child during the whole evening. Each treated the other as -coldly as if they had never known, much less belonged to, each other. -When the child came into the room he did not even greet his mother, but -went at once toward the table, where room was made for him at Mr. -Lambert’s side; during the whole of supper-time, mother and child never -exchanged a word or a glance, although they were only separated from -each other by Mr. Lambert. - -In vain do Mr. Laborde and other Europeans in Madagascar assure me that -strong affection exists here among the natives between parents and -children, but that it is not customary to display that affection. I can -not believe it, with such a display of indifference before my eyes. A -mother who felt real affection toward her child would certainly not be -able to conform to custom so completely as to prevent herself from -giving the little one a loving glance from time to time. And the -observations I made this evening were not the only ones of the same -kind; during the whole period of my stay in Madagascar I did not see a -mother show any affection, or child that seemed to love its parents. - -July 2. What will become of us! The carrying out of the design seems to -have become impracticable, for from the day when the commander refused -to open the doors of the palace, one after another of the conspirators -has fallen away, and traitors and spies surround us on all sides. Ever -since the 20th of June hardly any one associates with us; we are looked -upon partly as state prisoners, and we are compelled to remain the whole -day long in our houses, and dare not so much as set foot across the -threshold. - -The best proof that the queen is perfectly well informed of the -conspiracy, and only pretends to know nothing about it for the sake of -her son, of whom she is very fond, appears in the fact of her having, a -few days since, forbidden every one, on pain of death, to make any -accusation whatever against the prince, or to impart any surmise of his -guilt to her. - -This trait is worthy of the cunning characteristic of her race. Having -taken all necessary measures, and convinced herself that the power of -the conspirators is broken, and that she has nothing to fear, she seeks -to hide her son’s fault from the people. - -July 3. To-day sorrow and fear have been spread over all the city. Early -in the morning the people were called together, and ordered to betake -themselves at a certain hour to the bazar, to be present at a great -kabar to be held there. Such an announcement always spreads terror and -apprehension among the people, for they know from sad experience that a -kabar signifies, for them, persecution, and torture, and sentences of -death. There was a general howling and wailing, a rushing and running -through the streets, as if the town had been attacked by a hostile army, -and, as if to strengthen that belief, all entrances to the town were -occupied by troops, and the poor people were torn forcibly from their -houses by the soldiers, and driven to the market-place. - -We Europeans, shut up in our house, saw very little of these scenes, -with the exception of Mr. Laborde, who, thanks to his great popularity, -could still venture abroad to pursue his usual avocations. Full of -anxious expectation, we awaited his return; he came home pale and -excited, and told us that the present kabar was the most cruel and -disastrous that had been held since his arrival at Tananariva. The -majority of the inhabitants--men, women, and children--had been -assembled in the great square, and there waited in trembling fear to -hear the royal will, which one of the officials announced in a loud -voice. - -The kabar was as follows: The queen had long suspected that there were -many Christians among her people. Within the last few days she had -become certain of the fact, and had heard with horror that several -thousands of this sect dwelt in and around Tananariva. Every one knew -how much she hated and detested this sect, and how strictly she had -forbidden the practice of their religion. As her commands were so little -regarded, she should use every effort to discover the guilty, and should -punish them with the greatest severity. The duration of the kabar was -fixed for fifteen days, and it was announced to the people, in -conclusion, that those who gave themselves up during that period should -have their lives spared, but that all who were denounced by others might -be prepared to die a terrible death. - -I can hardly believe that, after the experience the people had had this -very year, any of them will voluntarily surrender. My readers will -recollect a similar case I mentioned among the cruelties of the queen, -in which the unhappy culprits who confessed their crime had their lives -spared, according to the letter of the promise, but were fettered -heavily and perished miserably; and then the accusation was only one of -sorcery, theft, violation of graves, and other crimes, which are in the -queen’s eyes of far less consequence than that of conversion to the -Christian faith. The followers of the Christian religion might expect to -have far worse tortures practiced on them. - -Who would believe that the traitor, the denouncer of the Christians, was -a Christian himself, and half a priest into the bargain, whom the -English missionaries had honored with the title “Reverendissimus!” The -name of this miserable creature is Ratsimandisa. He belongs to the race -of the Hovas, and is a native of Tananariva, and has had a semi-European -education, which unfortunately had no effect in ennobling his mind or -his heart. In order to win the favor of the queen, and hoping to obtain -a great reward, he declared that he only pretended to adopt the -Christian religion with the view of getting a knowledge of all the -Christians, and thus giving the queen an opportunity of annihilating -them at one blow. He had really made out a complete register of the -names of Christians residing in Tananariva. Fortunately, it did not -occur to him to request an audience of the queen, and to give this -register into her own hands. He gave it to one of the ministers who -belonged to Prince Rakoto’s party, and was one of the prince’s most -faithful followers. This man would not deliver a document of such -importance to the queen without first telling the prince of the -circumstance. No sooner had the latter read the document than he tore it -in pieces, and announced that any one who dared to make out a second -list, or even to accept one with the intention of laying it before the -government, should be immediately put to death. This action certainly -saved the lives of some thousands of Christians; they gained time, and -had an opportunity of escaping, of which the majority have availed -themselves. But in the wild, inhospitable forests, where alone they can -hide themselves, without a roof to shelter them, without food to eat, -how many of these poor people must fall victims to hunger and misery! - -To increase their misfortune, an English missionary, Mr. Lebrun, had -come from the Mauritius to Tamatavé for a few days, shortly before -Ratsimandisa’s treason, and had written letters from Tamatavé to several -Christians in Tananariva, exhorting them to be firm in their faith, and -seeking to strengthen their courage with the assurance that the day of -persecution would not last much longer, and that better times would soon -come for them. The poorer among them also received promises of aid, and -some money was, it is said, distributed among them. Unhappily, a few of -these letters fell into the hands of the government, and others were -found during the search instituted in the houses of those suspected of -Christianity; and as the names of several Christians were mentioned in -these letters, to whom the missionary sent messages or greeting through -the recipients, these at least could be seized. The unhappy people were -tortured in all kinds of ways, like the Protestants of Spain in the days -of the Inquisition, to induce them to give up the names of the -Christians they knew, and the government succeeded in capturing a -tolerable number in the first few days. - -July 4. Mr. Lambert had a relapse of the fever, and, indeed, such a -severe one that we are very anxious about his life. My health, too, is -not satisfactory. I have not such violent attacks of the fever as those -from which Mr. Lambert suffers, but I can not get rid of the disease, -and my strength becomes less from day to day. - -July 6. More than two hundred Christians are said to have been either -denounced or discovered in the few days that have elapsed since the -kabar was announced. They are being sought for every where. Every house -is entered--every one suspected of Christianity, be it man, woman, or -child, is seized by the soldiers, and dragged to one of the prisons. - -Unless the fall of the government be speedily brought about, and this -Megæra deprived of her power before the expiration of the fifteen days -fixed as the duration of the kabar, there will be horrible deeds and -executions here. In spite of all the untoward events that have happened, -Messrs. Lambert and Laborde do not appear to have given up all hope, and -consider the contemplated _coup d’état_ as still practicable. I hope -with all my heart it may be so--less, I can solemnly assert, because my -own life is involved in the question, than for the sake of my numerous -brethren in the faith, and for the whole people, who would awake to a -new life under the mild rule of Prince Rakoto. But, alas! I can not -participate in the hopes of my companions. As things now stand, I can -not see the slightest prospect of success. The commander-in-chief of the -army is not to be induced to act; and it is probable that he never -intended to fulfill his promise of opening the gates of the palace to -the conspirators. The party against Prince Rakoto gains strength every -day, and there is not the slightest chance of a popular revolution. The -poor natives of Madagascar have been too much oppressed, and are too -submissive for that. They have such a wholesome terror of the power of -the queen, and the influence of the nobles and the military, that it -would be useless to try to persuade them to undertake any thing against -the existing powers. - -July 7. The queen has been told that Mr. Lambert has had a dangerous -relapse of the fever, and she sends confidential officers five or six -times in the day--different envoys each time--to ask after his health. -The officers always ask to be taken into his room, and to see him; -probably they have been commissioned to find out if his illness is real -or simulated. How the queen would rejoice at Mr. Lambert’s death! - -For the last three days Prince Rakoto has not been to see us; for his -mother, the queen, treats him almost as a prisoner. She will not let him -quit her side, alleging that she is in great danger and needs his -protection. Through this really politic course of action she gains the -twofold object of making her son appear, on the one hand, as a -non-participator in the conspiracy, and of taking from him, on the -other, all opportunity of entering into communication with his -confederates, who might, perhaps, induce him to strike a decisive blow. -She has taken farther precautions. The palace has been surrounded with -treble the usual number of guards. No one is allowed to pass near it, -and only those are admitted into the interior of whose fidelity and -loyalty the queen feels quite assured. - -July 8. Our prison is closing more straitly around us, and our position -really begins to be very critical. We have just learned that, since -yesterday evening, every one has been prohibited, on pain of death, from -entering our house. Mr. Laborde now no longer ventures to appear in the -streets. I marvel much that our slaves are still allowed to go to the -bazar, and make the necessary purchases; but doubtless this will soon be -stopped; and I am much mistaken if the moment is not at hand when the -queen will throw off the mask, and, openly denouncing us as traitors, -cause our house to be surrounded by soldiers, and thus completely -isolate us. Nobody can tell what this woman purposes to do to us, and -her character gives us no reason to expect any thing good. If we are -once made prisoners, she can easily get rid of us by means of poisoned -food or by some other method. - -Our slaves tell us that more than eight hundred soldiers are employed in -searching for Christians; they not only search the whole town, but scour -the country within a circuit of between twenty and thirty miles; but, -happily, it is said they do not take many prisoners. All flee to the -mountains and forests, and in such numbers that small detachments of -soldiers, who pursue the fugitives and seek to capture them, are put to -flight. - -July 9. To-day we received fresh news of the persecution against the -Christians. The queen has heard that until now very few prisoners, -comparatively, have been brought in; she is stated to be extremely -enraged at this, and to have exclaimed in great anger that the bowels of -the earth must be searched, and the rivers and lakes dragged with nets, -so that not one of the traitors may escape his just punishment. These -inflated expressions, and the new and strict orders she has issued to -the officers and soldiers charged with the duty of pursuing the -Christians, have, however, I am thankful to say, had no great result. -Her majesty will doubtless be enraged when she hears that the -inhabitants of whole villages have succeeded in escaping from her -vengeance by flight. Thus it happened, a few days ago, in the village of -Ambohitra-Biby, nine miles from Tananariva, that when the soldiers -arrived they found nothing but the empty huts. - -To-day at noon another great kabar was held in the market-place; the -queen caused it to be announced that all who helped the Christians in -their flight, who did not stop them, or sought to conceal them, should -suffer the punishment of death; but that those, on the contrary, who -brought them in, or hindered them in their flight, would gain the -especial favor of the queen, and in future, if they committed any -offense, should either be pardoned or subjected to a very mitigated -punishment. - -A corps of soldiers one thousand five hundred strong was also dispatched -to-day to a large district, situate on the eastern coast. This extended -region is inhabited by Seklaves, and is only partly subject to the sway -of Queen Ranavola. In a village in the independent portion, five -Catholic missionaries have been living for the last three or four years, -and have established a little congregation. The queen is naturally much -enraged at this, the more so as, boasting that she was queen of the -whole island, she issued an edict some years ago to the effect that all -white men should be killed who landed in Madagascar, or made any stay in -a place where none of her Hova soldiers are stationed. In pursuance of -this law, she intends to have these missionaries captured and executed. - -I hardly believe that the attachment of the Seklaves toward the -missionaries will be sufficiently strong to make them refuse to -surrender the latter, and expose themselves to a war against such a -powerful enemy as Queen Ranavola, and even if they risked it there would -not be the slightest prospect of a good result. Yet we cherish the hope -that before the troops can reach the spot the missionaries may have got -off safely, for Prince Rakoto has some time since sent a reliable -messenger to them to warn them of the impending danger. - -Though Prince Rakoto is to all intents and purposes a prisoner, and -unable to visit us, a day seldom passes without our receiving news from -him, and he informs us of all the schemes of the queen and her ministers -against us. Like Mr. Laborde, the prince has confidential slaves. These -trusty servants on either side meet, apparently by chance, in the bazar -or elsewhere, and exchange intelligence. Thus he let us know to-day that -the queen had given orders to have our house searched on the morrow, -upon the pretext that it was generally asserted there were Christians -concealed therein, but in reality to obtain possession of our papers and -writings. Of course we immediately concealed these as well as we could. - -We have also learned that the queen has in the last few days occupied -herself much about us, and has held long sittings with her ministers, in -which the question of our fate was discussed. If she had consulted only -her own fury, she would long ago have dispatched us into the next world; -but to kill six Europeans at once seems almost too bold a stroke; and -she is said to have told her prime minister, who voted for our death -from the first, that the only reason which deterred her from the measure -was the probability that such severity against persons of our importance -might induce the Europeans to wage war against her. Two fortunate -mistakes for us! The first, in her considering us to be important -personages; the second, that she should suppose the European powers -would take so much trouble in a matter involving only a few human lives -instead of more weighty interests. But, be this as it may, our lives are -certainly in great peril, for they are in the hands of a woman so -governed by her passions that she may at any moment cast aside all -considerations of prudence or policy. Even if our lives are spared, I -fear we shall undergo a long imprisonment; merely to banish us from the -country will not satisfy the queen, or she would have done it long ago. - -July 10. To-day our gates were suddenly opened, and about a dozen -officers of high rank, with a large train, came into the court-yard. We -thought they were coming to make the search of which the prince had -warned us; but, to our great astonishment, they explained to Mr. Lambert -that they had been sent by the queen to receive the costly presents -which he had brought with him for her and her court. - -Mr. Lambert at once had the chests brought out and unpacked; the -contents were placed, according to their various destinations, in great -baskets, which the slaves who accompanied the officers at once carried -off to the palace. A few of the officers went away with the bearers; the -others walked into our reception-room, conversed for a few moments with -Mr. Laborde and Mr. Lambert, and then very politely took their leave. - -This was the first opportunity I had had of examining the splendid -presents Mr. Lambert had brought. - -The dresses, of which he had provided a considerable number for the -queen, her sisters, and other female relatives, were really very -handsome. Mr. Lambert had procured them in Paris from the dress-maker -of the Empress of the French, and they were made according to the -empress’s own patterns. Some of these dresses had cost more than three -hundred dollars. To each were added the appropriate sash, ribbons, and -head-dress--in a word, every thing necessary to make the toilette -complete. - -Thus bedizened, the fortunate ladies for whom these splendid garments -are intended will doubtless look still more ridiculous than those who -took part in the costume ball. I fancy I see them, with their clumsy -figures and duck-like walk, in these splendid low-necked dresses, with -long trains and short sleeves; and the delicate head-dresses--how -_piquant_ and charming!--stuck at the back of their woolly polls. Truly, -if Mr. Lambert had made up his mind thoroughly to expose the ugliness of -the female world of Madagascar, he could not have found any thing more -suited to his purpose than these handsome costumes. - -Not less numerous and splendid were the presents brought for Prince -Rakoto. There were uniforms splendidly made, and as elaborately -ornamented with gold embroidery as those of the Emperor of the French -himself; private suits of the most various fabrics, forms, and colors; -embroidered cambric shirts, pocket-handkerchiefs, shoes of all kinds, -and every conceivable article of the toilet. A great deal of admiration, -and perhaps a little jealousy too, was excited among the officers by a -rich saddle-cloth, saddle, and bridle. The good people could not admire -it sufficiently; and in the reception-room one of them asked me if in -France the emperor was the only man who had such a saddle, or if the -officers had them too. I was wicked enough to reply that only the -emperor used such a handsome saddle, but that, when it became shabby, he -gave it to one of his favorites, and ordered a new one for himself. -Perhaps my querist may attach himself to the party of the prince in the -hope of gaining the confidence of his chief, and with it the reversion -of the saddle-cloth. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - - Banquets in Madagascar.--A Kabar at Court.--The Sentence.--Our - Banishment.--Departure from Tananariva.--Military - Escort.--Observations on the People.--Arrival in - Tamatavé.--Departure from Madagascar.--A false Alarm.--Arrival in - the Mauritius.--Conclusion. - - -July 11. Yesterday evening an old woman was denounced to the authorities -as a Christian. She was seized immediately, and this morning--my pen -almost refuses to record the cruel torture to which the unhappy creature -was subjected--they dragged her to the market-place, and her backbone -was sawn asunder. - -But a thousand horrors like these will not move the powers of Europe to -come to the rescue of this unhappy people. In one respect, civilized and -uncivilized governments are strangely alike; both are swayed only by -political considerations, and humanity does not enter into their -calculations. - -July 12. This morning, I am sorry to say, six Christians were seized in -a hut at a village not far from the city. The soldiers had already -searched the hut, and were ready to depart, when one of them heard a -cough. A new search was at once begun, and in a great hole dug in the -earth, and covered over with straw, the poor victims were discovered. -What astonished me most in this episode was, that the other inhabitants -of the village, who were not Christians, did not betray the concealed -ones, although they must have had intelligence of the last kabar, -threatening death to all who kept Christians concealed, favored their -flight, or neglected to assist in their capture. I should not have -thought so much generosity existed among this people. Unfortunately, it -met with a bad reward. The commanding officer cared nothing for the -magnanimity of the action; he kept strictly to his instructions, and -caused not only the six Christians, but the whole population of the -village--men, women, and children--to be bound and dragged to the -capital. - -I fear there will be horrible scenes of blood. The poor people may all -be executed, for it will be presumed that they were aware of their -neighbors’ hiding-place. From the queen they have certainly no mercy to -expect, for she has death-sentences carried out with the utmost rigor; -indeed, no instance is known in which she has pardoned any one condemned -to lose his life. - -Prince Rakoto sent us word to-day that the queen intended giving a great -banquet to Mr. Lambert, to which all the other Europeans would of course -be invited. What is the meaning of this? For more than a week we have -been treated like state prisoners, and now all at once we are to have -this distinction! Are our prospects brightening, or is it a trap? I fear -the latter. - -We were no ways rejoiced at this news, for even if the invitation does -not conceal some treacherous design, we have a drearily irksome ordeal -to go through. The more the queen wishes to honor the guest whom she -invites to a banquet, the more tremendous is the banquet placed before -him, and the greater is the number of hours he is compelled to pass at -table; for the duration of time is considered an element in the -distinction. When Mr. Lambert came to Tananariva for the first time, the -queen gave a banquet in honor of him. It consisted of several hundreds -of dishes, materials for which had been collected from every part of the -island. The rarest dainties (of course for Madagascar palates) were -served up, including land-and water-beetles, the latter being considered -particularly delicious; locusts, silk-worms, and other insects. The -banquet lasted more than twenty-four hours, during the greater part of -which period the assembled guests were employed in consuming the various -dainties. Of course Mr. Lambert could not remain so long at table, and, -with the queen’s permission, rose from time to time; but he was obliged -to remain present till all was over. - -Even while we were on the best terms with the queen we had looked -forward to such an invitation with great apprehension; how much more -dismayed ought we not to feel under present circumstances, when this -banquet may prove our death-meal! But, if the queen chooses to show us -this honor, we must accept it, for if it has been settled that we are to -die, we have no chance of escaping our fate. - -July 13. This woman is said never to have been seen in such continued -ill-humor, in such fits of rage, as she has exhibited for the last eight -or ten days. That augurs ill for us, but is far more unfortunate for the -poor Christians, whom she causes to be pursued with a more furious zeal -than she has shown since her accession. Almost every day kabars are held -in the bazars of the city and in those of the neighboring villages, in -which the people are exhorted to denounce the Christians; and they are -told the queen is certain that, all the misfortunes which have befallen -the country are solely attributable to this sect, and that she shall not -rest until the last Christian has been exterminated. - -What an inestimable mercy was it for those poor persecuted people that -the register of their names fell into the hands of Prince Rakoto, who -destroyed it! had this not been the case, there would have been -executions without number. It is now hoped that, in spite of the queen’s -rage, and of all her commands and exhortations, not more than perhaps -forty or fifty victims will be sacrificed. Many of the great men of the -kingdom and many of the royal officials are Christians in secret, and -try to assist the escape of their brethren in every possible way. We -have been assured that, of the two hundred Christians who were captured -some days ago, and also among the villagers who were brought yesterday -to the city in a body, by far the greater number have escaped. - -July 16. We have just received intelligence of a very great kabar held -yesterday in the queen’s palace. It lasted six hours, and the discussion -is reported to have been very stormy. This kabar concerned us Europeans, -and the question of our fate was debated. According to the usual way of -the world, nearly all our friends began to fall away from us from the -moment when they saw that our cause was lost; and, in order to divert -suspicion from themselves, the majority insisted more vehemently on our -condemnation than even our enemies. That we deserved to be punished with -death was soon unanimously resolved, but the method by which we were to -be dispatched to the next world gave rise to much discussion and debate. -Some voted for a public execution in the market-place, others for a -nocturnal attack on our house, and others, again, for an invitation to -the before-mentioned banquet, at which we were to be poisoned, or -murdered at a given signal. - -The queen was undecided between these various proposals, but would -certainly have accepted one of them had not Prince Rakoto been our -protecting spirit. He spoke with the greatest energy against the -sentence of death, warned the queen not to let her anger lead her -astray, and expressed his conviction that the European powers would -certainly not allow the execution of six such important (?) persons as -we were to pass unpunished. The prince is said never to have spoken with -such warmth and energy to the queen as on this occasion. - -We received all this intelligence partly, as I have stated, through -confidential slaves of the prince, partly from the few friends who, -contrary to expectation, have remained true to us. - -July 17. Our captivity had already lasted thirteen long days--for -thirteen long days we had lived in the most trying suspense as to our -impending fate, expecting every moment to hear some fatal news, and -alarmed day and night at every slight noise. It was a terrible time. - -This morning I was sitting at my writing-table; I had just put down my -pen, and was thinking that, after the last kabar, the queen must at -least have come to some decision, when suddenly I heard an unusual stir -in the court-yard. I was hastily quitting my room, the windows of which -were in the opposite direction, to see what was the matter, when Mr. -Laborde came to meet me with the announcement that a great kabar was -being held in the court-yard, and that we Europeans were summoned to be -present thereat. - -We went accordingly, and found more than a hundred persons--judges, -nobles, and officers--sitting in a large half circle on benches and -chairs, and some on the ground; behind them stood a number of soldiers. -One of the officers received us, and made us sit down opposite the -judges. These judges were shrouded in long simbus; their glances rested -gloomily and gravely upon us, and for a considerable time there was deep -silence. I confess to having felt somewhat alarmed, and whispered to Mr. -Laborde, “I think our last hour has come!” His reply was, “I am prepared -for every thing.” - -At length one of the ministers or judges rose, and in sepulchral tones, -embellished with a multitude of high-sounding epithets, he spoke -somewhat to the following effect, telling us: - -“The people had heard that we were Republicans, and that we had come to -Madagascar with the intention of introducing a similar form of -government here; that we intended to overturn the throne of their -beloved ruler, to give the people equal rights with the nobility, and to -abolish slavery; also, that we had had several interviews with the -Christians, a sect equally obnoxious to the queen and the people, and -had exhorted them to hold fast to their faith, and to expect speedy -succor. These treasonable proceedings,” he continued, “had so greatly -exasperated the natives against us, that the queen had been compelled to -treat us as prisoners as a protection against the popular indignation. -The whole population of Tananariva was clamoring for our death; but as -the queen had never yet deprived a white person of life, she would -abstain in this instance also, though the crimes we had committed could -fully have justified her in such a course; in her magnanimity and mercy -she had accordingly decided to limit our punishment to perpetual -banishment from her territories. - -“Mr. Lambert, Mr. Marius, the two other Europeans who lived at Mr. -Laborde’s, and myself, were accordingly to depart from the city within -an hour. Mr. Laborde might remain twenty-four hours longer; and, in -consideration of his former services, he was to be allowed to take away -all his property that was not fixed, with the exception of his slaves. -These, with his houses, estates, etc., were to revert to the queen, by -whose bounty they had been bestowed on him. With regard to his son, -inasmuch as the youth was a native by the mother’s side, and might be -supposed, on account of his tender years, to have taken no part in the -conspiracy, it should be optional with him either to remain in the -island or to quit it with us. - -“The queen would allow us, and Mr. Laborde also, as many bearers as we -required to carry us and our property, and, as a measure of precaution, -she would cause us to be escorted by a company of soldiers, consisting -of fifty privates, twenty officers, and a commandant. Mr. Laborde would -have a similar escort, and was commanded to keep at least one day’s -journey in our rear.” - -In spite of our critical position, we could hardly refrain from -laughing at this oration. All at once the people were made out to be -important--the poor people who were groaning in bondage like Russian -serfs or the slaves of the United States; now all at once we found the -poor people influencing the royal will, and invested with the right, not -only of expressing a wish, but even of uttering threats! The orator, -however, did not seem at all familiar with the word people, frequently -substituting for it that of “queen,” by mistake, in the course of his -speech. - -Of course we were not allowed to say a single word in our own defense or -justification, nor, indeed, did we think of such a thing; for we were -very glad to escape so easily, and could hardly understand this -unexpected magnanimity on her majesty’s part. Alas! we neither knew nor -suspected what sufferings lay before us. - -At the close of the kabar Mr. Lambert received back the presents which -had been carried away a few days before; but not all of them, as we -could see at the first glance. I fancy, however, that the missing -articles had not been detained by the queen, but by the officers and -grandees. Prince Rakoto kept nearly the whole of his share, sending back -only a few trifles, as it seemed, in nominal acquiescence to the queen’s -wishes. - -All the officers and nobles among whom Mr. Lambert had distributed -presents were ordered to bring them back; but the considerable sums of -money they had received from the visitor, and of which the queen knew -nothing, remained in their possession. - -Within an hour we were not only to get our baggage in order, and make -the necessary preparations for our journey in the way of laying in -provisions, but likewise to pack up all the valuable articles returned -to Mr. Lambert. How to do this was the question. Most of the chests had -been broken to pieces; for, after the queen had so solemnly fetched away -the presents, who would have thought of their being sent back? - -We were really in a very serious dilemma; but there was no help for it. -So Mr. Lambert looked out the costliest articles in all haste, and we -threw pell-mell into our traveling trunks whatever we could cram in, and -pressed a few of the least battered of the chests into the service; thus -in a few hours we were ready to start. Fortunately for us, the officers, -soldiers, and bearers did not interpret the queen’s commands so -literally as we should have done. They set about their preparations -deliberately enough, and the rest of the day passed without our seeing -any thing more of them. We did not set out on our journey till the next -morning; and this delay gave Mr. Lambert an opportunity of packing up -many more of the returned presents. - -July 18. With a truly heartfelt joy I turned my back upon a place where -I had suffered so much, and in which I heard of nothing all day long but -of poisonings and executions. This very morning, for example, a few -hours before our departure, ten Christians were put to death, with the -most frightful tortures. During their passage from the prison to the -market-place, the soldiers continually thrust at them with their spears; -and when they arrived at the place of execution, they were almost stoned -to death before their tormentors mercifully cut off the victims’ heads. -I am told that the poor creatures behaved with great fortitude, and -continued to sing hymns till they died. - -On our way through the city we had to pass the market-place, and -encountered this terrible spectacle as a parting scene. Involuntarily -the thought arose within me that the magnanimity of so cruel and cunning -a woman could not be greatly depended on, and that perhaps the people -might have received secret orders to fall upon us and stone us to death. -But such was not the case. The natives came flocking round in crowds to -see us, and many even accompanied us a long distance from curiosity, but -no one offered to molest or insult us in any way. - -Our progress from the capital to Tamatavé was one of the most -disagreeable and toilsome journeys I had ever made; never, in all my -various wanderings, had I endured any thing like such suffering. The -queen had not dared to have us publicly executed, but we soon discovered -her object to be that we should perish on our journey from the capital. -Mr. Lambert and I were suffering severely from fever. It was very -dangerous for us to stay long in the low-lying lands, where we were -inhaling deleterious gases, and highly important that we should travel -to Tamatavé as quickly as possible, and embark without delay for the -Mauritius, in quest of a better climate, proper nursing, and, above all, -of medical assistance; for there is no physician to be found at -Tananariva, or elsewhere in Madagascar, where every person doctors -himself as best he can. But we were not allowed to proceed as we wished. -The queen had issued her orders in a very different spirit; and, instead -of accomplishing the journey in eight days, the time usually occupied, -we were made to linger fifty-three days, nearly eight weeks, on the -road. In the most pestiferous regions we were left in wretched huts for -one or two weeks at a time; and frequently, when we suffered from -violent attacks of fever, our escort dragged us from our miserable -couches, and we had to continue our journey whether the day was fine or -rainy. - -At Befora, one of the most unhealthy places on the whole line of -march--a squalid little village, so entirely surrounded by morasses that -it was impossible to advance fifty paces on firm ground--we were -detained eighteen entire days. Mr. Lambert endeavored by all conceivable -means to induce the commandant to accelerate our progress, and even, I -believe, offered him a considerable sum of money, but all his efforts -were vain. The queen’s orders had probably been so distinct and -peremptory that the officer dared not evade them in any way. - -The huts in which we were lodged were generally in such a wretched -condition that they scarcely afforded shelter from the weather. Wind and -rain came rushing in every direction through the broken roofs and the -three half-decayed walls. To increase my sufferings, I had not even the -necessary bedding; and my warm clothes, in which I might have wrapped -myself at night, were stolen during our first day’s march. I had not, -like my companions, two or three servants, who could take care of my -things; unfortunately, I was master and servant both in one, and in my -weak state I found it impossible to attend to any thing. Whenever we -came to our resting-places I threw myself on my couch, and was often -unable to rise for days together. And what a couch it was! a thin mat, a -hard pillow, with my traveling cloak for a coverlet. One of the -missionaries afterward gave me one of his own pillows. During the whole -fifty-three days I did not change my clothes once, for my most earnest -entreaties were powerless to move the commandant to assign me a separate -place where I might dress and undress. We were thrust all together into -the same hut, however small it might be. My sufferings were beyond -description during the last three weeks, when I was unable even to raise -myself from my bed and totter a few paces. - -Every illness is trying; but the Madagascar fever is, perhaps, one of -the most malignant of all diseases, and in my opinion it is far more -formidable than the yellow fever or the cholera. In the two last-named -diseases the patient’s sufferings are certainly more violent, but a few -days decide the question of death or recovery, while, on the other hand, -this horrible fever hangs about those it attacks month after month. -Violent pains are felt in the lower parts of the body, frequent -vomitings ensue, with total loss of appetite, and such weakness that the -sufferer can hardly move hand or foot. At last a feeling of entire -apathy supervenes, from which the sick person is unable to rouse -himself by even the strongest exertion of his will. I, who had been -accustomed from my earliest childhood to employment and activity, was -now best pleased when I could lie stretched for days on my couch, sunk -in a kind of trance, and wholly indifferent to what was going on around -me. This apathy, moreover, is not peculiar to persons of my age when -attacked by this illness, but is felt by the strongest men in the prime -of life; and it continues to plague the patient, as do also the pains in -the body, long after the fever itself has left him. - -In the village of Eranomaro we met a French physician from the island of -Bourbon who had made an agreement with the queen and some of the nobles -to come to Tananariva for a few months every two years, bringing with -him some necessary medicaments. Mr. Lambert and I wished to consult this -gentleman on the subject of our fever, and to procure some medicine from -him. I specially stood in need of his help, for I was in far worse -health than Mr. Lambert, who only had attacks of fever once a fortnight, -while in my case they recurred every third or fourth day. The commandant -refused to allow us to go and see the physician, or to request him to -visit us, declaring that he had been imperatively commanded by the queen -herself not to let us hold communication with any one on our way, and -least of all with a European. This strictness, as we afterward learned, -was confined to ourselves, and was purposely intended to cut us off from -any assistance. Mr. Laborde, who traveled a few days’ journey in the -rear of our party, was much more leniently treated, and was allowed, on -meeting the physician, to spend a whole evening in his company. - -Though the journey from Tananariva to Tamatavé lasted long enough in all -conscience, I had scant opportunity of seeing any thing of the manners -and customs of the people, being hampered as much by my illness as by -the strict surveillance under which we were placed. What cursory -observations I could make showed me that the natives possess some very -bad qualities. They are excessively idle, very frequently intoxicate -themselves, chatter continually, and seem to be entirely destitute of -natural modesty. - -Thus our soldiers, who received neither provisions nor pay, and who -often suffered the greatest privations, would, I think, have died of -hunger rather than endeavor to earn any thing by any slight service. At -first I pitied the poor fellows, and bought rice and sweet potatoes for -them now and then, or made them a little present of money. When we came -to the forest region, where beautiful insects and snails were to be -found in abundance, I requested the men to procure me some specimens, -offering to pay for them in rice or money. My promises were unheeded; -not one of these people could I induce to comply. They would rather -crouch in any corner and suffer hunger than subject themselves to the -least exertion. This was not only the case among the soldiers; the -natives generally--men, women, and children--were all alike lazy. During -my first stay at Tamatavé, before visiting the capital, I had wished to -take three or four persons into monthly pay, and send them out into the -woods to collect specimens of insects, and offered four times the wages -they usually receive, promising a farther reward whenever they brought -me any thing really fine; but not a soul responded to my appeal. Just as -vainly did I display to the women and children my store of handsome -large glass beads, rings, bracelets, and similar treasures. They were -delighted with the articles, and would have been glad to possess them, -but only if I would give them away unconditionally. Never have I met -with such thoroughly indolent people. In nearly every country I visited -during my travels, and even among the quite uncivilized inhabitants of -Borneo and Sumatra, the natives often helped me, of their own accord, -when they saw me searching for shells and insects, or snails; and if I -rewarded them with a trifling gift, they brought me more than I could -carry away. I thus often made valuable collections; and here, in this -unexplored country, where there must be an abundance of insect life, I -unfortunately found it impossible to obtain any thing like a respectable -show. The few specimens I possess I have been obliged, almost without -exception, to collect for myself. - -Drunkenness prevails throughout every district of Madagascar, with the -exception of the Emir territory, where some of the severe laws of -Dianampoiene, the founder of the Malagasey monarchy, are still observed; -among which there is one prohibiting the sale of ardent spirits, under -pain of death, and commanding the summary execution of every drunkard. -In this last-named district the people seem much more steady, orderly, -and respectable than in the others, where intemperance goes unpunished. -The favorite drink of the natives is the before-mentioned besa-besa, -prepared from the juice of the sugar-cane. In almost every village -drunkards of both sexes are seen reeling about even in the daytime; and -late at night we often heard music and singing, loud voices and -laughter, and not unfrequently quarreling and fighting. - -Judged by this apparently continual state of hilarity, the people here -would seem to be the happiest on earth; but the condition of the poor -creatures is that of slaves and bondmen, and, like true serfs, they seek -in the pleasures of intoxication forgetfulness of their bondage and -misery. - -Greatly as the Hovas and Malagaseys are addicted to drink, they are, I -think, still more fond of chattering. They seem unable to hold their -peace for two minutes together; and instead of saying their say quietly -and peaceably, they talk with such haste and eagerness, that it would -seem they thought the day too short for the interchange of their ideas. -Those who are not speaking keep up an almost continual laugh, so that I -often asked to be informed of the subject of their conversation, -thinking that something very witty and amusing was going on. But every -time I was assured that I was mistaken; their talking was of the most -trivial and sometimes of the most untranslatable kind, and they repeated -the same things a dozen times within the hour. - -An instance of the peculiar garrulousness of these people came under my -own notice. Once, at Tananariva, I sent a messenger upon some errand, -and noticed that he immediately sought for a companion. On my announcing -that I would pay one messenger, but not two, my Mercury assured me I -need not give his comrade any thing, but added that he could not think -of accomplishing his journey on a long and solitary road without having -some one to converse with, and that he should therefore give his -companion a share of the fee. - -Our bearers were no exception to the general rule. They chattered and -laughed without a moment’s pause, so that my poor sick head sometimes -fairly reeled. At first I fondly fancied, when we came to a steep hill, -that the exertion would make them pause. Vain hope! they panted and -groaned, but they never left off talking. - -I have spoken of the impudence and shamelessness of these people; but my -pen refuses to record the scenes I witnessed on this doleful journey. We -were looked upon as state prisoners, and accordingly treated with less -respect and consideration than we had received during our progress to -the capital; and the natives who escorted us showed themselves without -disguise in all their natural viciousness. Frequently I did not know -which way to look; and my companions often pronounced me fortunate in my -ignorance of the native language. - -At length, on the 12th of September, we arrived at Tamatavé; and we two -fever-patients, Mr. Lambert and I, had not done Queen Ranavola the -favor of dying, after all. It was really almost a miracle that we -escaped with our lives, and I, for my part, never expected that my weak, -exhausted frame could have endured the compulsory long delays in -unwholesome regions, the cruel usage, and the continual succession of -various hardships to which we had been subjected. - -Neither Mr. Lambert nor I could obtain permission to stay in -Mademoiselle Julie’s house. We were taken to a little hut, and were -there guarded with the same strictness that had been exhibited on the -whole route. The commander of the escort announced to us that we were to -quit the island by the first ship that sailed for the Mauritius, and -that he had received orders to prevent us from holding communication -with any person in Tamatavé, and to accompany us with his soldiers till -we had fairly embarked. - -I must say for the commandant and his officers that they fulfilled to -the very letter the orders the queen had given them; and if her majesty -of Madagascar should ever think of establishing an order of knighthood, -as she may probably some day do, they deserve to be Grand Crosses, every -one. - -Queen Ranavola will probably take another view of the case, and these -zealous servants will, I fancy, be very ungraciously received when they -return with the unwelcome news that Mr. Lambert and I have quitted -Madagascar alive. I am sorry for her disappointment, but am selfish -enough to think it is better that it has happened so, after all. - -We were fortunate enough to be detained only three days at Tamatavé. On -the 16th of September a ship was ready to sail for the Mauritius, and we -were then obliged to tear ourselves from our amiable escort and this -hospitable country. I shed no parting tear on the occasion--my heart -felt light as I stepped on board; and it was with intense satisfaction -that I saw the boat containing the commandant and his men paddling back -to the shore. Nevertheless, I do not regret having undertaken this -journey, and shall do so the less if I am fortunate enough to regain my -health. - -In Madagascar I saw and heard more marvelous things than had come under -my notice in any other country; and if little can be said to the -advantage of the people, it must be remembered that, under the cruel, -insensate rule of Queen Ranavola, and in the entire absence of -instruction in religion and morality, no great expectations can -reasonably be formed. If Madagascar should once obtain a well-ordered, -civilized government, and should be visited by missionaries who, instead -of busying themselves with political intrigues, would devote their -energies to imparting the Christian religion, in its true sense, to the -people, a happy and flourishing kingdom may be founded in this beautiful -land: the materials of prosperity are certainly not wanting. - -Of our return journey to the Mauritius I have little to tell. Our -vessel, the brig “Castro,” Captain Schneider, was about as slow a sailer -as the _quondam_ man-of-war which had borne us from the Mauritius to -Tamatavé about five months ago; and as the wind was not very favorable -to us, six days were consumed in the passage; but, in the enjoyment of -our newly-attained freedom, they fled blithely away. - -At nine o’clock in the evening of the 22d of September we arrived in the -Mauritian waters, when an accident of a highly dangerous character -occurred, which might have cost us all our lives, to the great -satisfaction, no doubt, in such an event, of Queen Ranavola. The night -being dark and cloudy, the captain determined to cast anchor, and to -have the ship taken into harbor next morning by a steam-tug. Every -preparation had been made, and they were just about to let go the -anchor, when the rudder struck with such violence against a rock that -it was shattered into atoms. The crash of the broken beams and planks -was so great that it seemed as though the whole vessel were going to -pieces. I was already in bed, and started up in alarm to see what could -be the matter, when I heard the shout of the second officer, “Come up -this moment, Madame Pfeiffer, if you want to be saved; the ship is -broken in two, and sinking.” - -I threw my cloak round me and hurried on deck. The kind officer, Mr. St. -Ange, helped me into one of the boats, and told me to sit still, and I -should be quite safe. On a closer inspection, it happily turned out that -the ship had not even sprung a leak, and that the whole damage was -limited to the loss of the rudder and the fright we had endured. - -The anchors were lowered, and we went quietly to bed. Next morning the -bright sunshine woke us, signals were hoisted, and a steam-tug came -puffing out to tow us into the welcome harbor of the Mauritius. - -My friends here were very much surprised to see me again. It appeared -that the most exaggerated reports had been received from Tamatavé of the -unfortunate issue of our undertaking. Some people gave out that Queen -Ranavola had caused all the Europeans in Tananariva to be executed; -others declared that the sentence of death had only been carried out on -Mr. Lambert, and that the rest, including myself, had been sold as -slaves; while another party maintained that we had been banished from -the country, and murdered on the journey by command of the queen. - -I was happily enabled to give a very practical denial to these reports; -but the danger was not yet quite past. A few days after my arrival, the -moral and physical sufferings I had undergone, added to the peculiar -effects of the fever, brought on such a severe illness that the doctors -were long doubtful about my recovery, and I should certainly have died -but for the kind and active sympathy of the Moon family. - -Mr. Moon, a medical man and apothecary, lives in a very retired manner, -with his amiable wife, on a sugar-plantation in Vacoa. I had, my readers -will remember, spent a few very happy days with this family before my -departure for Madagascar. As soon as Mr. Moon heard that I had returned -from my journey, and was very ill, he came to the capital to take me to -his house, where I arrived almost in a dying state. To his, and to Dr. -A. Perrot’s scientific skill, and to the unceasing care bestowed upon me -in his house, I have to ascribe my recovery; and it chanced that exactly -on my sixtieth birthday, the 9th of October, 1860, I was pronounced out -of danger. - -May God reward Dr. Moon and his wife, and Dr. Perrot, for all they did -for me, a total stranger as I was to them! - - * * * * * - -Here the diary of Madame Ida Pfeiffer ends. Unhappily, the hopes -expressed in its last lines were delusive. The danger was not past; and -though the attacks of the fever left her for longer or shorter periods, -they always returned, and she never entirely recovered her health and -strength. Her stay in the Mauritius was prolonged through several -months; and the letters written by her during this period to her sons -show that she had made various plans for new voyages, none of which were -destined to be carried into effect. - -Thus, in a letter dated the 16th of December, 1857, she wrote: - -“My sufferings from fever, and especially from its effects, have been -great, and are not yet quite past; but I hope that a sea-voyage will -completely set me up. I can not go to Europe at this season of the year. -I should have to contend against cold and bad weather, and am not sure -if I could do so in my present state of health. To wait here for better -weather would not do, as the air of this island does not agree with me, -so I shall probably proceed to Australia.” - -In another letter, of the 13th of January, she says: - -“I hope this is the last letter I shall date from the Mauritius. I shall -really be very glad to bid farewell to this island; but the parting from -the Moon and Kerr families will be very, very bitter. If these excellent -people had not taken care of me as they did, I should certainly have -perished here. No daughter could tend her mother with greater solicitude -than Mrs. Moon evinced toward me; and, indeed, all the members of both -families have vied with each other in doing me all kinds of service. My -dear sons, store up these names in your memory; and if chance should -ever bring you together with any one belonging to either of these -households, look upon them as brothers, and esteem yourselves happy if -you can do any thing for them. - -“For the last three weeks my health has been improving day by day; the -fever seems at last about to quit me entirely; I can sleep now, and my -appetite is returning. - -“A few days ago I made the acquaintance of a young German botanist here, -Mr. Herbst. He resides at Rio de Janeiro, and has been sent by the -Brazilian government to the Mauritius and the Ile de Bourbon to collect -sugar-cane plants, to improve the species cultivated in the Brazils. He -is to take a whole cargo home with him, and hopes to arrive in Rio de -Janeiro in May. I almost intended to accompany him; but, as I do not -know if you will be there at that date, it will perhaps be better to -make the voyage to Australia first. I have met with a very good -opportunity of going to Sydney, and shall start in a few days; the -sea-voyage, and the bracing air in Australia, where I shall arrive at -the best season of the year, late in autumn, will, I hope, set the seal -on my recovery, and entirely re-establish my health.” - -Only two days later, in a letter dated the 1st of March, she thus wrote: - -“I was compelled suddenly to give up my project on account of the -detestable Madagascar fever, which persists in returning, and weakens me -very much. I was ready to embark for Australia, and had sent the greater -part of my effects on board, when I was seized with a fresh attack. I -had my chest landed from the ship, and intend to start on the 8th with -the packet for London, where I shall, however, only stay a short time, -for it is my wish to get to my own home as fast as possible.” - -At length she quitted the Mauritius. During the tedious passage she -experienced no attack of fever, and at the beginning of the month of -June arrived in London, where she, however, only remained a few weeks. -From London she betook herself to Hamburg; but there, too, she could not -find rest; and in the month of July she went to Berlin, on the -invitation of her friend, the wife of Privy Councilor Weisz, in whose -house she was nursed with the tenderest care. - -Her brothers sent urgent letters, begging her to come home to her native -Vienna, and Madame Maria Reyer, the wife of her brother, Cæsar Reyer, -wished to proceed to Berlin for the express purpose of fetching her. But -she positively declined this proposal. Although her strength was waning -from day to day, she seems to have considered her illness as only -temporary, and in this belief she wrote to her brother, expressing a -hope that she should soon recover, or at least be in a better condition -for traveling, and promised them to come to Vienna. - -Still she seemed to yearn secretly for home; and when week after week -elapsed without bringing any improvement in her health, she had herself -conveyed to the residence of a friend, Baroness Stem, who lived on an -estate in the neighborhood of Cracow. - -Her illness unhappily increased, and at last, abandoning the hope of a -speedy recovery, she consented to be removed to Vienna. Her -sister-in-law came for her; and sad indeed was the meeting with her -affectionate friend and relative, who found her in such a weak condition -as to despair of the possibility of proceeding to Vienna. But as the -physician declared that she might undertake the journey, and the sick -lady herself showed the greatest anxiety to behold her home once more, -she was taken with the greatest care, in a separate railway carriage, to -Vienna, to the house of her brother, Charles Reyer, where she arrived in -September. - -Here several medical consultations were held upon her case, to which her -brother summoned the most distinguished physicians of the capital. One -and all pronounced that she was suffering from cancer in the liver--a -consequence probably of the Madagascar fever; that the disease had -deranged and was destroying the internal organs, and that her malady was -incurable. - -Her native air seemed to do her good; for a few weeks she suffered but -little pain, and new hope awoke within her; she even spoke of -undertaking short journeys, and visiting her friends in Grätz, Trieste, -and other places. But this restlessness was probably only a symptom of -her disease, for her strength gave way more and more; violent pains came -on, which continued almost without intermission during the last four -weeks of her life, and frequently she sank into delirium. - -She was most affectionately tended and nursed in her brother’s house, -under the especial supervision of her sister-in-law, whose affection for -her was so great as to keep her continually by the sufferer’s bedside; -and a few days before her death she had the happiness to embrace her -eldest son, who lived in Steyermark, and hastened to Vienna upon the -first intelligence of his mother’s serious illness. - -During the last days of her life opiates were administered to lessen her -sufferings, and in the night between the 27th and 28th of October she -expired peacefully, and apparently without pain. - -Her funeral took place on the 30th of the same month. Besides a very -numerous gathering of relations and personal friends, many scientific -notabilities and other distinguished inhabitants of Vienna followed her -to the grave. Peace be to her ashes! - - * * * * * - -Let me be permitted herewith to offer my warmest, my most heartfelt -thanks to you, dear Aunt Maria Reyer, and to you, dear Uncle Charles -Reyer, for all you did for my mother. Unhappily, I was not privileged to -hear her last words or to receive her parting glance, for I was far away -when the sad news was brought me. Through you both, I at least enjoy the -consolation of knowing that my poor mother had every care and attention -shown to her, and that she heard friendly and beloved voices around her -bed to the last. - -To our other relations, and the numerous friends who showed her such -true, such delicate kindness, and particularly to Mr. and Mrs. Moon, in -the Mauritius, I return my most hearty thanks. Let them be assured that -their names will ever live in my memory with the remembrance of my -beloved mother. - - OSCAR PFEIFFER. - - -THE END. - - * * * * * - -_Mr. Motley, the American historian of the United Netherlands--we owe -him English homage._--LONDON TIMES. - -“_As interesting as a romance, and as reliable as a proposition of -Euclid._” - - -History of The United Netherlands. - -FROM THE DEATH OF WILLIAM THE SILENT TO THE SYNOD OF DORT. WITH A FULL -VIEW OF THE ENGLISH-DUTCH STRUGGLE AGAINST SPAIN, AND OF THE ORIGIN AND -DESTRUCTION OF THE SPANISH ARMADA. - -BY JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY, LL.D., D.C.L., Corresponding Member of the -Institute of France, Author of “The Rise of the Dutch Republic.” - -With Portraits and Map. - -2 vols. 8vo, Muslin, $4 00; Sheep, $4 50; Half Calf, $6 00. - - -_Critical Notices._ - -His living and truthful picture of events.--_Quarterly Review_ (London), -Jan., 1861. - -Fertile as the present age has been in historical works of the highest -merit, none of them can be ranked above these volumes in the grand -qualities of interest, accuracy, and truth.--_Edinburgh Quarterly -Review_, Jan., 1861. - -This noble work.--_Westminster Review_ (London). - -One of the most fascinating as well as important histories of the -century.--_Cor. N. Y. Evening Post._ - -The careful study of these volumes will infallibly afford a feast both -rich and rare.--_Baltimore Republican._ - -Already takes a rank among standard works of history.--_London Critic._ - -Mr. Motley’s prose epic.--_London Spectator._ - -Its pages are pregnant with instruction.--_London Literary Gazette._ - -We may profit by almost every page of his narrative. All the topics -which agitate us now are more or less vividly presented in the History -of the United Netherlands.--_New York Times._ - -Bears on every page marks of the same vigorous mind that produced “The -Rise of the Dutch Republic;” but the new work is riper, mellower, and -though equally racy of the soil, softer flavored. The inspiring idea -which breathes through Mr. Motley’s histories and colors the whole -texture of his narrative, is the grandeur of that memorable struggle in -the 16th century by which the human mind broke the thraldom of religious -intolerance and achieved its independence.--_The World, N. Y._ - -The name of Motley now stands in the very front rank of living -historians. His _Dutch Republic_ took the world by surprise; but the -favorable verdict then given is now only the more deliberately confirmed -on the publication of the continued story under the title of the -_History of the United Netherlands_. All the nerve, and power, and -substance of juicy life are there, lending a charm to every -page.--_Church Journal, N. Y._ - -Motley, indeed, has produced a prose epic, and his fighting scenes are -as real, spirited, and life-like as the combats in the Iliad.--_The -Press_ (Phila.). - -His history is as interesting as a romance, and as reliable as a -proposition of Euclid. Clio never had a more faithful disciple. We -advise every reader whose means will permit to become the owner of these -fascinating volumes, assuring him that he will never regret the -investment.--_Christian Intelligencer, N. Y._ - -Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, -Franklin Square, New York. - -☛ HARPER & BROTHERS will send the above Work by Mail, postage pre-paid -(for any distance in the United States under 3000 miles), on receipt of -the Money. - - * * * * * - -“They do honor to American Literature, and would do honor to the -Literature of any Country in the World.” - -THE RISE OF THE DUTCH REPUBLIC. A history. - -BY JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY. - - New Edition. With a Portrait of WILLIAM OF ORANGE. 3 vols. 8vo, - Muslin, $6 00; Sheep, $6 75; Half Calf antique, $9 00; Half Calf, - extra gilt, $10 50. - - -We regard this work as the best contribution to modern history that has -yet been made by an American.--_Methodist Quarterly Review._ - -The “History of the Dutch Republic” is a great gift to us; but the heart -and earnestness that beat through all its pages are greater, for they -give us most timely inspiration to vindicate the true ideas of our -country, and to compose an able history of our own.--_Christian -Examiner_ (Boston). - -This work bears on its face the evidences of scholarship and research. -The arrangement is clear and effective; the style energetic, lively, and -often brilliant. * * * Mr. Motley’s instructive volumes will, we trust, -have a circulation commensurate with their interest and -value.--_Protestant Episcopal Quarterly Review._ - -To the illustration of this most interesting period Mr. Motley has -brought the matured powers of a vigorous and brilliant mind, and the -abundant fruits of patient and judicious study and deep reflection. The -result is, one of the most important contributions to historical -literature that have been made in this country.--_North American -Review._ - -We would conclude this notice by earnestly recommending our readers to -procure for themselves this truly great and admirable work, by the -production of which the author has conferred no less honor upon his -country than he has won praise and fame for himself, and than which, we -can assure them, they can find nothing more attractive or interesting -within the compass of modern literature.--_Evangelical Review._ - -It is not often that we have the pleasure of commending to the attention -of the lover of books a work of such extraordinary and unexceptionable -excellence as this one.--_Universalist Quarterly Review._ - -There are an elevation and a classic polish in these volumes, and a -felicity of grouping and of portraiture, which invest the subject with -the attractions of a living and stirring episode in the grand historic -drama.--_Southern Methodist Quarterly Review._ - -The author writes with a genial glow and love of his -subject.--_Presbyterian Quarterly Review._ - -Mr. Motley is a sturdy Republican and a hearty Protestant. His style is -lively and picturesque, and his work is an honor and an important -accession to our national literature.--_Church Review._ - -Mr. Motley’s work is an important one, the result of profound research, -sincere convictions, sound principles, and manly sentiments; and even -those who are most familiar with the history of the period will find in -it a fresh and vivid addition to their previous knowledge. It does honor -to American literature, and would do honor to the literature of any -country in the world.--_Edinburgh Review._ - -A serious chasm in English historical literature has been (by this book) -very remarkably filled. * * * A history as complete as industry and -genius can make it now lies before us, of the first twenty years of the -revolt of the United Provinces. * * * All the essentials of a great -writer Mr. Motley eminently possesses. His mind is broad, his industry -unwearied. In power of dramatic description no modern historian, except, -perhaps, Mr. Carlyle, surpasses him, and in analysis of character he is -elaborate and distinct.--_Westminster Review._ - -It is a work of real historical value, the result of accurate criticism, -written in a liberal spirit, and from first to last deeply -interesting.--_Athenæum._ - -The style is excellent, clear, vivid, eloquent; and the industry with -which original sources have been investigated, and through which new -light has been shed over perplexed incidents and characters, entitles -Mr. Motley to a high rank in the literature of an age peculiarly rich in -history.--_North British Review._ - -It abounds in new information, and, as a first work, commands a very -cordial recognition, not merely of the promise it gives, but of the -extent and importance of the labor actually performed on it.--_London -Examiner._ - -Mr. Motley’s “History” is a work of which any country might be -proud.--_Press_ (London). - -Mr. Motley’s History will be a standard book of reference in historical -literature.--_London Literary Gazette._ - -Mr. Motley has searched the whole range of historical documents -necessary to the composition of his work.--_London Leader._ - -This is really a great work. It belongs to the class of books in which -we range our Grotes, Milmans, Merivales, and Macaulays, as the glories -of English literature in the department of history. * * * Mr. Motley’s -gifts as a historical writer are among the highest and -rarest.--_Nonconformist_ (London). - -Mr. Motley’s volumes will well repay perusal. * * * For his learning, -his liberal tone, and his generous enthusiasm, we heartily commend him, -and bid him good speed for the remainder of his interesting and heroic -narrative.--_Saturday Review._ - -The story is a noble one, and is worthily treated. * * * Mr. Motley has -had the patience to unravel, with unfailing perseverance, the thousand -intricate plots of the adversaries of the Prince of Orange; but the -details and the literal extracts which he has derived from original -documents, and transferred to his pages, give a truthful color and a -picturesque effect, which are especially charming.--_London Daily News._ - -M. Lothrop Motley dans son magnifique tableau de la formation de notre -République.--G. GROEN VAN PRINSTERER. - -Our accomplished countryman, Mr. J. Lothrop Motley, who, during the last -five years, for the better prosecution of his labors, has established -his residence in the neighborhood of the scenes of his narrative. No one -acquainted with the fine powers of mind possessed by this scholar, and -the earnestness with which he has devoted himself to the task, can doubt -that he will do full justice to his important but difficult subject--W. -H. PRESCOTT. - -The production of such a work as this astonishes, while it gratifies the -pride of the American reader.--_N. Y. Observer._ - -The “Rise of the Dutch Republic” at once, and by acclamation, takes its -place by the “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” as a work which, -whether for research, substance, or style, will never be -superseded.--_N. Y. Albion._ - -A work upon which all who read the English language may congratulate -themselves.--_New Yorker Handels Zeitung._ - -Mr. Motley’s place is now (alluding to this book) with Hallam and Lord -Mahon, Alison and Macaulay in the Old Country, and with Washington -Irving, Prescott, and Bancroft in this.--_N. Y. Times._ - -THE authority, in the English tongue, for the history of the period and -people to which it refers.--_N. Y. Courier and Enquirer._ - -This work at once places the author on the list of American historians -which has been so signally illustrated by the names of Irving, Prescott, -Bancroft, and Hildreth.--_Boston Times._ - -The work is a noble one, and a most desirable acquisition to our -historical literature.--_Mobile Advertiser._ - -Such a work is an honor to its author, to his country, and to the age in -which it was written.--_Ohio Farmer._ - -_Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, -Franklin Square, New York._ - -HARPER & BROTHERS will send the above Work by Mail (postage paid for any -distance in the United States under 8000 miles), on receipt of the -Money. - - * * * * * - -CURTIS’S HISTORY OF THE CONSTITUTION. - - - HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN, FORMATION, AND ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION - OF THE UNITED STATES. By GEORGE TICKNOR CURTIS. Complete in 2 vols. - 8vo, Muslin, $4 00; Law Sheep, $5 00; Half Calf, $6 00. - -A book so thorough as this in the comprehension of its subject, so -impartial in the summing up of its judgments, so well considered in its -method, and so truthful in its matter, may safely challenge the most -exhaustive criticism. The Constitutional History of our country has not -before been made the subject of a special treatise. We may congratulate -ourselves that an author has been found so capable to do full justice to -it; for that the work will take its rank among the received text-books -of our political literature will be questioned by no one who has given -it a careful perusal.--_National Intelligencer._ - -We know of no person who is better qualified (now that the late Daniel -Webster is no more), to undertake this important history.--_Boston -Journal._ - -It will take its place among the classics of American -literature.--_Boston Courier._ - -The author has given years to the preliminary studies, and nothing has -escaped him in the patient and conscientious researches to which he has -devoted so ample a portion of time. Indeed, the work has been so -thoroughly performed that it will never need to be done over again; for -the sources have been exhausted, and the materials put together with so -much judgment and artistic skill that taste and the sense of -completeness are entirely satisfied.--_N. Y. Daily Times._ - -A most important and valuable contribution to the historical and -political literature of the United States. All publicists and students -of public law will be grateful to Mr. Curtis for the diligence and -assiduity with which he has wrought out the great mine of diplomatic -lore in which the foundations of the American Constitution are laid, and -for the light he has thrown on his wide and arduous subject.--_London -Morning Chronicle._ - -To trace the history of the formation of the Constitution, and explain -the circumstances of the time and country out of which its various -provisions grew, is a task worthy of the highest talent. To have -performed that task in a satisfactory manner is an achievement with -which an honorable ambition may well be gratified. We can honestly say -that in our opinion Mr. Curtis has fairly won this distinction.--_N. Y. -Courier and Enquirer._ - -We have seen no history which surpasses it in the essential qualities of -a standard work destined to hold a permanent place in the impartial -judgment of future generations.--_Boston Traveler._ - -Should the second volume sustain the character of the first, we hazard -nothing in claiming for the entire publication the character of a -standard work. It will furnish the only sure guide to the interpretation -of the Constitution, by unfolding historically the wants it was intended -to supply, and the evils which it was intended to remedy.--_Boston Daily -Advertiser._ - -This volume is an important contribution to our constitutional and -historical literature. * * * Every true friend of the Constitution will -gladly welcome it. The author has presented a narrative clear and -interesting. 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Mr. Lambert had a slight attack of it on the -second day of our arrival at Tananariva, and afterward both he and I -suffered terribly from it. - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The last travels of Ida Pfeiffer: -inclusive of a visit to Madagasca, by Ida Pfeiffer - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LAST TRAVELS *** - -***** This file should be named 60474-0.txt or 60474-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/4/7/60474/ - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The last travels of Ida Pfeiffer: inclusive of a visit to Madagascar, with a biographical memoir of the author - -Author: Ida Pfeiffer - -Translator: H. W. Dulcken - -Release Date: October 12, 2019 [EBook #60474] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LAST TRAVELS *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="310" height="500" alt="" title="" /> -</p> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/ida.jpg" height="500" alt="Portrait of Madame Ida Pfeiffer -unavailable." /> -<br /><br /> -MADAME IDA PFEIFFER. -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_i" id="page_i">{i}</a></span></p> - -<h1>THE<br /><br /> - -L A S T T R A V E L S<br /><br /> - -OF<br /><br /> - -IDA PFEIFFER:</h1> - -<p class="cb">INCLUSIVE OF A VISIT TO MADAGASCAR.<br /><br /> - -<small>WITH</small><br /><br /> -<span class="eng"> -An Autobiographical Memoir of the Author.</span><br /><br /> - -<small> -TRANSLATED BY H. W. DULCKEN.</small><br /><br /> -<br /> - -NEW YORK:<br /><small> -HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,<br /> -FRANKLIN SQUARE.</small><br /> -1861.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_ii" id="page_ii">{ii}</a></span> </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_iii" id="page_iii">{iii}</a></span> </p> - -<h2><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE"></a>PREFACE.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was at Buenos Ayres that I received the intelligence of the death of -my beloved mother. Shortly before her decease she had expressed the wish -that I should arrange and prepare for publication the papers she left -concerning her last voyage to Madagascar. The dangerous illness which -befell her in the Mauritius immediately after she had left Madagascar, -and which, in spite of the most careful medical attention, and the -kindest nursing on the part of her friends, proved fatal, prevented her -from doing this herself.</p> - -<p>When, after a few months, I returned from Buenos Ayres to Rio de -Janeiro, I found my mother’s papers waiting for me there; but the loss -was too recent, and my grief too violent, to allow me to read them then, -much less to peruse them with the care and attention which must -necessarily precede their publication.</p> - -<p>At length I made up my mind to the task. I was obliged to go through it, -for it was my mother’s last wish. Filial duty induced me to leave my -dear mother’s journal as little altered as possible. In thus giving this -last work of my mother to the world, I trust that our kind readers will -receive it with the indulgence they have so frequently extended to the -other works of the late enterprising traveler.</p> - -<p class="r"> -<span class="smcap">Oscar Pfeiffer.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p><small>Rio de Janeiro, July 8th, 1860.</small></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_iv" id="page_iv">{iv}</a></span> </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_v" id="page_v">{v}</a></span> </p> - -<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS.</h2> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> - -<tr><td><a href="#A_BIOGRAPHY_OF_IDA_PFEIFFER">Biography of Ida Pfeiffer</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_ix">Page ix</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">Departure from Vienna.—Linz.—Salzburg.—Munich.—The Artists’ Festival.—The -King of Bavaria.—Berlin.—Alexander von Humboldt.—Hamburg</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_41">41</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">Arrival in Holland.—Amsterdam.—Dutch Architecture.—Picture Galleries.—Mr. -Costa’s Diamond-cutting Works.—The Haarlem Lake.—A -Dutch Cattle-stable.—Utrecht.—The Students’ Festival</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_51">51</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">Zaandam.—The little Village of Broeck, celebrated for its Cleanliness.—Strange -Head-dresses.—The Hague.—Celebrated Pictures.—Leyden.—Rotterdam.—Departure -from Holland</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_63">63</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">London.—Paris.—Sitting of the Geographical Society.—News from Madagascar.—Popular -Life in Paris.—Sights.—A Tale of Murder.—Versailles.—St. -Cloud.—Celebration of Sunday</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_72">72</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">Return to London and Holland.—Separation Festival in Amsterdam.—Departure -from Rotterdam.—My traveling Companions.—Emigrant Children.—Story -of a poor Girl.—Cape Town.—Fortunate Meeting.—Alteration -of my traveling Plans</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_87">87</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">Voyage to the Island of Bourbon.—The Mauritius.—Wealth of the Island.—The -City of Port Louis.—Manner of Life among the Inhabitants.—Indian -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_vi" id="page_vi">{vi}</a></span>Servants.—Grand Dinners.—Country Houses.—Creole Hospitality</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_103">103</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">The Sugar-cane Plantations.—Indian Laborers.—A Lawsuit.—The Botanic -Garden.—Plants and Animals.—Singular Monument.—The Waterfall.—Mont -Orgeuil.—Trou du Cerf.—The Creoles and the French.—Farewell -to the Mauritius.</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_116">116</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">A Geographical and Historical Account of the Island of Madagascar.</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_131">131</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">Departure from the Mauritius.—The old Man-of-War.—Arrival in Madagascar.—Mademoiselle -Julie.—Account of Tamatavé.—The Natives.—Comical -Head-dresses.—First Visit in Antandroroko.—Malagasey Hospitality.—The -Europeans at Tamatavé.—The Parisio-Malagasey.—Domestic -Institutions.</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_139">139</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">The “Queen’s Bath.”—Soldiers and Officers.—Banquet and Ball.—Departure -from Tamatavé.—Second Visit to Antandroroko.—Vovong.—The -Fever.—Andororanto.—Land and Cultivation.—Condition of the -People.—Manambotre.—The bad Roads and the Bearers.—Ambatoarana.</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_157">157</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">Celebration of the National Feast.—Song and Dance.—Beforona.—The -elevated Plateau of Ankay.—The Territory of Emir.—Solemn Reception.—Ambatomango.—The -Sikidy.—The Triumphal Procession.—Arrival -in Tananariva.</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_173">173</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">Mr. Laborde.—Prince Rakoto.—Anecdote of his Life.—The Sambas-Sambas.—Mary.—Review -on the Field of Mars.—The Nobility in Madagascar.—The -Secret Treaty.—The English Missionary Society and Mr. Lambert.</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_187">187</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">Introduction at Court.—The Monosina.—The Royal Palace.—The Hovas.—Scenes -of Horror under the Queen’s Rule.—Executions.—The Tanguin.—Persecution -of the Christians.—One of the Queen’s Journeys.—Her -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_vii" id="page_vii">{vii}</a></span>Hatred of Europeans.—Bull-fights.—Taurine Mausoleum.</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_206">206</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">Dinner at Mr. Laborde’s.—Foot-boxing.—Ladies of Madagascar and Parisian -Fashions.—The Conspiracy.—A Dream.—A Fancy-dress Ball.—An -unquiet Night.—Concert at Court.—The Silver Palace.—An Excursion -of the Queen.</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_222">222</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">Failure of the <i>Coup d’État</i>.—Prince Ramboasalama.—The <i>Pas de Deux</i>.—Discovery -of the Plot.—Death of Prince Razakaratrino.—Freedom of -Manners.—Irreligion.—Beginning of our Captivity.—A Kabar.—Persecution -of the Christians.—The Delivery of the Presents.</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_239">239</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="hang">Banquets in Madagascar.—A Kabar at Court.—The Sentence.—Our Banishment.—Departure -from Tananariva.—Military Escort.—Observations on -the People.—Arrival in Tamatavé.—Departure from Madagascar.—A -false Alarm.—Arrival in the Mauritius.—Conclusion.</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_260">260</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_viii" id="page_viii">{viii}</a></span> </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_ix" id="page_ix">{ix}</a></span> </p> - -<h2><a name="A_BIOGRAPHY_OF_IDA_PFEIFFER" id="A_BIOGRAPHY_OF_IDA_PFEIFFER"></a>A BIOGRAPHY OF IDA PFEIFFER<br /><br /> -<small>(COMPILED FROM NOTES LEFT BY HERSELF).</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Several</span> biographies of Ida Pfeiffer are already scattered through -various encyclopædias and periodicals. These are based partly on oral -communications made by the deceased lady, partly on particulars -collected from her friends. No authentic sketch of her life has, -however, yet been published, though many whose sympathy has accompanied -the dauntless voyager on her dangerous way will doubtless be glad to -hear something of the earlier life of Ida Pfeiffer. In remarkable -people, the germs of extraordinary faculties are generally recognizable -in early youth; and those readers who have followed the course of a -remarkable life from its meridian to its close will doubtless be -gratified by the opportunity of casting a glance backward to its early -years, when the seeds of future distinction were sown.</p> - -<p>This consideration will probably be thought a sufficient justification -for publishing the following pages; the more so as the facts given in -this biographical sketch rest exclusively on the authority of the -heroine herself. Madame Ida Pfeiffer left behind her a short outline of -her life written by her own hand, and her family very courteously -permitted this manuscript to be used. It is to be followed by a summary -of her travels, and by her diary in Madagascar, to which her son, Mr. -Oscar Pfeiffer, has added the narrative of her sufferings and death. -Thus the whole career of the late adventurous pilgrim, with particular -reference to the latest circumstances of her checkered life, namely, her -in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_x" id="page_x">{x}</a></span>teresting and eventful voyage to Madagascar, will be placed before -the reader.</p> - -<p>Our traveler was born in Vienna on the 14th of October, 1797. She was -the third child of the wealthy merchant Reyer, and at her baptism -received the name Ida Laura. Till she was nine years old, all the family -in her parents’ house, except herself, were boys, so that she was the -only girl among a party of six children. Through continual intercourse -with her brothers, a great predilection for the games and pursuits of -boys was developed in her. “I was not shy,” she says of herself, “but -wild as a boy, and bolder and more forward than my elder brothers;” and -she adds that it was her greatest pleasure to romp with the boys, to -dress in their clothes, and to take part in all their mad pranks. The -parents not only abstained from putting any check on this tendency, but -even allowed the girl to wear boy’s clothes, so that little Ida looked -with sovereign contempt upon dolls and toy saucepans, and would only -play with drums, swords, guns, and similar playthings. Her father seems -to have looked with complacency upon this anomaly in her character. He -jestingly promised the girl that he would have her educated for an -officer in a military school, thus indirectly encouraging the child to a -display of courage, resolution, and contempt of danger. Ida did not fail -to cultivate these qualities, and her most ardent wish was to carve her -own way through the world, sword in hand. Even in her early childhood -she gave many proofs of fearlessness and self-command.</p> - -<p>Mr. Reyer had peculiar ideas on the subject of education, and carried -out these notions strictly in his family circle. He was a very honest, -and, moreover, strict man, holding the opinion that youth should be -carefully guarded against excess, and taught to moderate its desires and -wishes; consequently, his children were fed on simple, almost a -parsimonious diet, and were taught to sit quietly at table, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xi" id="page_xi">{xi}</a></span> see -their elders enjoy the various dishes that were served up, without -receiving a share of those dainties. The little people were, moreover, -forbidden to express their wish for any much-coveted plaything by -repeated requests. The father’s strictness of discipline went so far as -to induce him to refuse many of the children’s reasonable requests, in -order, as he said, to accustom them to disappointments. Opposition of -any kind he would never allow, and even remonstrances against a -discipline that bordered on harshness were always unavailing.</p> - -<p>There is no doubt that the old gentleman carried his system to excess, -but it is equally certain that, but for this Spartan education, little -Ida would never have ripened into the fearless traveler, able to bear -the heaviest fatigue for months together, living meanwhile on the most -miserable food. The chief characteristics of Ida Pfeiffer’s courage, -endurance, and indifference to pain and hardship became developed by an -eccentric course of education, which would hardly find a defender at a -time like the present, when every thing peculiar is hastily condemned. -The unusual, with its sharp outlines and deep shadows, disappears more -and more in the light of common-sense mediocrity, and the characteristic -heads that we remember in our youth gradually disappear, and are -succeeded by very rational, but somewhat tedious and commonplace -figures.</p> - -<p>Ida’s father died in the year 1806, leaving a widow and seven children. -The boys were in an educational institution, and the mother undertook -the education of the girl, who was now nearly nine years old. Though the -father had appeared formidable to the children by his strictness, his -rule appeared to the girl far preferable to the melancholy <i>régime</i> of -her mother, who watched the child’s every movement with suspicion and -alarm, and caused her daughter to spend many a bitter hour, merely from -an exaggerated notion of duty.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xii" id="page_xii">{xii}</a></span></p> - -<p>A few months after her father’s death the first attempt was made to -deprive the girl of the attire she had hitherto worn, and substituted -petticoats for their masculine equivalents. Little Ida, then ten years -old, was so indignant at this measure that she absolutely fell ill from -grief and indignation. By the doctor’s advice her former costume was -restored to her, and it was resolved that the girl’s obstinacy must -gradually be subdued by remonstrance.</p> - -<p>The boy’s garments were received by Ida with a burst of enthusiasm, her -health returned, and she behaved more like a boy than ever. She learned -every thing that she thought a boy should know with industry and zeal, -and, on the other hand, looked with the greatest contempt on every -female occupation. Piano-forte playing, for instance, she despised as a -feminine accomplishment, and would actually cut her fingers, or burn -them with sealing-wax, to escape the hated task of practicing. For -playing the violin, on the contrary, she showed a great predilection. -But her mother would not allow her to have her way in this matter, and -the piano-forte was formally subsidized and maintained at its post by -maternal authority.</p> - -<p>When the year 1809 came, a most eventful period for Austria, Ida was -twelve years old. From what has been said of her ideas and inclinations, -it will readily be believed that she took great interest in the fortunes -of the war. She read the newspaper eagerly, and often traced out on the -map the relative positions of the two armies. She danced and shouted -with glee, like a good patriot, when the Austrians conquered, and wept -bitter tears when the fortune of war brought victory to the enemy’s -standard. Her mother’s house was situated in one of the busiest streets -of the capital; and the frequent marching past of troops caused many -interruptions to study, and gave many opportunities for the expression -of ardent wishes that the Austrian banners might triumph. When Ida, -looking from the window,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xiii" id="page_xiii">{xiii}</a></span> saw her fellow-countrymen march past to -battle, she would vehemently deplore her youth that prevented her from -taking part in the impending struggle. She considered her youth the only -obstacle that prevented her from going to war.</p> - -<p>Unhappily, the French were victorious; the enemy entered the capital, -and the affairs of Austria were in a very bad way. The little patriot -had the mortification of seeing a number of the hated conquerors -quartered in her mother’s house, and evidently considering themselves -masters of the situation—dining at the table with the family, and -expecting to be treated with the most anxious civility. The members of -the household generally thought it best to keep up an appearance of -friendship toward the conquerors, but nothing could induce the girl to -look at the Frenchmen with favor; on the contrary, she showed her -feelings by obstinacy and silence; and when requested by the Frenchmen -to express her sentiments, she broke out in words of passionate anger -and dislike. She herself has said on this subject, “My hatred to -Napoleon was so great, that I looked upon the attempt of the notorious -Staps to assassinate him at Schönbrunn as a highly meritorious action, -and considered the perpetrator, who was tried by a court-martial and -shot, in the light of a martyr. I thought if I myself could murder -Napoleon, I should not hesitate one instant to do so.”</p> - -<p>It is related that Ida was compelled to be present at a review of his -troops held by Napoleon in Schönbrunn. When the hated emperor rode past, -the girl turned her back, and received a box on the ear for her -demonstrativeness from her mother, who then held her by the shoulders -lest she should repeat the trick. But nothing was gained by this -manœuvre, for when the emperor came riding back with his glittering -staff of marshals around him, Miss Ida resolutely closed her eyes.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xiv" id="page_xiv">{xiv}</a></span></p> - -<p>At the age of thirteen she again dressed in female attire, and this time -the change was persevered in. She had indeed become sensible enough to -acknowledge the necessity of the measure, but still it cost her many -tears, and made her very unhappy. With the garb of her sex, she was also -obliged to adopt different manners and occupations, and a new system of -life. “How awkward and clumsy I was at first!” she exclaims, in her -diary; “how ridiculous I must have looked in my long skirts, jumping and -racing about, and behaving generally like a wild, restless boy!”</p> - -<p>“Fortunately, a young man came to us at that time as tutor, who took -particular pains with me. I afterward heard that my mother had given him -secret directions to treat me with especial indulgence, as a child whose -earliest impulses had received a wrong bias. He certainly behaved to me -with great kindness and delicacy, and showed great patience and -perseverance in combating my overstrained and misdirected notions. As I -had learned rather to fear my parents than to love them, and he was, so -to speak, the first human being who had displayed affection and sympathy -toward me, I clung to him, in return, with enthusiastic attachment, -seeking to fulfill his every wish, and never so happy as when he -appeared satisfied with my endeavors. He conducted my entire education; -and though it cost me some tears to give up my youthful visions, and -busy myself with pursuits I had looked upon with contempt, I did it out -of affection for him. I even learned many female occupations, such as -sewing, knitting, and cookery. I owe to him the insight I received in -three or four years into the duties of my sex; and he it was who changed -me from a wild hoydenish creature into a modest girl.”</p> - -<p>At the period when Ida was compelled to give up her boyish character, -there arose in her the first wish to see the world. She turned her -thoughts from war and soldiering to fix them upon travel; descriptions -of voyages excited<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xv" id="page_xv">{xv}</a></span> her warmest interest, and literature of this kind -occupied in her mind the place that, in the majority of young girls’ -heads, is filled with thoughts of dress, balls, theatres, and amusements -generally. When she heard of any one who had attained celebrity by -travel, she would grieve to think that she was debarred by her sex from -the happiness of ever crossing the sea and exploring strange lands. -Often she felt an inclination to occupy herself with scientific studies; -but she always suppressed it, seeming to recognize therein a relapse -into the “extravagant ideas” of earlier days. It must be remembered that -at the beginning of the present century the daughters of middle-class -families did not enjoy the education they receive now.</p> - -<p>An important passage in the life of Ida Pfeiffer shall be related in her -own words. She tells us:</p> - -<p>“In my seventeenth year a wealthy Greek proposed for my hand. My mother -declined to entertain his offer because he was not a Catholic, and she -thought me too young for such a step. According to her ideas, it was -indecorous for a girl under twenty years of age to marry.</p> - -<p>“A great change now took place in my character. I had hitherto had no -idea of the powerful passion which makes mortals the happiest or the -most miserable of beings. When my mother told me of the proposal made to -her, feelings of which till then I had been unconscious became clearly -defined within me, and I felt that I could love no one but T——, the -guide of my youth.</p> - -<p>“I was not aware that T—— was attached to me with his whole soul. I -scarcely knew my own feelings, and far less was I capable of guessing -those of another person. When, however, T—— heard of the proposal that -had been made for me, and when the possibility of losing me arose before -him, he confessed his love to me, and determined to urge his suit to my -mother.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xvi" id="page_xvi">{xvi}</a></span></p> -<p>“T—— had devoted himself to the Civil Service, and had for some years -occupied a post, with a salary on which he could live very well. He had -long given up the profession of a tutor, though he continued to visit -our house as frequently as ever, passing all his leisure hours with us, -as if he belonged to the family. My five brothers were his friends, and -my mother was so fond of him that she often called him ‘her dear sixth -son.’ He was at every party in our house, and went with us wherever we -accepted an invitation; always accompanying us to theatres, in our -walks, and so on. What was more natural than that we should both -persuade ourselves that my mother had intended us for each other, and -would perhaps only stipulate for our waiting till I had attained my -twentieth year, and T—— had a better appointment?</p> - -<p>“Accordingly he proposed for my hand.</p> - -<p>“But who can paint our grievous surprise when my mother not only -entirely refused her consent, but from this moment detested T—— just -as much as she had before liked him. There could be no other objection -to T—— except that I could look forward to having a tolerable fortune, -while T—— had at present nothing but his modest salary. If my mother -could have imagined what was one day to become of my fortune, how very -different my fate would be from what she had sketched out for me in her -mind, what deep sorrow and endless grief might she not have spared me!</p> - -<p>“After T——’s proposal, my mother wished to get me married as quickly -as possible. I declared resolutely that I would become T——’s wife, or -remain unmarried. T—— was, of course, forbidden to come to our house, -and as my mother knew how obstinately I adhered to my resolutions when I -was in earnest about a matter, she took me to a priest, who was enjoined -to explain to me the duty of children toward their parents, and -particularly the obedience the latter are authorized to exact. They -wanted to bind<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xvii" id="page_xvii">{xvii}</a></span> me by a solemn oath, sworn on the crucifix, that I would -not see T—— secretly, nor correspond with him. I refused to take the -oath, but gave the required promise, stipulating, however, that I should -be allowed to inform T—— of every thing. My mother at last made this -concession, and I wrote a long letter to T——, acquainting him with -every thing, and begging him not to believe any thing he heard -concerning me from other people. I added that it was out of my power -either to see him or to write to him again, but that if another suitor -presented himself and was accepted by my mother, I would at once inform -T—— of the circumstance.</p> - -<p>“T——’s reply was short, and full of bitter sorrow. He seemed to -understand that, under the circumstances, there was no hope for us, and -that nothing remained but to obey my mother’s commands. He declared -positively, however, that he would never marry.</p> - -<p>“And thus our correspondence closed. Three long, sorrowful years passed -away without my seeing him, and without any change in my feelings or -position.</p> - -<p>“Walking one day with a friend of my mother’s, I met T—— by chance. We -both stopped involuntarily, but for a long time neither he nor I could -utter a word. At last he conquered his emotion, and asked after my -health. I was too deeply moved to be able to reply. My knees trembled, -and I felt ready to sink into the earth. I seized my companion by the -arm and drew her away with me, and rushed home, scarcely conscious of -what I was doing. Two days afterward I was stretched on my couch in a -burning fever.</p> - -<p>“The physician who was called in seemed to have a suspicion of the cause -of my illness, and declared to my mother, as I afterward heard, that the -source of evil was mental, not bodily; that medicines would be of little -avail in my case, and that every effort must be directed....<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xviii" id="page_xviii">{xviii}</a></span> But my -mother persisted in following her own course, and told the physician she -could not alter any thing about me.”</p> - -<p>The patient’s life hung for a long time in the balance, and in her -fevered state of mind she wished ardently for death. When by chance she -heard from an indiscreetly-communicative nurse that her dissolution was -daily expected, this intelligence produced such a quieting effect that -she sank into a deep slumber, and the crisis of her disease was happily -passed.</p> - -<p>Ida’s father had left a considerable fortune, and there was no lack of -suitors for her hand. She refused every offer, however, and thereby -increased the discomfort of her position at home, for her mother -insisted more and more strongly upon Ida’s making her choice. These -domestic broils at length broke the girl’s spirit, and any fate seemed -to her preferable to the continuance of such a state of things. She -accordingly declared herself ready to accept the next proposal that -should be made, provided the suitor was of advanced age. She wished to -convince T—— that moral coercion, and not her own inclination, had -impelled her to take this course.</p> - -<p>In the year 1819, when Ida was twenty-two years old, Doctor Pfeiffer, -one of the most distinguished advocates in Lemberg, and a widower, -moreover, with a grown-up son, was introduced to the Reyers. He staid in -Vienna a few days for professional purposes, and at his departure -recommended his son, who was studying law at the University of Vienna, -to the notice of the family.</p> - -<p>About four weeks afterward came a letter from Dr. Pfeiffer, containing a -formal proposal for Ida’s hand. As he had only exchanged a few words -with her on totally unimportant subjects, she had not the least -anticipation of an offer in that direction; but her mother did not fail -to remind her of the promise she had made to accept the next suitor who -came forward.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xix" id="page_xix">{xix}</a></span></p> - -<p>“I promised to consider the matter,” she says in her diary. “Dr. -Pfeiffer seemed to me a very intelligent, well-educated man; but a -circumstance that told far more in his favor in my estimation was that -he lived a hundred miles from Vienna, and was twenty-four years older -than I.”</p> - -<p>A week afterward she consented to the marriage on the condition that she -should be allowed to acquaint Dr. Pfeiffer with the real state of her -affections. This she did in a long letter, in which she concealed -nothing from her suitor, evidently indulging the hope that he would -abandon his pursuit of her; but Dr. Pfeiffer at once replied, expressing -himself not in the least surprised to hear that a maiden of twenty-two -years had already loved. The honest, candid avowal of this passage in -her life made Ida appear in his eyes all the more worthy of respect; and -he avowed his intention of persisting in his suit, feeling assured that -he should never have cause to regret it.</p> - -<p>The difficult duty of acquainting T—— with this change in her destiny -now devolved upon Ida. This duty she fulfilled by means of a few lines, -and it will readily be imagined that they were painful ones. The answer -was conceived in the manliest spirit, full of self-abnegation and -nobility of mind. T—— repeatedly declared that he would never forget -her, and would never marry. He kept his word.</p> - -<p>The marriage with Dr. Pfeiffer was celebrated on the 1st of May, 1820, -and a week afterward the newly-wedded couple departed for Lemberg. The -journey brought relief by reviving in the young wife the old -predilection for traveling, and allowing the pair an opportunity of -becoming better acquainted. Ida found that her husband possessed high -principle, candor, and intelligence; and if it was beyond her power to -love him, she could not withhold from him respect and hearty -appreciation, especially as he showed as much affection as delicacy in -his conduct toward her. She was resolved to fulfill her duties -honorably, and look<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xx" id="page_xx">{xx}</a></span>ed forward with a certain amount of tranquillity to -the future.</p> - -<p>Dr. Pfeiffer was one of those straightforward, independent-spirited men -who attack and expose wrong wherever they find it, and make no secret of -their sentiments.</p> - -<p>In the official routine in Galicia in those days there were many weak -points, and the number of dishonest and venal employés was not small. In -an important lawsuit which he brought to a triumphant conclusion, Dr. -Pfeiffer discovered peculation of the gravest kind. This he fearlessly -and unflinchingly denounced to the highest authorities in Vienna. An -investigation was ordered; Dr. Pfeiffer’s accusations were found to be -well-grounded, and several officials were dismissed, and others moved.</p> - -<p>Very disagreeable results, however, accrued to Dr. Pfeiffer himself. By -his report of these delinquencies he had drawn down upon himself the -enmity of the majority of official personages; and this enmity was so -frequently and so openly manifested, that Dr. Pfeiffer found himself -compelled to resign his appointment as councilor, for he found that his -advocacy, so far from benefiting his clients, became absolutely -prejudicial to their interests.</p> - -<p>“My husband,” writes Ida Pfeiffer, “had foreseen all this; but it went -against his nature to shut his eyes to flagrant injustice. In the same -year he resigned his office, and, after he had arranged his private -affairs, we removed, in 1821, to Vienna, where, trusting to his skill -and knowledge, he hoped to have no difficulty in obtaining employment. -But his reputation had preceded him: his sentiments and his mode of -action were as well known in Vienna as at Lemberg, and he was looked -upon with suspicion as a restless character and an enemy of existing -institutions. All his applications for employment in agencies, etc., -were consequently unavailing. Posts which he had solicited in vain were -continually given away to the most insignificant and least talented of -the profession.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxi" id="page_xxi">{xxi}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>All this had naturally a very disastrous effect on Pfeiffer’s mind. He -saw himself every where crossed and hampered in his work and in his -efforts; and labors which he had formerly performed with zeal and -pleasure now fretted and annoyed him. At length he lost a portion of his -energy, and what he did brought him little or no advantage.</p> - -<p>Thus the social position of the Pfeiffers became more and more critical -from day to day. As a skillful lawyer, Dr. Pfeiffer had earned a -considerable income at Lemberg; but he had liked to live in good style, -kept carriages and horses, and a good table, and had not thought of -providing for the future. Many people who knew his generosity made use -of him, and borrowed his money. Thus Ida’s paternal inheritance vanished -also, being lent to a friend of Pfeiffer’s, whom it was to help out of -his embarrassments. The man failed in spite of the loan, and thus the -whole fortune was lost.</p> - -<p>After vainly seeking employment in Vienna, Dr. Pfeiffer returned, with -his wife, to Lemberg, but afterward came back again to Vienna, and at -length even tried his fortune in Switzerland, his native country, where -he had, however, only passed the earliest years of his life. But fortune -would nowhere smile upon him, and bitter poverty knocked at the door of -the family.</p> - -<p>“Heaven only knows what I suffered during eighteen years of my married -life!” exclaims Ida Pfeiffer; “not, indeed, from any ill treatment on my -husband’s part, but from poverty and want. I came of a wealthy family, -and had been accustomed from my earliest youth to order and comfort; and -now I frequently knew not where I should lay my head, or find a little -money to buy the commonest necessaries. I performed household drudgery, -and bore cold and hunger; I worked secretly for money, and gave lessons -in drawing and music; and yet, in spite of all my exertions, there were -many days when I could hardly put<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxii" id="page_xxii">{xxii}</a></span> any thing but dry bread before my -poor children for their dinner.</p> - -<p>“I might certainly have applied to my mother or my brothers for relief, -but my pride revolted against such a course. For years I fought with -poverty and concealed my real position, often brought so near to despair -that the thought of my children alone prevented me from giving way. At -last the urgency of my necessities broke my spirit, and several times I -had recourse to my brothers for assistance.”</p> - -<p>Ida Pfeiffer had two sons. A daughter was born to her, but only lived a -few days. The education of the children devolved entirely upon the -mother; and as the younger showed a great appreciation for music, she -took great pains to cultivate his talents.</p> - -<p>In the year 1831 old Madame Reyer died. During the long illness which -preceded her death she was tended by her daughter with the most -affectionate care. After her mother’s death Ida betook herself again to -Lemberg, from whence Dr. Pfeiffer had again written, announcing that he -had a sure prospect of employment. He was now sixty years old, and lived -in a state of constant illusion; a mere promise was sufficient to -inspire him with the greatest confidence in the future. After -experiencing a series of hopes and disappointments during a period of -two years, she returned to Vienna, where she could at least obtain for -her sons a better education.</p> - -<p>At her mother’s death she had not, indeed, come into a great property, -but she inherited enough to keep her in a respectable style, and to -provide good teachers for her children. In 1835 she settled definitely -in Vienna. Dr. Pfeiffer remained in Lemberg, where he was kept by force -of habit, and by his affection for his son by his first marriage. From -time to time, however, he visited Vienna to see his wife and children.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxiii" id="page_xxiii">{xxiii}</a></span></p> - -<p>During a journey to Trieste which Ida Pfeiffer undertook with her -youngest son, in order that he might have sea-baths, she enjoyed her -first sight of the ocean. The impression made upon her by the sea was -overpowering. The dreams of her youth came back, with visions of distant -unexplored climes, teeming with strange, luxuriant vegetation; an almost -irresistible impulse for travel arose in her, and she would gladly have -embarked in the first ship to sail away into the great, mysterious, -boundless ocean. Her duty toward her children alone restrained her; and -she felt happy when she had quitted Trieste, and miles of mountain and -plain intervened between the sea and herself, for the longing to see the -world had weighed like a mountain on her spirit in the maritime city.</p> - -<p>Returning to the routine of every-day life in Vienna, she still secretly -nourished the wish that her health and strength might be spared until -her sons should have been established in life, and she should be enabled -to go out into the world depending on her own resources alone. This wish -of hers was to be fulfilled. Her sons grew and throve, and became -prosperous, successful men in their profession.</p> - -<p>The completion of their education and the establishment of each in his -vocation gave Ida Pfeiffer leisure to mature her plans of travel. The -old project of seeing the world arose anew, and now no obstacle existed -in the calls of duty and common sense. She began to mature a plan for a -long journey, to be undertaken alone; for she must journey by herself, -as her husband’s advanced age prevented him from participating in the -toil and fatigue of such an undertaking, and her sons could not be -spared from their professional duties. The financial aspect of the -question required much consideration. In the countries she wished to -visit railways and hotels were unknown institutions, and travelers in -those regions would be necessarily subjected to the expense of carrying -with them all they required during the journey;<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxiv" id="page_xxiv">{xxiv}</a></span> and after she had -devoted part of her maternal inheritance to the education of her sons, -the funds at Ida Pfeiffer’s disposal were limited indeed.</p> - -<p>“But I soon settled these weighty points to my satisfaction,” she writes -in her diary. “Respecting the first, namely, the design that I, a woman, -should venture into the world alone, I trusted to my years (I was -already forty-five), to my courage, and to the habit of self-reliance I -had acquired in the hard school of life, during the time when I was -obliged to provide, not only for my children, but sometimes for my -husband also. As regarded money, I was determined to practice the most -rigid economy. Privation and discomfort had no terrors for me. I had -endured them long enough by compulsion, and considered that they would -be much easier to bear if I encountered them voluntarily with a fixed -object in view.”</p> - -<p>Another question, namely, whither she should bend her steps, was quickly -answered. Two projects had occupied her mind for many years—a voyage to -the North, and a journey to the Holy Land. When, however, she imparted -to her friends her intention of visiting Jerusalem, she was looked upon -simply as a crazy, enthusiastic person, and nobody thought her in -earnest in the matter.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, she kept to her resolution, but concealed the real goal of -her journey, declaring that her intention was to visit a friend at -Constantinople, with whom she had for a long time kept up an active -correspondence. She kept her passport concealed, and no one of those -from whom she parted had any idea of her destination. Very painful was -the parting from her sons, to whom she was tenderly attached; but she -fought bravely against her softer emotions, consoled her friends with -the prospect of soon meeting them again, and on the 22d of March, 1842, -embarked on the steamer that was to convey her down the Danube to the -Black Sea and the City of the Crescent. She visited<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxv" id="page_xxv">{xxv}</a></span> Brussa, Beyrout, -Jaffa, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Nazareth, Damascus, Baalbek, the -Lebanon, Alexandria, and Cairo, and traveled across the Desert to the -Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea. From Egypt she returned by way of -Sicily and the whole of Italy to her home, arriving in Vienna in -December, 1842.</p> - -<p>As she had carefully kept a diary of her journey, from which she -frequently read extracts to friends and acquaintances, she was often -requested to print her experiences. The thought of becoming an authoress -was repugnant to her modesty, and it was only when a publisher made her -a direct offer that she consented to trust her first book to the press. -It bore the title, “Journey of a Viennese Lady to the Holy Land.” The -first edition appeared in two volumes in 1843, the fourth in 1856; and -though the authoress neither had much that was new to tell, nor rode her -Pegasus in the approved style of the traveled ladies of the period, her -little book was still successful, as the four editions sufficiently -prove. The very simplicity of the narration, and its appearance of -unvarnished truth, at once gained numerous readers for the book.</p> - -<p>The good result of this first journey, which gave the pilgrim fresh -funds in the form of copyright money, awakened within her fresh plans; -and this time she felt impelled toward the far north, where she expected -to see majestic sights, and to behold nature exhibited in new and -startling forms.</p> - -<p>After various preparations, among which may be mentioned the study of -the English and Danish languages, and of the art of taking -Daguerreotypes, and after obtaining accurate information concerning the -countries she purposed visiting, she began her journey to the north on -the 10th of April, 1845. On the 16th of May she landed on the coast of -Iceland, and proceeded to traverse that interesting island in every -direction, visiting the Geysers and other hot springs,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxvi" id="page_xxvi">{xxvi}</a></span> and ascending -Hecla, which shortly after her departure began to vomit flame, after -remaining for seventy years in a quiescent state. At the end of June she -sailed back to Copenhagen, and from thence journeyed to Christiania, -Thelemark, across the Swedish lakes to Stockholm, and over Upsala to the -iron mines of Danemora. She returned to her native city by way of -Travemûnde, Hamburg, and Berlin, arriving in Vienna on the 4th of -October, 1845, after an absence of six months.</p> - -<p>The journal of this second voyage appeared under the title, “Voyage to -the Scandinavian North and the Island of Iceland,” in two volumes, at -Pesth, and was much read. The money realized by a sale of the geological -and botanical specimens collected during this tour, together with the -sum paid for the copyright of her book, were put aside by Ida Pfeiffer -as the nucleus of a fund for a new undertaking, and one of a more -ambitious character. A voyage round the world now occupied the thoughts -of this brave woman; and when once she had conceived the idea, she could -not rest until it was put in execution.</p> - -<p>“Greater privations and fatigue than I had endured in Syria and -Iceland,” she writes, “I could scarcely have to encounter. The expense -did not frighten me, for I knew by experience how little is required if -the traveler will but practice the strictest economy, and be content to -forego all comforts and superfluities. My savings accumulated to a sum -barely sufficient perhaps to serve such travelers as Prince -Pückler-Muskau, Chateaubriand, or Lamartine for a fortnight’s excursion, -but which seemed enough for me during a journey of two or three years, -and the event proved that I had calculated rightly.”</p> - -<p>Again concealing the whole extent of her undertaking from her relations, -and especially from her sons, and naming Brazil as her destination, our -traveler bade adieu to Vienna on the 1st of May, 1846, and betook -herself to Ham<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxvii" id="page_xxvii">{xxvii}</a></span>burg, where she was compelled to wait till the 28th of -June before a suitable opportunity for proceeding to the Brazils offered -itself in the shape of a little Danish brig.</p> - -<p>Retarded by contrary winds and calms, the ship was a full month in -making its way from Hamburg through the English Channel—as long a time -as it required to get from thence to the equator. On the 16th of -September the harbor of Rio Janeiro was reached. From that port Ida -Pfeiffer made several excursions into the interior of the country. On -one of these expeditions she was attacked by a runaway negro slave, -whose purpose appeared to be robbery and murder. The miscreant was armed -with a knife; she received more than one wound, and only owed her life -to casual help which arrived at the critical moment.</p> - -<p>At the beginning of December she left Rio Janeiro, sailed round Cape -Horn on the 3d of February, 1847, and landed at Valparaiso on the 2d of -March. The aspect of tropical scenery, particularly in Brazil, made a -vivid impression upon her; but she was greatly disgusted at the state of -things in what had been Spanish America. Quickly re-embarking, she -traversed the Pacific Ocean, and landed at the island of Otaheite at the -end of April. She was presented to Queen Pomare, of whose court she -afterward published a sufficiently spirited account, which was read with -much interest. The state of Europe at that period was one of such -tranquillity that, for mere want of matter, the papers were often full -of Queen Pomare for weeks together. Her Otaheitan majesty has now gone -considerably out of fashion, inasmuch as Europe has enough to do with -its own concerns, and has neither time nor inclination to patronize -happy islands in the far Pacific.</p> - -<p>From Otaheite the enterprising voyager proceeded to China, arriving at -Macao in the beginning of July. She afterward visited Hong Kong and the -city of Canton, in which she would gladly have spent more time, had not -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxviii" id="page_xxviii">{xxviii}</a></span> appearance of a European woman been too much for the weak nerves of -the natives of the Celestial Empire. The visitor found herself in danger -of being insulted by the mob, and accordingly turned her back on the -fortunate country, paid a short visit to Singapore, and proceeded to -Ceylon, landing there in the middle of October. She traversed this -beautiful island in various directions, and saw Colombo, Candy, and the -famous temple of Dagona. At the end of October she landed on the -continent of India, at Madras, remained for some time at Calcutta, -proceeded up the Ganges to Benares, admired the ruins of Saranath, and -visited Cawnpoor, Delhi, Indore, and Bombay. She also had an opportunity -of seeing the celebrated rock temples of Adjunta and Ellora, and the -islands of Elephanta and Salsette. The houses of many Indians of rank -were thrown open to her, and she showed herself every where a close -observer of foreign manners, customs, and peculiarities. At more than -one tiger-hunt she was also present, and at a suttee. The position and -proceedings of the English missionaries also excited her especial -attention.</p> - -<p>At the end of April, 1848, we find Ida Pfeiffer again at sea, bearing -her pilgrim’s staff toward Persia. From Bushire she intended to proceed -to Shiraz, Ispahan, and Teheran, but was deterred from this project by -disturbances in the interior of the country, and turned her footsteps -toward Mesopotamia. Through the bay Shat-el-Arab she betook herself to -Bassora, and afterward to Bagdad. After an excursion to the ruins of -Ctesiphon and Babylon, she traveled with a caravan through the Desert to -Mosul and the neighboring ruins of Nineveh, and afterward to Urumia and -Tebris. This expedition through Mesopotamia and Persia may be reckoned -among the most daring exploits of this courageous woman. A large amount -of mental energy, as well as of physical stamina, was required, to -enable her to endure without fainting the many hardships of the -under<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxix" id="page_xxix">{xxix}</a></span>taking—the burning heat by day, discomfort of every kind at -night, miserable fare, an unclean couch, and constant apprehension of -attack by robber bands. When she introduced herself at Tebris to the -English consul, he would not believe that a woman could have achieved -such a feat.</p> - -<p>At Tebris our traveler was introduced to the vice-king Vali-Ahd, and -received permission to visit his harem. On the 11th of August, 1848, she -resumed her journey through Armenia, Georgia, Mingrelia, by Eriwan, -Tiflis, and Kutais to Redutkale; she touched at Anapa, Kertch, and -Sebastopol, landed at Odessa, and returned home by Constantinople, -Greece, the Ionian Islands, and Trieste to Vienna, where she arrived on -the 4th of November, 1848, just after the taking of the city by the -troops of Prince Windischgrätz. It seemed that even in her fatherland, -distracted as it was by faction, she was to find no rest.</p> - -<p>Ida Pfeiffer’s fame spread more and more after this journey round the -world; for a woman who, trusting to herself alone for protection, could -travel 2800 miles by land and 35,000 by sea, was looked upon, not -unnaturally, as a remarkable character. Her third work, which appeared -in Vienna in 1850, under the title “A Woman’s Journey round the World,” -was well received. It was translated twice into English, and afterward -appeared in a French garb.</p> - -<p>It was now for some time Ida Pfeiffer’s purpose to consider her -traveling days as over, and to settle down in repose. But this resigned -frame of mind did not last long. When, after selling her collections, -and preparing and publishing her journal, she found herself in the -enjoyment of undiminished health and strength, she gradually began to -entertain the idea of a second voyage round the world. Her slender -traveling fund was this time increased by a grant of 1500 florins from -the Austrian government; and on the 18th of March, 1851, she left -Vienna, betaking herself first to London, as she had no fixed goal in -view, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxx" id="page_xxx">{xxx}</a></span> intended to wait till an occasion offered for traveling -farther. Even when she had left London, and arrived in Cape Town on the -11th of August, she had come to no definite determination. For a long -time her mind wavered between the intention of visiting the interior of -Africa and that of proceeding to Australia, till at last she sailed to -Singapore, and decided to visit the Sunda Islands. Landing on the west -coast of Borneo, at Sarawak, she received a hospitable welcome and -energetic assistance from Sir James Brooke, who has established an -independent principality in these regions. During an excursion she made -among the savage, independent Dyaks, she was not only spared by the -“head hunters,” but was even received with great cordiality. Proceeding -to Sinting, she continued her journey westward to Pontianak and the -diamond mines of Landak. Every where the Dutch officials, civil and -military, offered her the readiest assistance, without which she would -have found it impossible to extend her travels so far as she did in the -Indian Archipelago. Ida Pfeiffer’s design was to push on from Pontianak -directly through the interior of the island, a region never yet -traversed by Europeans; but she could endure no one to be her guide or -companion on so dangerous an expedition. She therefore cast her eyes on -Java, and landed at Batavia at the end of May, 1852. Here, likewise, she -received every assistance and support from the Dutch authorities, and, -in consequence of their example, from the native grandees also. This she -often afterward publicly acknowledged, with the warmest thanks.</p> - -<p>On the 8th of July, 1852, her journey to Sumatra began; and this she has -declared to be the most interesting of all her undertakings. From Padang -she proceeded to trust herself among the Battas, who are cannibals, and -have never suffered any European to come among them. Though the savages -opposed her farther advance, she passed forward through the primeval -forest, among a population of man<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxxi" id="page_xxxi">{xxxi}</a></span>-eaters, almost as far as the Lake -Eier-Tau. But here she was compelled by threatening spears to retreat, -after having been repeatedly assured that she should be killed and -eaten. On the 7th of October she got back to Padang. In Sumatra she was -twice attacked by the malignant intermittent fever of the country.</p> - -<p>Returning to Java, she made excursions to the principalities of -Djokdjokarta and Surakarta, to the temple Boro Budoo, and to Surabaga. -From thence she sailed to several of the smaller Sunda Islands, and to -the Moluccas, Banda, Amboyna, Saparna, Ceram, and Ternate; remained for -a few months among the wild Alfores, and closed her rambles among the -Sunda Islands by a visit to Celebes.</p> - -<p>Again she traversed the Pacific to a distance of 10,150 miles to visit -California. For two months she saw nothing but sea and sky. On the 27th -of September, 1853, she landed at San Francisco, visited the -gold-washing districts on the Sacramento and the Yuba, and slept in the -wigwams of the red-skins of Rogue River.</p> - -<p>At the end of 1853 Ida Pfeiffer sailed to Panama, and from thence to the -Peruvian coast. From Callao she betook herself to Lima, with the -intention of crossing the Cordilleras, and proceeding to Loretto, on the -Amazon, and thus gaining the eastern coast of South America. The -revolution, however, which had just broken out in Peru, made the land -unsafe, and compelled our traveler to try and cross the Cordilleras at -another point. She returned, accordingly, to Ecuador, and in March, -1854, began her toilsome passage across the mountains. She crossed the -chain in the immediate neighborhood of Chimborazo, came to the elevated -plateau of Ambato and Tacunga, and witnessed the rare spectacle of an -eruption of the volcano Cotopaxi—a sight for which she was afterward -envied by Alexander von Humboldt. On reaching Quito on the 4th of April, -she did not, unfortunately, find the assistance she had expected<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxxii" id="page_xxxii">{xxxii}</a></span> in the -shape of several trustworthy guides to the Amazon. She therefore gave up -her plan of embarking on that river, and had to repeat her wearisome -march across the Cordilleras. In the neighborhood of Guayaquil she twice -stood in imminent danger of being killed—first by a fall from her mule, -and then from an immersion in the River Guaya, which abounds in caymans. -Her companions wished her to perish, and did not render the slightest -assistance. Deeply disgusted at their inhumanity, she turned her back -upon Spanish South America, betook herself by sea to Panama, and at the -end of May crossed the Isthmus.</p> - -<p>From Aspinwall she sailed to New Orleans, remaining there till the 30th -of June; then she ascended the Mississippi to Napoleon, and the Arkansas -as far as Fort Smith. Her projected visit to the Cherokee Indians had to -be abandoned, on account of a renewed and violent attack of the Sumatra -fever. Returning to the Mississippi, she reached St. Louis on the 14th -of July, and paid a visit to the Baden democrat Hecker, who had -established himself in the neighborhood of Lebanon. Then she turned -northward toward St. Paul and the Falls of St. Anthony, proceeded to -Chicago, and thus came to the great lakes and to the Falls of Niagara. -After an excursion into Canada, she staid for some time in New York, -Boston, and other cities, then went on board a steamer, and, after a -passage of ten days, landed in England, at Liverpool, on the 21st of -November, 1854.</p> - -<p>To this great voyage round the world she added a little supplement, by -paying a visit to her son, who was residing at San Miguel, in the -Azores. It was not until May, 1855, that she returned to Vienna, by way -of Lisbon, Southampton, and London.</p> - -<p>The specimens and the ethnographical objects collected by Ida Pfeiffer -were for the most part deposited in the British Museum and in the -Imperial Cabinets in Vienna. Alexander von Humboldt and Carl Ritter, in -Berlin, took<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxxiii" id="page_xxxiii">{xxxiii}</a></span> great interest in the efforts of Ida Pfeiffer, and -Humboldt especially rewarded her with the warmest praise for her energy -and perseverance. At the request of these two eminent men, the -Geographical Society of Berlin elected Ida Pfeiffer an honorary member, -and the King of Prussia awarded her the gold medal for arts and -sciences. In Vienna the expressions of approval were much more sparing, -probably according to the old rule that no prophet is regarded in his -own country.</p> - -<p>The brave traveler’s journal again appeared in Vienna in 1856, under the -title, “My Second Journey round the World.”</p> - -<p>After each of her former voyages, Ida Pfeiffer had for a time cherished -the idea of retiring from future enterprises, and living in the memory -of the past. But after the second journey round the world, which -resulted entirely to her satisfaction, no such ideas seem to have -troubled her. Before she had even finished arranging her cabinet of -specimens and superintending the publication of her book, she already -conceived the plan of exploring Madagascar, and was not to be dissuaded -from her purpose even by the representations of Alexander von Humboldt, -who proposed various other plans for her consideration.</p> - -<p>The farther fortunes of Ida Pfeiffer will be found chronicled in the -accompanying journal of her voyage to Madagascar, and, with the -communication of her son, Mr. Oscar Pfeiffer, tell the story of her -sufferings and death. But, before we enter upon the last act of her -toilsome and instructive career, it will be well to say a few words -concerning the character of our traveler.</p> - -<p>Ida Pfeiffer did not give those who saw her the impression of an -emancipated, strong-minded, or masculine woman. On the contrary, she was -so simple and downright in word and thought, that those who did not know -her had some difficulty in getting at the depth of her knowledge<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxxiv" id="page_xxxiv">{xxxiv}</a></span> and -experience. In her whole appearance and manners there was a quiet -staidness that seemed to indicate a practical housewife, with no -enthusiastic thought beyond her domestic concerns. Many people were -accordingly premature in their judgment concerning Ida Pfeiffer, and -felt inclined to ascribe her passion for traveling to mere inquisitive -restlessness. This supposition was, however, completely negatived by a -leading trait in Ida Pfeiffer’s character, namely, a total absence of -any thing like prying curiosity. In proportion as her whole existence -had been troubled, was her appearance quiet and sedate.</p> - -<p>The sharpest observer would fail to detect in her any tendency to push -herself forward, or to interfere in matters not within her sphere. -Serious, silent, and reserved, she presented few of the agreeable -features of her mind to people with whom she was imperfectly acquainted.</p> - -<p>But those who succeeded in gaining her intimacy could not fail to -recognize under this unpretending exterior the qualities which make a -remarkable woman. Strength of purpose, firmness of character, sometimes -amounting almost to obstinacy, were quickly discernible in certain -favorite expressions of hers. If we add to these gifts an amount of -personal courage rarely found in a woman, indifference to physical pain -and to the ordinary conveniences of life, and, moreover, the -never-ceasing desire to add something to the stock of human knowledge, -it will be allowed that she possessed the qualities with which success -is achieved in the world. The value of these gifts was heightened in Ida -Pfeiffer by a strict regard for truth and strong sense of conscientious -responsibility, and a love of right and justice. She never told any -thing that had not happened exactly as she chronicled it, and never made -a promise which she did not keep. She had what, in common life, we -emphatically term <i>character</i>.</p> - -<p>That her communications derive an additional value from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxxv" id="page_xxxv">{xxxv}</a></span> her well-known -truthfulness is self-evident; and as she was free from sectarian and -other prejudices, her judgments were always based upon a solid -foundation. Had she in her youthful days employed herself more than she -did in scientific study, and gained positive knowledge in that -direction, her travels would doubtless have been more useful; but at the -commencement of our century even men were seldom found who would employ -themselves in scientific pursuits that had no immediate bearing upon -their professions, and learned women were rarer still. Ida Pfeiffer was -conscious of this defect in her education, and in her mature years often -thought of remedying it, but she lacked both the necessary time and -patience.</p> - -<p>To divest her efforts of all scientific value would, however, be unjust, -for the most competent men have given a different verdict. She pressed -forward into many regions never before trodden by European foot; and the -very fact of her being a woman was her protection in her most dangerous -undertakings. She was allowed to pursue her journey where a man would -assuredly not have been suffered to advance. Her communications, -consequently, have often the merit of containing entirely new facts in -geography and ethnology, or of correcting the exaggerations and errors -of previous accounts. Science was likewise benefited by the valuable -collections she made of plants, animals, and minerals. Frequently she -did not herself know the value of what she had brought together; but, -nevertheless, she brought many important specimens; and the sciences of -conchology and entomology are indebted to her for the discovery of -several new genera.</p> - -<p>If we compare the results of Ida Pfeiffer’s undertakings with the -limited means at her disposal for carrying out her plans, her -achievements become marvelous. She traversed nearly 150,000 miles of sea -and 20,000 miles of land; and the funds for these travels were gained -entirely by wise<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxxvi" id="page_xxxvi">{xxxvi}</a></span> economy, and by the energy with which she kept the -goal continually before her eyes. If her passion for traveling was -great, her talents as a traveler were far greater. Without sacrificing -her dignity or becoming importunate, she had the art of first arousing -and then benefiting by the interest and sympathy of people in all parts -of the world. At last she became quite accustomed to see her plan -furthered in every possible way, and though she never failed to express -her thanks, she seemed at last to receive the good offices of foreigners -in all quarters of the globe as almost a matter of course. She even had -to fight against little outbursts of wrath when she missed the sympathy -for her efforts and herself to which she had become so accustomed. In -later years especially, she was fully conscious of her own value, and -showed it when people attempted to behave in a condescending or -patronizing way to her. Persons of higher rank than herself were obliged -to be very careful in their intercourse with her; but with plain, -unpretending people she never uttered a word that could hurt or offend. -Hating all pretension, and all boastful self-assertion, she showed -herself obstinate and self-willed wherever she met with such qualities. -Antipathy or sympathy were quickly evoked in her, and it was not easy to -make her swerve from an opinion she had once formed. Even when she -appeared to give way, it generally happened that she returned by some -circuitous route or other to her old starting-point.</p> - -<p>For every kind of knowledge she showed the most profound respect, but -particularly for the acquirements of people who had distinguished -themselves in the domain of science. For Alexander von Humboldt her -admiration amounted to perfect enthusiasm, and she never mentioned the -great philosopher’s name without testifying the respect she felt toward -him. Nothing, perhaps, gave her so much<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxxvii" id="page_xxxvii">{xxxvii}</a></span> pleasure in her later years as -the appreciation for, and sympathy with her efforts manifested by -Humboldt.</p> - -<p>Ida Pfeiffer was of short stature, thin, and slightly bent. Her -movements were deliberate and measured, but she could walk at a very -quick pace for her years. When she returned from one of her journeys, -her complexion used to give strong evidence of the power of the tropical -sun. Beyond this there was nothing in her features to tell of her -remarkable trials and adventures; a quieter countenance could not -readily be found. But when she became animated in conversation, and -spoke of things which strongly awakened her interest, her whole face -lighted up, and its expression became exceedingly engaging.</p> - -<p>In all that related to the toilet, a matter of importance to most women, -Ida Pfeiffer confined her wants within the smallest limits. She was -never seen to wear trinkets or jewels; and none of the lady readers who -honor these pages with their perusal can show more simplicity in the -adornment of her beauty, or greater indifference to the requirements of -custom, than were displayed by this voyager round the world.</p> - -<p>Straightforward, of high principle, with a promptitude and wisdom in -action rarely equaled among her sex, Ida Pfeiffer may justly be classed -among those women who richly compensate for the absence of outward -charms by the remarkable energy and rare qualities of their minds.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_39" id="page_39">{39}</a></span><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xxxviii" id="page_xxxviii">{xxxviii}</a></span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_40" id="page_40">{40}</a></span> </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_41" id="page_41">{41}</a></span> </p> - -<h1>IDA PFEIFFER’S LAST TRAVELS.</h1> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">Departure from Vienna.—Linz.—Salzburg.—Munich.—The Artists’ -Festival.—The King of Bavaria.—Berlin.—Alexander von -Humboldt.—Hamburg.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the 21st of May, 1856, I left Vienna, and set forth on another of my -long journeys. At Nussdorf, near Vienna, I embarked on board the fine -steamer “Austria,” bound up the river for Linz. The steam-boat company -was not only so obliging as to give me a free pass, but even placed a -cabin at my disposal, and provided board and every comfort for me.</p> - -<p>The short distance (about thirty German miles) from Vienna to Linz can -be accomplished in twenty-one hours, and a beautiful trip it is. Few -rivers can boast such an endless variety of scenery as greets the eye of -the traveler on the Danube. Hill and valley, city and hamlet, -magnificent convents and elegant villas glide past in endless -succession, nor lacketh there the knightly castle, or the half-decayed -ruin with its appropriate legend of romance. Favored by the Fates with -the finest possible weather, and surrounded by agreeable company, I -could only wish that my journey might continue to present the auspicious -appearance under which it had begun.</p> - -<p>I made acquaintance with several passengers on board, and among the rest -with the wife of the respected physician, Dr. Pleninger, of Linz. This -amiable lady insisted upon my taking up my quarters in her house. -Unfortunately, I<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_42" id="page_42">{42}</a></span> had but a short time to stay at Linz, as I purposed -proceeding to Lambach the same day. But kind Dr. Pleninger arranged a -little pleasure party for the morning to the neighboring “Freudenberg” -(Mountain of Joy), on which a great Jesuit convent is built. Besides its -clerical occupants, this establishment numbers more than a hundred and -fifty pupils, who, for the sum of only twelve florins<a name="FNanchor_A_1" id="FNanchor_A_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_A_1" class="fnanchor">[A]</a> per month, are -boarded and lodged, and get their education into the bargain. The -institution appears to be conducted with care and with notable order. It -already possesses a little collection of ethnographical objects and a -botanic garden, the latter under the superintendence of Herr Hintereker, -a very eminent botanist. The view from the Freudenberg is very charming, -and I herewith recommend this walk to all future tourists, including -those who are unable to see the convent.</p> - -<p>I remained at Dr. Pleninger’s till the afternoon, and then proceeded by -rail to Lambach, a distance of eight German miles, which it required -full three hours to accomplish.</p> - -<p>At Lambach I took the Salzburg omnibus. Unfortunately, this vehicle was -not managed on English principles. It was a true, genuine, and -unadulterated German omnibus, drawn by German horses, who tramped -stolidly along at the rate, as I judged, of a German mile an hour. The -distance is twelve German miles, and in just twelve hours we got to our -destination, so that my calculation was quite correct.</p> - -<p>At Salzburg it was pouring wet weather, of course: my countrymen do not -call this town the “rainy corner” without reason.</p> - -<p>They tell a story of an Englishman who once came to Salzburg at -midsummer, and found town, valley, and hills alike shrouded in mist and -rain. He had read so much of the charming situation of Salzburg that he -lingered there a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_43" id="page_43">{43}</a></span> few days, but, as the sky showed no token of clearing -up, this son of Albion at length lost patience and decamped. Two years -afterward, on his journey home from Italy, he took the route by this -town, in the hope of being more fortunate this time; but, behold, it was -raining as it had rained two years ago. “By Jove!” exclaimed the Briton, -in astonishment, “hasn’t it <i>left off</i> yet?”</p> - -<p>I might have made the same observation; for, although in my journeys I -had several times passed through Salzburg, I had not once had the good -luck to see this beautiful region smiling in the sunshine. And beautiful -it is—wonderfully beautiful. It would be difficult to find a prettier -little town, or one situate in so fertile a valley, and surrounded by -such majestic masses of mountains. One of these, the Watzmann, is nearly -9000 feet high.</p> - -<p>I had only half a day to spend in Salzburg, and had just time to look at -the statue of Mozart, set up here since my last visit. Mozart, as is -well known, was born in this town in the year 1756.</p> - -<p>From Salzburg I took the stage-coach (stellwagen) to Munich. This kind -of conveyance could never be classed among the most agreeable methods of -traveling, but since the invention of railways it has become -intolerable. Crowded together like negroes in a slave-ship, we loitered -for two whole days in accomplishing this little distance of nineteen -German miles. The rain fortunately ceased a few miles from Salzburg, -and, moreover, the scenery is very fine to within four miles of Munich. -The Bavarian frontier is crossed within the first mile. To my great -surprise, the inspection of passports and of luggage was speedily -accomplished.</p> - -<p>Toward evening we came to the Chiem Lake, also called the “Bavarian -Sea.” This beautiful sheet of water is two German miles in length, and -one and a half in breadth. On three sides it is shut in by high -mountains, while on<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_44" id="page_44">{44}</a></span> the fourth it is bordered by a plain of seemingly -unlimited extent.</p> - -<p>Not far from Traunstein we struck into a by-road toward Sekon, a pretty -seat belonging to the widowed Empress of Brazil, who was by birth a -princess of Leuchtenberg. Sekon is situate on a tiny lake, whose waters -are said to possess mineral properties. The empress has caused a large -building, originally a convent, on the banks of the lake, to be -converted into a bathing hotel, with fifty rooms, and it has been very -tastefully arranged. A neat garden surrounds the building, the kitchen -is well supplied, and conveyances can be had, and every thing is -marvelously cheap. A very good room, for instance, costs only three -florins per week; the <i>table d’hôte</i>, twenty-four kreutzers; a one-horse -carriage can be had for two florins a day, and other expenses are in -proportion. This pleasant bathing-place, when its existence becomes more -widely known, can not fail to attract a multitude of guests, and then, -of course, the prices will rise.</p> - -<p>From Sekon we went on to Wasserburg. This little town is wonderfully -placed as regards situation. It lies in a perfect basin, shut in at -almost every point by steep walls of rock and sandstone. When I came to -the edge a giant crater seemed to open suddenly at my feet, but, instead -of fire and flames, this crater contained a charming rural scene. The -little houses lay there hidden and secluded as if they belonged to -another world. The Inn flowed between them, its yellow waters covered -with signs of a busy life; for hundreds of rafts, built of the trunks of -trees and planks, float down hence to distant harbors. Taking a wide -circuit, we drove down into this crater; and then I became aware that -the basin was much wider than it had appeared from above, and that it -afforded space for numerous hop-gardens. This region might not inaptly -be called the Vineyard of Bavaria.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_45" id="page_45">{45}</a></span></p> - -<p>On the 26th of May I arrived in Munich. The portion of Bavaria with -which I became acquainted on this little journey pleased me greatly. The -scenery is splendid, the towns and villages look pretty and prosperous, -and the fields are well cultivated. The scattered farms in particular -bear a certain impress of prosperity, cleanliness, and order. The -buildings are of stone, are sufficiently roomy, and generally have an -upper story; the roof is constructed in the Swiss manner, almost flat, -and weighted with heavy stones, as a protection against the violent -storms which prevail here. Exception might be taken to the fact that -dwelling-house, barn, and stable are all under the same roof; for, in -the event of a fire, the farmer would most probably lose all his -property at once.</p> - -<p>No one who looks at these teeming fields and valleys (and when I saw -them the crops were waving in rich abundance), the smiling villages, the -well-built farms, would suppose that poverty could lurk here, and that -many of the inhabitants are forced to emigrate, to seek beyond the sea a -country that will better repay their toil.</p> - -<p>And yet it is so. The chief reason is perhaps to be found in the fact -that in Bavaria, and particularly in Upper and Lower Bavaria and the -Upper Palatinate, farms are not divided, but given to one of the -children, who is chosen by the father from among his family. The -fortunate individual thus selected has certainly the responsibility of -“paying out” his brothers, as it is called; but they never receive much, -as the estate is always appraised considerably below its value, and the -chief heir, moreover, receives a considerable sum under the name of -“Mannslehen.” The rest have naturally no course left but to seek a -service, to learn a trade, or to emigrate. Even in the other provinces, -where the estates are divided, there is a great deal of poverty, and -emigration is always going on. Why this should be so I can not pretend -to determine.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_46" id="page_46">{46}</a></span></p> - -<p>The costume of the peasant women in these regions is very peculiar. They -wear short but very full skirts, with double bodices, the one with long -sleeves, the other sleeveless. This second jacket, generally of -dark-colored velvet, is put on over the other, and laced with silver -tags. The wealthier peasant women adorn their necks with eight or ten -strings of little real pearls, with great clasps in front. The poorer -ones are fain to content themselves with imitation pearls, of silver.</p> - -<p>Munich seemed to me a very quiet city. There is little traffic, and none -but the principal streets show any signs of life.</p> - -<p>I only remained in this city six days, but in that short time I made the -acquaintance of several families. So far as I could judge, domestic life -appears to be simple and social here, and the fair sex seemed to care -less for outward show than the ladies of other capitals. I must confess -that the mode of life in Munich pleased me much.</p> - -<p>Through a fortunate chance I became acquainted with many distinguished -men here, principally artists. The Artists’ Festival was being -celebrated, and I received a polite invitation to take part in it. Were -I to chronicle the names of all the eminent people to whom I had the -honor of an introduction on this occasion, I should perhaps tire my -readers; but in my memory those names will always be impressed.</p> - -<p>I must devote a few words, however, to the festival, which is celebrated -every year on a fine day in May.</p> - -<p>It was held at Schwanegg and Pullach, in a beautiful meadow surrounded -by forests. At Schwanegg, a chateau built in the Gothic style by Herr -von Schwanthaler, a comic interlude was represented, a parody on -Schiller’s “Fight with the Dragon.” The fortress of Schwanegg is -supposed to have been besieged for a whole year by a dragon, in such -wise that no man could go out or in. A knight comes<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_47" id="page_47">{47}</a></span> riding past by -chance; he is seen from the watch-tower, and the inmates of the castle -straightway assemble on the threshold, and in very comic verses implore -the knight to deliver them from their enemy. Then follows the combat, -with discomfiture of the dragon, etc.</p> - -<p>After the dragon had been satisfactorily slain, we had another scenic -show in the little wood near Pullach—<i>Spring expelling Winter</i>. Then we -had a series of funny processions. Bacchus appeared seated on a -wine-cask, drawn by gigantic cockchafers (each represented by a man), -with similar insects sporting round him. Apollo came next, on a -triumphal car, with Pegasus as his horse, and surrounded by butterflies, -flowers, and beetles, from one to two feet in height, cut out of -card-board, tastefully colored, and mounted on lofty poles. In short, -one frolic succeeded another, and the appreciating public enjoyed the -sight most unequivocally; it was a thorough “people’s festival.” There -must have been nearly ten thousand people assembled, all passing the day -in hearty enjoyment, and seeming to belong to a single family. Some -found places at long tables under the trees, others simply threw -themselves on the grass; but all seemed equally devoted to the national -beverage of the country, the beer, without which a true Bavarian would -scarcely be able to enjoy himself thoroughly. In spite of this bibulous -propensity, every thing went off peaceably and well, and it was not -until the evening that one or two of the company showed signs of having -overdone the thing a little. Luckily, the Spirit of the Hop seems to be -a good-natured sort of spirit, only promoting hilarity, for I did not -hear of a single quarrel.</p> - -<p>The first representation had been honored by the presence of King Max, -who came in the dress of a plain citizen. Afterward in the theatre I saw -the king and the whole court in private dress. It is a long time since I -have seen a monarch in the garb of a civilian; crowned heads wear<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_48" id="page_48">{48}</a></span> -uniforms, and nothing but uniforms, as if they belonged exclusively to -the military class. There is some fitness in that; for what would the -majority of them be without soldiers?</p> - -<p>King Max seems to take a different view of things. He honors the -citizens, and does not scruple to associate with them. He marched along -with the great crowd, with no followers to accompany or police to escort -him. He cleared a path for himself, and the people passed to and fro -around him quite unceremoniously.</p> - -<p>The king was told that my insignificant self was among the audience at -the feast, and I was speedily presented to him among thousands of -spectators. His majesty conversed with me for some time in the most -gracious manner.</p> - -<p>To describe the “lions” of Munich and its Art treasures is no fit task -for a journal like mine. Any of my readers who may wish for information -on the subject will find it amply detailed in one or other of the -capital hand-books which have been published concerning this city of -Art.</p> - -<p>Two amiable ladies, the Baronesses Du Prel and Bissing, were obliging -enough to lead me from gallery to gallery, and from church to church. -But nothing is more tiring, or more exhausting to the mind and body, -than crowding a large amount of sight-seeing into a limited time. These -six days tried me more than a sojourn of double that time in the virgin -forests of the tropics, where I had to walk on the most tiring paths all -day long, with the damp earth for my resting-place at night, and rice -parboiled in water for my daily food.</p> - -<p>Before I take leave of Munich I must relate a funny incident that -occurred one evening on my leaving the theatre. I did not know my way -well, and begged a good dame, who came walking past with a gentleman, to -set me right. As they were walking in the same direction, they invited -me to go with them. On the way she inquired if I<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_49" id="page_49">{49}</a></span> had been to the -Artists’ Festival, and if I had seen the “great traveler,” Ida Pfeiffer, -there. My questioner added that she had been with her husband, but only -in the evening, and had not seen the person in question. I replied that -the “great traveler” was a quiet little woman, and that I knew her well -enough; if I wanted to see her I had only to look in a glass. The good -people seemed very glad to see me, and insisted on accompanying me to my -door.</p> - -<p>On the 1st of June I proceeded, by way of Hof, to Berlin (ninety-five -miles), and, arriving on the following day, was received with their -wonted hearty kindness by my dear friends, Professor Weisz and his wife.</p> - -<p>The journey from Munich to Berlin offers few points of interest: the -views are sometimes pretty, but nowhere striking; the country around -Plauen is the most agreeable. Before we got to Hof, the last Bavarian -station, something broke down in the engine; we thus lost a whole hour, -and missed the corresponding train. At the Prussian frontier my passport -was demanded, but the official scarcely glanced at it, and the -inspection of my luggage was also entirely formal; in a few moments the -whole ceremony was over.</p> - -<p>In Berlin a great and joyful surprise awaited me. I received from -Alexander von Humboldt an open letter of recommendation to all his -friends in the wide world.</p> - -<p>The celebrated geographer, Carl Ritter, also did me a great honor by -inviting me to a sitting of the Geographical Society. In March last I -had been received as an honorary member of that body, and was the first -woman to whom such a distinction had been accorded.</p> - -<p>I only staid a week in Berlin, and proceeded thence to Hamburg (a -distance of thirty-eight German miles), taking up my quarters again with -the worthy Schulz family. But in Hamburg also there was no long tarrying -for me. I wanted to husband my time for Holland, a country with which I -was unacquainted, and accordingly, on the 14th of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_50" id="page_50">{50}</a></span> June, I embarked on -board the steamer “Stoomward,” Captain C. Bruns, for Amsterdam, distant -three hundred and twelve sea-miles from this port.</p> - -<p>This was the first passage I made in Europe on a Dutch steamer, and here -I experienced the same kindness I had met with from the proprietors of -Dutch steamers in India during my second journey round the world; not -only did they give me a free passage, but refused to accept payment for -table expenses, etc. How much more easily would my journeys have been -accomplished had I met with similar consideration from English -steam-boat companies! but unfortunately, till now, such has not been my -good fortune. The English directors, agents, and managers have shown far -greater appreciation for my dollars than for my journeyings, and always -made me pay my passage, alike for long and short distances.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_51" id="page_51">{51}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">Arrival in Holland.—Amsterdam.—Dutch Architecture.—Picture -Galleries.—Mr. Costa’s Diamond-cutting Works.—The Haarlem -Lake.—A Dutch Cattle-stable.—Utrecht.—The Students’ Festival.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">I arrived</span> in Amsterdam at midday on the 16th of June. My worthy friend, -Colonel Steuerwald, was waiting for me in the harbor. This gentleman is -one of my oldest traveling acquaintances. I first met him on my journey -from Gothenburg to Stockholm, afterward encountered him again at -Batavia, and here again in his own native land, where he welcomed me in -the heartiest manner, and introduced me at once to his family circle.</p> - -<p>I staid in Holland till the 2d of July, and had an opportunity of -traveling through the greater part of this interesting country; but I -will merely indicate what I saw in as few words as possible, for it does -not come within the scope of my book to give detailed accounts of -well-known lands and cities.</p> - -<p>The thing that struck me most in Amsterdam was the architecture of the -houses, which I can best liken to the old German style, as seen, for -instance, in Magdeburg. The houses, inhabited generally by a single -family, are very narrow, from two to four stories high, terminating in -fronted or rounded gable roofs. They are built of brick stained with a -dark brown tint, and in some instances ornamented with arabesques. The -streets have a singular appearance. The houses stand in straight rows, -but do not by any means rise in a perpendicular line. In some the under, -in others the upper, and in others, again, the middle story, bulges out -beyond the rest, the deviation from the perpendicular fre<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_52" id="page_52">{52}</a></span>quently -exceeding a foot. It would seem that such houses were peculiarly liable -to fall in; but, from the dates over the doors, I found that the -majority had stood for one, and not a few for two centuries. The narrow -steep staircase is a great drawback in Dutch houses. One ought to be a -born Hollander, and accustomed from childhood to the task of climbing -these stairs, to look upon them with equanimity, especially as in any of -these lofty narrow houses one seems to be mounting and descending the -stairs all day long. I need scarcely say that the houses of the rich, -the hotels, and similar buildings, are free from this inconvenience.</p> - -<p>Equally surprised was I to notice that in houses where the ground floor -is arranged as a shop, the whole width of the front is thus occupied, -and no room left for a private door. The cook with her market-basket, -the water-carrier with his pails, the housewife and the visitors, have -all to go through warehouses sometimes filled with costly wares arranged -to the best advantage. Of course, too, the shop-door must be left open -on Sundays and holidays as on ordinary occasions.</p> - -<p>These inconveniences are all caused by the high price of the ground. -Every one knows with what labor the greater part of the Dutch soil was -won from the sea, and how expensive it is to build on ground where the -foundation must be almost <i>created</i>, so to speak, by driving heavy -piles. Generally the building <i>below</i> the ground costs quite as much as -all the rest of the structure.</p> - -<p>Amsterdam is intersected by numerous canals, all sufficiently broad, and -crossed by 250 bridges. This town might indeed be called the Venice of -the North, but that the marble palaces, the bustle and life of the -southern people, the crowd of passing gondolas, and the melodious songs -of the boatmen, are all wanting. Amsterdam has, however, one advantage -over Venice in possessing fine broad streets<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_53" id="page_53">{53}</a></span> running parallel with the -canals, so that carriages can be used in traversing the city. Many of -the streets are adorned with tall stately trees, which make the town -look very fresh and pleasant.</p> - -<p>There are some handsome buildings, but none of remarkable appearance -except the royal palace—the council-house of old times. This is built -in a grand style, and beautified with excellent sculpture.</p> - -<p>I must farther mention a few peculiarities of Amsterdam which greatly -surprised me. The first was, that in this great city of 200,000 -inhabitants there are no stands for hired carriages; whoever wants to -drive out must send to the stable-keeper’s house, and wait until the -horses are harnessed. Another peculiarity struck me as very original: in -the middle of summer people may be seen traversing the paved streets in -sledges. These sledges—low carriage bodies mounted on frames of wood -and iron without wheels—are called “steepkoets,” and are used chiefly -by old people. The pace is very slow, but the traveling comfortable -enough.</p> - -<p>The Zoological Garden, adjoining the town, is spacious and tastefully -laid out. The number of foreign animals is considerable, and had just -been increased by the arrival of several giraffes. The classes of birds -and reptiles were very fully represented.</p> - -<p>The Museum contains a valuable collection of sea-shells and land-snails.</p> - -<p>I visited two picture galleries, the Trippenhuis collection and that of -Herr van der Hoop. The word <i>van</i>, by the way, unlike the German <i>von</i>, -is not an indication of nobility; every Hollander may prefix it to his -name. The principal pictures I saw were “The Watchmen and——,” by -Rembrandt; Van der Helst’s “Meal;” Steen’s “Feast of St. Nicholas;” and -the “School by Moonlight” of Dow. The two galleries can boast of many -masterpieces by the above-men<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_54" id="page_54">{54}</a></span>tioned artists and by various others, as -Ruysdael, Wouvermans, Ostade, etc.</p> - -<p>The Van der Hoop gallery is in the Academy, and was a bequest from the -proprietor. The Academy hesitated long before accepting the valuable -present, the institution then lacking funds to pay the high legacy-duty.</p> - -<p>I was much interested during my visit to the diamond-cutting works of -Herr Costa, reputed to be the chief establishment of the kind in -existence. The Dutch enjoy an acknowledged pre-eminence over all the -nations of Europe in the art of cutting diamonds; but in India they have -found their masters, as is proved by the great diamond in the possession -of the sultan, which was cut in Upper India. This diamond, the largest -known to exist, though convex on the under side, has been cut in facets -of uniform size, with an amount of skill which even the Hollanders are -unable to emulate.</p> - -<p>The size of the manufactory is very striking when one considers the -smallness of the objects manipulated; the building is more than a -hundred feet long and three stories high.</p> - -<p>The various operations are conducted in the following way: the rough -diamond passes first into the hands of the planer, then into those of -the cutter, and finally is handed to the grinder. The first of these -operators removes any defects that may be in the stone with a sharp -diamond, wherewith he files the gem, and then chips off the faulty -piece. The cutter gives the stone its proper shape by getting rid of the -corners and inequalities in the same way. The dust obtained by these -operations is carefully collected and husbanded, for the use of it is -indispensable in grinding the diamond. The grinder uses a leaden bullet -inclosed in wood, with the upper portion softened in the fire, so that -the stone may be pressed into it as far as necessary. The diamond is -then ground on a steel plate, on which a little<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_55" id="page_55">{55}</a></span> diamond-dust has been -strewn. The great art consists in making the facets and corners -perfectly even, whereby the fire and beauty of the diamond are greatly -increased.</p> - -<p>The turning of the grinding machine (by steam power) is so rapid that -the steel disk does not seem to move at all; it makes two thousand -revolutions per minute.</p> - -<p>A great deal is lost by this grinding; thus the English crown diamond -Kôh-i-Noor was reduced one fourth in size on being cut the second time. -The first cutting of this beautiful diamond had proved a failure, and in -1852 the English government sent for a Dutch workman from Herr Costa’s -establishment to cut the stone artistically. The work occupied the -lapidary for six months, and the mere working expenses, apart from any -profit, which indeed the proprietor of the factory, Herr Costa, would -not accept, amounted to four thousand Dutch guilders, or something more -than £330 sterling. In Herr Costa’s works, of which he is sole owner, -125 workmen are employed, of whom five are planers, thirty cutters, and -ninety grinders. These men earn each from thirty to seventy and eighty -Dutch guilders per week.</p> - -<p>In Amsterdam I saw also the sugar-refining works of Messrs. Spakler, -Neoten, and Fetterode. The sugar is refined by means of steam-engines. I -have seen the same thing done in other countries. This manufactory turns -out about 5,000,000 kilos (about 4885 tons, English weight) of sugar -every year. The greatest establishment of the kind in Holland -manufactures 16,000,000 kilos, and the entire produce amounts to -80,000,000.</p> - -<p>Very near Amsterdam lies the famous Haarlem Lake, the draining of which -may be certainly reckoned among the most gigantic undertakings of the -present century. Where a few years ago great ships sailed, and where the -fisherman spread his nets, thousands of cows now graze, and beauteous -fields and meadows smile with verdure; nay,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_56" id="page_56">{56}</a></span> scattered houses, already -fast increasing, will soon probably expand into towns and villages.</p> - -<p>The pumping out of this lake, which was about thirteen feet deep, was -begun in February, 1849, and the whole great work was completed in four -years. Engines of 400-horse power were set up in three different places; -each of these engines raised the pistons of eight pumps six times a -minute, and poured out the water into the canals leading to the sea. The -twenty-four pumps of the three engines discharged 20,340 kilderkins of -water per minute.</p> - -<p>The area of land thus gained amounts to no less than 60,000 English -acres. The cultivation of this great tract was begun as early as 1853.</p> - -<p>Herr Muyskens, who had the kindness to show me this new wonder of the -world, is the owner of a fair tract of the land, from which he carried -the first harvest last year. His house, too, was finished, and had been -built with much taste. Here I first saw how far the Hollanders’ -predilection for cattle-breeding leads them; the cow-stable was -indisputably the handsomest part of the house. It must be borne in mind, -however, that the greater part of the Dutch soil consists of rich -pastures and meadows, and that stock-breeding is the chief source of the -Dutchman’s wealth; it is thus reasonable enough that every possible -effort should be made to develop this branch of farming. But I had -scarcely expected that their anxiety should go so far as to procure for -the cows cleaner and more comfortable dwellings than many well-to-do -people can boast in the less civilized countries of Europe, to say -nothing of other quarters of the world. The cow-house monopolized the -greater part of the building: its windows, of a handsome oval form, were -absolutely festooned with white curtains, looped up with gay ribbons. -The entrance door, of which the upper part was glazed, also boasted of a -curtain of dazzling whiteness. The interior of this establishment was in -the form of a lofty spacious<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_57" id="page_57">{57}</a></span> hall. The stalls were just broad enough to -allow the hind feet of the cows to rest on the edge of a canal or gutter -a foot in depth, so that the straw might be kept perfectly clean. Just -over this gutter, and parallel with it, a rope had been stretched, and -to this rope the tails of the cows were tied, to prevent them from -whisking their sides and raising a dust. All these arrangements were -pleasing enough to the eye; but I fancy, if the poor animals had been -consulted, they would have voted for a little more freedom, although at -some sacrifice of neatness.</p> - -<p>One compartment of the stable was partitioned off by a wall of planks -three feet high: it had a boarded floor, and formed quite a neat little -room, for the use of the farm attendants. The store-houses for milk, -cheese, and similar farm produce were as scrupulously clean as the -stable itself. The walls of the entrance halls, staircases, kitchen, -store-rooms, etc., in almost every house, are covered, to the height of -three or four feet from the ground, with tiles of white porcelain or -green clay, which are not so difficult to keep clean as whitewashed -walls.</p> - -<p>It was at Herr Muysken’s house that, after a long abstinence, I enjoyed -the luxury of good milk to my coffee; milk pure and fresh as it comes -from the cow. One would think that in a country like Holland, where -there are so many cows, good milk could be had in abundance; but it is -not so; for the Hollander is such an enthusiast in making butter and -cheese, that, like the Swiss, he scarcely allows himself enough good -milk for domestic purposes. Almost every where, even in the wealthiest -families, the coffee was very indifferent.</p> - -<p>While I am speaking of coffee-drinking, that most important subject for -us women, I can not help mentioning a custom prevalent throughout -Holland, which, in my humble opinion, is not very seemly or worthy of -imitation. As soon as the coffee or tea-drinking is over, the lady or -daugh<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_58" id="page_58">{58}</a></span>ter of the house, or one of the female authorities, <i>washes</i> the -tea-service at the table, in presence of the company. She pours a little -hot water in each of the cups, rinses them out, wipes them on a cloth, -and the business is done.</p> - -<p>Herr Muyskens was kind enough to lead me right across the drained lake -to one of the three machines used for pumping out the water, and one or -other of which is occasionally put in requisition when there has been an -accumulation of rain-water. We came just in time to see one of these -machines at work.</p> - -<p>We went on to Haarlem, where we saw the fine park, with the elegant -royal palace, and likewise a portion of the town. I noticed over the -door of a house an oval disk, about a foot and a half in length, covered -with pink silk, and ornamented with rich lace in ample folds. They told -me this was a sign that one of the inmates had recently become the -possessor of a baby. A strip of paper projecting above the disk -indicates that the new arrival is a girl. The custom dates from the old -warlike times, when the rough soldier respected the house where the -suffering mother lay, and the practice once prevailed throughout -Holland. It has now fallen into disuse, and is only kept up in Haarlem.</p> - -<p>Besides Colonel Steuerwald, who paid me the kindest attention during my -stay in Holland, I was fortunate enough to meet another very amiable -friend, the “Resident” van Rees, whom the readers of my “Second Journey -round the World” will recollect I had encountered at Batavia. Herr van -Rees lived at the Hague; but as soon as he heard of my arrival in -Holland he came to Amsterdam to invite me to make a short tour through -his native country.</p> - -<p>We began by an excursion to Utrecht, where a great Students’ Festival -happened to be going on when we arrived. The students are in the habit -of celebrating the foundation of the University by an annual -commemoration. The festivities are kept up for a whole week. They -com<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_59" id="page_59">{59}</a></span>prise masked processions, concerts, balls, races, dinners, -illuminations, and much more of the same kind. This year the affair was -to be particularly brilliant. The worshipful students, it appears, were -divided into two factions, the aristocratic and the democratic. Each -party wished to out-shine the other, and had stipulated for an entire -week to carry out their laudable purpose.</p> - -<p>We arrived in Utrecht during the aristocrats’ week. The concourse of -visitors was so great that we could not find room in any hotel; -fortunately for us, Herr and Frau Suermondt, friends of Herr van Rees, -received us with friendly hospitality in their house.</p> - -<p>In the afternoon there was a procession. The students were all decked -out in the most costly dresses; nothing was to be seen but velvet, -satin, lace, and ostrich feathers. Some groups represented characters of -the sixteenth century; others figured as princes from Java, Hindostan, -etc., with their splendid retinues. There was even an Indian deity, -carried in a palanquin, and accompanied by a Malay band of music. Whole -scenes were represented in enormously long wagons, and some of these -were really very artistically arranged. Thus, for instance, a whole -house was shown, with the side walls taken out. A married pair sat at a -table; the wife had a child in her lap, and a second was playing about -at her feet; the family doctor and another friend were paying a visit, -chatting and drinking tea, while the maid was scouring the step in front -of the house.</p> - -<p>On another wagon a wind-mill was perched; in front sat a man building a -boat, while a second mended his nets.</p> - -<p>A third wagon showed the interior of a peasant’s farm, where butter was -being churned, sail-cloth woven, and ropes twisted. Next came a hunting -procession, the huntsmen carrying falcons on their wrists, and the whole -thing really capitally carried out. The procession was headed by -military music, and a second band brought up the rear. In<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_60" id="page_60">{60}</a></span> the evening -the town was brilliantly illuminated with lamps of colored glass and gay -paper lanterns arranged in festoons along the streets and on both sides -of the canals. In some houses the whole façade was blazing with light, -and the portals and balustrades of the bridges glittered with thousands -of lamps. Some of the streets looked like fairy-land.</p> - -<p>Toward midnight the procession came marching back with a number of -torches spitting forth blue and dark purple flames. The feast was not -over until two o’clock.</p> - -<p>Gay and brilliant it was, I can not deny, but much too grand for -students. It might be allowable if the celebration only took place once -or twice in a century; even then a single day would be sufficient for -it; but in its present form the effect can not be beneficial. The young -men must occupy themselves for many weeks beforehand with their masks, -costumes, balls, and other delectations, much more than with their -studies. Moreover, the expenses are so great that only the rich can bear -them with ease; the poorer students must therefore abstain or run into -debt. For my part, I infinitely prefer the plain burlesque exhibited at -the Artists’ Festival at Munich, which, although inexpensive, was full -of merriment and wit, lasted only a day, and afforded as much, if not -more, pleasure to actors and spectators than could be extracted from -this students’ feast, with all its show and glitter.</p> - -<p>The townspeople, too, are put to an amount of expense by the two -evenings’ illumination that must be any thing but welcome to the poorer -classes among them; but if they neglected to illuminate, the students -would be almost sure to break their windows or play them some other -silly trick.</p> - -<p>Another custom of which I could not approve was the practice pursued by -the students of parading about the whole week in their fancy costumes, -as princes, knights, etc.</p> - -<p>The second entertainment at which I was present consisted of a -horse-race and a few feats of horsemanship by<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_61" id="page_61">{61}</a></span> professional -circus-riders. To say the truth, I expected something better. Tilting at -the ring, or a joust executed by the students in their fancy costumes, -would not have cost more, as they had dresses and horses all ready -provided, and would have been more worthy of the grand programme. On -this occasion I noticed how difficult it is to rouse the Hollander from -his phlegmatic repose. A Herr Loisset brought forward a beautiful and -marvelously trained horse, which performed such difficult feats as would -have called forth the loudest plaudits from any other audience. To my -surprise, the people remained as cold as ice, and Herr Loisset left the -circus with his horse without receiving the slightest token of -approbation.</p> - -<p>The town of Utrecht is surrounded by very pretty shrubberies and -park-like plantations; but here, as every where else in Holland, the -want of hills and mountains is evident. There was not much to be seen in -the place. Of the churches, I only visited the Protestant cathedral, -allured by its majestic exterior. Unfortunately, I found the interior -defaced in an incredible way. As the church is very large, and the -congregation found a difficulty in hearing the sermons, a great and high -partition of boards had been erected—a church within the church. Of -course, this hideous plank-work, which occupies above half the entire -space, completely destroys the proper effect of the really beautiful -building.</p> - -<p>My friendly host, Herr Suermondt, seemed reluctant to part with me, and -I readily accepted his hearty invitation to prolong my stay a little -while. The first days were devoted to the town itself and to the -fortifications; and here and there I snatched an hour for a visit to the -fine picture-gallery belonging to Herr Suermondt, and which he has -thrown open to strangers.</p> - -<p>We also paid a visit to the favorite resort of the Utrechters—the -little village of Zeigst, a few miles from the town.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_62" id="page_62">{62}</a></span> The drive to this -place is charming. The road, paved with brick like most of the Dutch -high roads, leads us past pretty country houses with handsome gardens; -in many parts there are avenues of sturdy trees, of a thickness I have -seldom seen surpassed. Lime-trees, oaks, and beech-trees, and among the -latter particularly the red beeches, attain a height in Holland perhaps -unparalleled elsewhere.</p> - -<p>In Zeigst there is an establishment of the Moravian brethren.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_63" id="page_63">{63}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">Zaandam.—The little Village of Broeck, celebrated for its -Cleanliness.—Strange Head-dresses.—The Hague.—Celebrated -Pictures.—Leyden.—Rotterdam.—Departure from Holland.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">On</span> my return from Utrecht to Amsterdam, Herr van Rees took me to Zaandam -and Broeck, an excursion which can be accomplished in a carriage in one -day.</p> - -<p>Zaandam is famous as the place where Peter the Great worked for several -months as a carpenter in order to learn the art of ship-building. They -still show the wooden hut where he dwelt, and this is kept in the same -condition in which the great emperor left it. It consists of two plain -little rooms with a few wooden chairs and tables. To defend it from the -effects of the weather, a roof of brick-work has been built over it, and -in winter this is covered in at the sides with wooden planks. Zaandam, -with its thirteen thousand inhabitants, is a very cheerful little town. -Nearly every house is surrounded by its garden.</p> - -<p>No less celebrated than Zaandam, but for another cause, is the little -village of Broeck, which has acquired fame by its exceeding cleanliness, -and that, moreover, in a country where the streets of the towns are -often cleaner than the interior of the houses in many other lands. I -expected, of course, to see something extraordinary, but must confess -that the reality surpassed my expectations.</p> - -<p>The houses are all built of wood, and painted of some dark color. The -roofs are covered with glazed tiles, and the windows adorned with -handsome curtains, while every door-lock is so brightly polished as to -look as if it had been just fixed. All the houses stand in little -gardens, and each has three doors. One of these is never used but on -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_64" id="page_64">{64}</a></span> most important events of life: when the bridegroom and bride go -forth to be married; when the child is carried to the font; and when man -is borne forth to take possession of his last earthly dwelling. This -strange fashion is found nowhere except in this village. Of the two -remaining doors, one is used for daily purposes of entrance and exit; -the other leads to the stable, which forms part of the building.</p> - -<p>The somewhat narrow streets are bordered by wooden palings; behind the -houses room is left to drive in the cattle, to stack the harvest of hay, -etc. The streets were washed and swept so clean that, though they are -skirted by trees, I did not see a single leaf on the ground. The people, -I believe, keep no domestic animals except oxen and cows, for fear the -streets should be dirtied. Verily, this is carrying cleanliness to -extremes.</p> - -<p>We went into several of the houses. The rooms showed the perfection of -cleanliness and adornment. The floors were covered with plain carpets or -mats, and every piece of furniture polished so highly that it looked -like new, though, to judge from the shape of the different pieces, they -evidently dated from the last century. The interior arrangements were -handsome enough, with plenty of glazed cupboards, full of all kinds of -rarities, particularly china, among which I noticed specimens of Chinese -and Japanese manufacture. I saw no beds; their place was supplied by -false cupboards in all the rooms, which are metamorphosed into couches -at night; but great was the store of bed and table linen. The floors of -these rooms must not be desecrated by shoes; like the Oriental, the -Dutch peasant leaves his slippers at the door. It certainly does not -cost him much trouble to divest himself of them, for they are of wood, -and he has only to kick them off. Not but that he has better ones for -Sundays and visiting days; it is only at his work that he is shod with -wood.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_65" id="page_65">{65}</a></span></p> - -<p>The cow-stables were far handsomer than those I had seen at Herr -Muysken’s establishment in the Lake of Haarlem. They consist of long -halls, with handsome ceilings, resting on pillars of wood. But a stable -of this kind is, in fact, only half a stable, for the cattle only live -in it during the winter. On the first of May the beasts are driven to -pasture, and there they remain until the first of November, and during -this time the farmer may be said to make a summer residence of his -stable. The hall is divided into compartments or rooms by partitions -four feet high, and in these rooms the family lives the whole of the -day, only using the real dwelling-house at night. The walls and pillars -of the hall are hung with glittering paraphernalia of china, plates, -dishes, and metal cans, and even pictures are seen there. The implements -for making butter and cheese are ranged in perfect order in the various -compartments, and every thing glistens and gleams as brightly as if it -had never been used. Not a stain, not an atom of dust is tolerated any -where.</p> - -<p>It happened to be on a Sunday that we visited Broeck, and the villagers -were at church. We proceeded there to see them in their Sunday garb. -There was nothing peculiar in the costume of the men, who were all very -neat and tidy; but all the women wore that unhappy head-dress, common -throughout Holland, which seems to have been invented to deprive the -female sex of its chief natural ornament, for it entirely conceals the -hair.</p> - -<p>This head-dress, probably invented of old by some dame of high degree -who had lost her hair, is worthy of a particular description. A hoop of -gilt metal encircles the head. This hoop is about an inch and a quarter -in width at the forehead, increasing to two inches at the back of the -head. This fillet is surmounted by a white cap, fitting tight to the -skull, and trimmed with broad folds of lace, while a long strip of the -same fabric hangs down over the shoulders.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_66" id="page_66">{66}</a></span> Chased gilt ornaments an -inch and a half long, and an inch broad, are attached to each temple, -producing very much the effect of the blinkers with which the bridles of -carriage-horses are furnished. Three little locks of silk hang down over -the eyes. This head-dress certainly has no pretensions to taste, but has -the advantage of being subject to no change in fashion. It is expensive -enough, costing generally from sixty to eighty Dutch guilders, and even -some hundreds in the cases of rich people, who ornament their coifs with -pearls and precious stones; but these are heir-looms, descending from -generation to generation.</p> - -<p>Many women absolutely place a structure of straw, with a broad brim bent -upward in front and behind, on this wonderful cap when they go out, and -this queer affair they call a hat. I was astonished to find that girls -and women endowed by nature with beautiful hair subjected themselves to -this foolish fashion—the motive could scarcely be vanity.</p> - -<p>In the remaining costume of the women I found nothing very worthy of -remark. On Sunday they all wear gowns of black merino. The fashionable -world dresses as it does every where else; and some of the citizens’ -wives paid homage to the present fashion so far as to wear a stylish -bonnet over their hideous Dutch caps.</p> - -<p>On the following morning, my indefatigable Mentor, Herr van Rees, took -me to the Hague to see his family.</p> - -<p>The Hague, a city of eighty thousand inhabitants, does not look so -ancient as Amsterdam, but is very much cleaner, principally from the -fact that the Hague is not such a manufacturing and commercial city as -Amsterdam. Like all Dutch cities, it is intersected by numerous canals. -The Hague is the seat of government and the abode of the court, the -foreign embassadors, and officials generally. The king has several -palaces, not remarkable either for size or for their architecture. They -look merely like handsome private houses. The old chief palace, built in -the town itself,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_67" id="page_67">{67}</a></span> is a fortress surrounded by moats, and built on a low -mound or redoubt. The heavy gates, the tower, and especially the dark -color with which it is stained all over, give this place an appearance -of antiquity.</p> - -<p>About the churches there is not much to be said. The cathedral is a very -handsome building, dreadfully disfigured by being surrounded by a number -of mean-looking little houses.</p> - -<p>The picture gallery, here called the “Museum,” owes its celebrity -chiefly to two pictures, which are reckoned among the great masterpieces -of the Dutch school—a cattle-piece in life size, by Paul Potter, and -Rembrandt’s “Doctor,” or “Anatomist.”</p> - -<p>The cattle-piece is so true to nature, so warm in tone, and powerful in -execution, that one almost wonders, after a lengthened contemplation of -the work, to see the bull, the sheep, the cow, and the shepherd remain -so still and motionless, expecting them to begin to move.</p> - -<p>The other picture is just as extraordinary in its way, but I thought the -subject less attractive. The surgeon is dissecting a corpse. He has just -laid open the palm of the hand and the arm sufficiently to expose the -whole system of veins and nerves, and he is explaining these to his -audience. The calmness of the operator, to whom the business is -familiar, and the rapt attention of his hearers, some of whom are -hanging upon his words, while others gaze fixedly upon the dissected -subject, are admirably rendered; in my poor opinion, this picture is the -great painter’s masterpiece. Besides these two great paintings, there -are many charming pieces by Steen, Ostade, Rubens, and others.</p> - -<p>Herr de Boer’s bazar is well worth a visit. I have seen similar -establishments in other great towns, but none to compare with this. The -objects to be seen are innumerable, and are arranged in the most -attractive manner in large halls. There is a great variety, in -particular, of Chi<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_68" id="page_68">{68}</a></span>nese and Japanese objects. That Nature may not be -forgotten amid the charms of Art, these halls are surrounded by -beautiful green-houses, which, with their palms and cactuses, -sugar-canes, and coffee-trees, remind the Hollander who has returned -from India of the El Dorado he has left. Another arrangement, -unfortunately not universal, is, that all who come to Herr de Boer’s -bazar, whether purchasers or visitors, are alike treated with great -civility and attention.</p> - -<p>The Dutch seat of government possesses a very fine park, whose fresh -verdure, glorious trees, and blooming slopes reminded me of the parks in -England. Very charming, too, is the road from the Hague to Scheveningen, -a fishing village on the coast, some half a dozen miles from the city, -and a place much frequented by the townspeople in summer for bathing -purposes. The action of the waves here is said to be particularly -invigorating. Thick shady avenues for pedestrians, carriages, and horses -extend to the entrance of the village. Scarce a sunbeam struggles -through the thick foliage, so that there is coolness and refreshment on -the hottest day of summer. Unfortunately, however, real summer days are -very sparingly meted out to the Hollanders, the full power of the sun -being felt only for a short period in this land. It was in June that I -visited Holland, and yet it was only at noon that I found it agreeable -to lay aside my warm cloak. In the evening and the morning the -thermometer often showed only six to eight degrees Réaumur, and in the -night the mercury must have sunk some degrees lower. They told me, -however, that this year was an exceptionally cold one, and strong north -winds were continually blowing.</p> - -<p>From the Hague I made a few excursions—one to the city of Leyden, and -another to the busy port of Rotterdam.</p> - -<p>Leyden is a very dull place. In the busiest streets it is very easy to -count the passengers, and it very seldom hap<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_69" id="page_69">{69}</a></span>pens that one must step -aside to avoid a passing carriage. But the place possesses great Art -treasures. The museums of Leyden are celebrated for their great -collections, particularly of specimens of animals, fishes, and reptiles, -and likewise of skulls of men of almost every race. The Museum of -Antiquities possesses many rolls of Egyptian papyrus, mummies, and -Egyptian and Buddhist idols.</p> - -<p>Messrs. Leeman and Schlegel, the curators of these museums, were -obliging enough to conduct us through them in person. Unhappily, our -time was so limited that we could only give a passing glance at all -these wonders. The museums are separated, because it was impossible, we -were told, to find a single building with the requisite number of great -rooms. The collections are at present deposited in ordinary -dwelling-houses.</p> - -<p>The Japanese Museum, an exceedingly complete collection of the natural -and artificial products of that country, is the private property of Dr. -Siebold.</p> - -<p>If Leyden did not appear very attractive to me as a city, I was much -delighted with Rotterdam: if I had to fix my residence in one of the -cities of Holland, it should certainly be here. In this rich commercial -town there is business and bustle all day long, especially on the -canals, which are broader and deeper than those of the other towns, and -as navigable for great three-masted ships as for little cockboats.</p> - -<p>Few towns offer such an aspect as Rotterdam, where marine colossi with -high masts, as well as smoking steamers, are seen parading, as it were, -through the middle of the city. I stood for hours at the window, and was -never weary of gazing. Yonder a great East Indiaman is slowly getting -under way; here a ship has just arrived from a long voyage, and the -sailors are shouting, waving their caps, and calling to their wives, -who, informed of the vessel’s arrival, stand waiting on the banks of the -canal. Here weighty chests of sugar and bags of coffee are being dragged -out of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_70" id="page_70">{70}</a></span> the hold of a ship and deposited in the huge warehouses; there -they are loading a brig with Dutch produce for conveyance abroad; -steamers of all sizes are swirling by every moment, and hundreds of -boats dart to and fro among them. To be able to see all this from my own -window seems so strange, that I rub my eyes, fancy myself in a dream, -and refuse to believe in the reality.</p> - -<p>Rotterdam has many great and handsome houses; some are particularly -remarkable for having flat terraces instead of ordinary roofs. The park -adjoins one of the best streets; though less spacious than the Haagsche -Bosch, it is charmingly laid out.</p> - -<p>In Rotterdam I took leave of my worthy and generous friend, Herr van -Rees. The good-nature of this gentleman was so great, that he wished to -take me through the whole of Holland, as far as Gueldres and Friesland; -but it would have been more than encroaching on my part to take -advantage of his liberal offer. I alleged that the time had come when I -must embark on my new journey, and that I must proceed at once to London -to make the necessary preparations.</p> - -<p>My stay in Holland had been a brief one—about a fortnight. During this -time I had seen many interesting things, but few scenes of natural -beauty. In this respect Holland is poor. A great portion of the land, -having been won from the sea, necessarily consists of a continuous -plain, broken here and there only by low banks and “dunes,” about twenty -or thirty feet high. In Gueldres and Friesland, these “dunes,” or sandy -banks, are said to attain a height of from fifty to a hundred feet. The -views, therefore, show the same features every where—green meadows, -with cattle grazing, a few fields, pretty shrubberies, great massive -trees, and neat farms and villages. The picture thus presented is -cheerful enough, but when one has it continually before one’s eyes it -soon becomes monotonous, and creates a crav<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_71" id="page_71">{71}</a></span>ing for the sight of -mountains, or, at least, of a range of hills.</p> - -<p>The most striking objects to the traveler in Holland are the numerous -canals, great and small, which intersect both town and country in all -directions. Every patch of field, every meadow, is, as it were, a little -island, surrounded in all directions by canals two or three feet broad.</p> - -<p>The part of Holland through which I passed consists principally of marsh -land. As far as the eye can reach, it rests upon pastures full of -fine-looking cattle, which constitute the chief wealth of the country. -In Holland there are about 1,130,000 head of cows, oxen, and calves, to -a population of 3,200,000 souls, a proportion to which no other country -presents a parallel. No wonder that Holland provides half the world with -butter and cheese.</p> - -<p>The soil is decidedly fertile—witness the fat pastures and meadows, the -plentiful crops of great heavy corn-ears, and the strong, lofty trees. A -fruitful land is Holland, I will not deny, but certainly not a beautiful -one.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_72" id="page_72">{72}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">London.—Paris.—Sitting of the Geographical Society.—News from -Madagascar.—Popular Life in Paris.—Sights.—A Tale of -Murder.—Versailles.—St. Cloud.—Celebration of Sunday.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the 2d of July I quitted Rotterdam, and embarked in a steamer -belonging to Messrs. Smith and Ers for London (distance 150 sea-miles, -time of passage 20 hours). This company was the first English one that -refused to allow me to pay. I had already taken my passage; but, as soon -as Mr. Smith heard my name, he insisted, in the kindest way, on -returning me the passage-money.</p> - -<p>In London I spent about four weeks with my worthy friend, Mr. -Waterhouse, of the British Museum; and on the 1st of August I proceeded -to Paris.</p> - -<p>The chief aim of my journey was to visit the island of Madagascar, with -whose government the French alone have relations. I was therefore -obliged to go to Paris to obtain information respecting this, to me, -unknown country. To say the truth, I was not sorry for this; for, -strange as the fact may appear to many of my readers, in all my -wanderings through the world I had never visited Paris.</p> - -<p>I reached that city on the morning of the 2d of August, and at once set -about my work. My fortunate star led me to make my first visit to -Monsieur Jaumard, the President of the Geographical Society, and on that -very evening the society was to hold its last meeting for the present -summer.</p> - -<p>I had a very warm letter of recommendation to Monsieur Jaumard from -Professor Carl Ritter, of Berlin. Monsieur Jaumard received me in the -kindest manner, and invited me to be present at the sitting. I was -introduced by the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_73" id="page_73">{73}</a></span> celebrated geographer, Monsieur Malte-Brun. A place -was assigned to me at some distance from the table. At the commencement -of the sitting the president made a speech in which he introduced me to -the society, said a few words respecting my travels, and concluded by -proposing that I should be received as an honorary member. The assembled -members held up their hands in assent, and my admission was carried -without a dissentient voice.</p> - -<p>I was as much gratified as astonished at this distinction, which I had -not anticipated in the least; my pleasure was all the greater from the -fact that my old tutor, who had taught me history and geography, -officiated as corresponding member of this same society. The president -rose, and led me from my place to the table, at which I now took my -place as a member, amid the cordial congratulations of the whole -company.</p> - -<p>I immediately consulted the gentlemen present with respect to my -intention of undertaking a voyage to Madagascar: they were unanimous in -thinking the plan quite impracticable under existing circumstances. -During my stay in Holland I had already gleaned from newspaper reports -that the French government intended sending a squadron to Madagascar, -and that a serious war was considered imminent. I now learned some -farther particulars. The French have for centuries possessed a little -island, called St. Maria, on the coast of Madagascar. In the time of the -late king Radama they succeeded in obtaining a footing in Madagascar -itself by acquiring a district in the Bay of Vanatobé. In this district -there is a rich depôt for coals; and the French employ 180 colored -workmen, Indians, negroes, etc., from the Mauritius, under the -superintendence of three white men. On the accession of Queen Ranavola, -after the death of Radama, the new sovereign ordered these people to -evacuate the district. They refused to obey the mandate, as they -considered the place to be the property of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_74" id="page_74">{74}</a></span> French government. -Hereupon the queen sent 2000 soldiers, who fell upon the community, -killed two white men and a hundred negroes, and dragged away the rest -and sold them as slaves. The French government naturally demanded -satisfaction, though there was little chance of obtaining justice -without resorting to violent measures; and thus every one was prepared, -as I have said, for the breaking out of a serious war.</p> - -<p>Wherever I made inquiries, these reports were confirmed; and I -consequently found myself compelled, if not to give up the plan of my -journey, at all events to modify it. As a matter of precaution, I took -with me a letter of recommendation from the French Admiralty to the -commanders of their vessels on foreign stations. I was asked to wait for -the return of the emperor, who had gone to some bathing-place, that I -might be introduced to him; but that would have kept me too long; and I -quitted Paris with my business in a very unfinished state.</p> - -<p>The few days which I spent in this great city I utilized as much as -possible in getting at least a glance at its many objects of interest. -Of course I should not dream of giving an accurate description of what I -saw. The rage for traveling is so universal at the present day, and the -facilities for getting over hundreds of miles of ground, at least in -Europe, in a few days’ time, are so great, that a large majority of my -readers have probably been to Paris themselves; and those who have not -seen the great city are sure to know, from the descriptions of other -travelers, as much as I could tell them about it. I will, therefore, -only describe in a very few words the impressions I carried away with -me.</p> - -<p>London and Paris differ as widely from one another as the English -character from the French. In both cities there is plenty of life and -bustle; but one can see at the first glance that in Paris it is not all, -as in London, a <i>business life</i>. One does not see those rigid -self-contained fig<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_75" id="page_75">{75}</a></span>ures, wending their way with restless steps, careless -of all that is passing around them, and seeming to consider every wasted -minute as an irreparable loss. In Paris, lounging seems the order of the -day, and even the bustling man of business finds time to greet his -friends and exchange a few words with them, and to pause, moreover, for -a few minutes in front of this or that shop, and admire the wares -displayed with such really wonderful taste in the window.</p> - -<p>The houses themselves don’t look so grave as the London domiciles. They -are of large size (for in some more than thirty families live), and are -not nearly so much blackened by coal-smoke as the London houses are. The -doors are all open, and afford a view into neat court-yards, which are -sometimes adorned with flowers—decidedly a more agreeable aspect than -the tightly-closed doors of London, which seem to give the houses an -uninhabited look.</p> - -<p>In the evening the difference is most perceptible, for then the -characteristic restlessness and love of pleasure inherent in the French -display themselves in full force. All the streets, the public squares, -the places of amusement, are equally crowded; and the Englishman, -accustomed to spend his evenings in the family circle, by the fireside, -for seven or eight months in the year, and in the garden of his cottage -during the remaining four or five, might fancy, on first seeing the -pressure and crush in the streets of Paris, that some public festival -was being celebrated.</p> - -<p>The centres of all this life are the Boulevards; and very bright and -fairy-like is the scene there, on a fine summer evening, with their -magnificent cafés standing wide open, and splendid shops, bright as day -with the glare of thousands of gas-lamps, and with their motley crowd of -carriages in the roads and of pedestrians, either wandering to and fro -on the broad pavements, or sitting at neat little tables in front of the -coffee-houses.</p> - -<p>The Champs Elysées are no less attractive, though they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_76" id="page_76">{76}</a></span> scarcely realize -their name of <i>fields</i>; for, except in the short space between the Place -de la Concorde and the Rondpoint, trees and grass-plots have begun to -vanish rather rapidly, to be replaced by handsome houses and hotels. The -view in the Champs Elysées is closed by one of the finest monuments of -modern architecture—the Arc de l’Etoile—a colossal triumphal arch, -built by Napoleon the Great, in the style of the Roman gate of Septimius -Severus. The chief victories of the great conqueror are sculptured with -exquisite skill on this monument.</p> - -<p>A broad road, or avenue, which in a short time will probably also be -quite filled with houses, leads from this point to the celebrated Bois -de Boulogne. The name of this wood was so frequently in every body’s -mouth, that I naturally expected to see a forest of great sturdy trees, -something in the style of the “Prater” at Vienna, or the “Thiergarten” -at Berlin; but it was not so. In spite of its age, the Bois de Boulogne -has never become a forest. The trees have remained small and spare, and -it is a difficult matter to find a shady spot. The new and tasteful -arrangement of this locality, and the addition of a beautiful fountain, -are due to the present emperor, Napoleon III. He seems to be so -fortunate in all his undertakings, that I should not wonder if he -succeeded in making the trees grow.</p> - -<p>The Tuileries Gardens are not very spacious, but they contain glorious -specimens of venerable old trees. Here, as in all public places in -Paris, chairs in abundance are to be had. You must pay for them; but the -sum asked is very moderate—one sou per chair, whether you are a tenant -for five minutes or for half a day.</p> - -<p>Between the Champs Elysées and the Tuileries Gardens lies the Place de -la Concorde, one of the finest squares in Europe. In old times it was -called the Place Louis XV.; and here it was that the guillotine worked -with horrible in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_77" id="page_77">{77}</a></span>dustry during the years 1792, 1793, and 1794, numbering -Louis XVI., Marie Antoinette, Philippe Egalité, Marie Helène of France, -Robespierre, and hundreds besides, among its victims. Now this place is -adorned by two beautiful fountains, and on the spot occupied by the -guillotine rises the great obelisk of Luxor. This obelisk, seventy-two -feet in height, and of five hundred thousand pounds weight, is hewn out -of a single block of stone: 1550 years before the Christian era it was -set up in front of a temple at Thebes, in Upper Egypt. Mehemet Ali -presented it to the French government. Louis Philippe had a ship built -at Toulon expressly for its conveyance to France, peculiarly fashioned, -so as to ascend the Nile to Luxor, near Thebes. Eight hundred men were -engaged for three months in removing the obelisk from the temple to the -ship. In the month of December, 1833, it arrived in Paris, but its -erection was not accomplished until October, 1836. The cost of -transporting and setting it up amounted to two millions of francs.</p> - -<p>Late building operations have completely united the palace of the -Tuileries with the Louvre, so that the two now form a single -structure—undoubtedly the grandest of its kind in Europe. A few years -ago houses of irregular architecture separated these two palaces, and -the quarter of Paris surrounding them is said to have been one of the -most extensive and the dirtiest in the city. Louis Philippe intended to -have these old buildings pulled down, and to build broad straight -streets that should unite the Tuileries with the Louvre; but millions of -money were required to realize the idea, and constitutional kings can -not dispose of the funds of the state at their own sweet will. Napoleon -arranged all that more conveniently; the Senate and the Corps -Legislatif, far more accommodating than were their predecessors, the -Chambers of Peers and of Deputies, are always happy to fulfill the -wishes of their sovereign.</p> - -<p>There is so much to be seen in both these palaces, in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_78" id="page_78">{78}</a></span> way of -pictures, antiquities, models of fortresses, ships, and other -curiosities, that one might wander about for weeks in the labyrinth of -halls and galleries, quite unconscious of the lapse of time. One of the -apartments is dedicated entirely to relics of Napoleon the First. Here -are to be seen his tent-bed, his writing-table, his arm-chair, his -robes, various uniforms and hats, many golden keys of conquered cities -and fortresses, Turkish and Arabian saddles, and many other properties. -The worshipers of this modern Cæsar attach a great value to the -handkerchief with which the death-damps were wiped from his brow at St. -Helena. Not one of the other members of the Bonaparte family is -represented by any article in the collection, except perhaps the Duke of -Reichstadt, one of whose coats is displayed there.</p> - -<p>The Luxembourg Gardens, on the south bank of the Seine, are very -prettily laid out. The palace, built in a severe style, possesses a rich -gallery of pictures, mostly modern pieces. The halls and chambers are -arranged with great splendor and true artistic taste.</p> - -<p>Of the churches I visited but few. Notre Dame is distinguished by its -pure Gothic architecture. The church of St. Geneviève is one of the -oldest in Paris. It contains the tomb of the patroness of Paris, in a -neat chapel, built in the Byzantine style, behind the chief altar. In -the church of St. Sulpice, the façade, with its double rows of pillars -and a gallery, is remarkable. In the background of this church, in a -kind of niche, is a marble statue representing the Virgin Mary standing -with the infant Jesus on a globe. A cupola-shaped roof, with a beautiful -fresco of the Ascension, rises over the statue, which, exquisitely -chiseled, and with the light falling upon it with magic effect, has a -most solemn and impressive appearance. Again, I could not help remarking -the amount of poetry and effect developed in the Roman Catholic -religion—and what an advantage does this effect give it among the -excitable masses of the people, over<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_79" id="page_79">{79}</a></span> the simple and rather monotonous -forms of Protestant worship! It is unfortunate, however, that abuses, -more or less objectionable, have every where crept in, and are very -damaging, if not entirely destructive, to this poetic feeling. Take, for -instance, the wretched custom adopted in French churches of paying for -chairs. There are few or no benches, but great stores of chairs are -heaped up against the walls. For each chair the charge is a sou; and at -the end of the year all these sous no doubt make up a round sum, which -is very welcome to the worthy dignitaries of the church; but the -devotions of the congregation are terribly disturbed. Every moment the -verger comes pushing his way through the people; first he brings a -chair, then takes one away; now he asks for money, and then he chats -with some regular customer. And is not the idea of being obliged to pay, -in a temple of God, for the right of sitting down, enough in itself to -drive away all serious and devout thoughts?</p> - -<p>The Pantheon is built in the Grecian style; the interior forms a cross. -This church contains monuments of many celebrated Frenchmen. I felt the -greatest interest in those of J. J. Rousseau and Voltaire.</p> - -<p>The Hôtel des Invalides is a magnificent institution for the reception -of 5000 old soldiers who have been frequently wounded in battle, or have -lost an arm or a leg. The building seems very conveniently arranged, and -the old pensioners are said to be well treated; but no one has thought -of providing a grass-plot for their delectation. Even the courts are -destitute of trees and benches. The officers have had a small garden -laid out at their own expense. The dome of the “Invalides” is of great -size. The interior is ornamented with a great number of captured flags, -and on the walls appear great tablets, graced with the names of -celebrated generals. Behind the high altar is the chapel, where the -remains of Napoleon, solemnly brought<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_80" id="page_80">{80}</a></span> from St. Helena in 1840, are to -rest until the mausoleum is finished. It was nearly completed at the -time of my visit. It consists of a beautiful rotunda, surrounded by -twelve pillars, with twelve colossal statues of marble in the -intervening spaces. The floor is likewise of marble, with a laurel -wreath in mosaic surrounding the sarcophagus, which is cut out of a -single block of porphyry. The entrance porch, from which two flights of -steps lead downward into the rotunda, is supported by two gigantic -statues. The gate and the statues, which are of bronze, are beautifully -executed. The part of the church that rises over the mausoleum is nearly -covered with gilding, and when the full light of day shines upon it the -effect is magical.</p> - -<p>With the celebrated cemetery of Père la Chaise I was greatly -disappointed; but seeing the cemetery at New York had perhaps spoiled me -for admiring any other. The graves are certainly adorned with tombs, -flowers, and shrubs, but every thing is so crowded together that there -is scarcely room to walk. The number of monuments distinguished by grace -and richness of adornment is small, and their effect is lost by their -position. The most interesting among these is that of Abélard and -Heloise, who died in the twelfth century, and whose ashes were removed -to this resting-place in the nineteenth.</p> - -<p>The graves of the poor are in a division by themselves. Here I found on -many—particularly on the graves of children—monuments that seemed to -me much more attractive and more touching than the tombs of the rich. -They consisted of little glass cases, containing tiny altars, on which -the favorite playthings of the dead babies were displayed. In one I -noticed a tiny basket, in which lay the thimble and sewing implements of -some industrious little worker whose labor here on earth was finished—a -simple memorial, but one that spoke eloquently to the heart!</p> - -<p>The cemetery of Père la Chaise was not opened till the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_81" id="page_81">{81}</a></span> year 1804; it -contains 100 acres, and is entirely surrounded by a high wall. The view -from the hill that rises in the midst is the best reward for a very -toilsome walk.</p> - -<p>I could only pay a flying visit to the Jardin des Plantes and the -Museum. The wealth of the former in exotic plants and animals is well -known; both institutions are reckoned among the most remarkable in -Europe.</p> - -<p>I was much pleased with my visit to the Manufacture des Gobelins, or, as -I might term it, Picture Carpet. This tapestry is wrought with such -perfection, that a close inspection is required to convince the beholder -he is gazing, not at an oil-painting, but a woven fabric. The drawing is -very correct, and the mingling and transition of the various colors -delicate and finished, as if a practiced pencil had been at work. For -hours I stood watching the workmen, without obtaining the slightest clew -to the secret of the art they practiced. The workman has a kind of large -frame before him, on which the threads, or tissue, or warp (I am -unacquainted with the right term) are perpendicularly fastened; at his -side he has a huge basket of Berlin wool, wound on shuttles, and of all -imaginable hues and shades. The picture he has to copy is not a worked -pattern divided into squares, but an oil-painting; and it is not placed -in front of the artistic weaver, but behind him. He works at the wall of -threads before him, beginning from below and making his way upward, -without even sketching the picture he wants to copy; I noticed some -workmen, however, who had indicated the part at which they were -working—a foot, for instance, or a hand—by a few strokes on the edge -of the frame. Those men who imitate Persian and Indian carpets, -producing fabrics a quarter of an inch thick, and which resembles cut -velvet, have the original, also an oil-painting, suspended above their -heads. In some apartments the most gorgeous Gobelins were displayed. -They are very dear; a piece of tapestry, fifteen to twenty feet in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_82" id="page_82">{82}</a></span> -height by eight or ten in breadth, will cost from 100,000 to 150,000 -francs. But then a workman has frequently to labor for ten or more years -at such a piece. The wages of the workmen are not very high; I was told, -however, that after a certain number of years of service they receive a -pension, which is granted in a shorter period should they become blind -over their work—a calamity which not unfrequently befalls them.</p> - -<p>My last visit was to the Morgue, where the bodies of persons found dead -are exposed for identification by relatives or friends. Many of my -readers will perhaps wonder how I, a woman, could visit such a place; -but they must remember that, during my journeyings, I have frequently -been face to face with death, and that its aspect, consequently, was -less terrible to me than to the majority of people; and I can therefore -look at times even with a kind of mournful complacency upon its image, -mindful of that last journey all of us must take.</p> - -<p>The Morgue is a large vaulted apartment, divided into two halves by a -partition of glass. In the division behind the glass wall are six or -eight low tables, or slabs, on which the corpses are laid out. The -clothes they had on when found are hung upon the walls. The other half -of the room is for the visitors, among whom, if any of the bodies show -marks of violence, secret agents of the police are accustomed to mingle, -to glean from the expression of countenance, or from any chance remark, -a clew by which to track the criminal. The corpses are thus exposed for -three days, but the clothes are left hanging for a longer period. The -most terrible sights are sometimes seen here. Thus I saw a male corpse -that had lain for some months in the water, and on the next table a -young girl whose head had been completely cut off; it had afterward been -sewn on the neck. The poor creature had been murdered by her lover -through jealousy. A remarkable incident in this murder was that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_83" id="page_83">{83}</a></span> the -perpetrator, disturbed in the very fact, leaped from the window of a -room on the sixth story without injuring himself. He scrambled up from -the ground and ran away. Three days afterward, when I left Paris, he had -not been apprehended.</p> - -<p>I was told that a few weeks before, some fishermen had brought in a -table-leaf with the body of a woman tied to it, but the head and feet -were missing. The fishermen had discovered the body in the river by -chance; it had been weighted with stones, and sunk. All possible -measures were immediately taken by the authorities to find the head and -feet; and, contrary to expectation, they were eventually found, though -hidden in separate places. The body was then put together and exposed in -the Morgue. One of the secret agents quickly noticed among the -spectators an old woman who could scarcely suppress an exclamation on -seeing the corpse. When she left the room the agent requested her to -accompany him to the commissary, and on being asked if she knew the -deceased, she replied that she recognized in the poor creature a -likeness to a woman who had lived in her neighborhood a short time ago, -but who had lately removed to quite another quarter of the town. Farther -questioning brought out the fact that the murdered woman had come from -the provinces a few months before with a sum of money, intending to -carry on some small trade in Paris; she made acquaintance with a man who -professed himself willing to serve her, and announced to her, after a -short time, that he had found a better and cheaper dwelling for her. She -accepted his offer, left her old domicile without giving the address of -her new one, and since that time nothing more had been heard of her. -Inquiries were made of the commissionaires, or porters of the -neighborhood, one of whom remembered carrying her luggage, and pointed -out the house where he had deposited it. A secret agent betook himself -thither, but found the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_84" id="page_84">{84}</a></span> door locked. At his summons the porter appeared. -The agent asked him if a Monsieur X—— did not live in that house; and -on receiving an answer in the negative, added, “That is very singular, -for the address is quite correct,” at the same time showing a paper. The -porter declared there must be some mistake, for the house belonged to -Monsieur L——, who passed the greater part of the year in the country, -but had given particular orders that not a single room should be let. -The agent departed, but the house was watched, and at about eleven -o’clock at night two suspicious-looking characters were seen to enter. -After making sure that there was no other means of exit, a sufficient -number of armed policemen rushed into the house, and secured the porter -and his two associates without much resistance. The house was carefully -searched, and in one of the rooms they discovered not only the -frame-work of the table on a leaf of which the woman had been bound, but -traces of blood, and the bloodstained axe with which the unhappy -creature, lured into the house by the murderers, had been killed. But -enough of these horrors, of which, alas! Paris offers but too many -examples.</p> - -<p>My excursions in the environs of the capital were limited to Versailles, -Trianon, and St. Cloud, which I visited on one and the same day.</p> - -<p>The railway takes one, in an hour, to Versailles, past the little town -of Sèvres, celebrated for its great porcelain manufactory. Sèvres is -picturesquely situated in a broad valley watered by the Seine. The -railroad runs, throughout nearly the whole distance, parallel with the -valley at a considerable elevation, so that the traveler sees the -charming, highly-cultivated country gliding past like scenes in a magic -lantern.</p> - -<p>As regards Versailles itself, I candidly confess myself unable to -describe it. I can only assure my readers that such splendor in -buildings, gardens, halls, pictures, and general<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_85" id="page_85">{85}</a></span> arrangements could -only arise in France, under a king like Louis XIV., who rivaled the -Romans themselves in luxury, and held the modest opinion that <i>he</i> was -the state, and the people but an accessory to his greatness.</p> - -<p>Hurrying through the lofty halls, and marking the innumerable pictures, -representing battles, assaults, burning towns and villages, with the -inhabitants half naked and in full flight, I could not help asking -myself in what we are superior to the wild Indian. Our civilization has -refined our customs, but our deeds have remained the same. The savage -kills his enemies with a club; we slay ours with cannon balls. The -savage hangs up scalps, skulls, and similar trophies in his wigwam; we -paint them on canvas to decorate our palaces withal; where, then, is the -great difference?</p> - -<p>At St. Cloud I could only visit the gardens, the palace being occupied -by the empress. The fountains here are said to be very grand, but they -do not play every Sunday. It was on a Sunday that I went to St. Cloud, -but, unfortunately, not on one of the high days; there were, however, -pedestrians in plenty, and, had I been an Englishwoman, I should have -been horrified; for there were children here, and even young men and -maidens, so lost to all sense of propriety as to play at ball on a -Sunday!</p> - -<p>I have already observed that the good Parisians are rather too fond of -pleasure, and I am ready to allow that too much of any thing is -objectionable; but, on the other hand, I submit, even at the risk of -being anathematized as unchristianlike by English ladies generally, that -it is quite natural for people who have to sit for the whole week long -at the work-table, in the shop, or in the counting-house, to indulge in -a little recreation on Sundays. I can not imagine the bountiful Creator -of all things looking with displeasure upon really innocent relaxation. -It is all very well for rich people, who can amuse themselves every day<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_86" id="page_86">{86}</a></span> -in the week, and let their children have a holiday on Saturday, to make -it a rule to observe the Sabbath strictly; but to the poor man, who -works hard all the six days to maintain himself and his family in -honesty, the Almighty will surely grant permission to forget his cares -in harmless pleasure on the seventh.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_87" id="page_87">{87}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">Return to London and Holland.—Separation Festival in -Amsterdam.—Departure from Rotterdam.—My traveling -Companions.—Emigrant Children.—Story of a poor Girl.—Cape -Town.—Fortunate Meeting.—Alteration of my traveling Plans.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the 12th of August I left Paris, as I have said, with my business -unconcluded, and returned to London.</p> - -<p>After mature deliberation, I had at length taken my resolution. The -exceedingly kind reception I had met with in the Dutch Indies on my last -journey aroused in me the wish to make a second voyage in the same -direction, particularly as there were many islands yet to be explored. -The state of affairs in Madagascar might also change during my absence, -and on my return I might find it possible to visit this almost unknown -region. I made inquiries about the price of a passage, but found it was -£75—too much for my purse. As a special favor, I was to be allowed a -reduction of five pounds; but I hoped to find more favorable conditions -offered in Holland, and the sequel proved that I was not mistaken.</p> - -<p>Before leaving London I paid a visit to Mr. Shaw, the Secretary of the -Geographical Society. He had read in the papers of the honor accorded to -me by the Geographical Society of Paris. He seemed somewhat embarrassed, -and expressed his regret that a similar step could not be taken in -London, inasmuch as it was expressly forbidden by the statutes to -receive a woman as a member. I wonder what the emancipated ladies of the -United States would say to such a prohibition! That I should not be -received was natural enough, for I can not lay claim to a deep -knowl<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_88" id="page_88">{88}</a></span>edge of any branch of the science. But no one will doubt the -existence of many really scientific women at the present day, and to -exclude such persons merely on account of their sex I think -incomprehensible. It might pass in the East, where the female sex is not -held in great estimation, but not in a country like England, which -professes to take pride in its civilization, and to keep pace with the -spirit of the times.</p> - -<p>So far as I am personally concerned, I have every reason to be grateful -to the Geographical Society of London. It made me a valuable present, -without my having taken any steps in the matter; for it never was my way -to thrust myself forward or to petition for any thing.</p> - -<p>On the 22d of August I again set foot on Dutch soil, and it was in -Rotterdam. My valued friend, Colonel Steuerwald, had recommended me to -Herr Baarz; and by this friendly and exceedingly obliging gentleman I -was received in the heartiest manner, and spent some very agreeable days -in his house. Herr Baarz introduced me to Herr Oversee, one of the -principal ship-owners of Rotterdam. One of his ships was just ready to -sail for Batavia; she was to be dispatched at the end of August. This -was a capital opportunity for me. But Herr Oversee tried to dissuade me -from going in this ship, as all the berths were not only taken, but -overcrowded as far as the Cape of Good Hope, where the vessel was to -touch. Besides the cabin passengers, there was to be a whole cargo of -children, boys and girls, of from ten to fourteen years of age, nearly a -hundred in number, who had been bespoken by Dutchmen settled at the -Cape, to be trained as men-and maid-servants. As I heard that a separate -part of the ship had been allotted to the girls, and that they had been -placed under the superintendence of a matron, and as I was anxious not -to miss this opportunity of starting, I urged Herr Oversee to give me a -berth in this portion of the ship. The kind man ac<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_89" id="page_89">{89}</a></span>quiesced at once. He -put me on a par with the first-class passengers as to diet and other -details: from the Cape to the end of my journey I was to have a separate -cabin, and the charge for the entire voyage was not more than twelve -pounds ten shillings sterling.</p> - -<p>This affair concluded, I went to Amsterdam to take leave of the amiable -Steuerwald family, and came just in time to be present at some public -festivities, celebrated, as it seemed to me, on very extraordinary -grounds. The festival was in honor of the separation effected between -Belgium and Holland twenty-five years before. This separation had been -any thing but voluntary on the part of Holland, but it was nevertheless -commemorated with great enthusiasm. The affair had already been going on -for some days when I arrived, and was not to be finished under three or -four more. Dutchmen seem to think it impossible to get through with a -holiday under a week. On the other hand, the people are certainly very -moderate in their requirements: all they want is license to parade about -the streets from morning till late in the evening, to look at a few -flags and wooden triumphal arches, and to see those who really do feast -drive past on their way to banquets and to balls.</p> - -<p>The chief solemnity was fixed for the 27th of August, the anniversary of -the “separation.” I arrived on the afternoon of the 26th, and found -every window decorated with flags, little triumphal arches here and -there, gay with green boughs and colored paper, and such a crowd in the -streets that my carriage could scarcely force its way through.</p> - -<p>Next day there was certainly something extra to be seen. In spite of the -streams of rain which kept pouring from the heavens (perhaps in token of -mourning for the “separation”), the military turned out on parade; the -king appeared on a tribune erected in the cathedral square, opposite the -palace, listened to the speeches of the burgomaster, and of the leaders -of the troops who still survived from those days,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_90" id="page_90">{90}</a></span> and made speeches in -reply. Four hundred children sang the national anthem and other hymns. A -monument was moreover uncovered—an obelisk, with the Goddess of Union -standing thereupon, and its base resting on the heads of many lions, -from whose open jaws streams of water gushed forth. In the evening we -had a display of fire-works and illuminations.</p> - -<p>I should not like to incur the imputation of passing a hasty judgment -upon the people, nor do festivities of this description afford much -opportunity for forming an opinion, for the same curiosity and the same -contentment are found among the people all the world over when there is -any thing to be seen. I was, however, disagreeably impressed here, as I -had been already at the Hague and at Utrecht, by the frequent appearance -of groups of slatternly women, three or four of them arm-in-arm, pushing -their way noisily through the crowd, and sometimes even heading troops -of half-drunken men, like so many Megæras, shouting and dancing as -noisily as the topers themselves. This the Hollanders call jollity. I -call it shamelessness; and am always grieved to see women fallen so low -as to brazen out their shame in the face of the world.</p> - -<p>After a hearty farewell to my friends I returned to Rotterdam, and on -the 31st of August I betook myself on board the “Salt-Bommel,” 700 tons -burden, Captain Juta, master.</p> - -<p>Our ship was the first that was to carry a cargo of children from their -native land; and as the 31st of August happened to be Sunday, and a very -fine day, and as the Hollanders are just as inquisitive as any other -nation, it is not to be wondered at that from the early morning the -quays and the shore were lined with thousands of spectators. The good -people had the consolation of looking at our ship all day long, for the -steam-tug which was to take us in tow as far as the Nieuwe Sluis did not -make its appearance till four o’clock in the afternoon.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_91" id="page_91">{91}</a></span></p> - -<p>On board there was as much life and bustle as on shore. The children -came trooping in, a few at a time, accompanied by their relatives, and -laden with eatables and with little keepsakes. Here a mother might be -seen pressing her child to her bosom for the last time; there a father -gave his son a few last words of counsel and exhortation before the -journey began; and many parents, after several partings from their -children, came hastening back to take a last look at the beloved faces. -And when the ship at last moved from the shore, many were there who -could be seen crying “farewell” after distance had rendered the sound -inaudible. Handkerchiefs and hats were waved to wish us God-speed, and -mighty “hurrahs” were raised; the whole city seemed to take an interest -in our outgoing, as though the children had belonged to the people at -large. This universal sympathy and excitement was a good panacea against -mournful reflections. Children and parents shouted their loudest with -the rest; and if many a poor mother sat down and dropped a tear as she -parted from her darling, her low sob was drowned in the louder accents -of rejoicing and farewell.</p> - -<p>Whenever we passed a village, the shouting and waving of handkerchiefs -began again. Happy youth, that can thus look forward with light heart to -the unknown future!</p> - -<p>Our progress to-day did not extend beyond eight miles (I must always be -understood to mean <i>geographical</i>, or sea-miles, sixty to a degree). The -steam-tug took leave of us in the evening. On the following day we -drifted lazily as far as the wharf of Helvoetsluys, and here we had to -remain at anchor for some days, with what patience we might, waiting for -a wind.</p> - -<p>These few days were enough to convince me that I must prepare myself for -a very uncomfortable voyage with very uncongenial companions.</p> - -<p>The cargo of children was bound, as I have said, for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_92" id="page_92">{92}</a></span> Cape Colony. -Some were to be landed at Cape Town, the others at Port Elizabeth, a few -hundred miles distant, on the northeast coast. At the Cape it is almost -impossible to get respectable industrious servants or artisans: people -there are compelled to employ Hottentots and Caffres, who will only hire -themselves out for a few days, or at most for a week or two; and they -frequently run away, leaving their work half done. The Dutch settlers, -therefore, bespeak children from their mother country, with the object -of training them up as servants and artisans.</p> - -<p>These children receive board, lodging, and clothing from the day of -their embarkation. On reaching their destination they serve without -wages for the first two years and a half, during which time they are -considered as working off the expenses of their journey. For every -following year they receive, besides board and clothing, sixty Dutch -guilders (£5), one guilder per month being handed to them as -pocket-money. The other forty-eight guilders are deposited with the -authorities, and on completing their twenty-first year the balance is -paid over to them. They have then the right of leaving their masters, -should they wish to do so.</p> - -<p>In several towns in Holland committees were formed for the selection of -these children. From the orphan asylums none were taken. The children -are asked, in the presence of the authorities, if they are content to -travel beyond sea. Unfortunately, however, the committee seem to have -taken matters very easily, and to have troubled themselves very little -about the prescribed regulations. Thus the <i>children</i> were not children -at all; almost without exception they numbered from sixteen to twenty -years, instead of from ten to fourteen; and they must certainly have -been picked up out of the streets, for in all my life I never saw such -an amount of riff-raff collected together. The grown-up girls must have -been lounging about for years in the sailor’s tav<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_93" id="page_93">{93}</a></span>erns; the younger ones -followed the example of the elder, and the whole community swore like -the sailors themselves, sang the most uproarious songs, and stole from -one another. Their want of cleanliness was awful.</p> - -<p>But I will not be too bitter against these poor wretches; and let him -who would condemn them consider the curse that weighs from their -birth-hour upon the children of poverty. It is not because they are -wretchedly clothed and half fed that I pity them so heartily; their -greatest misfortune consists in their having nobody to take charge of -the education of their hearts and minds. The parents are seldom capable -of fulfilling this trust, for did not the same curse rest upon their -infancy? They work hard through the day, and give their children the -indispensable bread, and think they have done their duty. If several -other children come, the loaf becomes insufficient, and they are obliged -to put the elder children to work at the earliest possible moment. If -this work to which they are put were but regular, it might be rather an -advantage to the child than otherwise; but what can a little boy or a -little girl of seven or eight years old do? Those who get into the -factories, or are bound apprentices, are the best off; but there is not -employment of this kind for all, and for many there is no refuge left -but to do all kinds of little offices in the streets, hawk newspapers, -sweep crossings, and run on errands. Left to themselves, without -guidance, without definite notions of right and wrong, and too often, -alas! with the evil example of their parents before their eyes, is it to -be wondered at if they at last succumb to the temptations that hover -round them in such varied forms?</p> - -<p>Far more worthy of condemnation do those men appear to me to whom the -education of the people is intrusted, and who so often leave their duty -unperformed. They can not, like the children of the poor, plead -ignorance in their own defense; for if they fail, they do so with a full -consciousness of their offense.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_94" id="page_94">{94}</a></span></p> - -<p>I speak of the priests and schoolmasters, who, to my thinking, are the -most important men among the people; for in their hands lies the real -education of the rest. They are the chief personages in every village; -they can, if they earnestly desire it, effect an incalculable amount of -good, and the government ought to keep the most vigilant watch upon -them. Is this done? Alas! I fear not.</p> - -<p>The clergymen are generally so little attended to by their consistories, -that the whole village will sometimes be crying out about the misconduct -of its minister, while his superiors know nothing about it. And if the -affair becomes too bad at length, what is the punishment? Simply his -translation to some other parish.</p> - -<p>The schoolmasters, moreover, are so badly paid, that scarcely any one -will take up with this profession who can earn his living in another -way.</p> - -<p>With a few notable exceptions, clergymen and schoolmasters think they -have done their duty when the former have preached a dry sermon on -Sundays, and the latter have managed to teach their pupils to read and -write. But how few, how very few, trouble themselves about the moral -training of the children intrusted to their charge, by teaching them the -difference between right and wrong, by endeavoring to rouse their hearts -and minds to healthy action, and, above all, by setting them a good -example!</p> - -<p>We had a schoolmaster on board, Herr Jongeneel, and his wife: he was to -superintend the boys and she the girls. These good people ate their -rations with great perseverance, said many prayers and sang psalms, but -they cared very little about the behavior of those who had been -intrusted to them. The last note of the psalm had scarcely died upon the -lips of the girls before they would be hurrying away to the deck, where -they spent the evening and half the night bandying jests with the mates -and sailors. Even in the daytime their behavior was so unbecoming that -I<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_95" id="page_95">{95}</a></span> and a married female passenger, with her step-daughter, were obliged -to pass nearly all our time in the cabin.</p> - -<p>I hear that Herr Jongeneel is to have a post as a missionary at the -Cape. What is to be expected from such a man? He began the voyage with a -falsehood. He had assured the committee he had no children, yet came on -board with a child, and his wife was daily expecting another, which duly -arrived on the 3d of September.</p> - -<p>Under these circumstances, it was, of course, impossible for me to sleep -in the girls’ cabin. Captain Juta, a very good, obliging man, saw this, -and as there was no other vacant place, he had a berth arranged for me -on a settle in the chief cabin. It was not very comfortable, for the -seat was not more than a foot broad, and it was a very difficult matter -to maintain my place upon it, particularly when the ship rolled.</p> - -<p>The rest of the company consisted—besides the young wife, her -step-daughter, and myself—of eight or nine gentlemen, who were not the -most eligible of fellow-passengers. They were generally very fond of -seizing every opportunity of conversing with the girls, in a very -sailor-like style. In the evening there was often such a disturbance -that we quiet women could not find a peaceful spot on the deck where we -might enjoy a little fresh air. The gentlemen and the girls raced wildly -round the decks, pricked one another with needles, and shouted, laughed, -and screamed like denizens of the lowest public houses. Mr. Schumann, a -young chemist, was an honorable exception.</p> - -<p>It was not till the 4th of September that a slight breeze arose, aided -by which (and a little steam-tug) we made our way into the North Sea. -The sails soon began to fill, and on the 5th we entered the English -Channel, through which we sailed in two days and a half—the quickest -run through this dangerous passage I have ever made in a sailing-vessel.</p> - -<p>The 7th of September was a Sunday. The schoolmaster<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_96" id="page_96">{96}</a></span> and missionary -expectant read the service with half-closed eyes, and with such an -appearance of unction and importance that one would have thought he had -been born a priest. His address or sermon was so dry and bald as to be -fit only for savages, who would not understand a word, good or bad. At -the dinner-table he seemed more at home—ye powers, what an appetite he -had! In the afternoon we had almost a calm. The captain, who was ever -ready to give pleasure to all, had a fine organ on board. He had it -brought on deck, and played, that the young people might dance. It was -quite a little festival. Every one was in good spirits, cheerful, and -decorous, for the captain remained present the whole time. The sailors -also sang, and danced among themselves or with the girls. The boys -clambered about the rigging, played with each other, or executed all -kinds of gymnastic feats. We passengers stood about in groups, watching -the gambols of the merry youngsters.</p> - -<p>One of the girls took no part in the general hilarity. The poor thing -seemed the only one who felt how mournful it was to go forth into the -wide world without staff or stay. On the very first night which I passed -in the girls’ cabin I had been struck by her mournful countenance; she -had cried herself to sleep, called for her mother in her dreams, and in -the morning when she awoke, and saw all the strange faces round her, she -seemed to lose all courage, cowered in a corner, and wept long and -bitterly. Great indeed must have been the poverty of the parents that -induced them to part with a child who clung with such passionate -tenderness to the remembrance of home, and bitter the parting of the -poor mother from the child that was going to the far country with such a -slender prospect of returning. Surely there is a sharper sting in such a -parting than in following the remains of a beloved relative to the -church-yard. In the one case there is the consoling belief<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_97" id="page_97">{97}</a></span> that the -soul is safe from harm, but alas for the perils that encompass soul and -body on a life-long journey among strange faces!</p> - -<p>Oh, that all into whose houses these orphan children come would endeavor -to make up to them, by a little love, the mighty loss these poor -creatures have sustained! I tried to console the girl as well as I -could, and the good captain spoke kind words to her, and promised to -take her back to Europe if she did not feel happy at the Cape. But as -the girl’s sorrow wore off from day to day, she began to take -pleasure—as we find is too frequently the case—in the conduct of her -companions, and in a few weeks home and parents were alike forgotten.</p> - -<p>The only girl on board whose behavior was uniformly good was one from -whom I should least have expected propriety of conduct. Mary, as they -called her, was the daughter, by a first marriage, of a man who had -married again shortly after the death of his first wife. There was a son -by this marriage, two years younger than Mary. The second wife disliked -her step-children, scolded them continually, and frequently ill treated -them, particularly when she had taken too much brandy, which she -appeared to do pretty frequently. When Mary had reached her eighteenth, -and her brother his sixteenth year, she declared that they were old -enough to earn their own living, and turned them out of the house. For -three months the poor creatures slept in the streets or in any corner -where they could get shelter; no one would receive them, no one would -take pity on the poor, ragged, half-starved wretches. They had learned -nothing, and could barely manage by begging, and by little earnings now -and then, to get a few farthings to buy bread. Once they had a hope of -seeing their condition improved. One evening, as they stood at the -corner of a street, they saw an elderly man crossing the road, and -leading a little girl by the hand. A merry boy of seven or<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_98" id="page_98">{98}</a></span> eight years -of age was following them; he had loitered a few paces behind, playing -with his hoop. Just when he was in the middle of the road a carriage -came round the corner. The startled boy tried to spring aside, but fell -over his hoop, and would probably have been crushed by the wheels, or -trampled under foot by the horses, if Mary’s brother, who happened to be -close by, had not rushed toward him, and dragged him out of the way.</p> - -<p>The old gentleman came hurrying up, took the boy in his arms, examined -him carefully, and could scarcely believe he had escaped entirely -without injury. As a crowd had begun to gather round, he beckoned Mary’s -brother to follow him, and went toward his own house accompanied by the -children. He made the two beggars—for Mary had kept close to her -brother—come in with him, and asked where they lived. They told him -their history in a few words. The old gentleman seemed touched, wrote -down the address of their father, and dismissed them with a small -gratuity and a direction to call again on the following evening.</p> - -<p>They were quite overjoyed; for the first time in three months they could -enjoy a warm meal and sleep under a roof, and they hoped that next -evening the good gentleman would find them work, and perhaps even take -them into his house. With what impatience they waited for the appointed -hour! At last the evening came, and with beating hearts they knocked at -the door. An old servant appeared, and desired them to wait; after a -short absence he reappeared, put a few guilders into their hands, and -said that his master could do nothing more for them. Great was the -disappointment of the poor children; but they did not dare to question -the servant, and went away weeping silently.</p> - -<p>The old gentleman had probably gone to make inquiries at the parents’ -house, and finding the step-mother alone,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_99" id="page_99">{99}</a></span> the wicked woman, to justify -herself for having turned the children out of doors, had told some -horrible tale about them.</p> - -<p>The poor wretches were looking forward with great fear to the -approaching winter, when fortunately they heard of the committee which -sent out young people to the Cape. They went at once to the office, and -were accepted.</p> - -<p>A girl who remains good and virtuous under such circumstances deserves -the greatest respect and admiration. Mary continued, like a heroine, -unspoiled by the bad step-mother, by starvation in the streets, or by -the bad example on board. God grant poor Mary happiness and blessings, -for surely she deserves them!</p> - -<p>On the 19th of September a very strange incident took place. We were -going quietly before the wind, when suddenly it changed and took us “all -aback.” The sails could not be furled quickly enough to save one of the -yards from being sprung and the sail torn to shreds. The whole affair -was over in a few moments, and the passengers in the cabin knew nothing -about it. The captain ascribed the occurrence to a great water-spout. We -could not see it, but had probably come within the domain of the -whirlwind it raised.</p> - -<p>At the end of our passage, which was somewhat tedious and thoroughly -uneventful, we had a death on board; the schoolmaster’s eldest child -died of the croup. I was very disagreeably impressed on this occasion by -the behavior of the mother. With the child on her lap—it had only died -a few minutes before—the bereaved mother eagerly asked for bread, -butter, and cheese, and a glass of water. When she began to drink the -water, and found it was not sweetened, she scolded the girl, and sent -her off for the sugar. After she had satisfied her hunger and thirst, -the poor little child was dressed, and the scene of grief began. She -took it in her arms, wept and sobbed, and seemed as if she could not -part from it. A few hours afterward all signs of mourn<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_100" id="page_100">{100}</a></span>ing had vanished, -and one would have thought the poor child had never existed.</p> - -<p>On the 16th of November, at noon, we at length cast anchor in front of -Cape Town. For a description of this place, I refer my readers to my -“Second Voyage round the World.”</p> - -<p>It was Sunday, and I therefore refrained from going on shore. Where -English people form the majority of the population, it is not customary -to pay visits on this day; the good folks are all day long either at -church, or praying at home, or supposed to be praying.</p> - -<p>Cape Town is not so great but that the name of every stranger is known -within a few hours after arrival; and on this first afternoon I received -two friendly offers of hospitality for the time of my stay here—one -from Madame Bloom, the other from Mr. Juritz, an apothecary.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the 17th of November, I was engaged in packing up my -few possessions before going ashore with the captain when a gentleman -came on board and inquired for me. He introduced himself as Mr. Lambert, -a Frenchman, and told me that he had been living in the island of -Mauritius some years, and had, in fact, landed here on his return voyage -to that island. He had heard in Paris of my intention of proceeding to -Madagascar, and that I had been dissuaded from attempting the journey. -Hearing yesterday of my arrival, he had hastened to invite me to go to -Madagascar with him, if I had not entirely abandoned my project. He had -been in the island about two years before, and was personally acquainted -with the queen. He had written to her from Paris, requesting permission -to pay a second visit, for no one is allowed to land in Madagascar -without the queen’s consent. He hoped to find this permission awaiting -him at the Mauritius, and would write immediately on his arrival to -obtain a similar permission for me, which he had no doubt would be -granted; only, if I<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_101" id="page_101">{101}</a></span> intended to undertake the journey, I must make up -my mind at once, as the steamer would start for the Mauritius on the -following day. In consequence of the rainy season having set in at -Madagascar, the voyage from the Mauritius thither could not be commenced -until the beginning of April; but, in the interval, Mr. Lambert assured -me I should find the heartiest welcome in his house.</p> - -<p>It would be difficult to picture my surprise and joy at this. I had -given up all hope of carrying out my plan, and now I should be able to -do it, and, moreover, in the most agreeable and the safest way. I hardly -knew what to say to Mr. Lambert. I felt ready to shout for joy, and tell -every one I met of my good fortune. Yes, I have had good luck in my -journeyings—never-ending luck. At Rotterdam I found a ship which was to -touch at the Cape—a thing that hardly occurs twice in the course of a -year, as the Dutch have scarcely any communication with the colony; and -here at the Cape I arrive just in time to meet Mr. Lambert, who would -have been gone had I landed twenty-four hours later. These are the happy -chances one reads of frequently enough in novels, but they very seldom -occur in actual life.</p> - -<p>I immediately sent my baggage to the steamer, and hastened ashore to see -my friends. An adjutant of the governor, Sir George Grey, came with an -invitation from his excellency to visit him at his country house. I -could not resist so flattering a summons, and spent the whole evening at -his excellency’s. Sir George made me the tempting offer of a journey -through the greater part of the Cape territory in his company; but -nothing in the world would have induced me to give up Madagascar. I -therefore gratefully declined his liberal offer, the value of which, -however, I fully appreciated, and that, under different circumstances, I -should have joyfully accepted. This kind gentleman seemed to take a real -interest in my doings, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_102" id="page_102">{102}</a></span> to be sorry that he could not in any way be -of service to me. He made me promise to let him know by letter if I -should require his recommendation or any other assistance on my journey.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the 18th of November I was escorted back to the town -to Mr. Lambert, and a few hours later we were again at sea.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_103" id="page_103">{103}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">Voyage to the Island of Bourbon.—The Mauritius.—Wealth of the -Island.—The City of Port Louis.—Manner of Life among the -Inhabitants.—Indian Servants.—Grand Dinners.—Country -Houses.—Creole Hospitality.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">I made</span> the voyage from the Cape to the Mauritius in the handsome and -entirely new steamer “Governor Higginson,” Captain French, of 150-horse -power. The vessel had been built in shares, Mr. Lambert being the chief -shareholder. He refused to let me pay for my passage, and would not have -allowed me to do so even had he not possessed a single share. He -declared that I was now his guest, and must remain so till I finally -left the Mauritius.</p> - -<p>Our voyage of 2400 sea-miles to the Mauritius was very prosperous. The -sea was certainly stormy when we set sail, and we had to struggle much -against contrary winds; still, it was said that no other steamer had -ever made so quick a passage.</p> - -<p>Except some small water-spouts, we saw nothing remarkable till we -reached the island of Bourbon.</p> - -<p>On this steamer I learned the amount of the current expenses of -navigation. Without reckoning coals, it exceeds £500 per month. The crew -consisted of forty-seven persons. The consumption of coal was about -twenty-five tons in twenty-four hours. These coals are in some places -exceedingly dear; at the Cape, for instance, where they cost £2 10<i>s.</i> -per ton.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the 1st of December we discovered land, and in the -afternoon cast anchor in the little-known harbor of St. Denis, the -capital of the island of Bourbon.</p> - -<p>This pretty little island, also called Ile de la Réunion,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_104" id="page_104">{104}</a></span> lies between -the Mauritius and Madagascar, in latitude 20° 21° south, and longitude -52° 53° east. It is forty English miles in length by thirty in breadth, -and has about 200,000 inhabitants. Discovered in 1545 by Mascarenhas, a -Portuguese, it was occupied by the French in 1642; from 1810 to 1814 it -was under English dominion, and since that time it has been a French -possession.</p> - -<p>Ile de Bourbon has lofty chains of mountains and plains of considerable -extent, stretching parallel with the sea-coast. The flats are planted -with the sugar-cane, which flourishes here famously, and gives the whole -island an appearance of luxuriant verdure.</p> - -<p>The town of St. Denis is built far out into the sea, and surrounded by -evergreen trees and gardens. In the background rises a hill, crowned by -a palatial edifice, which I at first took for the governor’s residence; -but it has been built for a nobler purpose—it is the hospital. The -Catholic church also stands upon the hill, and against its foot leans a -long building of only one story, and with handsome rows of pillars, -which make it look like a Roman aqueduct; but, on a nearer inspection, -one detects windows and doors, and the place turns out to be the -barracks. The whole picture is closed in by a chain of mountains, which -divides into two parts, and affords a magnificent glimpse of a deep -gorge thickly shaded with plants and trees. All this I saw from the -steamer’s deck, for we only staid here a few hours, and these were -passed in the usual formalities—the visit of the physician, the -officials from the post-office and custom-house, etc. The business was -no sooner over than the steam began to puff and gurgle, the wheels were -put in motion, and we were off to the island of Mauritius, a hundred -miles away.</p> - -<p>Next morning we had not only long lost sight of Bourbon, but the -Mauritius lay before us; and in the afternoon our steamer anchored in -the safe harbor of Port Louis, the capital of the island. But three -hours passed before we<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_105" id="page_105">{105}</a></span> landed, and I took up my quarters in Mr. -Lambert’s country house.</p> - -<p>The island of Mauritius, seen from the sea, presents a similar aspect to -Bourbon, only that the mountains are higher, and are piled up in -successive chains. The town has not so picturesque an appearance as St. -Denis; it wants the fine stately buildings which give such an imposing -effect to the latter place.</p> - -<p>The Mauritius, formerly called “Ile de France,” is situate in the -southern hemisphere, between latitude 19° 20°, and longitude 54° 55°. It -is thirty-seven miles long by twenty-eight broad, and has a population -of 180,000.</p> - -<p>Like Bourbon, the Mauritius belongs to Africa. It was taken possession -of by the Dutch in 1570, but is said to have been discovered earlier by -the Portuguese Mascarenhas. The Dutch gave it the name “Mauritius,” but -left the island in 1712. Three years afterward the French took -possession, and called the island “Ile de France.” In 1810 the English -conquered it, and have kept it ever since. They have also restored its -old name of Mauritius.</p> - -<p>The island was uninhabited at its first discovery. The whites introduced -slaves—negroes, Malabar Indians, and Malagaseys, from whose -intermarriages all kinds of shades of color and nationality arose. Since -the abolition of slavery in the year 1835, almost all the working-people -have come from India. The Anglo-Indian government makes contracts for -five years with people who wish to hire themselves out in the Mauritius; -at the expiration of that time they have to apply to the government in -the Mauritius, at whose cost they are sent back to their own country. -Those who fail to report themselves lose their right to a free passage.</p> - -<p>The hirer must pay to the government for each laborer two pounds the -first year, and one pound every year following; this money covers the -expense of the passage out<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_106" id="page_106">{106}</a></span> and home. To the laborer himself he has to -give five or six rupees a month, and board and lodging. This scale only -applies to common laborers; for cooks, artisans, and skilled workmen, -the wages are much higher, rising according to their capacity.</p> - -<p>I found the inhabitants of the Mauritius in a state of great excitement. -Intelligence had lately arrived from Calcutta that the exportation of -coolies, or laborers, was forbidden, as it had been alleged that the men -were very badly treated in quarantine, which they are compelled to keep -on account of the cholera. They say, however, that the government here -is to redress the quarantine grievances with all due care, and they -therefore hope the prohibition will soon be relaxed. If this is not -done, the island will be threatened with ruin in a few years.</p> - -<p>At present it is in the most flourishing condition; the income which -this little island yields, not only to the planters, but to the -government, is perhaps larger, in proportion to its extent, than the -amount yielded by any other territory whatever. In the year 1855, for -instance, 2,500,000 cwt. of sugar were grown, the value being £1,777,428 -sterling. The revenue of the government for the same year amounted to -£348,452. The expenses were much less than the income; and as this is -the case nearly every year, and the surplus is not sent to England, but -remains in the country, the treasury is always well filled. At the -present time it is reported to contain £300,000; and with every year the -wealth of this fortunate island increases. In the year 1857 the revenue -increased by £100,000, this great sum being raised solely by the new -duty on spirituous liquors. That the inhabitants partake of this -prosperity is proved by the difference between the exports and imports. -In the year 1855, the former exceeded the latter by half a million -sterling. Could the same be said of some of our great European states?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_107" id="page_107">{107}</a></span></p> - -<p>The government officials are exceedingly well paid, but not nearly so -well as in British India, though the expenses of living are much greater -here. The reason is, that the climate of India is considered very -unhealthy for Europeans, while that of the Mauritius is salubrious -enough. The governor has a house, and £6000 a year salary.</p> - -<p>Mr. Lambert’s country house, “Les Pailles,” to which I proceeded, is -seven miles from the town, in the district of Mocca. The whole island is -divided into eleven districts.</p> - -<p>At my kind host’s I found every thing heart could desire—handsome -rooms, good living, numerous servants, and the greatest independence; -for Mr. Lambert drove to town every morning, and frequently did not -return till the evening.</p> - -<p>After a few days’ rest I began my wanderings through the island.</p> - -<p>First of all, I visited the town of Port Louis. There was little enough -to be seen in it. Though of tolerable size (it has a population of -50,000), it possesses not a single fine public building, with the -exception of the government house and the bazar. The private houses, -too, are generally small, and never exceed one story in height. The -bridge across the big river—frequently so destitute of water that it -can be easily forded—is built tastefully enough, only they have been so -sparing of its breadth that only one carriage can go across at a time; -when two meet, one has to wait till the other has passed. Governments -seem to act very much like private people: so long as they have little -money, or, indeed, are in debt, they are generous, and even extravagant; -but from the moment when they become prosperous they grow saving and -avaricious. At least this seems to be the case with the government of -the Mauritius, which is much more stingy, with its well-filled chest, -than our European states that are burdened with debt. Does it not show a -miserable want of spirit to have such a narrow bridge in the busiest -part of the town?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_108" id="page_108">{108}</a></span></p> - -<p>Two other bridges of hewn stone fairly fell in during my stay; -fortunately, no one was hurt. Each governor thinks only of filling the -treasury; his greatest pride is in being able to say that under his rule -the surplus of income over expenditure had increased by so many thousand -pounds. Acting on this principle, the present governor objected strongly -to the estimates given in for the building of the two bridges, ordered -that they should be constructed at a cheaper rate, and—has the pleasure -of building them twice over.</p> - -<p>The town possesses a public walk, called the “Champ de Mars,” which is, -however, little frequented, and a theatre, in which a French company -perform.</p> - -<p>The rich people generally live in their country houses, and only come to -town for the day.</p> - -<p>The mode of life among Europeans and Creoles (under the latter term are -understood people born on the island of white parents) is similar to -that in the British or Dutch Indies. At sunrise we refreshed ourselves -with a cup of coffee, brought into the bedroom; between nine and ten the -bell summoned us to a breakfast of rice, curry, and a few hot dishes; -and at one came a luncheon of fruit or bread and cheese. The chief meal -was taken in the evening, generally after seven o’clock.</p> - -<p>Living is very dear here. House rent, the better kind of provisions, -servants’ wages, etc., are paid for at very high prices. The simplest -establishment of a respectable family with three or four children costs -from thirty-five to forty-five pounds per month. The staff of servants, -though much smaller than in an Indian household, is as much in excess of -a European one. Families who make little appearance must keep a footman, -a cook, a man for carrying water and cleaning the crockery, another to -wash the linen, and a couple of boys from twelve to fourteen years old. -The lady of the house has, besides, a maid for herself and one or<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_109" id="page_109">{109}</a></span> more -for the children, according to their number. Those who have carriages -keep a coachman for each pair of horses. The monthly wages of servants -are from thirty to thirty-six shillings for a man-cook; twenty-four to -thirty shillings for a footman or maid; and forty-five to ninety -shillings for a coachman. Quite a common helper gets at least eighteen -shillings, and the boys six shillings and their clothes: lodging is -found for them, but not board. In British India fewer rupees are paid -than dollars here. Domestics do not pay more for their board than four -shillings a month at the most; they live on rice and red pepper, -vegetables, and a few fishes, and these articles they can get for almost -nothing. The servants perform their offices worse there than in any -country I know, except perhaps at Amboyna in the Moluccas. Every where -the visitor must bring his own servants; for if, for instance, he goes -into the country and has no attendants with him, he stands a very good -chance of finding his bed unmade and his water-jug empty at night. The -poor housewives have great difficulty in keeping their houses in any -thing like order. In India they are much better off: there the chief of -the servants bears the lofty title of “major-domo,” and has the -supervision of all household details. All the articles in use in the -domestic economy—the plate, linen, and china—are intrusted to his -keeping. He is responsible for the safety of all; he superintends the -servants—reckons with them, cashiers one and engages another. If cause -of discontent should arise, application is at once made to the -major-domo. But here the lady of the house must herself undertake this -arduous office; and as the Creole ladies are not remarkable for -carefulness and love of order, it may be imagined that the interior -arrangements of all households are not in the best state. I would not -counsel any visitor rashly to set foot in any but the reception-room.</p> - -<p>Social intercourse does not flourish in the Mauritius.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_110" id="page_110">{110}</a></span> There is not -even a club here: the chief reason may be that the society consists of -French and English in almost equal numbers—two nations whose characters -and modes of thinking vary too much ever to amalgamate freely.</p> - -<p>Besides this chief obstacle, there are other minor hinderances; for -instance, the late dinner-hour, and the great distances between the -various houses. As I have observed, the usual dinner-hour is between -seven and eight o’clock, and thus the whole evening is lost. In other -hot countries, when it is customary for people to live in country houses -outside the town, the gentlemen generally come home from their business -at five o’clock, and dine at six, so that at seven people are ready to -receive visitors and friends.</p> - -<p>But here all visits are paid before dinner, as it is too late to do so -afterward, and whoever wants to assemble a few people for the evening -must invite them solemnly to dinner. These dinners are conducted with -great ceremony. Every one appears in full dress, the officials generally -in uniform, as if they had received an invitation to court. At table, -one is frequently seated between two perfect strangers, and after -suffering the horrors of ennui for hours, a move is made at past nine -o’clock into the reception-rooms, there to suffer ennui for some time -longer. Music is very seldom introduced. Packs of cards are every where -displayed on the tables, but I never saw them used. Every guest seems to -be waiting with impatience for the time when he may take his leave -without appearing rude: he is devoutly thankful when the evening has -come to an end, and then accepts the next invitation with the greatest -pleasure.</p> - -<p>These dinners do not take place very often; for, ready as the good folks -are to put up with the dreary ennui in consideration of the good company -and the well-furnished table, the generous giver of the feast has to -remember that each cover costs him at least from eighteen to -twenty-four<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_111" id="page_111">{111}</a></span> shillings. Nor is the thirst of his honored guests to be -appeased on easier terms; for Frenchmen and Englishmen are alike judges -of good grape-juice, and the Mauritius would be no English colony if the -rarest wines of Europe had not found their way there.</p> - -<p>If the fortunate guest be not the fortunate possessor of a carriage and -horses, a dinner of this kind puts him to some expense likewise; for he -has generally four, or six, or more English miles to go, and the hire of -a coach costs fifteen shillings at least.</p> - -<p>There is more hospitality to be met with in the country than in the -town, but its practice is not universal. I received many invitations, -among the rest one from the governor, Mr. Higginson, who has a country -house at “Reduit,” seven miles from the capital. Most of these -invitations I declined, particularly those in which I suspected more -etiquette than real friendliness. I have never been an advocate of -ceremonious visits and stiff parties, but a small circle of kind, -educated persons I am always glad to join. In this respect I was -gratified in some houses, particularly in those of the English families -Kerr and Robinson, who lived in the Mocca district.</p> - -<p>Mr. Kerr had lived long in Austria, and with the language he had -acquired all the friendly ways of my dear countrymen; and his wife, too, -was quite free from the proverbial English reticence. I came to this -friendly family with all my little requests, and felt really at home -with them. The Robinsons were also very good, friendly people, and -musical withal.</p> - -<p>The district of Mocca has an advantage over the other divisions of the -island in its agreeable climate, especially in that part distant five or -six miles from the town, where the land rises a thousand feet above the -sea-level.</p> - -<p>The region around is very romantic. The volcanic mountains exhibit -themselves in the strangest shapes.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_112" id="page_112">{112}</a></span> The vegetation is most luxuriant. A -peculiarity which I rarely noticed in the other districts was the -presence of deep, broad clefts, forming gorges or defiles. I explored -several of these; among others, one on a little plateau near Mr. Kerr’s -country house. It varied from eighty to two hundred feet in depth, and -was about forty feet broad at the bottom; at the top the breadth was -much more considerable. The sides were richly decked with stately trees, -graceful shrubs, and climbing plants, while below, a foaming crystal -streamlet, rushing onward, formed several pretty cascades.</p> - -<p>One of the finest views, perhaps, in the whole island is to be obtained -from Bagatelle, Mr. Robinson’s country seat. On one side the eye rests -upon picturesque mountains, on the other it roams over fields luxuriant -in verdure, stretching over a sunny plain to the boundless ocean. It is -said that on a clear day the island of Bourbon can be discerned from -this point.</p> - -<p>Of all the country seats I saw in the Mauritius, those of Mr. Robinson -and Mr. Barclay seemed to me the handsomest. The dwelling-houses are -surrounded by parks and gardens tastefully laid out, where tropical -flowers, shrubs, and trees (particularly beautiful palm-trees) are seen -in close community with the European plant-world. In Mr. Robinson’s -garden we had peaches as fine as any in Germany or France.</p> - -<p>The houses of these two gentlemen stand in very advantageous contrast to -the other houses in the island. The rooms are high and spacious, the -arrangements very convenient; order and cleanliness reign every where.</p> - -<p>These praises, unfortunately, can not be extended to the country houses -of the Creoles. To speak frankly, I mistook most of the latter -establishments for the dwellings of poor peasants. They are generally -built of wood, are very small and low, and very much hidden by bushes; -one<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_113" id="page_113">{113}</a></span> would never believe that rich people are to be found living in -these hovels.</p> - -<p>The interior arrangements are quite in conformity with the exterior. The -reception-room, and perhaps the dining-room, are passable; but the -sleeping-rooms are so small that one or two beds and a few chairs fill -them completely. And this in the Mauritius, a country where the heat is -oppressive, and lofty and roomy apartments almost a necessity! To fill -up the measure of inconvenience, many people have had the odd fancy of -partly roofing their houses with white metal. The visitor who is -unfortunate enough to be lodged in a room just under one of these roofs -can form a lively idea of the sufferings endured by the unhappy captives -of old in the lead-roofed prisons of Venice. Every time my unlucky -destiny led me into such a house, I looked forward with terror to the -night, which I was sure to pass in sleepless discomfort, burning with -heat, and half stifled for want of air. In Ceylon the roofs are also -sometimes covered with lead or zinc; but the houses are much more lofty, -and the metal is not exposed to the burning rays of the sun, but covered -with wood or straw.</p> - -<p>I found many of the houses in such a dilapidated condition, and so -tottering in appearance, that I marveled greatly at the courage of the -people who dared to inhabit them; for my part, I am not ashamed to -confess that I feared every gust of wind would blow the house to pieces, -the more so as the winds in the Mauritius are very violent, and there -are frequent hurricanes. The worthy Creoles quoted these same winds and -hurricanes as an excuse for the mean architecture of their hovel-like -homes, declaring that loftier buildings would be unable to resist the -storm. If they were as badly built as these huts, certainly; but the -country houses of Mr. Barclay and Mr. Robinson have always held their -own against wind and storm, though they are lofty and spacious, and have -been built many years.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_114" id="page_114">{114}</a></span></p> - -<p>I have often noticed that there is more true hospitality in the country -than in towns; but the rule will not apply universally, as I found by -personal experience. For though, in the houses of such worthy people as -Mr. Kerr, Mr. Robinson, and Mr. Lambert, I felt thoroughly at home, it -sometimes happened, on the other hand, that I allowed myself to be -tempted by the seeming friendship of Creoles to accept invitations -involving disagreeable consequences, which made me rejoice greatly when -I regained my freedom.</p> - -<p>Persons of high position and great influence must, of course, every -where be received with consideration, but strangers and ordinary guests, -from whom there is nothing to be expected, are sometimes very cavalierly -treated in these parts. There is enough to eat and drink, but a -“plentiful lack” of every thing besides. The unimportant guests are -lodged in the “pavilion,” a little hut frequently a hundred yards -distant from the dwelling-house, necessitating a pleasant walk in the -rain or in the broiling sunshine every time the family assembles for a -meal; and as the main building itself is generally ruinous, the state of -the pavilion may easily be imagined.</p> - -<p>That delectable retreat generally consists of two or three little rooms, -where neither door nor windows can be induced to shut, where the rain -beats in through the broken panes, where the lock of the entrance-door -is so rusty that the door must be barricaded from within, or every gust -of wind would blow it open. Each of the little rooms is provided with a -bed, a rickety table, and one or two chairs. Of a cupboard I never saw a -trace. My clothes and linen could never be unpacked, and I was obliged -to stoop and unlock my boxes whenever I wanted the most trifling -article.</p> - -<p>But these discomforts would have been of little moment if any -friendliness or readiness to oblige on the part of host or hostess had -made amends. Unfortunately, such readi<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_115" id="page_115">{115}</a></span>ness is rarely found. In most -houses the guest is left to himself all day long. No one takes any -trouble about him, or cares to do any thing to make the time pass -pleasantly. Nearly every establishment boasts five or six horses; but -these are intended exclusively for the master of the house, or perhaps -for his sons. The guest is never offered the use of them, and the lady -of the house herself is seldom able to say, “I will take a drive -to-day.”</p> - -<p>Even the luxury of a cold bath, necessary as it is to health in a hot -climate like that of the Mauritius, I found unattainable except when it -rained. Then, indeed, I had it perforce—in my bedroom; for the roof was -generally so ruinous that the water poured in on all sides.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_116" id="page_116">{116}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">The Sugar-cane Plantations.—Indian Laborers.—A Lawsuit.—The -Botanic Garden.—Plants and Animals.—Singular Monument.—The -Waterfall.—Mont Orgeuil.—Trou du Cerf.—The Creoles and the -French.—Farewell to the Mauritius.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> greatest sugar-cane plantations are in the district of Pamplemousse, -in which also the Botanical Gardens are situated. I visited the -Monchoisy plantation, the property of Mr. Lambert. The manager, Mr. -Gilat, was kind enough to escort me through the fields and buildings, -and to give me such a lucid explanation of the method of growing and -preparing the sugar-cane, that I can not do better than give his own -words, as nearly as I can remember them.</p> - -<p>“The sugar-cane is not raised from seed, but pieces of cane are planted. -The first cane requires eighteen months to ripen; but as, during this -time, the chief stem puts out shoots, each of the following harvests can -be gathered in at intervals of twelve months, so that three crops are -obtained in four years and a half. After the fourth harvest the field -must be thoroughly cleared of the cane. If the land is virgin soil on -which no former crop has been raised, fresh slips of cane can at once be -planted, and thus eight crops may be obtained in nine years. If this is -not the case, ambrezades must be planted—a leafy plant, which grows to -the height of eight or nine feet, and whose leaves, continually falling, -decay on the ground and fertilize it. After two years the plants are -rooted out, and the land becomes a sugar plantation again.”</p> - -<p>For about the last ten years the custom has prevailed of dressing the -land with guano, and very good results have<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_117" id="page_117">{117}</a></span> been obtained. On good -ground 8000 lbs. per acre have been raised, and on bad soil, that -formerly yielded 2000 lbs. at the most, the produce has been doubled.</p> - -<p>I was much astonished to see the beautiful widespread plains of -Pamplemousse covered with great pieces of lava. It would appear as if -nothing could grow under such circumstances; but I heard that this -peculiarity of the soil is favorable to the sugar-cane, which will not -bear a long drought. It is planted between these fragments of rock, and -the rain-water, collecting in pools in the clefts and holes, keeps the -ground moist for a long time.</p> - -<p>When the canes are ripe and the harvest begins, no more is cut down each -day than can be pressed and boiled at once, for the great heat soon -spoils the sap in the canes. The cane is pressed between two rollers, -turned by steam, with such force that it is crushed quite flat and dry; -it is then used as fuel for boiling the kettles.</p> - -<p>The juice runs successively into six kettles or pans, of which the first -is most fiercely heated; the force of the fire is made to diminish under -each of the others. In the last kettle the sugar is found almost half -produced. It is then placed on great wooden tables where it is left to -cool, and here the mass granulates into crystals of the size of a pin’s -head. As a final operation, it is poured into wooden vessels perforated -with small holes, through which the molasses still contained in the -sugar may filter. The whole process requires eight or ten days for its -completion. Before the sugar is packed, it is spread out on great -terraces to dry for some hours in the sun. It is shipped in bags -containing 150 lbs. each.</p> - -<p>Mr. Lambert’s sugar plantation contains 2000 acres of land, but of -course only a part of this is planted each year. He has 600 laborers, -who are engaged for seven months in the year in the field, and during -the other five in getting in the crop and boiling it. In a good -year—that is, when the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_118" id="page_118">{118}</a></span> rainy season sets in early and lasts long—Mr. -Lambert gets three million pounds of sugar from his plantation; but he -is well content with two millions and a half. A hundred pounds of sugar -are worth from nine to twelve shillings.</p> - -<p>The largest planter in the Mauritius is a Mr. Rocheconte, who is said to -produce nearly seven million pounds of sugar annually.</p> - -<p>Sugar, and nothing but sugar, is to be seen in this island. Every -undertaking has reference to sugar, and all the conversation is about -sugar. Mauritius might be called the sugar island, and its coat of arms -should be a bundle of sugar-canes and three sugar-bags rampant.</p> - -<p>During a residence of some weeks I had opportunities of observing the -condition and circumstances of the laborers. They are called “coolies,” -and come, as I have mentioned, from all parts of India. They hire -themselves for five years, and the planter who hires them has to give -each laborer 8s. or 10s. a month, 50 lbs. of rice, 4 lbs. of dried fish, -4 lbs. of beans, 4 lbs. of fat or oil, a sufficiency of salt, and a -little hut to live in, besides the sum he has to pay to the government -for their passage.</p> - -<p>The laborer’s condition is not nearly so good as that of a servant. He -has to work heavily in the cane-field and the boiling-house, and is much -more exposed than the domestic servant to the arbitrary power of his -master; for he may not leave until his five years’ contract has expired. -He may certainly go and complain if he is hardly used, for there are -judges to hear, and laws to redress his woes; but as the judges are -frequently planters themselves, the poor laborer seldom finds the -verdict given in his favor. The laborer has also frequently to walk -eight or ten miles before he gets to the court. In the week he has no -time to go, and on Sundays he finds it closed. If, after much trouble, -he at length succeeds in reaching the abode of justice, he finds, -perhaps, that the court is engaged in a mul<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_119" id="page_119">{119}</a></span>tiplicity of affairs, and is -told to go and come again some other day. To make the thing more -difficult for him, he is not admitted at all unless he brings witnesses. -How is he to get these? None of his companions in misfortune will dare -to render him such a service, for fear of punishment, or even corporal -ill usage at the hands of his master.</p> - -<p>I will relate an incident which happened during my residence in the -Mauritius.</p> - -<p>On one of the plantations ten laborers wished, upon the expiration of -their contract, to quit their employer and take service with another. -The planter heard of this, and three weeks before the articles of these -ten men expired, he persuaded ten others to give in the papers of the -malcontents as their own, and to have the contract renewed for a year. -Then he called the discontented laborers separately before him, showed -each one the contract, and told him he had another year to serve. Of -course the people persisted that this was impossible, as they had not -been at the court at all, and had never had the writing in their hands. -The planter replied that the contract was perfectly valid, and declared -that if they complained before the court they would not be heard, and -that corporal chastisement would most likely be their reward. Moreover, -if they went, he would not pay the wages he owed them for five months’ -work, unless under compulsion.</p> - -<p>The poor fellows were at a loss what to do. Fortunately, an official of -high position lived close by, and one who was known as an honest, -philanthropic man. To him they went, told their story, and begged his -protection, which he at once promised. The affair came before the court, -but the trial went on very slowly, as none of the planter’s people dared -to give evidence. Even if they had the will, it would have been -difficult for them to do so, as the planter forbade his people to go -out, and had them carefully watch<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_120" id="page_120">{120}</a></span>ed and prevented from communicating -with any one all the time the action was proceeding.</p> - -<p>In the course of some ten weeks, five sittings or hearings took place. -The first three were held before a single judge, who was a planter into -the bargain. The protector of the poor plaintiffs insisted that three -judges should be appointed, as the law demands, and protested against -the one judge, who could not but appear as influenced by his position as -a planter. As this demand proceeded from a man in a high position, and -was, moreover, strictly legal, it was complied with, and the first judge -only attended the two subsequent sittings to give explanations -respecting the former three.</p> - -<p>At the fifth sitting the action was certainly decided in favor of the -coolies, but the verdict was given in a manner I should never have -thought possible in a land under English rule.</p> - -<p>The judge, or planter, who had heard the plaintiffs in the first three -sittings declared that when the ten people first came to him, he could -not know whether they were the real proprietors of the papers, for that -hundreds of laborers came to him with similar complaints every day.</p> - -<p>He had written out the new contract on unstamped paper, as he happened -to have none with a stamp by him, and the people, not one of whom could -write, had attached their crosses as signatures. Afterward he had the -contract rewritten on stamped paper, as it would otherwise have been -invalid, and in order not to call up the people again, his clerk had -affixed the crosses. As the people had, therefore, not signed with their -own hands, the contract was void, and the coolies were free; and thus -the action was decided.</p> - -<p>The real circumstances of the case were entirely different. If the poor -coolies had not found an influential protector, the planter-judge would -have decided the affair in favor of the employer. The appearance of the -official personage<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_121" id="page_121">{121}</a></span> upon the stage compelled the judges to show at least -an appearance of justice; and so they saved themselves by finding out a -<small>FORGERY</small>, for which, in any other country, the judge and his clerk would -not only have lost their places to a certainty, but have been provided -with board and lodging, and a restricted number of companions, in a -certain great public establishment.</p> - -<p>The planter got off unpunished, though, even according to the Mauritian -laws, framed with great regard for the planter’s convenience, he should -have been subjected to a fine and a year’s imprisonment.</p> - -<p>To crown his worthy action, he cheated the poor coolies, and mulcted -them of a month’s pay, under the pretext that they had done little work, -broken some of their implements, and stolen others.</p> - -<p>This paltry person is very much looked up to in the Mauritius, and is -received with pleasure in society. He is rich certainly, and is a -regular attendant at church, and here, as elsewhere, people have -peculiar ideas as to wealth and religion—ideas which plain honest folks -are too dull to appreciate.</p> - -<p>I would not quit the district of Pamplemousse without visiting the -Botanical Garden, which is under the superintendence of the accomplished -botanist and director, Mr. Duncan.</p> - -<p>Scarcely had I spent a quarter of an hour with this amiable man, a -Scotchman by birth, before he invited me, in the most friendly manner, -to spend a few days in his house, that I might be able to examine the -treasures of the garden at my leisure. Though I had become somewhat -careful in the matter of Mauritian invitations, I could not resist the -real good-nature of Mr. Duncan. I staid with him, and had no cause to -repent it. Mr. Duncan was a man of a few words, but he <i>did</i> what he -could to make my residence in his house agreeable. When he saw that I -was collecting<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_122" id="page_122">{122}</a></span> insects, he himself helped me in my search, and often -brought me some new specimens for my collection.</p> - -<p>I walked several times with him through the Botanical Garden, which is -very rich in plants and trees from all parts of the world. Here I saw -for the first time trees and shrubs from Madagascar, indigenous to that -island. I particularly admired a water-plant, the <i>Hydrogiton -fenestralis</i>, whose leaves, three inches in length and one in breadth, -are quite pierced through, as if by artificial means pieces had been -broken out. A tree, the <i>Adansonia digitata</i>, is remarkable, not for its -beauty, but for its ugliness. The stem is of uniform clumsy thickness to -a height of eight or ten feet; then it becomes suddenly thin: the bark -is of a light, unsightly color, quite smooth and almost shining.</p> - -<p>There were many spice-trees, and a few specimens of the beautiful -water-palm, which I have already seen and described in my “Second Voyage -round the World.”</p> - -<p>I am no botanist, and therefore can give no detailed description of the -garden; but competent persons have assured me that it is very -judiciously and scientifically laid out. To look at the varied and -numerous plants, and the extensive plantations, sometimes requiring -great labor to cultivate, no one would believe that Mr. Duncan has very -restricted resources at his command. The government only allows him -twenty-five laborers, Malabars and Bengalees, who certainly do not get -through as much work as eight or ten strong Europeans would accomplish.</p> - -<p>As I am on the subject of plants and trees, I will mention the fruits -produced in the Mauritius. Among the most common are many kinds of -bananas and mangoes, citchy, butter-fruit, splendid pine-apples, sweet -melons and watermelons. The watermelons here attain an enormous size, -some weighing more than thirty pounds, but they have little flavor. -Peaches are abundant, but require much care to bring them to perfection. -Pomegranates are also found of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_123" id="page_123">{123}</a></span> great size, besides papayas and other -similar fruits. I have described all these in my former works, to which -I accordingly refer my readers.</p> - -<p>As regards the animal world, the Mauritius is fortunate in possessing -neither beasts of prey nor poisonous reptiles. The centipedes and -scorpions found here are small; their sting is painful, but not -dangerous. Ants are also not so numerous here as in India and South -America. I could sometimes leave the insects I had collected for half a -day together on the table, and the ants did not get at them, while in -other hot countries these depredators would be devouring their prey -within a few minutes. The musquitoes are troublesome enough, and -sometimes drive strangers to desperation. Those who have been resident -here for some years are said, like the natives, to enjoy a comparative -immunity from their attacks.</p> - -<p>The disagreeable kakerlak sometimes plays his pranks here, but is far -less obnoxious than in other countries. They say that very exciting -combats sometimes takes place between the kakerlak and the beautiful -green fly called <i>Sphex viridi-cyanea</i>. I was not fortunate enough to -witness such a fight, but only read the account of one in the “Voyages -of Monsieur Bory de St. Vincent.” The fly flutters round the kakerlak -until the latter becomes motionless, as if magnetized; then she seizes -him, drags him to a hole already selected for the purpose, lays eggs in -his body, stops up the hole with a kind of cement, and leaves her victim -to his enforced companions, by whom he is quickly devoured.</p> - -<p>I had almost forgotten to mention an object of interest in the district -of Pamplemousse—a tomb, in remembrance of the pretty story of “Paul and -Virginia,” the scene of which Bernardin de St. Pierre has laid in this -island.</p> - -<p>The month of April was already coming round, and, excepting in my -excursions in the district of Pamplemousse<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_124" id="page_124">{124}</a></span> and a few drives in and -about Mocca, I had seen nothing of the Mauritius. I was loth to quit the -island without at least visiting the most interesting points, but how to -manage this was the question. The friendly judge, Mr. Satis, invited me -to an excursion to the Tamarin waterfall. On the way we passed the -country house of Mr. Moon, who had been invited by Mr. Satis to join our -party.</p> - -<p>We soon came to the waterfall, distant scarcely an English mile from Mr. -Moon’s country house; and just opposite to the cascade, under some shady -trees, Mr. Satis had taken care to have a good luncheon ready for us.</p> - -<p>A more beautiful spot could scarcely have been chosen. We encamped on an -elevated plateau, 1160 feet above the level of the sea; on one side was -a gorge 800 feet deep, and at least 500 broad at its top, but narrowing -toward the sea. Into this gorge the stream leaps headlong, forming seven -beautiful waterfalls, two of them more than 100 feet in depth. It -rushes, foaming in headlong haste, through a region clothed with the -richest verdure, and closes in the neighboring sea its short but -troubled course. The appearance of the fall is said to be much more -majestic after long rains, when the smaller cascades become absorbed -into one great fall, and the whole mass of water rushes down into its -deep bed in only two leaps.</p> - -<p>This delightful day will be always a bright spot in my memory, not only -for the beautiful spectacle I saw, but for the pleasure I derived from -my acquaintance with the amiable Moon family. I became as friendly with -Mrs. Moon as if I had known her a long time, and very glad was I when -she heartily invited me to stay some time in her house. Unhappily, the -time fixed for my departure for Madagascar was at hand, and I could only -spend three days with the family—three happy days, which made amends -for many previous disappointments.</p> - -<p>In Mrs. Moon I not only made the acquaintance of a very<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_125" id="page_125">{125}</a></span> amiable but of -a very accomplished lady; her talent for painting is quite remarkable. -At the request of the directors of the British Museum she has made -colored drawings of all the 120 different kinds of mangoes, and also of -the medicinal plants found in the Mauritius.</p> - -<p>Mr. and Mrs. Moon, and their equally obliging relative, Mr. Caldwell, -were at once eager to show me the “lions” of their island, and the next -day they took me to “Mont Orgueil,” from which the best view of the -country and of the mountains can be had. On one side appears the “Morne -Brabant,” a mountain extending far out into the sea, and connected with -the main land only by a narrow tongue of earth; not far from this rises -the “Piton de la Rivière Noire,” the highest mountain in the island, -2564 feet. In another direction the “Tamarin” and “Rempart” rear their -heads; and in a fourth is to be seen a mountain with three tops, called -“Les Trois Mammelles.” Very near these summits there opens a deep -caldron, two of whose sides have almost completely fallen in, while the -remaining two rise high and steep. Besides these mountains there are the -“Corps de Garde du Port Louis de Mocca;” “Le Pouce,” with its narrow top -rising suddenly up out of a little mountain plateau, like a thumb or -finger; and the marvelous “Peter Booth.” This mountain takes its name -from the first man who ascended to its summit, which was long regarded -as inaccessible. Peter Booth managed to do this by shooting an arrow, -with a strong twine thereto attached, over the summit. Luckily, the -arrow fell upon an accessible spot on the other side of the mountain. To -this twine a strong rope was fastened, which was thus drawn over the -mountain-top and secured on both sides; and Peter Booth hauled himself -up by it, and attained at once the summit and the honor of immortalizing -his name. The last of the mountains seen from this point is the -“Nouvelle Découverte.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_126" id="page_126">{126}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>The mountains of this island are remarkable for their manifold and -beautiful shapes. Some are in the form of broad perpendicular walls; -others rise like pyramids; some are covered to their summits with rich -forests, while others are only covered to half their height, and their -high rocky points rise abruptly, smooth and bald, from amid the green -sea of leaves. Beautiful valleys and deep gorges lie between, and above -appears a cloudless sky. I could scarcely tear myself away from the -charming picture, and the longer I gazed upon it, the greater the -beauties I discovered.</p> - -<p>Our next, and, unfortunately, our last excursion was to the “Trou du -Cerf,” or “Stag’s Hole,” a crater of perfectly regular form, filled with -rich vegetation. This crater produces a very startling effect, for -nothing betrays its existence till the visitor stands upon its very -brink. Though the sides are steep enough, a path leads down to the -centre, which is filled with water during the rainy season.</p> - -<p>From the edge of the crater the visitor has a striking view over three -fourths of the island. Before him rise majestic mountains with their -luxuriant virgin forests, from which the steep, smooth mountain-tops -come peering forth; wide-spreading plains, rich with sugar-cane -plantations, bright with green foliage all the year round; and the azure -sea, whose foaming waves fringe the coast with a margin of white foam—a -wondrous landscape, wanting only a few rivers to make its beauty -perfect.</p> - -<p>The island does not suffer from want of water, but is too small to -possess a real river; this, however, has not prevented the inhabitants -from dignifying some of the larger streamlets with that title.</p> - -<p>I left the Moon family with the greatest regret. It was through their -friendship that I was enabled to visit any points of interest in the -Mauritius: in the last few days of my stay I saw more than in the four -long months I had previously spent in the island.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_127" id="page_127">{127}</a></span></p> - -<p>In most houses, especially in those of the Creoles, people made all -kinds of protestations, and promised all manner of things; but the -promises remained unperformed. Not the smallest service was rendered, -not one of those attentions offered which are much more gratifying to a -stranger than the board and lodging which every one can procure by -paying for them. Still less did any among them think of making -excursions to the more beautiful points. The people themselves have no -idea that the beauties of Nature are pleasant things to see, and wonder -that strangers should expose themselves to the slightest fatigue merely -to see a waterfall, a mountain, or a fine view.</p> - -<p>The men are solely and exclusively engaged in the business of acquiring -wealth as quickly as possible: sugar is a sort of golden calf to them, -and whatever has no reference to sugar is to them worthless. The women -are not much better. They have too little education, and too much of the -indolence so frequently found in hot countries to take an interest in -any serious subject. With the exception of the care of their own -valuable selves, the only thing that can rouse them into life is the -agreeable occupation of inventing or disseminating slanderous gossip; -and I have even found gentlemen who, in this charitable and exciting -amusement, would for a few moments forget the claims of sugar. I did not -escape the common fate. The amiable inhabitants, male and female, of -Port Louis, have absolutely done me the honor to represent me as a -<i>poisoner</i>; they absolutely asserted that I had been hired by the -English government to poison Mr. Lambert!</p> - -<p>That gentleman had brought from Paris some very valuable presents for -the Queen of Madagascar, and had been so wanting in proper consideration -for the feelings of people generally as to neglect to tell every one -what the object of these presents really was. Of course, said Mauritian -good-nature, it must be some secret political movement of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_128" id="page_128">{128}</a></span> French -cabinet, which the English government had found out, and had -commissioned me accordingly to put this dangerous man out of the way.</p> - -<p>Stupid as this fiction was, it obtained credence among the Creoles, and -even among the French, and prevented me from undertaking an interesting -little journey. Before setting out on his journey to Madagascar, Mr. -Lambert went to Zanzibar and Mozambique, commissioned by the French -government to hire negroes and bring them to the Ile de Bourbon. This is -a new kind of mitigated slave-trade, discovered by France and -countenanced by England. The negro is only in servitude for five years, -and receives two dollars per month from his master, besides board and -lodging. After five years he has leave to continue toiling, or he may -die of hunger if he does not choose to work. He may buy himself this -privilege earlier for fifty dollars (between seven and eight pounds), -and may even return to his own country if he has money enough to take -him home.</p> - -<p>Mr. Lambert, knowing my fondness for traveling, and my eagerness to -avail myself of every opportunity of seeing new lands, offered to take -me with him. The French agent heard of this, and immediately went to Mr. -Lambert to request him not to take me, alleging that I was employed as a -spy by the English government. Whence this hatred of Creoles and French -toward me, poor insignificant being that I was? The only reason I can -suggest is that I associated almost exclusively with English families. -But it was surely not my fault that English families sought me out, and -always treated me with great kindness when I accepted their invitations? -Why did not the French do likewise? All the favors and all the kindness -I received came from English people: among the French residents, only -Mr. Lambert and Mr. Genève showed me hearty friendship. The rest, like -the Creoles, contented themselves with empty promises. I must confess -that I contracted such a dislike<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_129" id="page_129">{129}</a></span> to the French population of this part -of the world, that I could not make up my mind to visit the neighboring -island of Bourbon, gladly as I would, under other circumstances, have -done so.</p> - -<p>I am glad indeed that, when the desire to travel awoke so strongly in me -fourteen years ago, I did not begin with the Mauritius. My zeal would -soon have grown cold. Well—perhaps my readers would have been saved -many a wearisome hour.</p> - -<p>But then, on the other hand, I should not have visited Russia, and -learned the notable fact that, in this much-abused despotic empire, -there are many institutions more liberal in character than those of a -colony of England, the country especially proud of its progress.</p> - -<p>And yet it is so—notably as regards the passport system. If a traveler -wishes to leave St. Petersburg, or any of the great towns in Russia, to -start on a journey, he has to give notice of his intention a week before -he departs. The traveler’s name is published three times in the -newspaper, so that, if he has debts, his creditors may take the -requisite steps. Here, on this vast and extensive island, a week is -considered far too short a notice. Three weeks are required, or, as in -Russia, a surety must be provided.</p> - -<p>I was so little prepared to find such an old-world regulation in force -in an English colony, that I did not take any trouble about my passport. -A few days before my departure, however, I asked the French consul for -his <i>visa</i>, more, as I thought, as an attention than from necessity.</p> - -<p>By chance, I heard at dinner the same day that this was not enough, and -that the permission of the police to depart was also necessary. I was -dining at Mr. O——’s, a partner of Mr. Lambert; and as several -gentlemen were present, I asked if any of them would have the kindness -to go through what appeared to me a mere formality on my behalf, and be -bail for me. To my great astonishment, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_130" id="page_130">{130}</a></span> gallant, refined Frenchmen -exhausted themselves in empty excuses; not one would do me the service I -required. Next morning I went to Mr. Kerr, an Englishman, and in a few -hours I had my passport.</p> - -<p>To my sorrow, I must confess that at last I was treated with lack of -courtesy by an Englishman, and that Englishman was the governor.</p> - -<p>When I first arrived in the Mauritius, this gentleman had received me -very courteously; he even asked me to his country house, and had, -unasked, offered me a letter to the Queen of Madagascar. On my going to -him, a short time before my departure, for the promised letter, he -likewise put me off with an excuse. I was going to visit the Queen of -Madagascar in company with Mr. Lambert, and he pronounced my companion -to be politically a dangerous man. Verily great honor was mine in the -Mauritius; the French took me for an English spy, and the English -governor for a spy of the French government!</p> - -<p>After all these pleasant experiences, no one will wonder when I say that -I looked forward with longing expectation to the moment when I might -leave this little island, with its still more little-minded inhabitants. -I will try to keep no other remembrance of it than the memory of its -natural beauty, and of the friendship and kindness I received from the -good people whose names I have mentioned, and from some others. I have -not had an opportunity of naming them all; for others, Messrs. -Fernyhough, Beke, Gonnet, etc., rendered me many a good service. To one -and all I return my heartiest thanks.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_131" id="page_131">{131}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">A Geographical and Historical Account of the Island of Madagascar.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">With</span> the exception of certain strips on the coast, the island of -Madagascar is almost an unknown land; only here and there has a traveler -been able to penetrate into the interior, and none have had an -opportunity of studying the country at their leisure. So far as I am -concerned, I have unfortunately not sufficient knowledge to describe the -country in a scientific way. The most I can do is to give a simple but -truthful account of what I have seen; beyond this my powers do not -extend. It would, perhaps, be not uninteresting to my readers, -therefore, if, before I relate my own experiences in Madagascar, I give -an historical and geographical summary, compiled from the various works -that have appeared concerning this island.</p> - -<p>Madagascar is said to have been known to the ancients. In the thirteenth -century Marco Polo makes mention of the island. The Portuguese visited -it in 1506, and the first European nation that attempted to form -settlements thereon were the French, in the year 1642.</p> - -<p>Madagascar lies to the northeast of Africa, from which it is separated -by the Mozambique Channel, seventy-five miles in breadth. It stretches -from latitude 12° to 25° south, and from 40° to 48° east longitude. -After Borneo, it is the largest island in the world. Its area is about -10,000 geographical square miles. Estimates of its population differ -greatly, some writers giving from a million and a half to two millions, -others raising the numbers to six millions.</p> - -<p>The island contains woods of immense extent, far-stretch<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_132" id="page_132">{132}</a></span>ing plains and -valleys, many rivers and lakes, and great chains of mountains, whose -summits rise to a height of from ten to twelve thousand feet, and even -higher. The vegetation is exceedingly luxuriant, the climate very hot. -The coasts, where there are many swamps, are very unhealthy for -Europeans, but the interior of the island is more salubrious. The chief -productions are some peculiar balsams and gums, sugar, tobacco, silk, -maize, indigo, and spices. The forests yield the handsomest kinds of -wood for buildings and furniture, and trees bearing almost every fruit -of the torrid zone. Among the various descriptions of palms, the -beautiful water-palm is frequently found. In the animal kingdom -Madagascar also possesses some peculiar species; for instance, the -maquis, or half ape, and the black parrot, besides much horned cattle, -many goats, sheep, and beautiful birds. The woods and savannas swarm -with wild cattle and pigs, wild dogs and cats; but there are no -dangerous animals beyond these. The snakes are innocuous; and there are -very few reptiles, none of them being poisonous except the centipede, -and the little black spider which lives underground, and whose sting is -said to be deadly; but this spider is seldom met with. In metallic -substances, too, this island is said to be very wealthy, especially in -iron and coal; but its mineral treasures have as yet been very little -explored.</p> - -<p>The population consists of four distinct races. On the south side dwell -the Kaffirs, on the west the negroes, while the Arab race predominates -on the east, and the Malay family in the interior. These chief races are -subdivided into various tribes, among whom the Hovas, who belong to the -Malay race, are the most numerous and most civilized in the whole -island. The Hovas occupy the greater part of the interior; and as far -back as the period of the first discovery of Madagascar, they formed a -powerful empire, of which the capital was Tananariva, situated in an -elevated<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_133" id="page_133">{133}</a></span> plain in the district of Emir, and consisting of a union of -many villages. Least known, or, to speak accurately, quite unknown, is -the southwest coast, where the inhabitants are considered the most -inhospitable of all, and the most inveterate foes of Europeans.</p> - -<p>Like most nations in their infancy, all these various races and tribes -are very indolent, superstitious, inquisitive, and unprincipled. As I -have stated, the French have been endeavoring, since the year 1642, to -establish themselves in Madagascar. They conquered certain strips of -land, and erected <i>comptoirs</i> and little forts here and there, but could -never maintain their position. All their efforts failed, partly in -consequence of the unhealthy climate, partly through the harshness and -cruelty with which they treated the natives, and partly because they -were never assisted with money and troops from home, when these were -required.</p> - -<p>Neither the French government nor the “Société de l’Orient” could ever -come to a decision respecting this island. At one time they wanted to -conquer it entirely, at another to abandon it altogether. Troops and -ships were several times dispatched, and then left to their fate, and -nothing was accomplished. The last of these undertakings occurred in the -year 1733, under the command of the Polish Count Benjowsky, who received -beforehand the title of Governor of Madagascar. Count Benjowsky seems to -have been a very capable and resolute man, and as he had a larger force -under his command than had been engaged in any previous expedition, he -would perhaps have succeeded in annexing Madagascar definitely to -France, or at least in founding a permanent and important colony on the -island, had he not been treated as badly as, or even worse than, his -predecessors; for not only did the promised succors fail to arrive, but -the Governor of Bourbon, who was to have assisted him, proved a most -dangerous enemy. Instead of sending him money and troops, he tried in -every<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_134" id="page_134">{134}</a></span> way, from jealousy, to weaken the power of his new rival; and so -it happened that, in spite of his first successes, Count Benjowsky was -soon scarcely able to hold a few unimportant forts and factories. After -his death even these were lost, and in the year 1786 the French left -Madagascar altogether. Of all their conquests they only retained the -little island of St. Maria.</p> - -<p>After the beginning of the nineteenth century the English attempted to -found settlements in Madagascar, but they too were unsuccessful. They -took possession of the harbors of Tamatavé and Foul Point, but only kept -them a short time. Meanwhile the empire of the Hovas in the interior had -increased considerably. Dianampoiene, the chief of Tananariva, carried -on successful wars against the petty chiefs, and annexed their states to -his own. He is reported to have been a very active and intelligent man, -and to have given good laws to his people; under his rule the use of -spirituous liquors and of tobacco was forbidden. Dianampoiene died in -the year 1810, and left his kingdom, which had already become powerful, -to his son Radama.</p> - -<p>This potentate was only eighteen years old when he came to the throne. -Like his father, he was intelligent, upright, and very ambitious. He -loved the Europeans, and sought to increase his knowledge by consorting -with them.</p> - -<p>The English very cleverly made use of this disposition of the king’s, -and managed to get into high favor with him. Radama was soon so -prepossessed by them that he allowed them distinctions of every kind, -and sometimes even wore an English uniform. He likewise made a treaty -with England, by which he bound himself to give up the export -slave-trade. As an indemnity he received money and presents to the -amount of about £2000; and the English government farther undertook to -send ten young men from Madagascar to England, and ten others to the -Mauritius, to be instructed in various handicrafts and trades.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_135" id="page_135">{135}</a></span></p> - -<p>Radama kept the treaty strictly; but not so did the English General -Hall, who succeeded Mr. Farquhar as Governor of the Mauritius. General -Hall seems to have held the doctrine that savages are not men. He was -not ashamed to declare openly that a contract made with a chief of -savages was entirely invalid, and accordingly he constantly broke the -treaty. A natural consequence of this manner of dealing was, that Radama -again licensed the slave-trade, and began to favor the French at the -expense of the English, giving his new friends a small strip of land in -the Bay of Vanatobé.</p> - -<p>The English strove for a long time to regain their influential position, -but in vain. They had made themselves so hateful not only to Radama, but -to the people, that every thing false and mendacious used to be called -“English.” Nevertheless, they succeeded at last in getting the treaty -renewed, and even obtained fresh privileges. They got permission to -bring in missionaries, to build schools, and to teach the Bible. In -consideration of a duty of five per cent. they were allowed to enter all -the harbors, to carry on trade, to cultivate the ground, and to found -industrial establishments.</p> - -<p>Radama died in his thirty-sixth year, on the 27th of July, 1828.</p> - -<p>Following out the ambitious projects of his father, he had succeeded in -extending his rule over the greater part of the island, and had made -himself King of Madagascar. Besides the country of the Hovas, the land -of the Teklaves, on the northwest coast, with its capital, Bambetock; -Mozangage, on the west coast, and the countries of the Antawares and of -the Betimsaras, on the north, obeyed his sceptre; the southwest coast -and the district of the Anossij, in the southeast, had alone maintained -their independence.</p> - -<p>Radama possessed great oratorical talents, and was very fond of -exhibiting them. He was altogether very vain and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_136" id="page_136">{136}</a></span> exceedingly open to -adulation: his people were obliged to worship him as if he had been a -god, and the influence the missionaries obtained under his government -they doubtless owed chiefly to the praise and flattery with which they -continually plied him. They compared him to the First Napoleon, of whose -great deeds the French had told him, and whom he appeared to have taken -as his model. The parallel was not altogether inapplicable, however, and -the title, Radama the Great, may be allotted to him when we consider how -much he achieved during his short reign. The conquest of a great portion -of the island, the abolition of capital punishment for many offenses, -the prohibition of the export of slaves, the establishment of a -tolerably well-disciplined army, the introduction of many European -handicrafts—all this was his doing. He was the first to open a door to -civilization in Madagascar; in his reign the first public schools were -built, and the Roman letter taken as the character wherein the national -language was to be written. Bent in every way upon improving the -condition of his empire, he made an exception only in one particular—he -set his face resolutely against every proposal to construct roads, -declaring, like most rulers of half-savage tribes, that the bad roads -were his best defense against the Europeans. During the last years of -his life he unfortunately gave himself up to lamentable dissipation, -which probably caused his early death; many, however, declare that he -was poisoned.</p> - -<p>At Radama’s death, not only the English, but all European influence -ceased. His first wife, Ranavola, succeeded him on the throne, and added -to her name the regal title “Manjaka.” This cruel, bloodthirsty woman -began her rule by the execution of seven of the nearest relatives of the -late king; indeed, according to the account given by a missionary, Mr. -William Ellis, not only were all killed who belonged to Radama’s family, -but those nobles also who stood<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_137" id="page_137">{137}</a></span> near the throne, some of whom Ranavola -feared might advance a claim to it.</p> - -<p>The treaty which Radama had made with the English she abrogated at once. -Her hatred for the British was very great, and extended to every thing -that came from England, even to the cattle introduced from that country. -All people of English descent were to be killed, or at least banished -from her dominions; nor did the French find favor in her eyes. She set -her face generally against civilization, and tried hard to stifle its -every germ. She drove away the missionaries, prohibited Christianity, -and made all communication with Europeans difficult. Her subjects, -especially those who do not belong to the race of the Hovas, from which -she came, she treated with great severity and cruelty: for the smallest -offenses the most rigorous punishments were inflicted, and sentences of -death were, and still are, executed daily.</p> - -<p>One only among those related by ties of blood to the late King Radama -had succeeded in saving his life by timely flight. This was Prince -Ramanetak. This prince had just claims to the throne; and as Queen -Ranavola soon made herself hated by the people for her cruel and -bloodthirsty rule, he might well have succeeded, with French help, in -effecting a revolution and taking possession of the throne. This would -have been very advantageous to the French, for Prince Ramanetak was very -favorably inclined toward that nation. But the government in France -remained true to the policy pursued toward Madagascar for the last two -centuries, and the magnificent aid they offered to the prince consisted -of—sixty muskets and twenty kegs of powder.</p> - -<p>As I have already stated, when describing my visit to Paris, the French -were ultimately expelled by Queen Ranavola even from the strip of land -given them by Radama in the Bay of Vanatobé. Whether France will demand -satis<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_138" id="page_138">{138}</a></span>faction, and show the insolent rulers of Madagascar the might of a -European people, or whether she will let the opportunity pass by as she -has done on former occasions, I can not take upon myself to conjecture. -Time will show.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_139" id="page_139">{139}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">Departure from the Mauritius.—The old Man-of-War.—Arrival in -Madagascar.—Mademoiselle Julie.—Account of Tamatavé.—The -Natives.—Comical Head-dresses.—First Visit in -Antandroroko.—Malagasey Hospitality.—The Europeans at -Tamatavé.—The Parisio-Malagasey.—Domestic Institutions.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the 25th of April, 1857, I quitted the Mauritius. Thanks to the good -offices of Mr. Gonnet, the owners of the “Triton” gave me a free passage -to the harbor of Tamatavé, on the coast of Madagascar, distant 480 -sea-miles. Our vessel was an old worn-out brig of war, which in her -youthful days formed part of the British fleet at the great victory of -Trafalgar in 1805. Deeply had she fallen from her former high estate; -for now, in her old age, she was used for carrying oxen during the fine -season of the year from Madagascar to the Mauritius. Accommodation for -passengers there was none, all the space being divided into berths for -the oxen; and as to the security of our vessel, the captain gave me the -consolatory assurance that she was utterly unfit to do battle with any -thing approaching to a storm.</p> - -<p>My desire to leave the Mauritius behind me was nevertheless so great -that nothing could dissuade me from going. I commended myself to Heaven, -embarked with a light heart, and had no reason to repent my boldness. If -the ship was bad, her captain, Mr. Benier, was a remarkably good one. -Though not of high birth, for he was half Creole in color, he behaved -with a courtesy and consideration which would have done honor to the -most cultivated man. He at once gave up his cabin to me—the only place -in the ship not monopolized by preparations for the four-footed -passengers—and did all in his power to make the voyage<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_140" id="page_140">{140}</a></span> as agreeable to -me as possible. For the first three days our passage was rather a quick -one. The wind was in our favor, blowing from the east, as it always does -in these seas from April to the end of October. A quick-sailing ship -would have made the voyage in three days; but not so our old war-craft, -wending painfully on her way. We were still far distant from our goal, -and, to our dismay, a strong contrary wind arose in the night between -the third and fourth day of our voyage. Notwithstanding the consoling -verdict of the captain with regard to the safety of the ship, I sat -expectant every minute of some catastrophe. But the night and the -following day passed away without accident, though the wind, still -contrary, compelled us to cast anchor toward evening off the island of -“Prunes.” On the fifth day we came to Tamatavé, but could not run in -there; at length, on the sixth day, we came to anchor in the harbor.</p> - -<p>Violent falls of rain, frequently of long duration, had contributed -their share in rendering the voyage irksome; I had no books with me, and -the good captain’s library consisted of a cookery-book and an English -and French dictionary. But such minor inconveniences are easily -forgotten, particularly when a long-sought goal is in view, as was now -the case with me. The land I had ardently wished, during many years, to -visit, now lay before my eyes.</p> - -<p>I wished to quit the ship at once; but it appears that, in spite of her -contempt for civilization and her dislike of European institutions, -Queen Ranavola has adopted the two among them most obnoxious to -travelers—police and custom-house. Just as though I had been in France -or any other European country, I was compelled to wait till the -inspecting officers had come on board, and looked very carefully at the -ship and at me. As I had the queen’s royal permission to set foot in her -kingdom, no farther difficulty was made, and I was free to land. Here -certain custom-house <i>employés</i> of Madagascar at once took possession of -me,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_141" id="page_141">{141}</a></span> and led me to the custom-house, where all my baggage was opened and -searched. How they searched! not the smallest object escaped their eyes, -not the tiniest paper packet was overlooked. The officials exhibited the -keenness of bloodhounds, and could hold their own beside the sharpest -<i>douaniers</i> in France or Germany. Fortunately, nothing was stolen from -me; and I looked complacently on a scene that so whimsically reminded me -of my own country.</p> - -<p>At Tamatavé I was to meet Mr. Lambert, who intended not to return to the -Mauritius after his visit to the eastern coast of Africa, which he had -undertaken on behalf of the French government, but to proceed to -Madagascar at once. Mr. Lambert had not yet arrived, but he had already -told me in the Mauritius that, in the event of having to wait, I should -put up at Mademoiselle Julie’s, and he would take care to inform her of -his arrival.</p> - -<p>My lady-readers will probably expect to be introduced, in the person of -Mademoiselle Julie, to an unmarried European female, cast by some -strange freak of fortune on this distant island. Unfortunately, I must -disenchant them: Mademoiselle Julie is a true Malagasey woman, and, -moreover, a widow, and the mother of several children. In Madagascar, -the strange custom prevails of calling every member of the sex feminine -“Mademoiselle,” even though she may have a dozen little olive-branches -to show, or may have been married half a dozen times.</p> - -<p>Mademoiselle Julie is, nevertheless, no ordinary personage, and -decidedly one of the most interesting characters, not only in Tamatavé, -but in the whole island. She was left a widow about eight months ago, -but continued to carry on her husband’s business, and with a better -result, it is rumored, than the deceased himself could attain. She is -the possessor of sugar plantations and a rum distillery, and engages in -commercial speculations of various kinds. Her penetration and industry -would render her a remarkable<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_142" id="page_142">{142}</a></span> woman any where; and they are the more -surprising in a country like Madagascar, where the women are generally -completely ignorant, and have a very low place in the social scale.</p> - -<p>Mademoiselle Julie received part of her education in Bourbon. She speaks -and writes French perfectly. Unfortunately, she has retained some of the -usages, or rather <i>ab</i>-usages, of her native land. Her greatest delight -is to lie for hours extended on the ground, resting her head on the lap -of a friend or a female slave, who is engaged in clearing mademoiselle’s -head of certain little occupants which shall be nameless. This agreeable -occupation, by the way, forms a favorite diversion of the women of -Madagascar, who pay visits to each other in order to indulge in it <i>con -amore</i>. Mademoiselle Julie was also violently addicted to using her -fingers at dinner instead of fork and spoon; but she only indulged her -inclinations so far when she thought herself unobserved.</p> - -<p>Mademoiselle Julie did not receive me in the most cordial way exactly. -She surveyed me from top to toe, rose in a leisurely way, and led me to -a neighboring little house, worse appointed than even the pavilions of -the Mauritius. The one room contained no furniture except an empty -bedstead. Mademoiselle Julie gruffly inquired where I had left my -bedding. I replied that I had brought none with me, as Mr. Lambert had -assured me I should find every thing necessary in her house. “I can give -you none,” was her curt rejoinder; and although, as I afterward found, -she had a store of bedding sufficient for the need, not of one, but of -half a dozen travelers, she would have let me, old as I was, sleep on -the bare bedstead. Fortunately, another woman, a Madame Jacquin, was -present, who at once offered to supply me with bedding, and gave -mademoiselle her opinion of her conduct in some rather strong -expressions. Very grateful was I to good Madame Jacquin for her -friend<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_143" id="page_143">{143}</a></span>ly offer, but for which I should have had to make shift as best I -could till the arrival of Mr. Lambert with my cloak, and a pillow which -I usually carry with me.</p> - -<p>All other comforts were, of course, out of the question, and I had to -provide every thing I wanted for myself. My stay at Tamatavé lasted for -some weeks, for Mr. Lambert arrived much later than he had intended.</p> - -<p>The harbor of Tamatavé is the best in the whole island; and in the fine -season, from April to the end of October, many ships arrive here from -the Mauritius and Bourbon, to take in cargoes of oxen, of which between -ten and eleven thousand head are exported annually. About two thirds of -the number go to the Mauritius, and only one third to Bourbon, although -there is no great difference between these two islands, either in extent -or in population. But there are many Englishmen in the Mauritius, who -are more ardent admirers of roast-beef than the French.</p> - -<p>It is a singular circumstance that Queen Ranavola does not allow the -exportation of cows; she thinks, in her cunning wisdom, that if she -allowed cows to be taken away, the recipients would soon breed cattle -for themselves, and the demand for them from Madagascar would cease. Of -course, she has no idea that the two islands derive far greater profits -from their sugar plantations than the land would yield as mere -pasture-ground for cattle. A fine ox, worth about £2 5<i>s.</i> in -Madagascar, would cost four or five times that sum if reared in Bourbon -or the Mauritius.</p> - -<p>Besides the oxen, rice, rabanetas, and poultry are exported. Rabanetas -are a kind of mats, on which the sugar is spread out to dry when it -comes out of the last pan. They are also used as tapestry to cover the -walls and floors of rooms, and the poorest classes even wear them as -clothes.</p> - -<p>During the fine-weather season there is much bustle in Mademoiselle -Julie’s house. There are sometimes four or five ships in the harbor at -once. The captains are all<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_144" id="page_144">{144}</a></span> friends of my hostess, who gives them a -general invitation to dinner, and may be said to keep free table. At the -time of my visit, which, however, was quite at the commencement of the -fine season, the concourse was certainly not so great. I never saw more -than two ships in the harbor at once.</p> - -<p>Tamatavé may one day become a very important place, when this fruitful -island is thrown open to Europeans, and free trade allowed to all -nations.</p> - -<p>Now, the place looks like a poor but very large village. Its population, -including that of the district immediately around, is reckoned at four -or five thousand souls: among these are 800 soldiers, and about a dozen -Europeans and Creoles from Bourbon. Except the few houses belonging to -these latter, and to a few well-to-do Hovas and Malagaseys, one sees -nothing but little huts, some scattered about without order or -arrangement, others forming narrow streets. These huts rest on poles -from six to ten feet in height, are built of wood or of bamboo, thatched -with long grass or palm-leaves, and contain a single room, of which the -fireplace occupies a large part, so that the family can scarcely find -sleeping room. Windows there are none, but two doors, at opposite sides -of the wall; the door on the windward or weather side is always kept -closed.</p> - -<p>The houses of the wealthier inhabitants are built of the same materials -as the habitations of the poor, but they are larger and loftier. They -contain only one room, which is, however, divided by low partitions into -three or four portions; these houses of the wealthy have also windows, -but they are not glazed.</p> - -<p>The bazar is situate in the midst of the village, on an ugly, uneven -plot of ground, and is remarkable alike for its poverty and its dirt. A -supply of beef, some sugar-cane, rice, rabanetas, and a few fruits, are -generally all that is to be found there; and the whole stock of one of -the dealers,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_145" id="page_145">{145}</a></span> who squat about on the ground, is often not worth more -than a quarter of a piastre. The oxen are slaughtered in the bazar -itself, and the skins are not taken off, but sold in strips with the -meat, being considered a great delicacy. Meat is not bought according to -weight, but according to the size of each piece, measured by the eye. -Whoever wants to buy or sell any thing in this country must provide -himself with a small pair of money-scales, for there are no coins in -Madagascar except the Spanish dollar; and it is only within the last two -years, since Mr. Lambert came here for the first time and brought some -five-franc pieces with him, that the last-mentioned coins have become -current. In the absence of small change, the dollars and five-franc -pieces are cut into greater and smaller portions, often into more than -five hundred chips.</p> - -<p>To my great surprise, I heard that, in spite of their ignorance and -savagery, the natives knew so well how to counterfeit these dollars, -that it requires some practice and a close inspection to detect the -spurious coins.</p> - -<p>The natives of Tamatavé are principally Malagaseys. They appeared to me -more repulsive than the negroes and Malays, whose ugliest features are -found united in their physiognomy. They have wide mouths, with thick -lips, broad flat noses, protruding chins, and prominent cheek-bones. -Their complexion varies through all shades of a muddy brown. As a sole -redeeming point, some of them have regular teeth of a pearly whiteness; -and sometimes a handsome pair of eyes may be seen. Their hair, on the -other hand, is marked by peculiar hideousness; it is coal-black, but as -woolly as the negro’s, and much coarser and longer, sometimes attaining -a length of two feet. When this hair is worn in all its native -luxuriance, it has a horribly disfiguring effect. The face seems quite -lost in a virgin forest of thick frizzled hair, standing out in all -directions. Fortunately, few wear it in this way. The men often have<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_146" id="page_146">{146}</a></span> -their hair cut off quite short at the back of the head, and leave only a -length of six or eight inches in front, which looks comical enough, as -the hair stands upright, and forms a woolly topknot; but it is not so -bad as the virgin forest. The women, and some of the men too, who are -exceedingly proud of their hirsute ornaments, and can not make up their -minds to shorten them, plait them into a number of little tails. Some -let these tails hang all about their heads, while others unite them into -bands or bunches, so as to cover the whole head. This kind of head-dress -takes a good deal of time in preparing, particularly in the cases of the -richer Malagaseys, who have their hair plaited into an infinite number -of these little tails. On the head of one of these native beauties I -counted above sixty plaits. The good lady’s slaves must have had a good -day’s work in bringing them to the right pitch of perfection. On the -other hand, it may be urged that such a head-dress does not require -renewing continually, but will remain in all its pristine loveliness for -several days.</p> - -<p>To leave the hair free in all its natural beauty is considered a token -of mourning. The Malagaseys are generally above the middle height, and I -saw many tall, powerful figures, especially among the men.</p> - -<p>Their costume is that generally adopted by half-civilized nations who do -not go quite naked; the only difference is in the name. The two chief -articles of clothing used by the Malagaseys are called <i>sadik</i> and -<i>simbu</i>. The first of these is as primitive as can well be imagined, -consisting only of a strip of cloth worn round the loins. Many of the -natives consider this garment as sufficient, and do not extend their -wardrobe beyond it. The simbu is a piece of white stuff, about four -yards long and three broad. The natives wrap themselves in their simbus -like the Romans of old in their togas; and they really often wear them -gracefully enough. Sometimes, to leave their movements<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_147" id="page_147">{147}</a></span> unimpeded, they -roll up the simbu and wrap it round the upper part of their bodies.</p> - -<p>The dress of males and females is the same, except that the women have a -little more drapery, and often wear, besides the sadik and simbu, a -third garment—a short, very tight jacket, which they call <i>karrezu</i>.</p> - -<p>The simbu gives its wearers continual employment. It is always coming -loose, and has to be adjusted every minute. It might almost be said that -men and women here had only one hand to work with, the other being -monopolized by the management of this refractory garment.</p> - -<p>The food of the Malagaseys is as primitive as their clothing. Rice and -anana are the staple of every meal. Anana is a kind of vegetable very -much resembling spinach, and which would be very agreeable to the taste -if they would not prepare it with rancid fat. The people who live on the -banks of rivers or on the sea-coast sometimes eat fish, but very seldom, -for they are far too indolent to carry on a systematic fishery: meat, -too, and poultry, though they are to be had in great quantity, and at -the cheapest prices, are only eaten on special occasions. The natives -usually eat two meals, one in the morning, the other in the evening.</p> - -<p>The usual drink is <i>ranugung</i>, or rice-water, which is prepared in the -following way. Rice is boiled in a vessel, and purposely burned, so that -a crust forms at the bottom of the vessel. Water is then poured on, and -allowed to boil. This water assumes the color of very pale coffee, and, -like every thing else that is burnt, tastes abominably to a European -palate. But the natives consider it delicious, and when they have drunk -the rice-water, they eat the burnt crust with the greatest relish.</p> - -<p>The Malagaseys keep many slaves, who are not considered very valuable -here. A slave usually costs from thirty-six to forty-five shillings, and -no difference is made with regard to age, though children of eight or -ten years find<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_148" id="page_148">{148}</a></span> readier purchasers than adult slaves. They start on the -principle, ordinarily correct enough, that children may be brought up as -their owner likes, but that a grown-up person who has contracted bad -habits can not often be made to mend his ways. Adult males are also -rarely offered for sale, except men who, once free, have been condemned -as a punishment for some crime to be sold by public auction, and those -among the slaves who have behaved ill to their masters. Female slaves -are generally higher in price than males; and a great value is set upon -those who can weave silk. A slave who is expert at this work often -fetches as much as £30.</p> - -<p>The position of the slaves is here, as among all half-civilized nations, -much better than that of their fellow-bondmen among Europeans and -Creoles. They have but little work to do, are fed about as well as their -masters, and are seldom punished, though the laws do not at all protect -them. On the contrary, a master may beat his slave to death; but the -stick he uses in administering the chastisement must not be tipped with -iron; for if it be thus shod, the master is liable to fine or some other -punishment.</p> - -<p>In Tamatavé the thievish propensity is very much developed, and that not -only among the slaves, but it is widely diffused among almost the whole -inland population, not excepting officers and exalted personages; I had -to learn this to my cost. In the little hut assigned to me by -Mademoiselle Julie as a dwelling, there was no lock to the door; but as -my quarters were in close proximity to her dwelling-house and other -buildings, and Mademoiselle Julie had not informed me of the -predilection entertained by her fellow-countrymen for the goods and -chattels of others, I did not think of being suspicious about it. One -day, on being summoned to table, I happened to leave my watch, a -valuable keepsake from a lady friend at New York, on the table, and when -I returned in the evening it had vanished.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_149" id="page_149">{149}</a></span></p> - -<p>I returned immediately to Mademoiselle Julie to inform her of this -circumstance, and to ask what steps I should take to regain possession -of my watch, declaring myself ready to give a reward of some dollars to -whoever would restore it to me. Mademoiselle Julie replied with the most -perfect coolness that there was nothing to be done; the watch had -probably been stolen by one of the domestic slaves, for that here every -body stole; and that another time when I left my hut I should do well to -lock the door and close the window apertures. She did not even take the -trouble to question any of her slaves; and the only result that accrued -from my loss was, that three days afterward I managed, with much -difficulty, to get a lock put to my door.</p> - -<p>The country immediately surrounding Tamatavé consists of nothing but -sand, vegetation not beginning to show itself for one or two miles -inland. I could not undertake long walks, as it rained every day, and it -behooves Europeans in this country neither to expose themselves to wet -nor to go out immediately after rain, for the slightest dampness is -likely to bring on fever.</p> - -<p>By chance I learned from Mademoiselle Julie that she was the possessor -of two estates, lying seven miles from the town, very near the woods, -and that her sons resided there. I hoped to be able to take good walks -there, and to gather treasures for my collection of insects, and -accordingly begged Mademoiselle Julie to have me taken there. In this -country journeys are made in a light kind of sedan-chair, called -<i>tacon</i>, suspended between two poles, and carried by four bearers. Even -if one has to go only a few hundred steps, the sedan-chair is brought -into requisition. No one goes on foot except the slaves and quite poor -people. On long journeys eight or twelve bearers are taken instead of -four, so that they can continually relieve each other.</p> - -<p>I quitted Tamatavé betimes in the morning. The road<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_150" id="page_150">{150}</a></span> to Antandroroko, as -one of the estates of my hostess was called, was very good, particularly -when we got out of the domain of sand into that of vegetation. Where -there were no hills the bearers ran along with me as if I had been no -weight at all for them, and we accomplished the seven miles in an hour -and a quarter.</p> - -<p>At Antandroroko lived Mademoiselle Julie’s younger son, a young man of -twenty-two, who had been partly educated at Bourbon. I should not have -suspected this, for he differed in nothing from his fellow-countrymen -save in his European garb and his knowledge of French, and had again -become a thorough Malagasey.</p> - -<p>A clean little room was allotted to me in his house, with mats on the -floor, but no furniture. I seated myself on my carpet bag and waited -patiently for breakfast. Mademoiselle Julie had allowed me to depart -fasting, and thus my anxiety on the subject of the commissariat was -natural enough. But hour after hour went by, and no one called me to -table. I ascribed this delay in the appearance of breakfast to my -arrival, and flattered myself that some special dish was being prepared -on my account—perhaps even a fowl was being sacrificed, and thus the -meal was naturally retarded; so I waited and waited, until at last a -slave entered, and said a few Malagasey words which I could not -understand. But I very well understood the signs he made, inviting me to -follow him, and obeyed joyfully.</p> - -<p>I was conducted into another room, unfurnished like my own, and with a -mat spread out on the floor in the midst. On the mat lay a large leaf, -surrounded by several smaller ones; the first representing the dish and -the latter the plates for the entertainment. They had been obliging -enough to put a real plate, with a veritable knife, fork, and spoon for -me, and likewise a chair. As for my hosts, they crouched upon the -ground. A slave appeared with a kettle of rice, and emptied the contents -into the improvised<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_151" id="page_151">{151}</a></span> dish. Then he brought boiled beans, and a great pot -containing a dried fish boiled up in water, and smelling so badly that I -could scarcely remain at table. The much-desired fowl never appeared. I -thought with a gentle regret of the Dyaks of Borneo, who are considered -so savage and cruel, and who, while they themselves ate rice, could -always find a chicken for me; and here, in the house of a semi-European -host, and in a country where poultry is so cheap and plentiful, I had to -content myself with rice and beans.</p> - -<p>The manner in which the natives ate was any thing but appetizing. -Instead of a spoon, they make use of a piece of leaf, which they fold -very dexterously, and wherewith they manage not only to eat rice and -beans, but even to carry fluids safely to their mouths. This leaf-spoon -being very large, they distend their mouths to the utmost extent, and -then shovel the provisions in. This might pass without comment, for it -will not do to be too particular on one’s travels; but the worst of it -is that they all take their supplies with their own spoons from the -common store in the dish.</p> - -<p>Near the fish-kettle a slave is generally posted, whose duty consists in -ladling the broth out of the kettle, and pouring it over the rice as the -company take it up in their spoons. The fish is taken in the hand in -pieces, and eaten like bread. I do not wonder that a Malagasey who has -never left his own country, or seen any thing better than its usages, -should be content to live in this way; but how the young man who had -been educated among Europeans could so entirely readopt the customs of -his countrymen, I can not understand. Not only in the manner of eating -and drinking was this peculiarity shown, but in every thing else -likewise. He could sit for hours in his arm-chair without reading or -otherwise occupying himself. In fact, he did nothing all day long but -rest, smoke tobacco, and talk to the highly intellectual slaves who -continually surrounded him.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_152" id="page_152">{152}</a></span></p> - -<p>With true sorrow I had already noticed at Tamatavé that the few -Christians who lived there—namely, a few Europeans and some Creoles -from Bourbon—instead of setting a good example to the natives, and -seeking to improve them by their own respectable lives and the purity of -their behavior, seemed to have sunk to the level of the people among -whom they dwelt, and adopted all their immoral habits. Thus, for -instance, they contract no regular marriages, but, like the natives, -change their wives at their pleasure, and sometimes even keep two at the -same time, besides being attended on exclusively by female slaves.</p> - -<p>Some of these people send their children to Bourbon, or even to France; -but for what purpose? When the young man has really learned -something—when he has contracted better habits and customs—he returns, -and every thing is spoiled only too quickly by his father’s bad example. -But what passes my wit to understand is the fact that a European who has -earned money enough to live comfortably in his native land, can of his -own free will remain in this country; and yet such a wonder did I most -certainly behold in the person of a certain Mr. N——.</p> - -<p>This man has made a considerable fortune by commerce, and went to his -native France a few years ago with the intention of remaining there. But -the intercourse with cultivated men and women seemed to him no -equivalent for the idle, entirely animal life in Madagascar. So he soon -returned to Tamatavé, to his slave-women, and there he will probably end -his days. The European is truly a wonderful creature. In Europe he can -scarcely find a girl to his taste, and his chosen one is expected to -possess all the perfections under the sun; and here he is charmed by -black, or muddy-brown coarse beauties, whom I really would almost as -soon class among the genus Simia as among the human race! I pity men who -can sink so low as to lose all taste for the noble and beautiful, and -all recognition of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_153" id="page_153">{153}</a></span> the dignity of humanity; and evil indeed are the -effects of their example upon the natives, and lamentably is the -progress of civilization checked thereby.</p> - -<p>But to return to my amiable host. The splendid breakfast was over, and -my hopes had been shattered; still, I firmly bade defiance to despair, -and built my trust upon the principal meal, which is always taken in the -evening. With the greatest impatience I awaited the hour—alas! of new -disappointment; the same dishes appeared that had decked the morning -meal; not one less, and not one more. It was too much for human -endurance. Fortunately, however, the elder brother of my host had come -over from the second estate. He was a young man who had not only been in -Bourbon, but had lived for nine years in Paris. Although, like his -brother, he ate his supper in true Malagasey fashion, by means of the -leaf-spoon, I felt more confidence toward him, and invited myself -without ceremony to breakfast with him next morning, certain that I -could not be worse entertained than I was here.</p> - -<p>In the evening a very good bed was made up for me on the floor of my -room; but, unfortunately, the musquito-net was forgotten. The -consequence was that I could not close my eyes all night. Before -retiring to rest I had begged my host to send me up a cup of coffee, -with milk, to my room in the morning. But what was the result of my -request? They brought me a washing-basin of milk and some sugar, but -neither coffee-cup nor spoon. The sight of the basin was of course quite -sufficient to take away my appetite, though the milk looked refreshing -enough. I modestly hinted at coffee, and heard that they were going to -look for some, and that it would then be roasted and ground. I therefore -declined to wait, took leave of my obliging host, and again set out on -my journey breakfastless.</p> - -<p>A boat took me up the pretty river Foondro, which falls into the sea -half a mile from this place, to the dwelling of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_154" id="page_154">{154}</a></span> the Parisian Malagasey. -He lived in a handsome house; came out some distance to me, and—oh -happy hour!—led me at once to the dining-room, where, to my great -jubilation, I found the table covered in European fashion, and a good, -plentiful repast spread out upon it.</p> - -<p>This young man in many respects presented a favorable contrast to those -of his countrymen who had been, like himself, in Bourbon or in Europe. -He is, I think, the only one who does not endeavor to forget every thing -he has learned in Europe as quickly as possible. I asked him if he did -not miss Paris, and if he did not feel a desire to live there. He -replied that he should certainly like to dwell in a civilized land, but -that, on the other hand, Madagascar was his native country—that his -whole family lived here, and he could not make up his mind to leave -them, altogether.</p> - -<p>His manner showed that these were not mere words—that he <i>felt</i> what he -said. It greatly astonished me, for in general there is nothing more -ridiculous than to hear a Malagasey speak of his family and of domestic -ties. I have never met with a more immoral people than the inhabitants -of Madagascar; and where there is such demoralization, family ties must -be of the loosest. I dare not trust my pen to chronicle the many immoral -customs which prevail, not only among the people generally, but in the -highest families in the island, and appear quite natural to the people -here. I can only say that female virtue is looked upon as quite -valueless, and that the laws regarding marriage and progeny are of a -stranger kind than any where else in the world. Thus, for instance, a -man may divorce his wife and take another as often as he chooses. The -woman may live with another man, though she may not marry again; but all -the children born to her after she has been separated from her husband -are looked upon as belonging to him; the second husband has not the -slightest claim to them, and the mother is compelled to deliver them up -to her first hus<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_155" id="page_155">{155}</a></span>band immediately upon his claiming them. When a man -dies, too, any children his widow may afterward have are looked upon as -his; and it is in consequence of this law that Prince Rakoto, son of -Queen Ranavola, though he was born long after King Radama’s death, is -looked upon as the son of that monarch.</p> - -<p>It likewise frequently happens that men who have no children by their -own wives marry girls who expect to become mothers, so that they may be -able to call the child that is about to be born their own. This craving -for progeny is caused by an existing law, which declares the property of -any man who dies childless forfeit to the state.</p> - -<p>To speak of domestic ties in such a state of society would sound like -mockery; and if I had not noticed in my host, on several occasions, a -rare amount of real feeling, I should have attached little credence to -his words.</p> - -<p>I had a good deal of conversation with him, and asked him farther if he -did not feel any craving for intellectual companionship—for the -agreeable domestic relations found in Europe; if it did not seem hard to -him to live continually among coarse, uncultivated men? He acknowledged -that the total want of cultivation among his countrymen rendered their -society any thing but agreeable to him, but that he sought relaxation in -books and study. He mentioned to me several very good works which he had -brought with him from France.</p> - -<p>I felt truly sorry for this young man. I will not assert that he showed -any extraordinary amount of quickness or depth of intellect, but he has -an adequate amount of talent, and so much real sensibility and feeling -that he could not fail to gain friends in any country in the world. I -pity him; for, amid this complete dearth of congenial society, it will -be wonderful indeed if he does not become a true Malagasey at last.</p> - -<p>I remained with Mr. Ferdinand Diche—for so my host<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_156" id="page_156">{156}</a></span> was called—for a -whole day. The weather continued so bad that I could neither walk out -nor occupy myself in hunting for insects. On the following day I -returned to Tamatavé.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_157" id="page_157">{157}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">The “Queen’s Bath.”—Soldiers and Officers.—Banquet and -Ball.—Departure from Tamatavé.—Second Visit to -Antandroroko.—Vovong.—The Fever.—Andororanto.—Land and -Cultivation.—Condition of the People.—Manambotre.—The bad Roads -and the Bearers.—Ambatoarana.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">At</span> length, on the 13th of May, Mr. Lambert arrived. On the 15th I -witnessed the preliminary celebration of the great bath-feast of the -queen. This is the only national feast in Madagascar, and it is kept -with great solemnity in all the dominions subject to the sceptre of -Ranavola.</p> - -<p>I did not see the great feast itself, and can therefore only repeat to -my readers the description I received from several eye-witnesses. It is -celebrated on the first day of every year, and may thus be called the -New-year’s feast of Madagascar. But the Malagaseys do not follow our -method of reckoning time, though they divide the year into twelve months -as we do. Each of their months is <i>lunar</i>, and when the moon has renewed -itself twelve times their year is past.</p> - -<p>On the eve of the feast, all the high officers, nobles, and chiefs -appear at court, invited by the queen. They assemble in a great hall, -and presently a dish of rice is carried round, each guest taking a pinch -in his fingers and eating it. That is the whole extent of the ceremony -on this first evening.</p> - -<p>Next morning the same company assemble in the same hall. As soon as they -have all met, the queen steps behind a curtain which hangs in a corner -of the room, undresses, and has water thrown over her. As soon as she -has been dressed again, she steps forward, holding in her hand an -ox-horn filled with the water that has been poured<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_158" id="page_158">{158}</a></span> over her. Part of -this water she sprinkles over the assembled company. Then she betakes -herself to a gallery overlooking the court-yard of the palace, and pours -the rest over the military drawn up there on parade.</p> - -<p>On this auspicious day nothing is seen throughout the whole country but -feasting, dancing, singing, and rejoicing, continued till late at night. -The celebration is kept up for eight days, dating from the day of the -bath. It is the custom for people to kill as many oxen on the first day -as they contemplate consuming during the other seven: whoever possesses -any oxen at all, kills at least one at this feast. The poor people get -pieces of meat in exchange for rice, sweet potatoes, tobacco, etc. The -meat is still tolerably fresh on the eighth day. It is cut into long -thin strips, which are salted and laid one upon the other. The -preliminary celebration of the feast occurs a week earlier, and consists -of military processions. The votaries of pleasure then begin their -feast, and thus have a fortnight’s jollity—a week before the feast, and -a week after.</p> - -<p>The soldiers whom I saw in the processions at Tamatavé pleased me well -enough. They went through their drill and manœuvres with tolerable -accuracy, and, contrary to my expectation, I found the music not only -endurable, but positively harmonious. It appears that, some years ago, -the queen sent for a European band-master and a complete set of -instruments, and her worthy subjects were inducted into a knowledge of -music, probably by means of the stick. She succeeded in her attempt, and -many of the pupils are already become masters, and spread the science -among their fellow-countrymen.</p> - -<p>The soldiers were dressed in a simple, neat, and perfectly uniform -manner. They wore a tight-fitting jerkin, reaching to the chest and -covering part of the loins. The chest was bare, and covered by the -gleaming white belts supporting the cartridge-box, which had a good -effect in contrast<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_159" id="page_159">{159}</a></span> to the black skins of the soldiers. Their heads were -uncovered. Their arms consisted of a musket and the national lance, -called <i>sagaya</i>.</p> - -<p>The officers looked comical enough. They went about in threadbare -civilian suits, that forcibly reminded me of the fashions which -prevailed when I was a child.</p> - -<p>To these quizzical costumes, the ugly black faces and woolly hair gave -such an effect that the whole was overwhelmingly funny, and I lamented -that I had no skill in drawing, for I might have produced some wonderful -caricatures from the models before me.</p> - -<p>Except on parade and at exercise, the officers, like the soldiers, wear -a costume that suits them. The soldiers live in a kind of barracks, in -the court-yard of which the exercise is performed and the courts-martial -are held. Europeans are strictly prohibited from entering these -barracks.</p> - -<p>The Queen of Madagascar can easily put herself at the head of a powerful -army. Nothing but her potent word is needed to bring it together; for -the soldiers receive no pay, and are obliged, moreover, to clothe and -feed themselves. They procure provisions by going out to work, with the -permission of their superiors; or they go home to cultivate their -fields. But the soldier who wants his officer’s permission for frequent -absence must propitiate the latter by giving him a part of his -earnings—at least a dollar annually. The officers are generally very -little richer than the soldiers. They certainly receive, like the civil -officials, a remuneration for their services from the customs revenue; -but the pay is so small that they can not live upon it, and are -compelled to have recourse to other means, not always of the most honest -description. According to the law, a very small portion of the customs -revenue ought to come to the private soldier; but I am told the officers -find the amount so trifling that they do not take the trouble to give -any account of it, and prefer keeping it entirely for themselves, so<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_160" id="page_160">{160}</a></span> -that the poor soldier who can not find work, and is too far from his -home to be able to visit it from time to time, is literally in danger of -being starved to death. He is obliged to endeavor to support life with -herbs and roots, and all kinds of makeshifts (sometimes very nauseous -ones), and may think himself lucky if he gets a little rice now and -then. This rice the poor fellow throws into a large vessel filled with -water, drinks the thin rice-water in the daytime, and only at evening -allows himself a handful of the grain. But in war-time, as soon as he is -on an enemy’s territory, he makes amends to himself for the hardships he -has endured; then he plunders and steals right and left; villages are -burned to the ground, and the inhabitants killed or dragged away to be -sold as slaves.</p> - -<p>After parade was over, the officers drew up, accompanied by the band, -before our (or, more properly, speaking, Mademoiselle Julie’s) house, to -salute Mr. Lambert, and invite him to a feast in the queen’s name. This -is the only expense the queen is in the habit of incurring for people -whom she wishes to treat with distinction.</p> - -<p>Mr. Lambert treated the officers to some good wine, whereupon they -marched off to the strains of the national hymn, which really sounded -melodious enough.</p> - -<p>On the 17th of May, the solemn banquet was held in the house of the -first judge of the kingdom. The hour was fixed for three o’clock, but -they did not come to fetch us until five. We betook ourselves to the -house, which stood in the midst of a large square or court-yard, with -palings around it. The soldiers stood in a double line from the entrance -of the court to the house, and the national hymn was played as we -passed. We were conducted at once to the dining-hall. Two sentries, with -crossed muskets, stood before the door, but this did not prevent any one -who listed from going quietly in and out.</p> - -<p>The company, consisting of about thirty people, had al<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_161" id="page_161">{161}</a></span>ready assembled -to receive the guest of the day, Mr. Lambert, with due honor.</p> - -<p>The first governor, who is at the same time commandant at Tamatavé, wore -black European clothes, and across his chest a broad red satin ribbon, -like that of an order; but, wonderful to relate, there are no orders yet -in Madagascar. The second governor had donned an old European suit of -faded sky-blue silk velvet, richly embroidered with gold; and the other -gentlemen were likewise dressed in European fashion.</p> - -<p>The table was covered with dishes of meat of all kinds, tame and wild -fowl, fish, and other marine productions. I do not think I exaggerate -when I say there were above forty dishes, great and small. The principal -show-dish was the head of a calf of rather large size, so stripped of -flesh that it looked like a skull, and produced any thing but an -agreeable effect. There were likewise many different kinds of beverages, -French wines and port, English beer, etc. After the meat, little -badly-made tarts of various kinds were served, and the banquet ended -with fruit and Champagne. Of the last-mentioned wine there was plenty, -and it was drunk out of tumblers.</p> - -<p>As far as I could see, all the guests seemed blessed with extraordinary -powers as trenchermen, nor did they forget to do honor to the wines, and -great was the number of toasts proposed.</p> - -<p>Whenever the health of the commandant, of the second governor, or of an -absent prince was proposed, one of the officers went to the door and -shouted out to the soldiers in the yard the name of the person thus -honored; thereupon the music struck up, and all the gentlemen drank the -toast, standing.</p> - -<p>The dinner lasted full four hours. It was nine o’clock at night when we -quitted the table and betook ourselves to an adjoining room, where -English beer was again offered<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_162" id="page_162">{162}</a></span> to us. After this, to my great -astonishment, two of the highest officers danced a kind of -<i>contre-danse</i>; others followed their example and indulged in a polka. -At first I considered this fancy for dancing to be a consequence of the -Champagne they had imbibed; but Mr. Lambert enlightened my ignorance, -and told me that these dances were part of the etiquette of the -occasion. I thought it a strange custom, but was infinitely amused at -the grotesque figures of the performers, and felt quite sorry that they -did not continue the exercise longer. As a conclusion to the solemnity, -the health of the queen was drunk in a liqueur flavored with aniseed, -and to the accompaniment of the national hymn. After the royal toast -nothing more may be proposed; to do so would be considered an offense -against her royal majesty, who, like her deceased husband, exacts -something very like worship from her people.</p> - -<p>Accordingly we broke up. When, on my way out, I went for my parasol, -which, on entering the room, I had deposited in a corner, I found it was -gone—it had shared the unhappy fate of my watch.</p> - -<p>Though theft is punished with great severity, frequently even with -death, and though it is lawful to kill a thief caught in the fact -without any explanation to the authorities, there is more thieving in -Tamatavé than any where else. As I have already said, it is not at all -unusual for officers and men of rank to take part in nocturnal -burglaries. A few years ago a robbery of some magnitude was perpetrated -in Tamatavé, and the majority of the stolen articles were discovered in -an officer’s possession. The man who had been robbed did not receive -back the chief part of his property; but he got some, with an injunction -to say nothing about the robbery, unless he wished to expose himself to -very disagreeable consequences; and so the affair ended.</p> - -<p>It is seldom that any one gives information to the au<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_163" id="page_163">{163}</a></span>thorities of a -theft. In small affairs it is not worth while, as the detection of the -thief and restoration of the property scarcely ever follow; and in -robberies of any magnitude, persons of high position are almost sure to -be implicated, and it would be dangerous to proceed against these. That -the soldiers are among the most confirmed thieves is not to be marveled -at, considering their miserable position. The officer or employé -certainly has only a very small salary, but, at any rate, he gets -something. Besides, he is a merchant or a landed proprietor, has slaves -who work for him, and even makes a profit out of the soldiers who serve -under him; but the poor private generally receives nothing at all, and -it is almost too much to expect that he should submit quietly to die of -hunger.</p> - -<p>On the 19th of May we at length set out on our journey to Tananariva, -the capital of the island. Our party consisted of Mr. Marius, Mr. -Lambert, and myself. Mr. Marius, a Frenchman by birth, had been living -for twenty years in Madagascar. He accompanied Mr. Lambert on his -journey from a feeling of friendship, and undertook the office of -interpreter and the general direction of the journey, and his kind -assistance was of the greatest value to us.</p> - -<p>The whole previous day and half of the present one we had been fully -employed wrapping up the chests and boxes containing presents for the -queen and Prince Rakoto, and our own baggage, in great dry leaves, to -protect them against the rain.</p> - -<p>Mr. Lambert had bought the presents for the queen and her court with his -own money, and not, as they asserted in the Mauritius, with funds from -the French government. The presents consisted of full and very expensive -toilets for the queen and some of the princesses, her relations, rich -uniforms embroidered with gold for Prince Rakoto, and valuable -art-objects of all kinds, including several musical clocks, barrel -organs, and similar toys. On these presents<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_164" id="page_164">{164}</a></span> Mr. Lambert had spent more -than 200,000 francs. For the conveyance of these treasures to the -capital more than four hundred persons were required, who received the -same pay as the soldiers; that is to say, none at all, for service of -this kind is compulsory. Along the whole route the convoy had been -announced, and the poor bearers had to be at certain stations on the -road at an appointed time.</p> - -<p>The people, about two hundred in number, who were to carry us and our -personal luggage, were paid by Mr. Lambert. The fee for a bearer from -Tamatavé to Tananariva, a distance of two hundred and twenty miles, is -only a dollar; and even provisions are not found by the hirer. Mr. -Lambert promised them good food besides the dollar, whereupon they -expressed their gratitude by loud shouts and rejoicings.</p> - -<p>The first day we only traveled seven miles, and passed the night at -Antandroroko, the estate of Mademoiselle Julie’s younger son. Here -things looked very differently from the appearance they had presented on -the day when I came alone. I am far from being vain enough to suppose -that I should have been received like Mr. Lambert, the powerful friend -of the queen; but the difference need not have been quite so glaring. -To-day every thing was done in European style, and the table was hardly -large enough to hold the dishes piled together upon it.</p> - -<p>But so it is all the world over—rich people find friendly faces every -where, and are received with every mark of good-will and respect; but -when the poorer guest arrives, the mask is taken off; and whoever -travels as I do, gets to know human nature as it is, and the verdict can -very seldom be given in its favor. How different from my description of -this country would an account be from the pen of Mr. Lambert! What -encomiums might he not pass on the hospitality of the people who often -received me with frigid, uncourteous welcome! I fancy it was only to the -consid<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_165" id="page_165">{165}</a></span>eration with which Mr. Lambert treated me that I owed the boon of -a musquito-net, which was actually provided for my bed on this occasion.</p> - -<p>May 20th. To-day we traveled the whole day long on lakes and rivers. The -largest of the former was the Nosive Lake, which is about eleven miles -long by five broad. The Nossmasay and Rassaby are almost of equal -extent. As we approached a small island in the last of these lakes, our -boat’s company suddenly began to yell and execrate with all their might. -I thought some accident had happened, but Mr. Marius gave me the -following explanation of the affair:</p> - -<p>Many years ago a marvel of female beauty is said to have dwelt near this -lake, but her life was the reverse of virtuous. This Messalina of -Madagascar attained great fame, and considered herself greatly flattered -thereby. She died young, and, in order to keep her memory green in -future days, she besought her numerous admirers, on her death-bed, that -she might be buried on this little island, and furthermore expressed a -wish that all who passed by should roar and swear as loudly as they -could, in remembrance of her.</p> - -<p>Her admirers complied with her wish, and gradually the custom became -universal.</p> - -<p>The other lakes which we had to traverse were very small, and so were -the rivers. A great loss of time was occasioned by the fact that very -few of these silent highways communicated with one another. Between -almost every lake and stream and its neighbor lay a little tract of dry -land, from a hundred to a thousand paces in length, so that our boats -were continually being unloaded and carried over. This was a hard day’s -work for our people; but, at any rate, they had the satisfaction of -being well fed on their journey. Mr. Lambert had quite a paternal care -for their comfort, and there was always fresh meat and rice in -abundance.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_166" id="page_166">{166}</a></span></p> - -<p>Our way lay near the sea-coast, and we constantly heard the sound of the -breakers. The land was flat and monotonous, but the rich vegetation gave -it a cheerful appearance; in our progress we noticed some very -flourishing plantations, and water-palms in abundance.</p> - -<p>Our quarters for the night were fixed in the village of Vovong, in a -house belonging to the government. On the way from Tamatavé to the -capital there are houses of this description in many villages, and these -houses are open to all travelers. The interior is spread with clean -mats, which the inhabitants are bound to furnish; they are also -responsible for the repairing the houses, and keeping them in proper -condition.</p> - -<p>May 21. To-day our journey was again on the waters: first, a short -distance on the River Monsa; then our bearers had to carry the boat for -at least half a mile, after which we embarked again on a little stream, -very narrow, and so overshadowed by small trees, bushes, and aquatic -plants that we could often scarcely force the boat through. This journey -reminded me of similar trips in Singapore and Borneo, with this -difference, that in the latter places our way lay through virgin forests -of gigantic trees. After a few miles we came to a broader stream, of -peculiarly transparent and limpid water, in which every object was -reflected with a clearness and brilliancy I had never before seen.</p> - -<p>In these lower lands, and, with few exceptions, along the whole coast of -Madagascar, the climate is very unhealthy, and dangerous fevers are -prevalent. The chief reason for this probably is, that the land lies -deep, and the rivers are choked up with sand at their mouths. In the -rainy season the water pours unchecked over the plains, forming swamps -and morasses, the exhalations from which, in the hot months from -November till the end of April, produce a malignant miasma. Even the -natives who live in the healthy districts, in the interior of the -island, are just as liable to its<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_167" id="page_167">{167}</a></span> effects as the Europeans themselves, -when they come to the unhealthy lowlands in the hot season. Of the -Europeans, I saw a few in Tamatavé who were attacked every summer by the -fever, though they had lived there for three or four years.</p> - -<p>Our journey to-day did not exceed eight or nine miles; betimes in the -afternoon we halted at the village of Andororanto to wait for our -baggage, which had been taken overland by another route.</p> - -<p>May 22. This morning we traveled three hours by water on the River Fark, -which falls into the sea not far from the village where we had passed -the night. This river is very broad, but has few deep parts. Its banks -afford a greater variety of scenery than the rivers we had hitherto -seen. The uniform flats begin now to alternate with little clusters of -hills, and in the far background a low ridge becomes visible.</p> - -<p>Coming to a great bend in the river, we disembarked. The boats remained -behind, and our journey by land began in earnest. This day we -accomplished eight miles more inland toward the east. The road was -tolerably good, except in the neighborhood of a few wretched villages -which we passed.</p> - -<p>As far as I have yet seen of this country, it is exceedingly fertile, -except a few sandy tracts. Capital pasture-grass grows every where -luxuriantly. The plains at the higher level are said to be excellently -calculated for sugar plantations, and the low-lying lands for -rice-fields, and yet all was lying fallow. The population is so scanty -that we hardly passed a tiny village in every three or four miles. This -is certainly inevitable in a country whose government seems determined -to lay waste and depopulate the land. In Madagascar scarcely any one is -a landed proprietor except the queen and the high nobility. The peasant -may cultivate the land and sow seed where he finds a tract unoccupied,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_168" id="page_168">{168}</a></span> -without asking permission of any body; but this gives him no proprietary -right, and after he has cultivated the land the owner may take it away -from him. This circumstance, added to the natural indolence inherent in -all savage tribes, readily accounts for the fact that the peasant only -cultivates just as much land as he finds necessary to grow enough for -himself.</p> - -<p>The taxes are not oppressive. The peasant has to deliver about a hundred -weight of rice to the government annually; but compulsory service and -other exactions are very burdensome, for they prevent the peasant from -attending properly to his work.</p> - -<p>Rice is the plant principally cultivated in Madagascar. The crop is sown -twice a year, and the government prescribes a month each time to be -devoted to the work. With an active people this would be enough time to -get the harvest gathered, and the new crop put into the ground; but, -unfortunately, the natives of Madagascar are very far from being an -active race, and so it often happens that the month has passed away -before the work is finished. After the month is over, the government -requires the men for all kinds of services, of more or less importance, -just as the queen or the officers appointed by her majesty may please to -order. Those are worst off who live on roads leading from the harbors to -the capital, for they have to do so much compulsory service as bearers -that they have scarcely any time left for agriculture. At one time many -left their huts and fields, and fled into the interior of the country to -escape this hardship, so that the villages began to be deserted. To -check this, the queen condemned every fugitive to death; but, on the -other hand, she relieved the inhabitants of villages on the roads from -military service, the most hateful of all obligations to the people. A -few little villages were also stocked with royal slaves, who had no -other duty assigned to them but to act as carriers. If the people had -only to transport the royal luggage and goods,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_169" id="page_169">{169}</a></span> their service would not -be a heavy one; but every nobleman, every officer, can procure an order -for similar service, and even compel the people to work without showing -any authority at all. They can not complain, for a peasant would never -gain a cause against a nobleman or an officer, and so they pass the -greater part of the year working on the roads. In the districts where -there are no goods and chattels to be carried, other work is found for -them; and if there happens to be nothing to do, they are summoned in a -body, not only the men, but the women, children, and all, to attend a -<i>kabar</i> at some place or other. Kabar is the name given to public -judicial sessions, councils, audiences, and assemblies of the people, -where new laws and royal orders are promulgated, and much similar -business enacted.</p> - -<p>The kabars are sometimes held in distant places, so that the poor people -have to travel some days to get to them. Nor are the laws at once read -out to them; this part of the business is often postponed from day to -day, so that they are sometimes kept away from their homes for weeks. On -such occasions many die of hunger and misery, from having taken an -insufficient supply of rice; money they have none, and must therefore -seek to sustain life as best they may with roots and herbs. Their -destruction seems to be the object of the queen; for she hates all the -people who are not of her own race, and her greatest desire would seem -to be to annihilate them all at one blow.</p> - -<p>So far as the cultivation of the land is concerned, there are people -enough in Bourbon and the Mauritius who would be glad enough to lay out -large plantations. A few even have tried it, clearing great tracts of -land and planting sugar-canes. But they met with the greatest -difficulties; for, as the land every where belonged to the queen, or to -one or other of the nobles, the new-comers were obliged to propitiate -the owners by presents of money to obtain permission to carry on their -operations. Besides this, the government<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_170" id="page_170">{170}</a></span> demanded ten per cent. on -their profits, and, in spite of all the heavy sacrifices, they were not -much better off than the natives; for the peculiar judicial institutions -of Madagascar allowed the owner to break off the contract at any moment, -and drive away the planter.</p> - -<p>Some preferred to make a treaty with the queen herself, her majesty -therein engaging to provide the ground, the laborers, wood, iron, in a -word, every thing necessary to a plantation; the planter, on his part, -undertaking to set the work in motion, and to find provisions for the -hands; while the produce was to be divided equally between the -contracting parties. The queen entered into several contracts of this -kind, but never kept to them. In King Radama’s time, the land, they told -me, had been more populous; under the rule of the present queen, not -only have innumerable towns sunk down to a few scattered huts, but -others have altogether vanished. Spots were often pointed out to us -where fine villages had once stood.</p> - -<p>We passed the night at Manambotre. At a little distance from this -village we passed a place where great blocks of rock lay scattered here -and there. Their appearance in this place astonished me not a little, as -the soil consisted every where of vegetable earth on which not the -smallest stone was to be found. Mr. Lambert had two oxen killed this -evening for the benefit of our bearers. They were dragged out in front -of our hut by ropes passed round their horns; then several men armed -with knives crept up from behind, and cut the sinews of the poor -creatures hind legs, so that they sank down powerless, and could be -dispatched without danger. As I have already remarked, they are not -flayed, but the skin is roasted with the meat; nay, the natives even -prefer it to the flesh, because the greater portion of fat adheres to -it.</p> - -<p>The oxen are fine large animals, and very tame; they are of the buffalo -kind.</p> - -<p>May 23. To-day the bad roads began. I did not feel<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_171" id="page_171">{171}</a></span> afraid of them, for, -in many of my journeyings—for instance, in Iceland, when I ascended the -Hecla; also in Kurdistan, in Sumatra, and other countries—I have seen -far worse; but my companions seemed horrified at the sight. They were -certainly far from good, I must allow. The land is here more than -wave-like in form: it consists of a succession of lofty hills -sufficiently steep, and so closely packed together that barely a few -hundred yards of level land are left between. Instead of winding along -by the foot of these hills, the roads go straight up and down each of -them. The soil, too, a rich loam, becomes as smooth and slippery as ice, -from the rain, and there are, moreover, innumerable holes made by the -cattle, thousands of oxen being driven this way from the interior.</p> - -<p>Our bearers won my unfeigned admiration; indeed, surprising strength and -skill are required to carry heavy loads along such roads. The bearers, -whose duty it was to transport my little meagre figure, were the most -lucky. I felt almost inclined to be angry with them, for they trotted -with me, up hill and down dale, as if I had been no weight at all, and -that was not quite the case. And when the ground happened to be somewhat -level, they almost ran, although I tried in vain to induce them, by all -kinds of deprecating signs, to moderate their ardor; for the long, quick -strides they made were as disagreeable as the trot of a heavy horse. The -hills were covered with rich grass; some also were clothed with plants. -Among the latter there was much bamboo, with delicate clusters of leaves -of a light green color, and of a luxuriant freshness I had never seen -elsewhere. Like shade alternating with light in a picture, the bright -bamboo stood near the Kafia palm, with its feathery dark leaves fifteen -feet long. This palm is a very valuable tree to the natives, who plait -their rabanetas with the fibres of its leaves—those coarse mats which I -have mentioned in my account of Tamatavé.</p> - -<p>Of the water-palm I saw some splendid specimens. This<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_172" id="page_172">{172}</a></span> tree flourishes -here, in the interior of the country, much better than on the sea-coast. -I remember to have read in some works of travels that this palm only -occurs in situations where water is scarce, and that it is called -water-palm, and also traveler’s palm, because a small quantity of water -collects between each leaf and the stem, to the great delectation of the -thirst-tormented wayfarer. The natives here assert, on the contrary, -that this palm only flourishes in a damp soil, and that water is always -to be found in its neighborhood. Unluckily, I had no opportunity of -investigating the subject, so as to judge of the truth of these reports; -but I hope the time will come when botanists will roam at pleasure -through this great island, and settle, not only this, but many other -doubtful questions in geography and natural history.</p> - -<p>The sago-palm is another variety that flourishes greatly in Madagascar. -Strangely enough, the natives dislike its pith, although they are in -general any thing but squeamish in their diet, for they devour not only -herbs and roots, but insects and worms likewise.</p> - -<p>The time passed very quickly to-day, for from every hill and mountain a -fresh view opened before us more beautiful than the last. But the -population became thinner and thinner; in the whole day’s journey we -only passed by a few very insignificant villages.</p> - -<p>This night we stopped at a village called Ambatoarana. The arrival of -Mr. Lambert had been every where announced, and as it was known that he -stood high in favor with the queen, the inhabitants of the village -received him with the greatest demonstrations of respect, and vied with -each other to propitiate the influential man. Here, too, the judge came -at once to call upon us, and in the name of the community presented to -Mr. Lambert a couple of oxen, besides a great quantity of rice and -poultry. Mr. Lambert accepted these presents, but gave others of far -greater value in return.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_173" id="page_173">{173}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">Celebration of the National Feast.—Song and Dance.—Beforona.—The -elevated Plateau of Ankay.—The Territory of Emir.—Solemn -Reception.—Ambatomango.—The Sikidy.—The Triumphal -Procession.—Arrival in Tananariva.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">May</span> 24th. It had not rained for four-and-twenty hours, and, -consequently, we found the roads in somewhat better condition than -yesterday. The hills we encountered were also less high and steep.</p> - -<p>We generally divided our day’s journey into two parts. At daybreak we -started, and marched for three or four hours; then we stopped to -breakfast on rice and poultry, frequently diversified by wild birds of -some kind, often black parrots, and other beautiful specimens which Mr. -Lambert shot on our way. After a rest of about two hours we set out to -accomplish the second portion of our day’s march, which generally about -equaled the first in length.</p> - -<p>To-day, however, we contented ourselves with getting through the first -stage, for it was the day for celebrating the great national feast. The -queen had no doubt taken her auspicious new-year’s bath this morning. -Mr. Lambert would not rob his bearers of the pleasure of participating -in the enjoyments of the day; so, at ten o’clock in the morning, we -halted in the village of Ampatsiba.</p> - -<p>The first business was to slaughter the oxen. The rule of the feast, -which enjoins that as many shall be slain as are sufficient for the day -and the seven following, was not strictly carried out, for the weight of -meat would have been too great for the men to carry; but five of the -finest animals<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_174" id="page_174">{174}</a></span> were offered up as a sacrifice to the day; for Mr. -Lambert entertained not only our people, but the whole village. In the -evening four or five hundred people assembled—men, women, and -children—in front of our huts; and, to complete the enjoyment of the -feast, Mr. Lambert had their favorite drink, <i>besa-besa</i>, served out to -them. This beverage, which seemed to me the reverse of agreeable, is -made from the juice of the sugar-cane mixed with water, and the bitter -bark of afatraina. The water is first poured on the cane-juice, and when -the mixture ferments, the bark is added, and a second fermentation takes -place.</p> - -<p>The festal character of the day, assisted perhaps by the besa-besa, put -the little community in such good spirits that they volunteered an -exhibition of their songs and dances, which were all equally stupid and -uninteresting.</p> - -<p>Some of the girls beat a little stick with all their might against a -thick piece of bamboo; others sang, or rather howled, at the top of -their voices: the noise was horrible. Then, two of the ebony beauties -danced; that is, they moved slowly to and fro on a small space of -ground, half lifted their arms, and turned their hands, first outward, -and then toward their sides. Now, one of the men approached to exhibit -his capabilities as a dancer. He was, most likely, the “lion” of the -village. He tripped to and fro much in the style of his charming -predecessors, only in rather more energetic fashion. Whenever he -approached any of the women or girls, he was not deterred by our -presence from making very expressive gestures, which were received by -the assembled company with shouts of laughter and obstreperous applause; -but the same thing is done at the public balls in Paris.</p> - -<p>On this occasion I saw that the natives do not smoke tobacco, but take -it in the form of snuff. The pinch is not inhaled through the nose, but -inserted in the mouth. Both men and women enjoy their tobacco in this -way.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_175" id="page_175">{175}</a></span></p> - -<p>In asserting that the “queen’s bath” was the only feast celebrated in -Madagascar, I was right to this extent, that the aforesaid solemnity is -the only occasion of universal rejoicing. The natives, however, practice -the custom of circumcising their children, and these occasions are -celebrated with much rejoicing. The ceremony takes place in the larger -villages designated for the purpose by government, and to these places -the parents have to bring their children at a certain period of the -year. The happy fathers invite their relations and friends to the -solemnity, and recreate themselves with song and dance, eating and -drinking as long as their stores of beef, rice, and besa-besa hold out.</p> - -<p>May 25th. After yesterday’s jollification, our bearers had hard work -to-day. The hills were very steep, and far loftier than the former ones, -averaging from five to seven hundred feet in height. Fortunately it had -not rained, and on the dry earth climbing was not so very difficult a -matter.</p> - -<p>All the hills and mountains are here covered with virgin forests; but I -looked in vain for the thick, lofty trees I had been accustomed to see -in the wilds of Sumatra and Borneo, and even of America. The greatest -trunks were scarcely four feet in diameter, and not more than a hundred -in height. There was likewise no great profusion of flowering trees, -orchidaceæ, and climbing plants; and the only remarkable feature in -these forests seemed to be the large and varied genera of ferns, in -which Madagascar rivals the Mauritius. I was informed that in the -neighborhood of the roads all the great trees had already been cut down, -but that in the depths of the forests splendid specimens might be met -with, and that flowers, climbing plants, and orchidaceæ likewise abound -in those solitudes.</p> - -<p>From the summits of a few of the higher hills we had to climb we enjoyed -glorious views of quite a peculiar kind. Never yet have I seen so great -an expanse of land as this, consisting entirely of hills, lofty -mountains, and narrow val<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_176" id="page_176">{176}</a></span>leys and gorges, with not a single plain -between. Twice we could descry the sea in the far distance.</p> - -<p>This region must be admirably adapted for the cultivation of coffee; for -it is well known that the coffee-tree grows best on the sides of steep -hills. The land here is said, moreover, to be well adapted for pasture, -especially for sheep. In future times flourishing plantations will -perhaps arise here, adding life and variety to the glorious landscape. -To-day, alas! all around is an unpeopled desert; hardly a miserable hut -to be seen here and there half hidden in the verdant screen.</p> - -<p>We slept in a village called Beforona.</p> - -<p>May 26. Our journey to-day has been a repetition of yesterday’s march, -with the single additional incident that we met a drove of oxen in a -steep, hollow way. It was fearful to see how the creatures clambered -about. Almost at every step they slipped, and I expected every moment -they would come tumbling down upon us. With difficulty we found a place -where we could stand, pressing against the bank till they had gone by.</p> - -<p>Rather late in the afternoon we arrived at our station for the night—a -very little village with a very long name—Alamajootra.</p> - -<p>May 27. The hills to-day were less lofty and steep, the gorges and -valleys somewhat broader, and the roads better. A few miles from our -station for the night, on the only high hill we had to cross on this -day’s march, the wooded region suddenly came to an end, and a charming -landscape lay before us. In the foreground, extending in wavy lines, -extending north and south, rose a chain of hills, which we could -overlook from our high post of observation; and behind these lay the -beautiful elevated plateau Ankay, at least fifteen miles broad (and of -much greater length still) from north to south. Toward the east, in the -background, two low ranges of mountains rose up against the horizon.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_177" id="page_177">{177}</a></span></p> - -<p>Our station for the night was a village called Maramaya.</p> - -<p>May 28. We came to the elevated plateau Ankay, on which we found -tolerable roads, so that our journey now proceeded rapidly. On the other -hand, we lost a great deal of time in crossing the River Mangor. There -was nothing to be had in the way of boats but a few hollowed trunks of -trees, each of which would scarcely hold three or four people; thus -several hours were consumed in ferrying over our numerous train and -multifarious baggage. The rivers which I have as yet seen in Madagascar, -including the Mangor, are very broad at certain spots, but they have no -depth; the largest of them would not be navigable for a craft of fifty -tons. They are very well filled, but, unfortunately, there are many more -caymans in these rivers than fishes.</p> - -<p>We crossed the low mountain ridge of Efody, and then the way wound -onward through pleasant little valleys to the village of Ambodinangano, -where we passed the night.</p> - -<p>Near many villages I had noticed great upright stones, always placed at -some miles’ distance from the village. Some of these, I was told, were -funeral monuments; the rest were to mark the spots where the weekly -markets are held. It would really seem as if the inhabitants of -Madagascar were determined to do every thing differently from other -nations, and so, instead of having their markets in the villages, they -hold them in lonely desert places miles away from every human dwelling.</p> - -<p>May 29. To-day my traveling companions were fully justified in -complaining of the roads, which were so bad that, in spite of my -enlarged experience in this particular, I was compelled to acknowledge -that I had seldom seen any thing to equal them. But the chief problem -was how to cross the second little mountain chain of Efody, the sides of -which are exceedingly steep. Even my bearers seemed to-day to feel that -my frame was decidedly composed of mundane materials, and not of air. -Right wearily did they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_178" id="page_178">{178}</a></span> drag me up over the steep heights, resting for a -few moments, from time to time, to take breath and gather new strength.</p> - -<p>After scaling this ridge we came into the territory of Emir, the native -region of the Hovas, in the midst of which the capital of the island is -situated.</p> - -<p>The territory of Emir consists of a lofty, splendid, elevated plateau, -nearly four thousand feet above the level of the sea. Many isolated -hills rise up from this plain; we pass no more forests, and, as the -capital is approached, some amount of cultivation, in the shape of -rice-fields, begins to appear. Where there were no rice-fields, the -ground was covered with the short bitter grass of which I had noticed so -much in Sumatra. Unfortunately, it is entirely useless, as the cattle -will not eat it.</p> - -<p>The district of Emir did not appear to be very populous; even in the -neighborhood of the rice-fields I looked in vain for villages—perhaps -they were hidden behind the hills.</p> - -<p>In the few villages we passed I noticed that the houses were not built -like those at Tamatavé, and in the wooded regions through which we had -passed, of bamboo or timber, but of earth and clay. They are also -loftier and more roomy, and have exceedingly high roofs, thatched very -neatly with a sedgy grass that grows here in abundance beside all the -rivers. But the internal arrangement is just the same. The house -generally contains only one room; in very few is a small portion walled -off by a partition of matting. Furniture is entirely wanting. The -majority of the inhabitants of Madagascar possess nothing of the kind -beyond a few straw mats with which they cover the bare floor, and a few -pots of iron or clay wherein to cook rice. Nowhere did I see beds, or -even wooden chests in which clothing or other articles could be kept. -Certainly they do not feel the want of either of these conveniences, for -they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_179" id="page_179">{179}</a></span> sleep on the floor, and their wardrobe generally consists of a -single simbu, which they draw over their head at night. The most -luxurious among them go so far as to cover themselves with one of the -straw mats of their own plaiting. Nowhere else have I found such an -entire want of all the comforts of life, except among the Indians of -Oregon Territory, in North America.</p> - -<p>Some of the little villages, and a few separate houses also, are -surrounded with ramparts of earth, a custom originating in the times -when the country was divided among a multitude of small tribes who were -continually at war with one another. It has already been mentioned that -the two great chiefs, Dianampoiene and Radama, put an end to these feuds -by reducing most of the tribes beneath their dominion. A few miles from -the village of Ambatomango, our resting-place for this evening, a great -procession of men came to meet us, accompanied by military music. This -was a kind of deputation sent by Prince Rakoto, the son of Queen -Ranavola, and heir-apparent to the throne, to receive Mr. Lambert, and -assure him of the prince’s respect and affection. The deputation -consisted of twelve adherents of the prince, a number of officers and -soldiers, and a complete troop of female singers.</p> - -<p>The “adherents” of Rakoto, forty in number, are young noblemen who love -and honor this prince so much that they have bound themselves by an oath -to defend him in every danger to the last man. They all live near him, -and in his expeditions he is always surrounded by at least half a dozen -of these faithful followers, although he has no need of such a guard, as -he is said to be much beloved by all the people, commons and nobles -alike.</p> - -<p>Mr. Lambert was received by this deputation with the honors usually -accorded to a prince of the blood royal, a distinction which has never -yet been shown to any of the high nobles, much less to a white man.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_180" id="page_180">{180}</a></span></p> - -<p>As often as our procession passed by a village, the whole community -turned out to see the strangers. Many attached themselves to the train, -so that it grew as it went, like an avalanche. The good people might -well be astonished to see white men received with such honor, for the -like had never been witnessed before.</p> - -<p>In the village of Ambatomango, Mr. Lambert was surprised by a mark of -affection on the part of Prince Rakoto. We found the prince’s only son, -a little boy five years old, waiting for us. Prevented by the illness of -the queen from coming himself to meet Mr. Lambert at Ambatomango, he had -sent his child, which Mr. Lambert had adopted during his first stay at -Tananariva.</p> - -<p>The custom of adopting children prevails widely in Madagascar; in most -cases this is done by the adopter for the sake of possessing a child, -but in others it arises from the fact that the father of the child -wishes to give the man who adopts it a striking proof of his friendship. -The adoption is announced to the government, which, in a written -document, accords to the second father full authority over the child. -The infant receives the name of the adopted parent, is admitted into his -family, and possesses every right enjoyed by his own children.</p> - -<p>Prince Rakoto had conceived such an affection for Mr. Lambert upon their -first becoming acquainted, that he wished to give him a striking proof -of his respect and friendship, and thus offered him his best -treasure—his only child. Mr. Lambert adopted the infant, but did not -avail himself of all the rights his position gave him; the child -received his name, but was left in the care of its own father.</p> - -<p>This child is not by birth a prince, his mother being a slave. Her name -is Mary; but she is not, as her name would imply, a Christian. I am told -she is very intelligent and good-natured, but, nevertheless, of a firm -character. The prince loves her exceedingly, and, in order to have her<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_181" id="page_181">{181}</a></span> -continually about his person, he has nominally married her to one of his -faithful followers.</p> - -<p>Till late at night, a good deal of jollity was kept up in our camp. A -great feast was prepared, of which we partook in native fashion, seated -on the ground; on the other hand, toasts were drunk in true European -fashion, and the healths of all imaginable people proposed. Merry music -and loud shouts of rejoicing accompanied every fresh toast.</p> - -<p>The choir of female singers sent by Prince Rakoto to do honor to our -arrival consisted of twenty girls, who crouched down in a corner of the -room, and tortured our ears with their harsh, grating voices. They -screamed and howled just like the women and girls in the village where -we celebrated the feast of the queen’s bath. They had a man with them, -as a leader or teacher, but he wore a woman’s garb, and that of a -European too; as the features of the two races vary very little, their -beauty or ugliness being much the same, I should not have suspected this -comical figure to be a man if the fact had not been mentioned by Mr. -Lambert.</p> - -<p>May 30th. This morning a deputation of villagers came to invite Mr. -Lambert to a bull-fight which they proposed to give in his honor. After -getting through the important business of breakfast, we proceeded to the -scene of action, but found the preparations for the promised spectacle -in a very backward state. It was evident that some time would be -required for their completion. We thanked the people for their offer, -but thought it best to take the will for the deed. We particularly -wished to get to the capital, still a good half-day’s journey distant, -as quickly as possible—the more so, as the Sikidy, or oracle, had -designated the present day as a fortunate one for our entry into -Tananariva, and the queen wished that Mr. Lambert should not let the -auspicious moment go by.</p> - -<p>Throughout Madagascar, but particularly at court, it is<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_182" id="page_182">{182}</a></span> customary to -consult the Sikidy oracle on every occasion, great and small. It is done -in the following manner: A certain number of beans and small stones are -mixed together, and from the figures they form, the people learned in -the art of divination predict the favorable or unfavorable result of an -undertaking. Of such oracle-interpreters or augurs there are more than -twelve appointed at court, and in the most trifling matter the queen is -accustomed to consult them. So devoted a believer in the Sikidy is she, -that she in many things entirely sacrifices her own will, and is thus -the greatest slave in the country she governs so despotically. If, for -instance, she wishes to make an excursion any where, the oracle must -decide on what day and at what hour this can be done. She will put on no -garment and partake of no dish till the Sikidy has spoken, and the -oracle must even decide from what spring the water she drinks is to be -taken.</p> - -<p>A few years ago a universal custom prevailed of asking the Sikidy, when -a child was born, if the hour of its birth was fortunate. If an answer -in the negative was returned, the poor baby was laid in the middle of -one of the roads along which the great herds of oxen were driven. If the -animals passed carefully by the child without injuring it, the bad magic -influence of the oracle was considered to be broken, and the child was -carried back in triumph to its father’s house. Few were, however, -fortunate enough to go through this dangerous ordeal unscathed; the -majority of the infants were killed. The parents who were unwilling to -submit their children to such a test turned them adrift, especially if -they were girls, and took no more trouble about them. The queen has -forbidden both the ordeal and the exposure; and this is, perhaps, the -only humane law she has passed during her whole life.</p> - -<p>All travelers who wish to come to the capital must apply to the queen -for permission, and halt at least a da<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_183" id="page_183">{183}</a></span>y’s journey from the city to -receive the verdict of the Sikidy, which determines on what day and at -what hour they may make their entry. Day and hour must be kept with the -greatest strictness; and if the traveler should fall ill in the interim, -and find it impossible to present himself at the gates of the city at -the appointed time, he must send a new embassy to the queen, and await a -second decision of the Sikidy, whereby he loses some days, and may be -detained for weeks.</p> - -<p>In this respect we were very fortunate. The Sikidy was obliging enough -not to keep us waiting a single day, and designated that day as a -fortunate one on which, according to the arrangements already made for -our journey, we could reach the capital.</p> - -<p>I vehemently suspect that the curiosity of the queen had some influence -on the speech of the oracle. The good lady was naturally impatient to be -put in possession of all the treasures which she knew Mr. Lambert had -brought for her.</p> - -<p>Our journey to-day seemed like a triumphal progress. In the van marched -the military band; then came many officers, some of them of very high -rank; next we came, surrounded by the adherents of the prince; the -female singing choir, with a number of soldiers and people, bringing up -the rear. As was the case yesterday, old and young came thronging round -in every village through which we passed. All were desirous of seeing -the long-expected strangers; many, too, joined the procession, and -accompanied us for miles.</p> - -<p>Our way wound onward through the beautiful elevated plain of Emir. How -splendid an appearance would this glorious tract of land make if it were -properly cultivated and populated! There are certainly many more fields -and villages to be seen here than in the other districts through which -our way had as yet led us, but very few could compare with this in -fruitfulness of soil and fortunate position.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_184" id="page_184">{184}</a></span> A peculiar charm is -imparted to this plain by the numerous hills intersecting it in all -directions, the majority rising quite isolated and unconnected with any -of the rest. There is no lack of water; for, although no great rivers -are seen, there are numerous small streams and ponds.</p> - -<p>About forty years ago, the whole plateau of Emir was covered, they say, -with forests; but now, for an area of about thirty square miles, it is -so treeless that only the rich people use wood, procured from a distance -by their slaves, as fuel. The poorer people make shift with a kind of -short prairie grass, with which hills and plains are thickly covered, -and which gives a fierce but not a very lasting flame. Fortunately, the -people only require fire for preparing their food, and can dispense with -fuel for their rooms, though in winter the thermometer falls to three or -four degrees, and sometimes even to 1° Réaumur; but the houses are built -with clay walls of tolerable thickness, and the roofs are thickly -covered with long grass, and so the houses are sufficiently warm, in -spite of the cold out of doors.</p> - -<p>The roads were now exceedingly good, and our bearers ran jauntily on, as -if they had nothing to carry. From afar we could see Tananariva, the -capital of the country, situated almost in the midst of the plain, on -one of the highest hills, and early in the afternoon we came to the -suburbs, by which the city itself is surrounded on all sides.</p> - -<p>These suburbs were at first villages; increasing gradually in size, they -have at last been united into a whole. The majority of the houses are -built of earth or clay; but those which belong to the city must be -constructed of planks, or at least of bamboo. I found all the houses -here greater and more roomy than the dwellings of the villagers; also -much cleaner and better kept. The roofs are very high and steep, and -have long poles reared at each end by way of ornament. Here I again -noticed that many separate houses, and in other instances three or four -attached, were sur<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_185" id="page_185">{185}</a></span>rounded by low ramparts of earth, for no other -apparent purpose than to separate the court-yards from the neighboring -tenements. The streets and squares are all very irregularly built: the -houses are not placed in rows, but stand about in groups, some at the -foot of the hill, and others on its shelving sides. The royal palace -stands on the summit. The portion of the suburbs through which we passed -was, to my great astonishment, kept very clean, and this cleanliness was -not confined to the streets and public places, but extended to the -court-yards. The only places that showed signs of neglect were the -narrow lanes between the walls of earth.</p> - -<p>I was astonished at the number of lightning conductors that every where -appeared still more than by the general aspect of cleanliness; each -large house seemed provided with one. They were introduced by Mr. -Laborde, a Frenchman, who had lived for many years at Tananariva, and -whose adventurous history Mr. Marius told me during our journey. I shall -soon have to introduce my readers to this extraordinary man.</p> - -<p>I was told that there is, perhaps, no place in the whole world where -thunder-storms rage so fearfully, and where the lightning strikes so -frequently as is the case here. At Tananariva about three hundred people -are stated to be killed by lightning annually, and last year the number -is said to have risen to four hundred. In one house a single flash -killed ten persons. These fearful storms take place chiefly from the -beginning of March to the middle of April.</p> - -<p>In the mean time we had arrived at the city gate, before which we found -a guard of soldiers drawn up with crossed muskets, who refused, in the -most polite manner possible, to let us pass. It appears to be the custom -at this court to surround every thing with a kind of halo of despotism. -Although every stranger who wishes to come to the capital is obliged to -obtain permission from the queen, and she is therefore informed of the -intended journey long before its<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_186" id="page_186">{186}</a></span> commencement—the traveler is moreover -obliged to send on a messenger when he has arrived within a day or two’s -march of the capital, and to receive the report of the Sikidy as to the -day on which he may make his entry—he is again obliged to halt at the -city gate to announce his arrival to the queen, and petition for -admittance. If her majesty happens to be in a bad humor, she often lets -the poor stranger stand waiting some hours for her answer, exposed to -the broiling summer heat or to the pouring rain.</p> - -<p>We were so far favored as to obtain leave to enter the town after -waiting only half an hour.</p> - -<p>The interior of the town looks much like one of the suburbs, with this -difference, that, in compliance with the law I have mentioned, all the -houses are built of planks or of bamboo.</p> - -<p>We proceeded to the house of Mr. Laborde, a very warm friend of Mr. -Lambert’s, and who is also a great protector of every European that -arrives at Tananariva.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_187" id="page_187">{187}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">Mr. Laborde.—Prince Rakoto.—Anecdote of his Life.—The -Sambas-Sambas.—Mary.—Review on the Field of Mars.—The Nobility -in Madagascar.—The Secret Treaty.—The English Missionary Society -and Mr. Lambert.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Our</span> host, Mr. Laborde, favored us with the following account of his -life.</p> - -<p>He was born in France, and is the son of a well-to-do saddler. In his -youth he served for several years as a cavalry soldier in the French -army, but, being always prompted by a desire to see something of the -world, he gave up the service after his father’s death, found a -substitute, and embarked for the East Indies. In Bombay he established -several workshops, repaired steam-engines, manufactured weapons, set up -a saddlery, and did very good business; but his restless spirit would -not let him remain long in one place, so he gave up his workshops to a -friend, and in the year 1831 shipped himself off to the Indian -Archipelago. The ship, driven out of its course by a storm, was wrecked -on the coast of Madagascar. Mr. Laborde not only lost all he possessed, -but his liberty into the bargain; for, as is well known, all shipwrecked -men are made slaves of in this hospitable island. Mr. Laborde was taken, -with a few of his companions in misfortune, to Tananariva to be sold.</p> - -<p>Fortunately, tidings of his skill in manufacturing weapons and other -articles reached the queen’s ears. She sent for him to court, and -promised him his freedom if he would serve her faithfully for five -years. Mr. Laborde did this. He established a workshop, and furnished -the queen with all kinds of weapons, even to little cannons, and also -with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_188" id="page_188">{188}</a></span> powder and other articles. In spite of her general hatred toward -Europeans, he gained the queen’s confidence, and she soon got to value -him so highly that she took his advice in several important affairs, and -he succeeded, not unfrequently, in dissuading her from pronouncing -sentences of death.</p> - -<p>But it is not only in the queen’s estimation that Mr. Laborde stands -high. The people and the nobility also set great store by him; for his -many good qualities have made him popular every where, and all who need -counsel or help come to him, and never come in vain. He is physician, -confidential friend, and helper to them all.</p> - -<p>The five years Mr. Laborde was to pass in the queen’s service extended -to ten. His patroness gave him house and home, lands and slaves; and as -he is married to a native woman, and has a son by this marriage, he will -probably remain here to the end of his life, though he has long been -free and independent, and may leave the island whenever he chooses to do -so.</p> - -<p>Besides his manufactories for arms and powder, this industrious man has -also established works for glass-blowing, indigo-dyeing, soap and tallow -boiling, and a distillery for rum. He wished also to stock the island -with European fruits and vegetables, and most of those he planted -flourished wonderfully, but his example remained unfollowed. The natives -preferred to live on in their pristine indolence, and to continue eating -nothing but rice, with the addition of a piece of beef now and then.</p> - -<p>If Mr. Laborde, however, did not succeed in producing all the results he -expected from his undertakings, they have at least done good service in -showing the capability of this beautiful land for cultivation.</p> - -<p>It was toward four o’clock in the afternoon when we arrived in Mr. -Laborde’s house.</p> - -<p>Our friendly host immediately introduced two Europeans<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_189" id="page_189">{189}</a></span> to us, the only -ones then staying at Tananariva. The two gentlemen were clergymen; one -of them had been living for two years, the other for seven months, in -Mr. Laborde’s house. It was not the time to appear as missionaries, and -they concealed the fact of their belonging to a mission very carefully, -the prince and the Europeans being the only persons admitted into the -secret. One passes as a physician, the other as tutor to Mr. Laborde’s -son, who had come back two years since from Paris, where he had been -sent by his father to be educated.</p> - -<p>We were soon assembled at a good dinner round our host’s table. Every -thing was arranged in European style, with the exception that the dishes -and plates were all of massive silver, and silver goblets supplied the -place of drinking-glasses. I observed jokingly to Mr. Laborde that I had -never met with such luxury at any table, and that Tananariva was the -last place in the world where I should have expected to find it. He -replied that similar luxury prevailed in all the houses of the rich, but -that there were certainly not many houses of this description. He said -he had himself introduced the fashion, but not from ostentation, but, on -the contrary, on economical grounds. He found that china-ware had -continually to be replaced, as the slaves were perfect adepts in the art -of breaking any given number of articles in the shortest possible time, -so that the use of china became very expensive.</p> - -<p>Before we had nearly concluded our pleasant meal, while Champagne was -being handed round, and the toasts were beginning, a slave came running -up in hot haste to announce the approach of Prince Rakoto. We rose -hastily from table, but had little time to go and meet the prince, for, -in his impatience to see Mr. Lambert, he had followed close at the -slave’s heels. The two men held each other in a long embrace, but for -some time neither of them could find a word to express his joy. It was -easy to see that a deep and true<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_190" id="page_190">{190}</a></span> friendship existed between them, and -we who stood round could not view the scene without feelings of -pleasurable emotion.</p> - -<p>Prince Rakoto, or, to call him by his full name, Rako-dond-Radama, is a -young man twenty-seven years of age. Contrary to my expectation, his -appearance was far from disagreeable. He is short and slim in stature, -and his face does not betray a likeness, in form or color, to any of the -four races who inhabit Madagascar. His features have quite the type of -the Moldavian Greeks. His black hair is curly, but not woolly; he has -dark eyes, full of life and fire; a well-shaped mouth, and handsome -teeth. His features wear an expression of such childlike goodness that -one feels drawn toward him from the first moment of seeing him. He often -goes about in European costume.</p> - -<p>The prince is honored and beloved alike by high and low; and I was -assured by Mr. Laborde that he fully deserved all this affection and -honor. The son is, in fact, as kind-hearted as the mother is cruel; he -is just as averse to the shedding of blood as his mother is addicted to -it, and his chief efforts are directed toward mitigating the severe -punishments the queen is continually inflicting, and obtaining a -reversal of the sentences of death which she is always too ready to -pronounce upon her subjects.</p> - -<p>He is always ready to listen to the unfortunate, and to help them; and -has strictly forbidden his slaves to turn any applicant away on the -score that he is sleeping or engaged at his meals. Well aware of this, -people often come in the middle of the night and wake the prince from -his sleep, with petitions for their relations who are to be executed -early next morning. If he can not obtain a pardon from his mother, he -manages to pass as if by accident along the road by which the poor -culprits are led, bound with cords, to meet their fate. Then he cuts -their bonds asunder, and either tells them to flee, or to go quietly -home, ac<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_191" id="page_191">{191}</a></span>cording as their offenses have been grave or venial. When the -queen is informed of what her son has done, she never makes any remark, -but only tries to keep the next sentences she pronounces as secret as -possible, and to hasten their execution. Condemnation and punishment -thus often succeed each other so rapidly, that if the prince is absent -from the town when sentence is passed, the application to him for -assistance is almost sure to come too late.</p> - -<p>It is strange, considering how radically different their dispositions -are, that mother and son should love each other so tenderly. The prince -is devoted to the queen with the utmost affection; he tries to excuse -her deeds of severity by every conceivable argument, and it is a bitter -reflection to him that she can be neither loved nor respected by the -nation.</p> - -<p>The prince’s character is the more remarkable, inasmuch as he has had -his mother’s bad example before his eyes from his earliest youth, and -can not escape from her influence; moreover, not the slightest care has -been taken of his education. In most similar cases, the son would -certainly have imbibed the prejudices and acquired the vices of the -mother.</p> - -<p>No one has attempted to teach him any thing, with the exception of a few -words of the English language; what he knows, and what he is, he owes -entirely to himself. What might this prince not have been had a -judicious education opened his mind and developed his talents? I had -frequent opportunities of seeing and observing him, for a day seldom -passed without his paying Mr. Lambert a visit. I found no fault in him -except a certain want of independence and a distrust of his own -abilities; and the only thing I fear, should the government one day fall -into his hands, is, that he will not come forward with sufficient -energy, and may fail in thoroughly carrying out his good intentions.</p> - -<p>A few of the actions of this man will sufficiently prove the nobility of -his mind.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_192" id="page_192">{192}</a></span></p> - -<p>It frequently happens that the queen orders hundreds of her subjects to -perform the heaviest labor for months together for some favored -personage—such work, for instance, as hewing timber for building, and -then dragging it thirty miles along the road; hewing stone, and kindred -occupations; for all which the poor people get not the slightest reward -of any kind. When the prince hears of a case of this kind, he manages to -pass by the neighborhood where the people are at work, meets them as if -by chance, and asks for whom they are laboring thus. On receiving their -reply, he farther inquires if they are properly fed, for wages are of -course out of the question. Then it generally turns out that they not -only have no food provided for them, but frequently have consumed all -the provisions they have brought with them, and are trying to satisfy -their hunger with herbs and roots. The prince then has one or two oxen -killed, according to the number of the laborers, and this meat, with a -good supply of rice, is by his command distributed among them. If the -owner should come forward in surprise at this order, and attempt to -remonstrate, the prince sends him away with this assurance: “Whoever -works for you has a just claim to be supported by you; and if you will -not make the arrangement yourself, your steward must.”</p> - -<p>A few years ago, a ship was wrecked on the coast of Madagascar, and the -majority of the crew perished. Five sailors who had escaped from the -wreck were sent, according to the usual custom, to the capital, to be -sold there as slaves. The prince met them during an excursion he was -making, about a day’s journey from Tananariva, and noticing that one of -the sailors had no shoes, and was limping painfully after the rest, he -drew off his own and gave them to him. He also took care that the poor -men were well fed. Mr. Laborde bought these five sailors, clothed them, -gave them money and letters of recommendation, and helped them to get -back to their own country. The prince is<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_193" id="page_193">{193}</a></span> seldom in a position to carry -out his benevolent designs, for he has no money, or, at any rate, very -little; his whole wealth consisting in slaves, rice-fields, and oxen -given to him by his mother.</p> - -<p>Another time the prince saw a European being led as a prisoner to the -capital by several natives. The poor wretch was being urged on like a -brute beast by his guards with blows and pushes; he was so exhausted and -weak from the long journey and the bad roads that he could drag himself -no farther. The prince reproved the guards for their cruelty, himself -alighted from his tacon, or sedan-chair, and told the captive to take -his place.</p> - -<p>The prince, moreover, found an opportunity of showing his generosity -toward one of our bearers. True to the habits of his country, this poor -wretch had stolen an ox in the vicinity of the capital, driven it to one -of the markets, and tried to dispose of it; but he was caught in the -fact, and brought to the capital. In cases of this kind, justice in -Madagascar is very quick in taking its course; on the same day sentence -of death was passed upon him, and toward evening he was to be executed -in the manner of the country, with the lance or gagaya. Mr. Laborde -heard of this, and sent in all directions in search of the prince to -obtain his mediation. Luckily, the prince was found in time, scarcely -half an hour before the execution was to have taken place. He proceeded -at once to the prison, opened the door for the captive, and recommended -him to flee to his own home as fast as he could.</p> - -<p>Many similar traits were told me of the prince, and seldom, it is said, -do many days elapse without his saving lives or performing some generous -action. He often gives away his last dollar, distributes all his stores -of rice and other provisions, and is doubly glad when he can help some -unfortunate being without letting the recipient of his bounty know who -is his benefactor.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_194" id="page_194">{194}</a></span></p> - -<p>The following words, which I heard from his own mouth, speak more -eloquently than my weak pen could do the praises of this really noble -man. He declared it to be a matter of indifference to him whether the -French or the English, or any other nation, took possession of the -island, if only the people were properly governed. For himself, he -wished neither for the throne nor for the regal title, and would at any -time be ready to give a written abdication of his claims, and retire and -live as a private man, if he could by such a course insure the -prosperity of the people.</p> - -<p>I must confess that this declaration moved me deeply, and inspired me -with a high respect for this prince—such respect as I feel for very few -human beings. To my mind, a man of such sentiments is greater than the -most prominent among the ambitious and egotistical monarchs of Europe.</p> - -<p>May 31. This morning the queen sent one of the grandees of the empire to -inquire after our health, and to invite us to take the <i>sambas-sambas</i> -next day in the house of the Lady Rasoaray.</p> - -<p>On this occasion she sent Mr. Lambert a present as a mark of her favor. -The gift consisted of a magnificent fatted ox, of proportions I had -rarely seen equaled even in Europe, besides some very fine poultry and a -basket of eggs. The presents of the queen never consist of any other -articles, and are generally confined to poultry and eggs; oxen are only -added when she wishes to confer on the recipient a mark of peculiar -distinction.</p> - -<p>The sambas-sambas is a dish made of fine strips of beef broiled in fat, -and of rice. It is customary, in the first month of the new year, to -regale friends and relations who come to visit you with this dish. Every -one takes a pinch of it, rises from his seat, turns to the right and to -the left, and says, “May the queen live a thousand years.” After this he -may eat as much as he likes of the preparation, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_195" id="page_195">{195}</a></span> may leave it -untouched, as he pleases. This ceremony is somewhat equivalent to -wishing a happy new-year among us.</p> - -<p>As we happened to arrive in the first month of the new year, and the -queen wished to show Mr. Lambert all kinds of attention, she invited him -to this feast, and my humble self and the other Europeans were included -in the honor as friends of Mr. Lambert.</p> - -<p>All the banquets to which friends are invited are not held in the royal -palace, but at the house of the Lady Rasoaray, who is of very high -birth, and whose spacious, richly-furnished dwelling is well adapted for -such purposes. To eat in the palace of the queen, or, still more, in her -company, would be considered too great an honor for a stranger; so far -the condescension of this haughty, self-opinioned potentate extendeth -not.</p> - -<p>I made use of this day to visit the town, of which, however, I can say -nothing more than that it is very bustling, and extends over a large -space of ground, especially if the suburbs be taken as part of it. It is -said, with its immediate environs, to contain 50,000 houses, or “roofs,” -as they are called here, and 100,000 inhabitants. This estimate is -probably much exaggerated; but certainly the proportion of dwellings is -unusually great, from the simple reason that the houses themselves are -particularly small, consisting of no more than one room, or at most but -two. If the family is large, two or three additional little houses are -built up around the original dwelling; all who have any pretensions to -wealth have their kitchen under a separate roof; and, of course, the -slaves are also quartered in various small houses. Still, I do not think -Tananariva can contain many more than 15,000, or, at the most, 20,000 -houses.</p> - -<p>Mr. Laborde, for instance, is the owner of nine small dwellings, -tenanted by seven free men and thirty slaves; here, then, the proportion -of inhabitants to houses would<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_196" id="page_196">{196}</a></span> be as four to one. But Mr. Laborde is a -European, and does not live with his people in such a crowded manner as -the natives affect—with them six, or certainly at least five, -inhabitants may be reckoned to every roof.</p> - -<p>June 1. At two o’clock in the afternoon we betook ourselves to the house -of the Lady Rasoaray, and were conducted to a large hall, the walls -papered in European fashion, and the floor covered with handsome mats. -In the middle of the room stood a table, elegantly spread, in a style of -which no prince in Europe need have been ashamed. The other arrangements -in the room were simple, but tasteful. Many an English lady would have -been exceedingly scandalized by the fact that in the room in which we -were to dine stood two beds—two very handsome beds, with heavy curtains -of rich silk. As I am, however, not an Englishwoman, but only a simple -German, I took no notice of the circumstance, and the presence of the -two beds did not prevent me from eating my share of beef and rice in all -peace and quietness of spirit. These two dishes are the only ones -admitted at the sambas-sambas, and water is the only beverage allowed on -these occasions.</p> - -<p>I particularly admired two silver vases, with carving on them in relief, -which stood on the table; and my wonder rose considerably when I was -informed that they had been executed by native artificers. They would -certainly have met with high approval even in Europe. Like the Chinese, -the natives are gifted in a high degree with the faculty of imitation, -but they lack originality.</p> - -<p>Among the high personages invited with ourselves to the feast were many -who spoke either French or English, English being the more common. The -knowledge of this language dates from the time of King Radama, in whose -reign English missionaries came to Madagascar, and a certain number of -young men were sent to the Mauritius or to England for their education.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_197" id="page_197">{197}</a></span></p> - -<p>The ceremony of the sambas-sambas was very soon ended, and we returned -home early; in the evening we were surprised by a visit from Prince -Rakoto. He brought with him the mother of his little five-year-old son, -to introduce her to me. As I have already mentioned, the prince can not, -according to the laws that prevail here, marry this woman, because she -is a slave, and her son has, therefore, not the smallest claim to his -father’s rank; nevertheless, they are both honored with the princely -title. It may certainly be said that in this country the laws are of -little importance in so far as they affect the ruler; they depend solely -and entirely upon the will of the reigning sovereign; and as soon as -Prince Rakoto comes to the throne, he can alter them at his pleasure, -and make his former slave his queen and her son heir-apparent.</p> - -<p>I have spoken of the character of this woman. As regards her beauty, if -it is to be discovered, it must certainly not be judged of by European -eyes, or the beholder should have lived long enough among the natives to -have become accustomed to their ugly features, and to consider the least -hideous among them as handsome.</p> - -<p>June 2. To-day we were present at a great review on the Field of Mars, a -beautiful meadow spreading out at the foot of the hill in front of the -town. It is asserted that from ten to twelve thousand soldiers are -always assembled at Tananariva; but, like the estimate of the houses, -this number must probably be reduced about one half. The military who -appeared on this occasion did not certainly exceed 4500 or 5000 men. The -soldiers formed a great double square, with the officers and band in the -centre.</p> - -<p>A review of this kind is held every fortnight—namely, on the third day -of every second week; its object is to ascertain that the soldiers who -should be on duty are present; that they are in health, and their -weapons and clothes in proper condition. Their names are called over, -and if<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_198" id="page_198">{198}</a></span> in a company only a few are missing, the captain merely receives -a reprimand; but if the list of absentees is a long one, the commanding -officer is punished on the spot with a dozen blows or more. The latter -incident is reported to be of frequent occurrence; for among such a -large number of soldiers, there are many whose homes are several days’ -journey from the capital, so that they can hardly find time, between one -review and another, to go thither, cultivate their fields, provide -themselves with food, and return punctually.</p> - -<p>No military manœuvres were undertaken, and I was told that war is -carried on entirely without system, as among the wildest tribes. -Especially when a company thinks itself lost, all subordination ceases, -and the men take to flight on every side.</p> - -<p>Horrible is the fate of the sick and wounded soldiers, not only during a -flight, when, of course, no one cares about them, but even during -ordinary marches. Their comrades are bound to take care of them, and to -carry and feed them; but how can people be expected to do this who are -themselves in want of every thing, and often so much weakened by hunger -and toil of every kind that they can scarcely drag themselves along and -carry their weapons? It frequently happens that efforts are made by the -soldiers to rid themselves of these poor wretches. They are not killed -outright, which would be rather a benefit to them, under the -circumstances; but their comrades drag them along the ground, without -giving them any food, or even a refreshing draught from the nearest -spring. When they have ceased to give any sign of life, they are left by -the wayside, no one caring to ascertain whether they are dead or not.</p> - -<p>On these marches a fearful number of lives are sacrificed. In the last -war, for instance, which the queen waged against the Seklaves two years -ago, ten thousand men were sent into the field. More than half died on -the march for want<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_199" id="page_199">{199}</a></span> of food; many deserted; and when the army reached -the scene of action, its force is said to have scarcely exceeded three -thousand men.</p> - -<p>The prisoners are much better off, for care is taken of them, as a -profit is derived from their sale; and even as slaves they are not in -nearly so unhappy a condition as the soldiers and peasants. Their owners -feed, clothe, and lodge them; nor are they overworked; for, by -transgressing in this respect, the owner runs the risk of losing his -bondman, for his slave runs away; and fugitive slaves are seldom -captured, there being no police or similar institution in the country. -The master certainly has the power of beating his slave to death; the -government will not interfere with him; but his own interest will deter -him from any extreme measures. Many slaves pay their owners a small -yearly tax in money, and live like free men; others even keep slaves -themselves, who work for their master-bondmen.</p> - -<p>After the review, the officers and music marched past our house to -welcome Mr. Lambert.</p> - -<p>The officers were mostly clothed, like their brethren at Tamatavé, in -European garb, and looked ridiculous and comical enough. One wore a -dress-coat, the tails of which reached almost to his heels; another had -a coat of flowered chintz; a third, a faded red jacket, which had once -done duty as part of a marine’s uniform. Their hats were just as diverse -in character. There were straw hats and felt hats, of all sizes and -shapes, caps and head-coverings of fearful and wonderful forms. The -generals wore the regulation cocked hat of Europe, and were mounted.</p> - -<p>The military grades are modeled quite on the European plan; there are -thirteen gradations from the private soldier up to the field-marshal.</p> - -<p>I succeeded also in finding European titles in Madagascar; there were -crowds of barons, counts, and princes, as at the most aristocratic -European courts.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_200" id="page_200">{200}</a></span></p> - -<p>The whole population of Madagascar is divided into eleven castes. The -eleventh caste consists of the regal personage; the tenth of the -descendants of the royal family. In this caste alone brothers and -sisters may intermarry, probably in order to prevent there being too -many scions of the blood royal. The six following castes, from the ninth -to the fourth inclusive, comprise the nobles of higher and lower rank; -the people belong to the third caste, the “white” slaves to the -second—a class including all who were once free, and have been sold as -prisoners of war or as a punishment for crimes; and the first, or lowest -caste, consists of the “black” slaves, namely, those who have been born -in that condition of life.</p> - -<p>A noble may take a wife not only out of his own caste, but out of the -two immediately below him, but never from a higher one. On no account -may he marry a slave-woman; and the law does not even allow any other -kind of connection between a noble and a slave. In this respect, by the -way, Madagascar might serve as a model to those countries governed by -white men where slavery exists; for the morality of the entire community -would be greatly benefited if this custom were observed. This law was in -former times very stringently enforced, and on the discovery of a -connection of the kind alluded to the noble was sold as a slave, and the -slave-woman beheaded. If the woman in the case was a noble and the man a -slave, both were beheaded. In these latter days, however, this -strictness has been much relaxed. Indeed, in the universally low state -of morality prevailing here at the present time, the greater number of -the nobles and officials would have to lose their heads or their -freedom; and what would then become of the court? Some amount of good -is, however, still effected by the law; for when such an affair between -a nobleman and his slave is suspected, he is compelled to set her free -to escape punishment.</p> - -<p>As polygamy has been introduced here, every man may<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_201" id="page_201">{201}</a></span> have as many wives -as he pleases; but among the nobles only a certain number of these women -have a claim to the actual title of wife, and the first wife always -keeps precedence over those taken subsequently. She alone lives in her -husband’s house, and great respect is shown to her; her children, too, -have privileges beyond those of the other wives. The other children, -like the subsequent wives, live in little separate houses. The king may -take twelve lawful wives, but they must be all members of the highest -families. The ruling queen and her sisters and daughters have the right -of sending away their husbands and taking new ones as often as they -choose so to do.</p> - -<p>Our breakfast was just over, and I had retired to my room, when Mr. -Lambert came to announce that the queen had summoned us to an -introduction or audience. This honor is generally accorded to strangers -eight or ten days after their arrival; but her majesty seemed desirous -of showing distinction to Mr. Lambert above all Europeans who had ever -visited her court, and so, not later than the fourth day, we had the -happiness of appearing before that exalted personage.</p> - -<p>All these tokens of honor and consideration astonished Mr. Lambert not a -little. He had already told me in the Mauritius that he had very many -good friends at the queen’s court, and dangerous enemies also, who might -have taken advantage of his absence to slander him in the vilest manner, -not only in her eyes, but in Prince Rakoto’s too. But a circumstance -that Mr. Lambert now confided to me for the first time was, that -attempts had been made in another quarter to prejudice the queen against -him, and that he expected not exactly to be coldly received, but to be -looked upon with some degree of suspicion.</p> - -<p>And now, for the first time, I got an insight into Mr. Lambert’s real -plans and intentions, which were certainly not calculated to prepossess -the queen in his favor.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_202" id="page_202">{202}</a></span></p> - -<p>When Mr. Lambert came to Tananariva for the first time in the year 1855, -and saw with what cruelty the queen ruled, a wish arose in his mind to -free the unhappy people from this tyrant. He succeeded in gaining the -friendship of Prince Rakoto, who was also deeply moved by the people’s -misery, and who at that period told Mr. Lambert that he cared not who -ruled over the nation so long as the government was good and just. They -soon came to an understanding, and Mr. Lambert made a treaty with Prince -Rakoto, and conceived the design of seeking help from either the French -or English government.</p> - -<p>In the year 1856 he went to Paris, and in a private interview with the -emperor he made him acquainted with the boundless misery of the people -of Madagascar, and tried to induce the French autocrat to come to the -assistance of that unhappy country. But it is difficult to enlist the -sympathy of a European government where philanthropy and not state -interest is in question. This audience had no result, and an interview -of Mr. Lambert with the English minister, Lord Clarendon, also led to -nothing; nay, instead of any advantage accruing from this step, it was -productive of difficulty and discomfiture, for every thing Mr. Lambert -had done in reference to Madagascar came to the ears of a great -missionary society in England. The society feared that, in the event of -the French occupation of the island, the Roman Catholic religion might -be the only form of worship introduced and licensed, which, in their -opinion, would be, of course, a much greater misfortune for the -inhabitants than the mere fact of their being ruled by an utterly cruel -woman, like Queen Ranavola, who plays with human lives and sacrifices -them at her pleasure! The society accordingly formed the notable -resolution of opposing Mr. Lambert in every possible way, and -immediately dispatched a chosen member, a missionary, to Tananariva to -acquaint the queen with Mr. Lambert’s design against her.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_203" id="page_203">{203}</a></span></p> - -<p>To judge from what occurred, as it was reported to me, it would appear -that even an English missionary is capable of abandoning truth and -sincerity in order to effect a purpose, and, upon occasion, to employ -arts of a Jesuitical kind.</p> - -<p>In the Mauritius, where the missionary made some stay before proceeding -to Madagascar, he ventured to assert that Queen Ranavola had summoned -him to Madagascar!</p> - -<p>On his arrival at Tananariva he took care to impress upon the queen that -he had been dispatched to her by the English government for the purpose -of assuring her that England desired nothing more than to continue the -same friendly relations with her country which had existed in the time -of George the Fourth. He farther informed the queen of every thing that -Mr. Lambert had undertaken against her in France and England; -represented that gentleman as a very dangerous person, and a spy in the -employ of the French government; and predicted that Mr. Lambert would -speedily make his appearance, accompanied by a body of French troops, to -depose her in favor of her son.</p> - -<p>If even these misrepresentations had been made to effect some noble -purpose, they could only have been justified by the very Jesuitical -axiom that “the end sanctifies the means.” But the object sought here -was to impede, or perhaps altogether to frustrate, a truly Christian and -philanthropic work, an undertaking calculated to promote the well-being -of the entire nation. A missionary society ought surely to understand -the principles of brotherly love better than this, and keep in view the -maxims of religion, and especially to remember that they are not to be -made subservient to political views.</p> - -<p>The missionary’s calling is the most exalted of any, for to few men are -vouchsafed the opportunities of doing good that fall to his lot; but the -misfortune is, that the majority of missionaries busy themselves more in -worldly intrigues<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_204" id="page_204">{204}</a></span> than in the amelioration of the human race, and that, -instead of inculcating charity, union, and toleration, they excite their -followers by their preachings to hate, contemn, and, if possible, to -persecute every sect but their own. I can only refer my readers to what -I have written on this subject in my former works, particularly -concerning the English and American missionaries.</p> - -<p>So the missionary from England came to Tananariva bearing the sword -instead of the olive-branch. He not only unfolded Mr. Lambert’s alarming -schemes to the queen, but gave Prince Rakoto a long lecture on the -exceeding turpitude of his conduct toward his royal mother in meditating -revolt, declaring, moreover, that the English court had been so shocked -by the news as verily to have <i>put on mourning</i>!</p> - -<p>The prince condescended to excuse himself by asserting, in reply, that, -had he meditated removing his mother from the throne to place himself -upon it, he should have merited the reproach; but that such was not the -case, as he merely wished to deprive the queen of the power of -perpetrating cruelties; every other privilege he wished her to retain, -and for himself he had asked nothing at all.</p> - -<p>At Tananariva, and also in the Mauritius, a report was circulated that -Mr. Lambert had obtained the prince’s signature to the contract by -fraud; that the prince had not been at all inclined to enter into a -private treaty with Mr. Lambert, but that the latter had invited him to -a banquet, intoxicated him, and prevailed on him to sign while in that -condition. It was farther stated that when, on the following day, Prince -Rakoto heard what he had done, he was so incensed against Mr. Lambert -that he had banished him from his presence forever. Mr. Lambert was -therefore very considerately advised never to return to Madagascar, as -he might fear the worst from the hatred and contempt alike of the queen -and of Prince Rakoto.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_205" id="page_205">{205}</a></span></p> - -<p>At Tananariva the prince himself told me the story of the signing of the -treaty. He let me read the document, and assured me that the tale of the -intoxication was a fiction; that he had perfectly understood what he was -doing, and that he never repented this step at all. I much wish the -author of this scandalous report could have seen with what contemptuous -anger he was spoken of on this occasion.</p> - -<p>I must also contradict a statement that the English missionary spread -abroad in the Mauritius on his return from Madagascar. He boasted every -where of the favorable reception he had met with at Tananariva, and of -the great favor he enjoyed at the hands of the queen and of Prince -Rakoto. This favor was so great, in fact, that after a stay of scarcely -four weeks at Tananariva he received a peremptory order to depart. He -applied for permission to remain longer, alleging as a reason that the -fever season was not yet past, and disease was still rife in the -lowlands. He begged the queen to take this into consideration, and not -to expose him to mortal danger. But all was in vain; he was compelled to -quit Tananariva. The queen was highly exasperated against him because he -had distributed some Bibles, while Prince Rakoto resented his behavior -toward Mr. Lambert.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_206" id="page_206">{206}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">Introduction at Court.—The Monosina.—The Royal Palace.—The -Hovas.—Scenes of Horror under the Queen’s Rule.—Executions.—The -Tanguin.—Persecution of the Christians.—One of the Queen’s -Journeys.—Her Hatred of Europeans.—Bull-fights.—Taurine -Mausoleum.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Our</span> introduction at court took place on the 2d of June.</p> - -<p>Toward four o’clock in the afternoon our bearers carried us to the -palace. Over the door is fixed a great gilt eagle with extended wings. -According to the rule laid down here by etiquette, we stepped over the -threshold first with the right foot, and observed the same ceremony on -coming to a second gate leading to a great court-yard in front of the -palace. Here we saw the queen sitting on a balcony on the first story, -and were directed to stand in a row in the court-yard opposite to her. -Under the balcony stood some soldiers, who went through sundry -evolutions, concluding with a very comic point of drill, which consisted -in suddenly poking up the right foot as if it had been stung by a -tarantula.</p> - -<p>The queen was wrapped, according to the custom of the country, in a wide -silk simbu, and wore on her head a big golden crown. Though she sat in -the shade, a very large umbrella of crimson silk was held up over her -head; this being, it appears, a point of regal state.</p> - -<p>The queen is of rather dark complexion, strong and sturdily built, and, -though already seventy-five years of age, she is, to the misfortune of -her poor country, still hale and of active mind. At one time she is said -to have been a great drunkard, but she has given up that fatal -propensity some years ago.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_207" id="page_207">{207}</a></span></p> - -<p>To the right of the queen stood her son, Prince Rakoto, and on the left -her adopted son, Prince Ramboasalama; behind her sat and stood sundry -nephews and nieces, and other relatives, male and female, and several -grandees of the empire.</p> - -<p>The minister who had conducted us to the palace made a short speech to -the queen, after which we had to bow three times, and to repeat the -words “Esaratsara tombokoe,” equivalent to “We salute you cordially;” to -which she replied, “Esaratsara,” which means “Well—good!” Then we -turned to the left to salute the tomb of King Radama, lying a few paces -on one side, with three similar bows, whereupon we returned to our -former place in front of the balcony and made three more. Mr. Lambert, -on this occasion, held up a gold piece of fifty francs’ value, and put -it in the hands of the minister who accompanied us. This gift, which -every stranger has to offer when he is presented for the first time at -court, is called “Monosina.” It is not necessary that it should consist -of a fifty-franc piece; the queen contents herself with a Spanish dollar -or a five-franc piece. Mr. Lambert had, however, already given fifty -francs on the occasion of the “sambas-sambas.”</p> - -<p>After the delivery of the gold piece, the queen asked Mr. Lambert if he -wished to put any question to her, or if he stood in need of any thing; -to which he answered “No.” She was also condescending enough to turn to -me, and ask if I was well, and if I had escaped the fever.<a name="FNanchor_B_2" id="FNanchor_B_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_B_2" class="fnanchor">[B]</a> After I -had answered this question, we staid a few minutes longer looking at -each other, when the bowings and greetings began anew. We had to take -leave of Radama’s monument, and on retiring were again reminded not on -any account to put the left foot first over the threshold.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_208" id="page_208">{208}</a></span></p> - -<p>Such is the way in which the proud Queen of Madagascar grants audiences -to strangers. She considers herself far too high and exalted to let them -come near her at the first interview. Those who have the great good -fortune to win her especial favor may afterward be introduced into the -palace itself; but this is never achieved at a first audience.</p> - -<p>The royal palace is a very large wooden building, consisting of a ground -floor and two stories, surmounted by a peculiarly high roof. The stories -are surrounded by broad galleries. Around the building are pillars also -of wood, eighty feet high, supporting the roof, which rises to a height -of forty feet above them, resting in the centre on a pillar no less than -a hundred and twenty feet high. All these columns, the one in the centre -not excepted, consist of a single trunk; and when it is considered that -the woods which contain trees of a sufficient size to furnish these -columns are fifty or sixty English miles from the capital, that the -roads are nowhere paved, and in some places quite impassable, and that -all the pillars are dragged hither without the help of a single beast of -burden, or any kind of machine, and are afterward prepared and set up by -means of the simplest tools, the building of this palace may with truth -be called a gigantic undertaking, and the place itself be ranked among -the wonders of the world. In bringing home the chief pillar alone, five -thousand persons were employed, and twelve days were occupied in its -erection.</p> - -<p>All these labors were performed by the people as compulsory service, for -which they received neither wages nor food. I was told that during the -progress of the work fifteen thousand people fell victims to the hard -toil and the want of proper nourishment. But the queen is very little -disturbed by such a circumstance; half the population might perish, if -only her high behests are fulfilled.</p> - -<p>In front of the principal building a handsome spacious court-yard has -been left; around this space stand several<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_209" id="page_209">{209}</a></span> pretty houses, all of wood. -The chief building is, in fact, uninhabited, and contains only great -halls of state and banqueting-rooms; the dwelling-rooms and -sleeping-rooms of the queen are in one of the side buildings, -communicating by a gallery with the palace.</p> - -<p>On the left, the “silver palace” adjoins the larger one. It takes its -name from the fact that all the Vandyked ends with which the roof is -decorated, and the window and door frames, are hung with innumerable -little silver bells. This palace is the residence of Prince Rakoto, who, -however, makes very little use of it, generally living at his house in -the city.</p> - -<p>Beside the silver palace stands the monument of King Radama, a tiny -wooden house without windows; to this fact, however, and to the farther -circumstance of its being built upon a pedestal, it owes its sole -resemblance to a monument.</p> - -<p>The singular custom prevails in Madagascar, that when a king dies, all -his treasures in gold and silver ware and other valuables are laid with -him in the grave. In case of need, the heir can dig up the treasure, -and, so far as I could ascertain, this had been done in every instance.</p> - -<p>Radama’s treasure is only estimated at 50,000 piastres, but his father’s -was valued at a million. The treasure or property of the present -reigning queen is computed, according to the account I received, at -between 500,000 and 600,000 dollars, and her yearly income at 30,000 to -40,000 dollars. The latter sum she is able to add annually, almost -without deduction, to her fund, for she incurs no expense in her -government or for her personal wants. As to the first, the whole burden -falls upon the people, who have to work without pay; and with respect to -the latter, the queen is the owner of the land, and possesses a great -number of slaves, who have to provide every necessary for her household. -Even the very clothes she wears are mostly made<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_210" id="page_210">{210}</a></span> of materials produced -in the country, and woven and prepared by male and female slaves.</p> - -<p>Among the natives at Tananariva there are said to be some who have -property to the amount of several hundred thousand dollars; but they -make a secret of their wealth, for if the queen should obtain -intelligence of the whereabouts of such a treasure, the wish to seize it -and carry it off might very probably enter her royal mind.</p> - -<p>The whole wealth of the island in ready money is estimated at one -million dollars at most.</p> - -<p>I do not grudge the queen the treasure she has accumulated; but it would -be a fortunate thing for the population of the island if it were to be -buried very soon, in company—of course—with its gracious possessor. -She is certainly one of the proudest and most cruel women on the face of -the earth, and her whole history is a record of bloodshed and deeds of -horror. At a moderate computation, it is reckoned that from twenty to -thirty thousand people perish annually in Madagascar, some through the -continual executions and poisonings, others through grievous labor -purposely inflicted, and from warfare. If this woman’s rule lasts much -longer, the beautiful island will be quite depopulated; the population -is said to have already shrunk to half the number that it comprised in -King Radama’s time, and a vast number of villages have disappeared from -the face of the land.</p> - -<p>Executions and massacres are often conducted in wholesale fashion, and -fall chiefly upon the Seklaves, whom the queen seems to look upon with -peculiar hatred; but the Malagaseys and the other nations are not much -less distasteful to her; and the only tribe that finds any favor at all -in her eyes is, as I have already said, the Hovas, from whom she herself -is descended.</p> - -<p>These Hovas were once the most scorned and hated of all the races in -Madagascar; they were regarded as the Pariahs<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_211" id="page_211">{211}</a></span> are regarded in India. -Under King Radama, however, and especially under the present queen, this -race has distinguished itself, and attained the first place by dint of -intelligence, bravery, and ambition. But, unhappily, the race has not -been improved by prosperity, and the good qualities of the Hovas are -more than overbalanced by their evil propensities: Mr. Laborde even -declares that the Hova embodies in himself the vices of all the tribes -in the island. Mendacity, cunning, and hypocrisy are not only habitual, -but cherished vices with him, and he tries to initiate his offspring -therein at the earliest possible age. The Hovas dwell among themselves -in a continual state of suspicion, and friendship is with them an -impossibility. Their cunning and slyness are said to be incredible: the -most practiced diplomatists of Europe would be no match for them in -these qualities.</p> - -<p>Of Malay origin, the Hovas are undoubtedly less ugly than the other -races in Madagascar. Their features have less of the negro type, and are -even better shaped than those of the Malays in Java and the Indian -Archipelago, whose superiors they are also in stature and bodily -strength. Their complexion varies through every shade from olive-yellow -to dark reddish-brown. Some are very light; but, on the other hand, I -noticed many, especially among the soldiers, whose color approximated so -much to the red tint that I should have taken them for more genuine -“red-skins” than even the North American Indians, to whom that name is -applied from the ruddy tinge in their skin. Their eyes and hair are -black; they wear the hair long, and this is of a frizzly woolly texture.</p> - -<p>Even the Hovas, the favorites of the queen, are ruled with a ruthless -iron hand; and though they may not be put to death by hundreds and -thousands like the other nations, they are still punished with death for -very trifling offenses.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_212" id="page_212">{212}</a></span></p> - -<p>Blood—and always blood—is the maxim of Queen Ranavola, and every day -seems lost to this wicked woman on which she can not sign at least half -a dozen death-warrants.</p> - -<p>That my readers may become better acquainted with this queen, whose -cause the English missionary society, in its philanthropy, has so warmly -espoused, whose defense their agent has dared to undertake, and whom he -has sought to maintain on the throne, I will cite a few of the deeds of -horror which have been perpetrated on the unhappy land at her command, -and of which the first alone would be sufficient to brand with infamy -the name of Ranavola forever.</p> - -<p>In the year 1831, when the army was still well trained, and the -discipline introduced by King Radama had not yet been quite forgotten, -the queen conquered a great portion of the eastern part of the coast, -whose chief population consisted of Seklaves. She ordered all the men of -the conquered country to come to an appointed place to do homage to her. -When the men, twenty-five thousand in number, were assembled, they were -commanded to lay down their arms, and they were then led out into a -large open space quite surrounded by soldiers. Here they were told to -kneel down in token of submission; but scarcely had they done this, when -the soldiers fell upon the unhappy wretches, and massacred them every -one. Their wives and children were afterward sold as slaves.</p> - -<p>Such is the lot of the conquered nations; but the queen’s own subjects -are not much better off.</p> - -<p>In the year 1837, for instance, the queen received a report from her -ministers to the effect that there were many magicians, thieves, -violators of graves, and other evil-doers among the people. The queen -immediately convened a kabar, or judicial meeting, for seven weeks, and -at the same time caused it to be proclaimed to the people that all -evil-doers who delivered themselves up should have their lives<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_213" id="page_213">{213}</a></span> granted -to them, but that those who failed so to do should suffer the punishment -of death. A body of nearly sixteen hundred men gave themselves up -accordingly. About fifteen hundred had voluntarily surrendered -themselves to justice, and ninety-six had been denounced. Of these -ninety-six, fourteen were burnt; and of the remaining eighty-two, some -were hurled over a high rock, in the district of Tananariva, which has -been the death-place of thousands; others were put into pits, and -scalded to death with boiling water; others, again, were executed with -the spear, or poisoned; a few were beheaded, and several had their limbs -separately hacked off. The most painful death of all, perhaps, was -inflicted on a portion of the victims, who were sewn up in mats in such -a way that the head only protruded, and who were then left alive to rot.</p> - -<p>Those who had been their own accusers were spared from execution, in -accordance with the royal promise; but their fate was far worse than -that of the men condemned to death. The queen declared that it would be -dangerous to set such a number of criminals at liberty, and that they -must, at any rate, be made harmless. So she had heavy irons fastened -round their necks and wrists, and the unhappy victims were fastened -together in gangs of four and five by very thick iron bars, about -eighteen inches long. After this operation had been performed on them, -they were set free—that is to say, they were at liberty to go where -they would, only that guards were appointed in all directions, whose -office it was to give strict heed that none of the irons were filed off. -If one of a group died, it was necessary to cut off his head to -extricate the corpse from the iron neck-ring, and the dead man’s fetters -were left to weigh upon the survivors, so that at last they could hardly -drag themselves from place to place, and perished miserably at last -under the heavy weight.</p> - -<p>In the year 1855 certain people in the province of Voni<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_214" id="page_214">{214}</a></span>zonga -unfortunately took it into their heads to assert that they had -discovered a means of catching a thief by invisible agency; that when he -stretched out his hand with felonious intent, they could charm his arm -so as to prevent him from drawing it back or moving from the spot. When -the queen heard of this, she commanded that the people in question -should be severely punished, for she fancied she herself might one day -come into that district, and be killed by similar witchcraft. Two -hundred persons were taken prisoners, and condemned to the <i>tanguin</i>, of -whom a hundred and eighty perished.</p> - -<p>The tanguin, or poisoning test, is often applied to persons of all -grades—to the high nobles as well as the slaves; for the mere -accusation of any crime is sufficient to bring it upon the victim. Any -man may start up as accuser. He need not bring forward any proofs, for -the only condition he has to fulfill is to deposit a sum of twenty-eight -and a half dollars. The accused persons are not allowed to make any -defense, for they must submit to the poisoning ordeal under all -circumstances. When any one gets through without perishing, a third part -of the deposited money is given to him, a second third belongs to the -queen, and the remainder is given back to the accuser. If the accused -dies, the accuser receives all his money back, for then the accusation -is looked upon as well founded.</p> - -<p>The poisoning process in managed in the following manner: The poison -employed is taken from the kernel of a fruit as large as a peach, -growing upon trees called <i>Tanguinea Veneniflora</i>. The lampi-tanguini, -or person who administers the poison, announces to the accused the day -on which he is to take it. For forty-eight hours before the appointed -time he is allowed to eat very little, and for the last twenty-four -hours before the trial nothing at all. His friends accompany him to the -poisoner’s house; here he has to undress himself, and make oath that he -has not had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_215" id="page_215">{215}</a></span> recourse to any kind of magic. The lampi-tanguini then -scrapes away as much powder from the kernel with a knife as he judges -necessary for the trial. Before administering the dose to the accused, -he asks him if he confesses his crime; but the culprit never does this, -as he would have to take the poison notwithstanding. The lampi-tanguini -spreads the poison on three little pieces of skin, about an inch in -size, cut from the back of a fat fowl; these he rolls together, and bids -the accused swallow them.</p> - -<p>In former days, almost every one who was subjected to this ordeal died -in great agony; but for the last ten years every one who has not been -condemned by the queen herself to the tanguin is permitted to make use -of the following antidote. As soon as he has taken the poison, his -friends make him drink rice-water in such quantities that his whole body -sometimes swells visibly, and quick and violent vomiting is generally -brought on. If the poisoned man is fortunate enough to get rid not only -of the poison, but of the three little skins (which latter must be -returned uninjured), he is declared innocent, and his relations carry -him home in triumph with songs and rejoicings. But if one of the pieces -of skin should fail to reappear, or if it be at all injured, his life is -forfeited, and he is executed with the spear or by some other means.</p> - -<p>One of the nobles who frequently visited our house had been condemned -several years ago to take the tanguin. Happily for him, he threw up the -poison and the three pieces of skin in perfect condition. His brother -ran in great haste to the wife of the accused to announce this joyful -event to her, and the poor woman was so moved by it that she sank -fainting to the ground. I was astonished at hearing of such a display of -feeling from one of the women of Madagascar, and could not at first -believe the account true. I heard, however, that if the husband had -died, she would have been called a witch, and probably condemned<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_216" id="page_216">{216}</a></span> to the -tanguin likewise, so that the violent emotion was probably caused more -by joy at her own deliverance than the good fortune of her husband.</p> - -<p>During my stay in Tananariva a woman suddenly lost several of her -children by death. The mother was accused of causing the fate of the -poor little ones by magic arts, and was condemned to the tanguin. The -poor creature threw up the poison and two of the skins, but as the third -did not make its appearance, she was killed without mercy.</p> - -<p>As I have already said, the queen, immediately on her accession, had -strictly forbidden the profession of the Christian faith, which had been -introduced under King Radama. Notwithstanding this, there are said to be -a considerable number of Christians still in the island, who, of course, -keep their belief as secret as possible. In spite of all their caution, -however, about six years ago all the members of a little congregation -were denounced and captured. One of their number was burnt by the -queen’s orders. This punishment is generally inflicted only on nobles, -officers, and soldiers; fourteen were thrown over the rock, and many -others beaten to death. Of the remainder, the nobles were deprived of -their titles and honors, and the commoners sold as slaves. All the -Bibles discovered were publicly burnt in the great market-place.</p> - -<p>The punishment of being sold as a slave is one of the lightest to which -the queen condemns her subjects. The following facts will show on what -slight grounds such sales are effected.</p> - -<p>Once the queen had caused some Spanish dollars to be melted down for -silver dishes. When these dishes were brought to her, she found fault -with the workmanship, summoned the goldsmiths and silversmiths to the -palace, and exhorted them to furnish better work. The good people did -their very best, and, to their own misfortune, turned out better dishes -than they had at first produced. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_217" id="page_217">{217}</a></span> queen was satisfied, praised the -workmen, and, as a reward for their exertions, had the whole guild sold -as slaves, on the ground that they had not at first delivered such good -dishes as they had since proved themselves able to make.</p> - -<p>At another time many persons lost their freedom in consequence of a -death in the royal family. When a nobleman of any caste dies, the duty -of wrapping him in the dead-cloth and placing him in the grave devolves -upon the fourth caste. The deceased in this case had fallen into -disgrace, and been banished from the capital, and mourning was not put -on for him at court; under these circumstances, the nobles of the fourth -class feared to offend the queen by paying the last honors to the dead -man, and left this duty to men from among the people. As soon as this -came to the queen’s ears, she laid a fine of four hundred dollars upon -the whole caste, and had one hundred and twenty-six persons selected -from it and sold as slaves; among these were many women and children.</p> - -<p>The entire population of a village sometimes fall into slavery merely -for eating the flesh of a stolen ox. Stealing an ox is a crime punished -with death; but if the stolen beast belonged to the queen, not only is -the thief executed, but all who have partaken of the ox’s flesh are sold -into slavery; and as no one takes the trouble to ascertain who has been -implicated and who not, the punishment falls upon the whole village in -which the ox was sold and slaughtered. None are spared but unweaned -children, who are graciously supposed not to have eaten any of the meat.</p> - -<p>To have attained to wealth and independence is too great a crime in a -subject not to draw down all kinds of persecution on the luckless -delinquent. If the queen gets to know that any village is rich in -cattle, rice, and other produce—money, of course, is out of the -question among the villagers—she imposes a task upon the people which -they can not execute; for instance, she requires them to deposit a -cer<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_218" id="page_218">{218}</a></span>tain amount of wood, or a certain number of stones, at a given place -on an appointed day. The quantity of materials to be delivered is made -so large, and the time allowed for their delivery so short, that, even -with the greatest exertion, and every anxiety to fulfill the conditions, -the completion becomes impossible. The people are then condemned to pay -a fine of some hundreds of dollars; and as they have no money, they are -obliged to sell their cattle, their rice, their slaves, and not -unfrequently themselves.</p> - -<p>Separate wealthy persons are plundered in the following way: An -Ysitralenga—that is to say, a man who does not tell lies—proceeds to -the house of the selected victim, accompanied by some soldiers; here, -sticking a lance in the ground, he accuses the head of the family of -some offense against the government—of having spoken disrespectfully of -the queen, or committed some other crime, and takes him prisoner, and -leads him before the judge. If the accused loses the suit, his whole -property is confiscated; if he wins it, half his wealth will have gone -in bribes and other expenses; for, although Madagascar is a half savage -country, the judges understand their business just as well as in the -most civilized states in Europe.</p> - -<p>But executions, poisonings, slavery, plunderings, and other punishments -do not exhaust the people’s catalogue of woes. In devising plans of -malignity and cruelty, Queen Ranavola’s penetration is wonderful; and -she has invented farther means for ruining the unhappy population, and -plunging it still deeper into misery. One device for carrying out this -end, often adopted by the queen, is a royal journey. Thus, in the year -1845, Queen Ranavola made a progress to the province of Mancrinerina, -ostensibly to enjoy the sport of buffalo-hunting. On this journey she -was accompanied by more than 50,000 persons. She had invited all the -officers, all the nobles, far and near, around Tananariva; and that the -procession should appear as splen<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_219" id="page_219">{219}</a></span>did as possible, every one had to -bring with him all his servants and slaves. Of soldiers alone, 10,000 -marched with them, and almost as many bearers, and 12,000 men always -kept a day’s journey in advance, to make the roads broader and repair -them. Nor were the inhabitants of the villages spared through which the -queen passed. A certain number, at least, had to follow the train with -their wives and children. Many of the people were sent forward, like the -road-menders, to prepare the night’s lodging for the queen; no trifling -task, as the houses or tents prepared for the royal family had to be -surrounded by a high rampart of earth, lest her gracious majesty should -be attacked by enemies during the night, and torn forcibly away from her -beloved people.</p> - -<p>Inasmuch as this philanthropic potentate is accustomed, on a journey of -this kind, only to make provision for her own support, and gives her -companions nothing but the permission to live on the stores they have -brought for themselves (provided, of course, they have been able to -procure any), famine very soon makes its appearance among the mass of -soldiers, people, and slaves. This was the case in the journey of which -I speak; and in the four months of its duration, nearly 10,000 people, -and among them a great proportion of women and children, are said to -have perished. Even the majority of the nobles had to suffer the -greatest privations; for, wherever a little rice was left, it was sold -at such a high price that only the richest and noblest were able to -purchase it.</p> - -<p>In the first years of Queen Ranavola’s rule, before she found herself -seated securely enough on the throne to gratify her bloodthirsty -propensities on her own subjects, her hatred was chiefly directed toward -the descendants of King Radama and toward the Europeans. Regarding the -latter, she frequently held councils with her ministers and other -grandees concerning the measures to be taken to keep the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_220" id="page_220">{220}</a></span> detested race -away from her territories. Mr. Laborde informed me that on these -occasions the most absurd and extravagant propositions were brought -forward. Thus, for instance, one of the wise councilors urged the -expediency of building a very high, strong wall in the sea round about -Madagascar, so that no ship should be able to approach any of the -harbors. A second wiseacre proposed to the queen to have four gigantic -pairs of shears manufactured, and fixed on the roads leading from the -various harbors to the capital. Whenever a European came along, the -shears were to be clapped to the moment he stepped between them, and -thus the daring intruder would be cut in two. A third councilor, as wise -as his companions, advised the queen to have a machine prepared with a -great iron plate, against which the cannon balls fired from hostile -ships would rebound, and sink the aggressive vessels by being hurled -back upon them.</p> - -<p>All these suggestions were received by her majesty with much -approbation, and formed matter for deliberation in the exalted council -for days and weeks; but, unfortunately, none of them were found -practicable.</p> - -<p>I must mention another touching trait, which the English missionary -society will not fail to interpret greatly to the advantage of Queen -Ranavola, should it not have done so already.</p> - -<p>The queen is particularly fond of witnessing fights between bulls, and -this noble sport is frequently carried on in the fine large court-yard -in front of the palace. Among the horned combatants, some are her -favorites: she asks after their health every day, and is as anxious -about them as a European lady might be about her lapdogs; and, to carry -out the simile, she often takes more interest in their well-being than -in the comforts of her servants and friends.</p> - -<p>In one of these contests, one of her favorite bulls—in fact, the chief -of them—was slain: the poor queen was in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_221" id="page_221">{221}</a></span>consolable at her loss. Until -now, no one had ever seen her weep. But then, she had never before met -with so heavy a misfortune. She had certainly lost her parents, her -husband, a few children, and some brothers and sisters; but what were -all these in comparison to the favorite bull? She wept much and -bitterly, and it was long before she would take comfort. The animal was -buried with all the honors accorded to a grandee of the state. It was -wrapped in a number of simbus, and covered with a great white cloth, and -the marshals had to lay it in the grave. The marshals showed on this -occasion that the race of courtiers flourishes in Madagascar; they were -so proud of the distinction that they boast of it to the present day. -Two great stones are placed upon the grave, in memory of the dear -departed; and the queen is said to think of him still with gentle -sorrow.</p> - -<p>The bull’s monument is in the inner town. I saw it myself, and thought, -also with sorrow, not of the bull, but of the unhappy people languishing -under the cruel oppression of this barbarous queen; and with sorrow, -too, I thought of the equally unhappy sectarian spirit that can induce -any section of a Christian community to become the champions of such a -woman!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_222" id="page_222">{222}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">Dinner at Mr. Laborde’s.—Foot-boxing.—Ladies of Madagascar and -Parisian Fashions.—The Conspiracy.—A Dream.—A Fancy-dress -Ball.—An unquiet Night.—Concert at Court.—The Silver Palace.—An -Excursion of the Queen.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the 3d, 4th, and 5th of June I was very unwell, with premonitory -symptoms announcing a coming attack of the malignant fever of -Madagascar. It luckily happened that, during these days, nothing of any -interest occurred.</p> - -<p>On the 6th of June Mr. Laborde gave a grand dinner in honor of Prince -Rakoto, in his garden-house, situate at the foot of the hill.</p> - -<p>Although the dinner was announced for six o’clock, we were carried to -the house as early as three o’clock. On the way we passed a place in the -upper town on which nineteen heavy guns (eighteen-pounders) were -planted, the muzzles pointing toward the lower town, the suburbs, and -the valley. They were placed there by King Radama, who had received them -as a present from the English. They were not landed at Tamatavé, but at -Bombetok, on the eastern coast. The distance from this place to the -capital is greater than from Tamatavé, but the roads are better, and -river conveyance can be made available for several days’ journey.</p> - -<p>On our arrival at Mr. Laborde’s garden-house, all kinds of efforts were -made to shorten the interval before dinner: several native sports were -exhibited, the most popular of which was a kind of “foot-boxing.” The -combatants kicked each other all over, and with such hearty good-will -that I expected every moment broken legs or ribs would be the result. -This delicate sport is in particular favor among the people in winter, -as it effectually warms those engaged in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_223" id="page_223">{223}</a></span> it. The coldest season here is -between the month of May till the end of July, when the thermometer -often falls to four, three, or even to one degree (Réaumur). -Nevertheless, every thing remains green; the trees do not lose their -leaves, and the landscape looks as pretty and blooming as in Europe in -the middle of spring. The inhabitants of Tananariva are fond of the -summer heat, and as they have no means of procuring wood, and of thus -artificially supplying the want of animal heat, they resort to the -aforesaid pastime of foot-boxing.</p> - -<p>The rich make their slaves bring wood from the distant forests to kindle -fires. In Mr. Laborde’s house, a coal fire was kept up in a great -brazier from early in the morning till late at night, but, of course, -the door or the windows remained always open. This piece of luxury costs -a dollar per day—a very high price compared with the cheapness of all -other necessaries.</p> - -<p>The foot-boxing was followed by dancing and gymnastic exercises; nor was -music wanting, for a band had been provided, which executed some pieces -skillfully enough. I was not so well pleased with the songs of a number -of native girls, who had been taught by a missionary residing with Mr. -Laborde. They knew a number of songs by heart, and did not scream in -such shrill fashion as those whom we had before heard; on the contrary, -their performance was tolerably correct; but it was a dreary -entertainment, and I was devoutly thankful when they came to the last -bar.</p> - -<p>A little before six o’clock came the prince, accompanied by his little -son, his beloved Mary, and a female friend of hers. Mary made even a -less favorable impression upon me than when I first saw her. The fault -was in her dress, for she was attired completely in the European style. -Whatever other people may say, the stiff, exaggerated fashions diffused -by Paris over the world do not charm me, even when worn by our own -countrywomen, and only look<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_224" id="page_224">{224}</a></span> well on those whom nothing can disfigure; -but where there is a complete lack of natural beauty and grace, they -become whimsical and ridiculous, and particularly so in conjunction with -clumsy figures and monkey faces. Madame Mary may be a very good -creature, and I should not like to offend her in any way; but that did -not prevent me from being obliged to bite my lips till the blood almost -came in the effort to avoid laughing aloud at her appearance. Over half -a dozen stiff-hooped petticoats she wore a woolen dress with a number of -great flounces, and great bows of ribbon, the latter fastened, not in -front, but at the back. She had thrown a French shawl over her -shoulders, and could never arrange it to her satisfaction; and on the -top of her head, woolly as a curled poodle’s, was perched a quizzical -little bonnet of reeds.</p> - -<p>Her friend wore a muslin dress, and a cap of such antiquated form that, -sexagenarian as I am, I could never remember having seen one of similar -fashion; but afterward I remembered having seen a similar one on a -portrait of my grandmother, who lived about the middle of the last -century. This woman, who was of a more clumsy figure and had uglier -features than Mary, positively frightened me every time I looked at her; -she always gave me the idea of a cannibal chief in disguise.</p> - -<p>The dinner-party was very cheerful. I had never seen Mr. Lambert in such -excellent spirits; as for the prince, he seems always in good-humor. -After dinner, Mr. Lambert and Mr. Laborde held a short political -discussion with the prince in another room. I was admitted to take part -in this conversation, and shall have to recur to it. The evening was -unfortunately somewhat spoiled for me by the singing chorus. The -plentiful repast seemed to have inspired the ladies with peculiar -powers, for they screamed much worse than before dinner, and, to -increase the noise, clapped their hands as an accompaniment. A few also -performed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_225" id="page_225">{225}</a></span> the dreary dance of Madagascar to the sound of the -<i>marovane</i>, the only instrument yet invented by Malagasey musical -genius. It consists of a bamboo, as thick as a man’s arm, and four feet -long. Shreds of the bark are fastened all around it, supported by little -bridges of wood. The tone is very like that of a bad, worn-out cithern.</p> - -<p>As a conclusion, the guests themselves danced, and between the dances -Mr. Lambert gave us some very pretty songs.</p> - -<p>About ten o’clock Mr. Laborde whispered to me that I should allege the -weakness that still remained from my late indisposition as a pretext for -breaking up the party. I replied that this was not my province, but that -of Prince Rakoto; but he urged me to do it, adding that he had a -particular reason for his request, which he would explain to me later; -and, accordingly, I broke up the party.</p> - -<p>Favored by the brightest of moonlight, we marched up the hill toward our -dwellings to the sound of merry music.</p> - -<p>Prince Rakoto and Mr. Lambert then called me into a side-chamber, and -the prince declared to me once more that the private contract between -himself and Mr. Lambert had been drawn up with his full concurrence, and -that he, the prince, had been grossly calumniated when he was -represented as intoxicated at the time of his signing it. He told me -farther that Mr. Lambert had come to Madagascar by his wish, and with -the intention, in conjunction with himself and a portion of the nobility -and soldiers, to remove Queen Ranavola from the throne, but without -depriving her of her freedom, her wealth, or the honors which were her -due.</p> - -<p>Mr. Lambert, on his part, informed me that we had dined in Mr. Laborde’s -garden-house because every thing could be more quietly discussed there, -and that I had been requested to break up the party that the little -feast might seem to have been given in my honor; finally, that we had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_226" id="page_226">{226}</a></span> -gone through the town with the noisy music as a sign that the object of -our meeting had been social amusement.</p> - -<p>He then showed me in the house a complete little arsenal of sabres, -daggers, pistols, and guns, wherewith to arm the conspirators, and -leather shirts of mail for resisting lance-thrusts; and told me, in -conclusion, that all preparations had been made, and the time for action -had almost come—in fact, I might expect it every hour.</p> - -<p>I confess that a strange feeling came over me when I found myself thus -suddenly involved in a political movement of grave importance, and at -the first moment a crowd of conflicting thoughts rushed through my -brain. I could not conceal from myself the fact that if the affair -failed, my life would be in the same danger as Mr. Lambert’s; for, in a -country like Madagascar, where every thing depends on the despotic will -of the ruler, no trouble is taken to determine the question of guilty or -not guilty. I had come to Tananariva in the company of one of the chief -conspirators; I had also been present at several meetings; more was not -required to make me an accomplice in the plot, and therefore just as -worthy of punishment as the active members themselves.</p> - -<p>My friends in the Mauritius had certainly warned me previously against -undertaking the journey in Mr. Lambert’s company, and, from what had -been reported there, and likewise from some scattered words which Mr. -Lambert had let fall from time to time, I was able to form an idea of -what was going on; but my wish to obtain a knowledge of Madagascar was -so great that it stifled all fear. Now, indeed, there was no drawing -back; and the best I could do was to put a good face upon a bad matter, -and trust in that Providence which had already helped me in many and -great dangers.</p> - -<p>I gave Prince Rakoto and Mr. Lambert my most heartfelt wishes for the -success of their undertaking, and then<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_227" id="page_227">{227}</a></span> retired to my room. It was -already past midnight. I went to bed, and, exhausted as I was, soon fell -asleep; but all night long I had disturbed dreams, and, among others, -the following very singular one: I dreamed that the plot had been -discovered, and that the queen had summoned Mr. Lambert and myself to -the palace. We were brought into a large room, and had to wait there a -long, long time. At length the queen appeared with all her court; Prince -Rakoto was there too, but he stood aside in a window, and dared not look -at us.</p> - -<p>One of the ministers—the same who had taken us to court on our first -reception—made a long speech, the purport of which I understood, in -spite of my ignorance of the Malagasey languages, and in which he -reproached Mr. Lambert for his ingratitude and treachery. Another -minister then took up the harangue, and announced that we were condemned -to the tanguin.</p> - -<p>Hereupon we were led into another room, and a tall negro, wrapped in a -full white garment, came toward us with the little skins of poison. Mr. -Lambert was obliged to take them first; but, at the moment when I was -about to follow his example, there arose suddenly a loud din of music -and rejoicing shouts, and—I awoke, and really heard music and shouting -in the streets. It was broad day; I hastily wrapped myself in my -clothes, and hurried to the gate to see what was going on; and lo! two -men who had been condemned to the tanguin had fortunately got rid of the -poison and the three little pieces of skin, and were being led home in -triumph by their friends.</p> - -<p>If I were of a superstitious nature, who knows what importance I might -have attached to this dream, which was partly verified by subsequent -events; but, fortunately, my temperament is not of that kind, and dreams -never trouble me but during my sleeping hours.</p> - -<p>June 8th. To-day the prince held a grand kabar in our<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_228" id="page_228">{228}</a></span> house, at which -many nobles and officers were present. From this period not a day passed -in which greater or smaller kabars were not held at our house, which -was, in fact, the head-quarters of the conspiracy.</p> - -<p>June 9th. A great fancy-ball has been given at court to-day in honor of -Mr. Lambert.</p> - -<p>What strange contrasts! On one side a conspiracy hatching—on the other, -festivals are the order of the day!</p> - -<p>Does the queen really doubt the existence of the treaty between Prince -Rakoto and Mr. Lambert, and has she no suspicion of its intended -accomplishment? or does she wish to let the conspirators commit some -overt act, that she may afterward satiate her revenge with apparent -justice? Events will show.</p> - -<p>Although both Mr. Lambert and myself were still very unwell, we made up -our minds to be present at this feast.</p> - -<p>The ball began soon after one o’clock in the day, and was not held in -the apartments of the palace, but in front of the building, in the great -fore-court in which we had been admitted to our audience. As on that -former occasion, the queen sat on the balcony under the shade of her -great parasol, and we were obliged to make the usual obeisances to her -and to the tomb of King Radama. This time, however, we were not made to -stand; comfortable arm-chairs were assigned to us. Gradually the ball -company began to assemble; the guests comprised nobles of both sexes, -officers and their wives, and the queen’s female singers and dancers. -The nobles wore various costumes, and the officers appeared in European -dress; all were obliged to make numerous obeisances. Those who appeared -in costume had seats like ours given them; the rest squatted about as -they liked, in groups on the ground.</p> - -<p>The queen’s female dancers opened the ball with the dreary Malagasey -dance. These charming creatures were wrapped from top to toe in white -simbus, and wore on their<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_229" id="page_229">{229}</a></span> heads artificial, or, I should say, very -inartificial flowers, standing up stiffly like little flagstaffs; they -crowded into a group in such a way that they seemed all tied together. -As often as they staggered past the queen’s balcony or the monument of -King Radama, they repeated their salutes, and likewise at the end of -every separate dance. After the female dancers had retired, the officers -executed a very similar dance, only that they kept somewhat quicker -time, and their gestures were more animated—that is to say, they lifted -their feet rather higher than the performers of the other sex. Those who -had hats and caps waved them in the air from time to time, and set up a -sharp howling, intended to represent cries of joy.</p> - -<p>After the officers followed six couples of children in fancy dresses. -The boys wore the old Spanish costume, or were attired as pages, and -looked tolerably well; but the girls were perfect scarecrows. They wore -old-fashioned French costumes—large, stiff petticoats, with short -bodices—and their heads were quite loaded with ostrich feathers, -flowers, and ribbons. After this little monkey community had performed -certain Polonaises, Schottisches, and contre-danses, acquitting -themselves, contrary to my expectation, with considerable skill, they -bowed low and retired, making way for a larger company, the males -likewise clad in the old Spanish, the females in the old French garb.</p> - -<p>All these various costumes are commanded by the queen, who generally -gets her ideas from pictures or engravings that come in her way. The -ladies add to the costume prescribed by royalty whatever their own taste -and invention may suggest, generally showing great boldness and -originality in the combination of colors. I will give my readers an idea -of what these costumes are like by describing one of them.</p> - -<p>The dress was of blue satin, with a border of orange color, above which -ran a broad stripe of bright cherry-colored<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_230" id="page_230">{230}</a></span> satin. The body, also of -satin, with long skirt, shone with a brimstone hue, and a light -sea-green silk shawl was draped above it. The head was covered in such -style with stiff, clumsily-made artificial flowers, with ostrich -feathers, silk ribbons, glass beads, and all kinds of millinery, that -the hair was entirely hidden; not that the fair one lost much thereby, -but that I pitied her for the burden she had to carry.</p> - -<p>The costumes of the other ladies showed similar contrasts in color, and -some of these tasteful dresses had been improved by a farther stroke of -ingenuity, being surmounted by high conical hats, very like those worn -by the Tyrolese peasants.</p> - -<p>The company, consisting exclusively of the higher aristocracy, executed -various European dances, and also performed the Sega, which the -Malagaseys assert to be a native dance, though it is really derived from -the Moors. The figures, steps, and music of the Sega are all so pleasing -that, if it were once introduced in Europe, it could not fail to become -universally fashionable.</p> - -<p>This beautiful dance was far from concluding the ball. After a short -pause, during which no refreshments were offered, the <i>élite</i> of the -company, consisting of six couples, stepped into the court-yards. The -gentlemen were Prince Rakoto, the two Labordes, father and son, two -ministers, and a general—all the ladies were princesses or countesses. -The gentlemen were dressed in old Spanish costume except Prince Rakoto, -who wore a fancy dress so tastefully chosen that he might have appeared -with distinction in any European court ball. He wore trowsers of dark -blue cloth, with a stripe down the side, a kind of loose jerkin of -maroon-colored velvet, ornamented with gold stripes and the most -delicate embroidery, and a velvet cap of the same color, with two -ostrich feathers, fastened by a golden brooch. The whole dress fitted so -well, and the embroidery was so good, that I thought Mr. Lambert must -have taken the princ<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_231" id="page_231">{231}</a></span>e’s measure with him to Paris, and that the clothes -had been made there; but this was not the case. Every thing, with the -exception of the material, had been prepared at Tananariva—a proof -that, if the people of Madagascar are deficient in invention, they are -exceedingly clever in imitating models set before them.</p> - -<p>This group of dancers appeared with much more effect than their -predecessors, for all the ladies and gentlemen were much more tastefully -attired than the rest of the company. They only performed European -dances.</p> - -<p>The ball was concluded, as it had been begun, by the female court -dancers.</p> - -<p>The whole of these festivities, which occupied three hours, had not put -the queen to the slightest expense. The court-yard was the -dancing-floor, the sun provided the illumination, and every guest was at -liberty to take what refreshment he chose—<i>when he got home</i>. Happy -queen! how sincerely many of our European ball-givers might envy her!</p> - -<p>June 10. Again there was noise and singing in the streets. I hurried to -the gate, and saw long files of men carrying earth and stones in -baskets. The labor of these people, eight hundred in number, had been -granted by the queen to the commander-in-chief of the army to build him -a house. They received neither wages nor food, and were obliged to sing -and shout, to prove to the queen that they were happy, and contented -with their lot.</p> - -<p>A few days before I had seen similar processions still more numerous, -consisting of fifteen hundred men; they were carrying fuel to the royal -forge, in which a thousand workmen are employed in manufacturing all -kinds of weapons, under the superintendence of Mr. Laborde. Like the -coal-bearers, the smiths receive nothing at all for their labor; and not -only does the queen require all kinds of work from her subjects without -paying them, but when there is<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_232" id="page_232">{232}</a></span> any government expense to be incurred -they have to find the money. Thus, in the year 1845, when the queen -imported 30,000 muskets from France at a cost of 145,000 dollars, the -whole sum was raised among the people. A few of the richest had to give -as much as 500 dollars each; but even the poorest had to contribute, and -not even the slaves were excepted.</p> - -<p>June 11. Last night I heard a slight noise and muffled footsteps in our -house. I knew that the conspirators were to go from here during the -night to the palace. I listened for many hours—all was silent as the -grave; but suddenly there resounded a loud barking of dogs, followed by -quick footsteps of men. I started involuntarily. I thought that the -attempt must have failed, and that the hurrying steps were those of -fugitives, and I felt how much more trying it is to be obliged to remain -in passive suspense amid threatened danger than boldly to oppose and -combat the peril.</p> - -<p>I would not leave my room, lest I should betray my weakness if it proved -to be a false alarm; so I avoided waking my companions, and awaited -patiently what Heaven should send. But nothing farther occurred; the -remainder of the night passed quietly, and next morning I learned that -nothing had been undertaken, and that the favorable moment was not yet -come.</p> - -<p>I begin to fear that every thing will be spoiled by this long delay; the -more so, as the meetings are not very cautiously conducted, and a -traitor might easily be found among the nobles and officers apparently -devoted to the prince. A good deal of the fault may lie with the prince -himself. He is, as I have observed, a man of many good and noble -qualities, but he wants decision and firmness of purpose; and his -affection for the queen is, moreover, so great, that he might lack -courage at the decisive moment to undertake any thing against her. It -behooves him, however, to consider that there is no intention of robbing -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_233" id="page_233">{233}</a></span> queen of her titles, her freedom, or her wealth; the sole object of -the movement being to take from her the power of perpetrating the -cruelties and deeds of blood which have brought her subjects to misery -and despair. The prince, who loves his mother above every thing, and -only seeks to prevent her from being the scourge of a whole country, can -not certainly be considered guilty of a crime. God strengthen him, and -give him courage to be the deliverer of his people!</p> - -<p>June 12. Mr. Lambert had so severe an attack of fever that for several -days his life was in the greatest danger. But he terribly neglected all -dietary precautions. As soon as he felt himself at all better, he ate -all kind of things one after another, just as the whim took him—cold -Strasburg pie, meat, and fruit, and drank Champagne and other wines. The -other Europeans do just the same thing, so that I should not at all -wonder if all who caught the fever fell victims to it. While I was in -the Mauritius in the month of March, a stout gentleman from Tamatavé -arrived there, and remained a few days in Mr. Lambert’s house, waiting -for an opportunity to get to Bourbon. This gentleman asserted that he -had the Madagascar fever, and when he appeared at breakfast complained -that he had been suffering from it all night. Accordingly, some strong -meat broth was prepared for him, which he enjoyed exceedingly; but it -did not nearly satisfy him, for he ate in addition a mighty slice of -sweet melon, partook of the other dishes to an extent which would have -served me for a week, and finished his repast with a mango. He did equal -justice to the various beverages; and at the evening meal he returned to -the attack with renewed vigor, eating as if he had fasted the whole day.</p> - -<p>In Tananariva I had frequent opportunities of noticing similar -imprudences in diet; and when I made any remark, I was met with the -profound reply, “What would you<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_234" id="page_234">{234}</a></span> have? It is the custom of the country; -the people say that the fever is very weakening, and that one must try -to get up one’s strength by taking nourishing things.”</p> - -<p>This belief really prevails among the people; the worse a man is, the -more he is urged to eat. When a Malagasey is at the last gasp, they -stuff rice into his mouth; and when he dies, they cry out in -astonishment, “How wonderful! only just now he was eating!”</p> - -<p>And because the stupid, uncultivated natives do this, the sensible and -educated Europeans think it right to do likewise!</p> - -<p>June 18. To-day I had the great honor of displaying my skill, or rather -my want of skill, on the piano in the presence of the queen. Mr. Lambert -had made her a present of a piano from the manufactory of Mr. Debain, in -Paris, on his first visit to Tananariva. These pianos are not only made -for playing upon with the hands, but can also be played in the manner of -a barrel-organ by turning a handle or “manivelle.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Lambert had told me of this when we were in the Mauritius, and added -that the queen had never seen any one play the piano with their hands, -and that it would be a great surprise to her. In my youth I had been a -tolerably accomplished pianist, but that is a long time ago; for more -than thirty years I had given up music, and had nearly forgotten all I -once knew. Who would ever have thought that I should have to give a -concert, under royal patronage, in my sixtieth year, when I strummed -worse than many children at home who have only learned for a few months! -But so it is when people go out in quest of adventure, and roam through -the wide world; one never knows what may happen, and must be prepared -for every thing.</p> - -<p>With great difficulty I forced my stiff old fingers through a few scales -and exercises, and contrived to remember a few<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_235" id="page_235">{235}</a></span> easy, melodious waltzes -and dance tunes; and, thus prepared, I ventured to risk the criticism of -the strict royal connoisseur of Madagascar.</p> - -<p>The invitation, however, was very welcome to me; for I hoped to be -introduced into the inner apartments of the palace, and to have the high -felicity of obtaining a near view of her majesty.</p> - -<p>As Mr. Lambert was ill of the fever, the two clerical gentlemen -accompanied me to the palace. When we got to the court-yard—oh, sad -disenchantment!—there sat the queen on the eternal balcony, and away -fled all my hopes of seeing the interior of the palace. Besides, what a -shock to my artistic pride! It seemed that I was to be treated like a -street musician, and made to play here in the court-yard.</p> - -<p>But it was not quite so bad as that, though enough was done to make me -duly sensible of the enormous difference between my insignificant person -and the mighty queen. This overbearing, puffed-up woman seems really to -believe herself a sacred being, raised above all the rest of the human -race, and appears to think it would derogate from her dignity to permit -a stranger to come close to her. It was only with Mr. Lambert, when he -first came to Tananariva, three years ago, that she made an exception, -admitting him not merely into the interior of the palace, but even -allowing him the honor of accompanying her on a short excursion.</p> - -<p>We were conducted to the gallery on the ground floor of the Silver -Palace, where chairs had been already placed for us. The broad door -leading to the court-yard was thrown quite open, the piano brought -forward, and placed just in the doorway, in such a manner that the queen -could look down from her balcony upon the key-board.</p> - -<p>While these preparations were being made, I had an opportunity of -examining the reception-room of the Silver<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_236" id="page_236">{236}</a></span> Palace, which, as my readers -will remember, belongs to Prince Rakoto. It is spacious and lofty, and -furnished quite in European style. The furniture seemed rich, but not -overladen with ornament, and had been arranged with taste. True to the -custom of Madagascar, there stood a bed in the room—a right royal bed, -certainly, with no lack of gold ornament or of silken hangings, and in -which I was assured no mortal had ever slept; but still it was a bed, -and that particular piece of furniture in a reception-room always -disturbs the idea of fitness in the eyes of a European.</p> - -<p>Far more, however, was my taste offended by the drawings and paintings -that decorated the walls of the hall—productions of native -genius—representing officers in red uniforms, and female figures in -European costumes. I hardly knew which to admire most in these sketches, -the coloring or the drawing. The latter was more wooden and stiff in -character than the worst Chinese work of the kind, and the coloring was -a wonderful chaos of the most glaring hues daubed together without any -attempt at light and shade. I had never in my life seen such works of -Art. The landscape backgrounds had the most comical effect of all. The -figures stood with little trees on each side of them. They were only -half-length portraits; but as the genial artist wished, nevertheless, to -indicate the fact that the trees grew out of the earth, he had drawn a -green stripe from the girdle of each person to that of his neighbor, -intending thereby to represent the earth, thus unintentionally giving -his heroes the unusual appearance of being buried up to the waist; out -of the green stripe rose a brown line, the stem of the tree, straight as -an arrow, as high as the shoulders of the figures, and a few green -patches were added to represent the leafy crown.</p> - -<p>I was still absorbed in the contemplation of these masterpieces when one -of the missionaries came to inform me that the piano was ready, and that -I could begin my perform<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_237" id="page_237">{237}</a></span>ance. Before doing this I had to present the -usual “monosina” to the queen, and deliver it into the hands of an -officer; this tribute is demanded of every stranger, not only at his -first introduction at court, but every time he sets foot in a building -belonging to royalty. This was my case in the Silver Palace; but I -considered it unnecessary to give a fifty-franc piece, as Mr. Lambert -had done, and therefore confined my liberality to the offer of a dollar.</p> - -<p>I took my seat at the piano, and played a few preliminary chords to test -the qualities of the instrument; but what was my horror on finding it so -woefully out of tune that not a single note produced any thing like -harmony with the rest; many of the keys, moreover, were so obstinate as -to refuse to emit any sound whatever. I had to loosen them, lift them, -press them down, and resort to all sorts of expedients to bring them -into working order; and upon such an instrument as this I was to give my -grand concert! But true artistic greatness rises superior to all adverse -circumstances; and, inspired by the thought of exhibiting my talents to -such an appreciating audience, I perpetrated the most wonderful runs -over the whole key-board, thumped with all my might on the stubborn -keys, and, without any attempt at selection or sequence, played the -first part of a waltz and the second of a march, in short, any thing and -every thing that came into my head. But I had the great satisfaction to -find that my talents were fully appreciated by the whole audience, and I -was rewarded with her majesty’s especial thanks. Prince Rakoto even gave -me the flattering assurance that every thing I had done had met with the -queen’s approbation, especially the waltzes, and that in a short time -she would do me the honor of letting me play before her in the interior -of the palace. Who knows, if the unhappy conspiracy had not occurred, if -I might not have enjoyed the distinction of becoming pianiste to her -majesty the Queen of Madagascar!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_238" id="page_238">{238}</a></span></p> - -<p>On the same day she sent me, as a proof of favor and condescension, a -large quantity of fat poultry and a great basket of eggs.</p> - -<p>On the 17th of June the exalted lady made an excursion to one of her -pleasure palaces, situate at the foot of the hill on an island in the -middle of a large pond. Whenever the queen makes such excursions, all -the officers and nobles, and the European residents in Tananariva, have -to accompany her. I would gladly have taken part in this expedition, but -as the queen knew that Mr. Lambert was still lying very ill, and did not -wish to deprive him of any of his nurses, none of us were invited. The -procession passed close by our house, and we were all, with the -exception of Mr. Lambert, made to stand at the gate to salute her -majesty as she passed.</p> - -<p>Every festival in this country bears on its face a peculiar stamp of -whim and folly: in these excursions, for instance, the notables who -accompany the queen are ordered to appear in Turkish or Arab costume, -with turbans on their heads. These dresses, however, suit the natives -much better than the Spanish costume, although here, too, their peculiar -taste is brought into play, to spoil the effect of what would be -handsome enough if left alone.</p> - -<p>Women seldom take part in these expeditions, and when they do they are -wrapped in simbus. The queen herself wore a large simbu of silk, but had -her great crown on her head. Without this regal ornament she never shows -herself to her subjects; and I should really not be surprised to hear -that she usually wears a small crown when she goes to sleep at night.</p> - -<p>She remained all day in her little palace, and did not return to the -city till just before sunset. The people take part in these excursions -to some extent, being obliged to crowd into the streets through which -the procession passes, and many who wish to show peculiar loyalty join -the train.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_239" id="page_239">{239}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">Failure of the <i>Coup d’État</i>.—Prince Ramboasalama.—The <i>Pas de -Deux</i>.—Discovery of the Plot.—Death of Prince -Razakaratrino.—Freedom of Manners.—Irreligion.—Beginning of our -Captivity.—A Kabar.—Persecution of the Christians.—The Delivery -of the Presents.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">June</span> 20. This was at length to be the great and decisive day. Mr. -Lambert was nearly recovered from the fever; so there was to be no more -delay, and to-night the long-contemplated <i>coup d’état</i> was to be -carried out.</p> - -<p>The two missionaries, who were not to appear to bear any part in these -political disturbances, went in the morning to one of the possessions of -Mr. Laborde, distant thirty miles from the capital. It was proposed to -send me there too; but I preferred remaining at Tananariva; for I -thought, if the attempt should fail, it would not be difficult to find -my head, even if I were a hundred miles from the capital.</p> - -<p>The following plan had been devised by the conspirators. The prince was -to dine at eight o’clock in the evening with Mr. Lambert, Marius, -Laborde, and his son, in the garden-house belonging to the latter, and -thither all reports from the other conspirators were to be carried, that -it might be known if every thing was progressing favorably, and that -every man was at his post. At the conclusion of the dinner, at eleven -o’clock at night, the gentlemen were to march home to the upper part of -the town, accompanied by music, as if they came from a feast; and each -man was to remain quiet in his own house until two o’clock. At the -latter hour all the conspirators were to slip silently into the palace, -the gates of which Prince Raharo, the chief of the army, was to keep -open, and guarded by officers devoted to Prince Rakoto; they were to -assemble in the great court-yard, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_240" id="page_240">{240}</a></span> front of the apartments inhabited -by the queen, and at a given signal loudly to proclaim Prince Rakoto -king. The new ministers, who had already been nominated by the prince, -were to explain to the queen that this was the will of the nobles, the -military, and the people; and, at the same time, the thunder of cannon -from the royal palace was to announce to the people the change in the -government, and the deliverance from the sanguinary rule of Queen -Ranavola.</p> - -<p>Unhappily, this plan was not carried out. It was frustrated by the -cowardice or treachery of Prince Raharo, the commander-in-chief of the -army. While the gentlemen were still at table, they received from him -the disastrous news that, in consequence of unforeseen obstacles, he had -found it impossible to fill the palace exclusively with officers devoted -to the prince’s interest, that he would consequently be unable to keep -the gates open to-night, and that the attempt must be deferred for a -more favorable opportunity. In vain did the prince send messenger after -messenger to him. He could not be induced to risk any thing.</p> - -<p>In the year 1856 Prince Rakoto had placed himself at the head of a -similar conspiracy against the queen. Then also the night and the hour -had been fixed upon for the attempt, and, as in the present instance, -every thing failed through the sudden defection of the -commander-in-chief. It may be that this occurred partly through that -personage losing courage at the decisive moment; but I am more inclined -to think that his participation in the plot must be a feigned one, and -that he is in reality a creature of the queen and her prime minister, -Rainizahoro; and, I fear most of all, that he is a partisan of Prince -Ramboasalama.</p> - -<p>This prince, a son of a sister of Queen Ranavola, was adopted by the -queen many years ago, when she had no son of her own, and, owing to her -time of life, could scarcely hope to have any offspring. So she looked -upon the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_241" id="page_241">{241}</a></span> prince as her natural successor, and declared him her heir -with all the usual formalities. Soon afterward she had hopes of becoming -a mother, and Prince Rakoto was born. It is asserted by many that -though, in consequence of this event, she removed Ramboasalama from the -succession, and declared her own son to be the heir-apparent, this was -not done with the usual ceremonies, and it is much to be feared that -upon the queen’s decease great and bloody dissensions may arise between -the parties of the rival princes, and the faction of Ramboasalama may -obtain the mastery. This prince, several years older than Rakoto, is -naturally far more experienced than the latter; he has also the -reputation of being very astute and enterprising; and, though not so -good-natured and philanthropic as the queen’s son, he is far less cruel -and bloodthirsty than Ranavola.</p> - -<p>So far as I could judge from what was told me, he appears to have formed -a powerful party for himself, and to have secured the greater portion of -the nobility, chiefly through great concessions, and from the fact that -he is entirely averse to the abolition of slavery, while, on the other -hand, Prince Rakoto means to carry out this measure, and wishes in -general to curtail the privileges of the higher classes.</p> - -<p>These reasons ought in themselves to be sufficient to induce one of the -European powers to take Prince Rakoto’s part; but European governments -only take up cases in which they have the prospect of some immediate and -material advantage—to act from mere philanthropy forms no part of their -plans.</p> - -<p>The plot has unfortunately become what may be called a “well-known -secret.” Every body knows of it, and even among the people reports of -the contemplated change in the government have become rife; and it is -only the queen, we have been assured, who is in profound ignorance of -what is going on around her. I can not believe this. We are<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_242" id="page_242">{242}</a></span> certainly -told that no one would venture to accuse the prince to his mother, for -in such a case the queen would surely at once summon her son and make -him acquainted with the charges against him, when it might be -anticipated that he would deny every thing, and the denouncer would be -considered as a traitor, and executed accordingly. I can not believe -that the adherents and favorites of the queen have entirely left out the -prince’s name, and merely have denounced Mr. Lambert, Mr. Laborde, and a -few of the other conspirators. Of adherents and favorites the queen has -plenty, in spite of her cruelty and egotism; and she knows how to attach -the most influential men in the land to her person, though they do not -receive the smallest salary from her; but she gratifies them with -estates and slaves, or gives them a still more valuable reward, by -assigning to them, under the name of aids-de-camp, a number of people -who are obliged to do them service like slaves, receiving neither -provisions nor wages in return. Thus Raharo, the present -commander-in-chief of the army, has eight hundred of these aids-de-camp -continually under his command; his father, who preceded him as -commander-in-chief, had fifteen hundred.</p> - -<p>June 21. To-day Prince Rakoto told us that his mother would receive Mr. -Lambert as soon as his health was restored, and me too, in the inner -palace, and that she wished very much to see us dance together. He added -that it would give her great pleasure to see us exhibit some new dance, -and that, as Europeans, we were doubtless acquainted with several. A -strange idea this! First I had to give a concert, and now I am to turn -ballet-dancer, and perhaps afterward dancing-mistress—I who, even in my -youth, cared very little for dancing, and always had the greatest -difficulty in remembering the various steps and figures. And Mr. -Lambert! What a thing to expect from a man who is still young, that he -should execute a <i>pas de deux</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_243" id="page_243">{243}</a></span> with a woman nearly sixty years old! -Neither of us had the slightest intention to gratify this ridiculous -whim; and as Mr. Lambert suffered much again this morning from the -fever, and I also had a renewed attack of that insidious disease, we -made our illness serve as an excuse for the present.</p> - -<p>June 22. To-day we received very bad news: the queen has received -information of the plot. Our friends told us, however, that efforts were -being made to divert her suspicions from the right direction, and to -make her believe that the people wished for a change in the government. -It is said that no names have been denounced to her, but that the wish -is represented as having been generally expressed among the people.</p> - -<p>Our friends may try to screen us, but our enemies, of whom Mr. Lambert, -as I have already remarked, has several, will not be so considerate; and -it is unfortunately certain that the queen has for some time looked upon -Mr. Lambert with suspicion, for to-day she told her son that when Mr. -Lambert lay dangerously ill of the fever, she had consulted the oracle -upon the question whether he had any evil design against her, and if so, -whether he would die of the fever. The reply of the Sikidy was, that “if -Mr. Lambert had any such evil design, the fever would assuredly carry -him off:” as this had not been the case—as he had not died, she thought -he could not be plotting any evil against her.</p> - -<p>Is this the truth, or does the cunning woman only say it in the hope of -worming something out of the prince himself? Even if it is the truth, -can she not consult the Sikidy over and over again, until, some fine -day, it may give a different answer?</p> - -<p>At any rate, I consider our cause is lost; and Heaven knows what the -queen may intend to do to us. These are the consequences of the prince’s -delays and irresolution.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_244" id="page_244">{244}</a></span> But who knows? Several times the thought has -arisen in my mind, chiefly from the demeanor of Prince Raharo, that the -prince is surrounded by traitors, who pretend to acquiesce in his -projects, but only do so to obtain a knowledge of them, and afterward -carry intelligence to the queen. Perhaps in this view they treat him -like a child, and let him have his hobby, always, however, taking the -necessary precautions to be able to stop his highness’s sport before -things go too far.</p> - -<p>June 27. Last night died Marshal Prince Razakaratrino, the queen’s -brother-in-law. The death of this grand lord will give me an opportunity -of seeing a new and interesting sight, for the funeral of such an -exalted personage is conducted in Madagascar with the greatest -solemnity. After the body has been washed, it is wrapped in simbus of -red silk, often to the number of several hundred, and none of which must -cost less than ten piastres, though they generally cost much more. Thus -enshrouded, the corpse is placed in a kind of coffin, and lies in state -in the principal apartment in the house, under a canopy of red silk. -Slaves crouch around it, crowded together as closely as possible, with -their hair hanging loose, and their heads bent down in token of -mourning; each of them is furnished with a kind of fan to keep off the -flies and musquitoes from the deceased. This strange occupation is -continued day and night; and as high personages are frequently kept -unburied for several weeks, the slaves have to be continually relieved -by others.</p> - -<p>During the time the corpse is lying under the canopy, envoys come from -every caste of the nobility and from every district of the country, -accompanied by long trains of servants and slaves, to present tokens of -condolence for themselves, and in the names of those by whom they are -sent. Each of the envoys brings an offering of money, varying according -to his own fortune, and the amount of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_245" id="page_245">{245}</a></span> popularity enjoyed by the -deceased, from half a dollar to fifty or more. These presents are -received by the nearest relation of the dead man, and are devoted to -defraying the expenses of the burial, which often come to a great sum; -for, besides the large number of simbus to be purchased, a great many -oxen must be killed. All visitors and envoys stay until the day of the -funeral, and are entertained, as well as their servants and slaves, at -the expense of the heirs. When the funeral ceremonies extend over -several weeks, and the number of the guests is large, it may be easily -imagined that a goodly stock of provisions is consumed, especially as -the people of Madagascar, masters and servants, are valiant trenchermen -when they feed at the cost of another. Thus, at the death of the last -commander of the army, the father of Prince Raharo, no fewer than 1500 -oxen were slaughtered and eaten. But then this man had stood very high -in the queen’s favor, and his funeral is recorded as the most splendid -in the memory of man: he lay in state for three weeks, and young and old -streamed in from the farthest corners of the kingdom to pay him the last -honors.</p> - -<p>With regard to the performances of the people of Madagascar as -trenchermen, I have been told that four natives can eat up an ox in a -space of twenty-four hours, and that after such a meal they go away as -comfortable and light as if they had barely satisfied their hunger. I -should be sorry, however, to vouch for the authenticity of this report -to my readers. I have never witnessed such a feat; and, looking at the -size of the oxen that are sacrificed upon such occasions, I should say -that the estimate was undoubtedly exaggerated.</p> - -<p>Voracious as the natives are (I can use no milder epithet) when an -opportunity for gluttony occurs, they have, on the other hand, like the -wild Indians, the power of enduring great privation with consummate -patience, and will support<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_246" id="page_246">{246}</a></span> themselves for weeks together on a little -rice and a few thin slices of dried meat.</p> - -<p>When the corpse is carried out of the house, a few slaughtered oxen must -be laid at the door, and the bearers have to step over their bodies.</p> - -<p>The period of lying in state, and of mourning generally, is fixed by the -queen herself; for this marshal the former ceremony was fixed for four -days, the latter for ten. If he had been a near relation of the queen—a -brother or uncle—or one of her particular favorites, he could not have -been buried under from ten to fourteen days, and the period of mourning -would have extended to twenty or thirty days at least.</p> - -<p>The body is prevented from becoming offensive by the number of simbus in -which it is wrapped.</p> - -<p>We did not follow the funeral procession, but saw it pass from Mr. -Laborde’s house; its extent was very great, and it consisted of nobles, -officers, women, mourning women, and slaves, in large numbers. From the -highest to the lowest, all wore their hair loose as a token of mourning; -and with this loosened hair they looked so particularly hideous—so -horribly ugly—that I had never seen any thing like them among the -ugliest races of India and America. The women especially, who let their -hair grow longer than the men wear it, might indeed have passed for -scarecrows or furies.</p> - -<p>In the midst of the procession came the catafalque, borne by more than -thirty men. Like the costumes at the court balls, so this catafalque had -evidently been copied from some engraving, for its ornamentation was -quite European in character, with this one difference, that the machine -was hung with red and variegated silk stuffs instead of the customary -black cloth. The marshal’s hat, with other insignia of rank and honor, -were placed upon it, and on both sides marched slaves, with clappers to -scare away the flies from the catafalque.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_247" id="page_247">{247}</a></span></p> - -<p>The corpse was conveyed thirty miles away to an estate of the deceased, -to be burned there; the greater number of nobles and officers only -escorted it for the first few miles, but many carried their politeness -so far as to go the whole distance.</p> - -<p>In all Madagascar there is no place exclusively set apart for the burial -of the dead. Those who possess land are buried on their own estates; the -poor are carried to some place that belongs to nobody, and are there -frequently thrown under a bush, or put into any hollow, no one taking -the trouble even to throw a little earth upon them.</p> - -<p>When I saw this funeral conducted in such truly European style, I -thought, as I had frequently done before, what a strange country this -Madagascar was, and what striking contrasts were found among these -people—cultivation and savagery, imitation of European manners and -customs and the rudest barbarism go here hand in hand. One finds here, -as in Europe, all the titles of rank and nobility, from the prince down -to the lieutenant: many of the nobles often go about in European garb; -many speak and write English or French, and the rich dine off plate, and -possess handsome, well-furnished houses. Farther imitations of our -European customs are seen in the etiquette with which the queen -surrounds her own person, the ceremonious splendor she seeks to impart -to her court, the solemn excursions to her pleasure palaces, the fancy -balls, the great dinners, the funerals of high personages, and other -occasions of the kind.</p> - -<p>The industrial education of the people has also made great progress in -certain districts; and it is easy to see that, if properly cultivated -and directed, industrial arts would soon attain a higher development. -Thus, as already stated, the goldsmiths and silversmiths furnish -specimens that excite my unqualified admiration; the women silk-weavers -make very pretty pieces from native silk; and Mr. Laborde turns out from -his various factories of native workmen all<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_248" id="page_248">{248}</a></span> kinds of weapons, even to -small cannon, and powder, as well as glass, soap, wax-lights, rum, and -the most delicious liqueurs.</p> - -<p>With respect to the cultivation of the mind and heart, the inhabitants -of Madagascar have not sought to imitate the Europeans. In this -particular, indeed, many of the wildest tribes, who have scarcely come -into communication with Europeans at all—for instance, the Dyaks of -Borneo; the Afoxes, in the island of Celebes; the Anthropophagi, in the -interior of Sumatra, and others—stand far above the Hovas and -Malagaseys. Incredible as it may appear, the latter have no religion at -all—not the slightest idea of a God, of the immortality of the soul, or -even of its existence. The queen, I was told, certainly worships a few -household idols, but she places far less reliance on these than on the -verdicts of the Sikidy; and when a missionary once spoke to her of the -immortality of the soul, she is said to have considered him mad, and to -have laughed aloud in his face. The people are allowed to worship any -thing they like—a tree, a river, or a rock—but belief in Christ is -strictly forbidden. With the exception of the few who have become -converted to the Christian faith in spite of the queen’s prohibition, -the bulk of the people believe in nothing at all, at which I wondered -the more when I considered that some of the races living in Madagascar -are descended from the Arabs and Malays, nations who in the earliest -times had some ideas of God and of religion.</p> - -<p>Oh, how much it is to be wished that the government should pass into -Prince Rakoto’s hands! I am certain that this beautiful country would -then make the most rapid strides in intellectual progress and in -material wealth.</p> - -<p>June 30. When I was traveling in the United States, I thought I had -found the country where women had the greatest freedom, and the greatest -independence of thought and action. What an error! Here, in Madagascar, -they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_249" id="page_249">{249}</a></span> lead a much more independent, unrestrained life. I do not speak of -Queen Ranavola, whose rank gives her a kind of right to follow only the -dictates of her will, but of the other women, who are not subjected to -the laws of propriety which trammel us poor European females. Thus, for -instance, Mary, the favorite of Prince Rakoto, came very frequently, -with his full knowledge, quite alone to our house, not only to pay a -visit to Mr. Lambert while he was ill with the fever, but when he was in -perfect health. She had often partaken of our evening repast, and to-day -she joined us again. While we were sitting at table they brought her -little son. I had never seen her in a domestic circle with her child, -and was anxious to see how her feelings would be displayed, so I noticed -the mother and child during the whole evening. Each treated the other as -coldly as if they had never known, much less belonged to, each other. -When the child came into the room he did not even greet his mother, but -went at once toward the table, where room was made for him at Mr. -Lambert’s side; during the whole of supper-time, mother and child never -exchanged a word or a glance, although they were only separated from -each other by Mr. Lambert.</p> - -<p>In vain do Mr. Laborde and other Europeans in Madagascar assure me that -strong affection exists here among the natives between parents and -children, but that it is not customary to display that affection. I can -not believe it, with such a display of indifference before my eyes. A -mother who felt real affection toward her child would certainly not be -able to conform to custom so completely as to prevent herself from -giving the little one a loving glance from time to time. And the -observations I made this evening were not the only ones of the same -kind; during the whole period of my stay in Madagascar I did not see a -mother show any affection, or child that seemed to love its parents.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_250" id="page_250">{250}</a></span></p> - -<p>July 2. What will become of us! The carrying out of the design seems to -have become impracticable, for from the day when the commander refused -to open the doors of the palace, one after another of the conspirators -has fallen away, and traitors and spies surround us on all sides. Ever -since the 20th of June hardly any one associates with us; we are looked -upon partly as state prisoners, and we are compelled to remain the whole -day long in our houses, and dare not so much as set foot across the -threshold.</p> - -<p>The best proof that the queen is perfectly well informed of the -conspiracy, and only pretends to know nothing about it for the sake of -her son, of whom she is very fond, appears in the fact of her having, a -few days since, forbidden every one, on pain of death, to make any -accusation whatever against the prince, or to impart any surmise of his -guilt to her.</p> - -<p>This trait is worthy of the cunning characteristic of her race. Having -taken all necessary measures, and convinced herself that the power of -the conspirators is broken, and that she has nothing to fear, she seeks -to hide her son’s fault from the people.</p> - -<p>July 3. To-day sorrow and fear have been spread over all the city. Early -in the morning the people were called together, and ordered to betake -themselves at a certain hour to the bazar, to be present at a great -kabar to be held there. Such an announcement always spreads terror and -apprehension among the people, for they know from sad experience that a -kabar signifies, for them, persecution, and torture, and sentences of -death. There was a general howling and wailing, a rushing and running -through the streets, as if the town had been attacked by a hostile army, -and, as if to strengthen that belief, all entrances to the town were -occupied by troops, and the poor people were torn forcibly from their -houses by the soldiers, and driven to the market-place.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_251" id="page_251">{251}</a></span></p> - -<p>We Europeans, shut up in our house, saw very little of these scenes, -with the exception of Mr. Laborde, who, thanks to his great popularity, -could still venture abroad to pursue his usual avocations. Full of -anxious expectation, we awaited his return; he came home pale and -excited, and told us that the present kabar was the most cruel and -disastrous that had been held since his arrival at Tananariva. The -majority of the inhabitants—men, women, and children—had been -assembled in the great square, and there waited in trembling fear to -hear the royal will, which one of the officials announced in a loud -voice.</p> - -<p>The kabar was as follows: The queen had long suspected that there were -many Christians among her people. Within the last few days she had -become certain of the fact, and had heard with horror that several -thousands of this sect dwelt in and around Tananariva. Every one knew -how much she hated and detested this sect, and how strictly she had -forbidden the practice of their religion. As her commands were so little -regarded, she should use every effort to discover the guilty, and should -punish them with the greatest severity. The duration of the kabar was -fixed for fifteen days, and it was announced to the people, in -conclusion, that those who gave themselves up during that period should -have their lives spared, but that all who were denounced by others might -be prepared to die a terrible death.</p> - -<p>I can hardly believe that, after the experience the people had had this -very year, any of them will voluntarily surrender. My readers will -recollect a similar case I mentioned among the cruelties of the queen, -in which the unhappy culprits who confessed their crime had their lives -spared, according to the letter of the promise, but were fettered -heavily and perished miserably; and then the accusation was only one of -sorcery, theft, violation of graves, and other crimes, which are in the -queen’s eyes of far less consequence<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_252" id="page_252">{252}</a></span> than that of conversion to the -Christian faith. The followers of the Christian religion might expect to -have far worse tortures practiced on them.</p> - -<p>Who would believe that the traitor, the denouncer of the Christians, was -a Christian himself, and half a priest into the bargain, whom the -English missionaries had honored with the title “Reverendissimus!” The -name of this miserable creature is Ratsimandisa. He belongs to the race -of the Hovas, and is a native of Tananariva, and has had a semi-European -education, which unfortunately had no effect in ennobling his mind or -his heart. In order to win the favor of the queen, and hoping to obtain -a great reward, he declared that he only pretended to adopt the -Christian religion with the view of getting a knowledge of all the -Christians, and thus giving the queen an opportunity of annihilating -them at one blow. He had really made out a complete register of the -names of Christians residing in Tananariva. Fortunately, it did not -occur to him to request an audience of the queen, and to give this -register into her own hands. He gave it to one of the ministers who -belonged to Prince Rakoto’s party, and was one of the prince’s most -faithful followers. This man would not deliver a document of such -importance to the queen without first telling the prince of the -circumstance. No sooner had the latter read the document than he tore it -in pieces, and announced that any one who dared to make out a second -list, or even to accept one with the intention of laying it before the -government, should be immediately put to death. This action certainly -saved the lives of some thousands of Christians; they gained time, and -had an opportunity of escaping, of which the majority have availed -themselves. But in the wild, inhospitable forests, where alone they can -hide themselves, without a roof to shelter them, without food to eat, -how many of these poor people must fall victims to hunger and misery!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_253" id="page_253">{253}</a></span></p> - -<p>To increase their misfortune, an English missionary, Mr. Lebrun, had -come from the Mauritius to Tamatavé for a few days, shortly before -Ratsimandisa’s treason, and had written letters from Tamatavé to several -Christians in Tananariva, exhorting them to be firm in their faith, and -seeking to strengthen their courage with the assurance that the day of -persecution would not last much longer, and that better times would soon -come for them. The poorer among them also received promises of aid, and -some money was, it is said, distributed among them. Unhappily, a few of -these letters fell into the hands of the government, and others were -found during the search instituted in the houses of those suspected of -Christianity; and as the names of several Christians were mentioned in -these letters, to whom the missionary sent messages or greeting through -the recipients, these at least could be seized. The unhappy people were -tortured in all kinds of ways, like the Protestants of Spain in the days -of the Inquisition, to induce them to give up the names of the -Christians they knew, and the government succeeded in capturing a -tolerable number in the first few days.</p> - -<p>July 4. Mr. Lambert had a relapse of the fever, and, indeed, such a -severe one that we are very anxious about his life. My health, too, is -not satisfactory. I have not such violent attacks of the fever as those -from which Mr. Lambert suffers, but I can not get rid of the disease, -and my strength becomes less from day to day.</p> - -<p>July 6. More than two hundred Christians are said to have been either -denounced or discovered in the few days that have elapsed since the -kabar was announced. They are being sought for every where. Every house -is entered—every one suspected of Christianity, be it man, woman, or -child, is seized by the soldiers, and dragged to one of the prisons.</p> - -<p>Unless the fall of the government be speedily brought<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_254" id="page_254">{254}</a></span> about, and this -Megæra deprived of her power before the expiration of the fifteen days -fixed as the duration of the kabar, there will be horrible deeds and -executions here. In spite of all the untoward events that have happened, -Messrs. Lambert and Laborde do not appear to have given up all hope, and -consider the contemplated <i>coup d’état</i> as still practicable. I hope -with all my heart it may be so—less, I can solemnly assert, because my -own life is involved in the question, than for the sake of my numerous -brethren in the faith, and for the whole people, who would awake to a -new life under the mild rule of Prince Rakoto. But, alas! I can not -participate in the hopes of my companions. As things now stand, I can -not see the slightest prospect of success. The commander-in-chief of the -army is not to be induced to act; and it is probable that he never -intended to fulfill his promise of opening the gates of the palace to -the conspirators. The party against Prince Rakoto gains strength every -day, and there is not the slightest chance of a popular revolution. The -poor natives of Madagascar have been too much oppressed, and are too -submissive for that. They have such a wholesome terror of the power of -the queen, and the influence of the nobles and the military, that it -would be useless to try to persuade them to undertake any thing against -the existing powers.</p> - -<p>July 7. The queen has been told that Mr. Lambert has had a dangerous -relapse of the fever, and she sends confidential officers five or six -times in the day—different envoys each time—to ask after his health. -The officers always ask to be taken into his room, and to see him; -probably they have been commissioned to find out if his illness is real -or simulated. How the queen would rejoice at Mr. Lambert’s death!</p> - -<p>For the last three days Prince Rakoto has not been to see us; for his -mother, the queen, treats him almost as a prisoner. She will not let him -quit her side, alleging that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_255" id="page_255">{255}</a></span> she is in great danger and needs his -protection. Through this really politic course of action she gains the -twofold object of making her son appear, on the one hand, as a -non-participator in the conspiracy, and of taking from him, on the -other, all opportunity of entering into communication with his -confederates, who might, perhaps, induce him to strike a decisive blow. -She has taken farther precautions. The palace has been surrounded with -treble the usual number of guards. No one is allowed to pass near it, -and only those are admitted into the interior of whose fidelity and -loyalty the queen feels quite assured.</p> - -<p>July 8. Our prison is closing more straitly around us, and our position -really begins to be very critical. We have just learned that, since -yesterday evening, every one has been prohibited, on pain of death, from -entering our house. Mr. Laborde now no longer ventures to appear in the -streets. I marvel much that our slaves are still allowed to go to the -bazar, and make the necessary purchases; but doubtless this will soon be -stopped; and I am much mistaken if the moment is not at hand when the -queen will throw off the mask, and, openly denouncing us as traitors, -cause our house to be surrounded by soldiers, and thus completely -isolate us. Nobody can tell what this woman purposes to do to us, and -her character gives us no reason to expect any thing good. If we are -once made prisoners, she can easily get rid of us by means of poisoned -food or by some other method.</p> - -<p>Our slaves tell us that more than eight hundred soldiers are employed in -searching for Christians; they not only search the whole town, but scour -the country within a circuit of between twenty and thirty miles; but, -happily, it is said they do not take many prisoners. All flee to the -mountains and forests, and in such numbers that small detachments of -soldiers, who pursue the fugitives and seek to capture them, are put to -flight.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_256" id="page_256">{256}</a></span></p> - -<p>July 9. To-day we received fresh news of the persecution against the -Christians. The queen has heard that until now very few prisoners, -comparatively, have been brought in; she is stated to be extremely -enraged at this, and to have exclaimed in great anger that the bowels of -the earth must be searched, and the rivers and lakes dragged with nets, -so that not one of the traitors may escape his just punishment. These -inflated expressions, and the new and strict orders she has issued to -the officers and soldiers charged with the duty of pursuing the -Christians, have, however, I am thankful to say, had no great result. -Her majesty will doubtless be enraged when she hears that the -inhabitants of whole villages have succeeded in escaping from her -vengeance by flight. Thus it happened, a few days ago, in the village of -Ambohitra-Biby, nine miles from Tananariva, that when the soldiers -arrived they found nothing but the empty huts.</p> - -<p>To-day at noon another great kabar was held in the market-place; the -queen caused it to be announced that all who helped the Christians in -their flight, who did not stop them, or sought to conceal them, should -suffer the punishment of death; but that those, on the contrary, who -brought them in, or hindered them in their flight, would gain the -especial favor of the queen, and in future, if they committed any -offense, should either be pardoned or subjected to a very mitigated -punishment.</p> - -<p>A corps of soldiers one thousand five hundred strong was also dispatched -to-day to a large district, situate on the eastern coast. This extended -region is inhabited by Seklaves, and is only partly subject to the sway -of Queen Ranavola. In a village in the independent portion, five -Catholic missionaries have been living for the last three or four years, -and have established a little congregation. The queen is naturally much -enraged at this, the more so as, boasting that she was queen of the -whole island, she issued<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_257" id="page_257">{257}</a></span> an edict some years ago to the effect that all -white men should be killed who landed in Madagascar, or made any stay in -a place where none of her Hova soldiers are stationed. In pursuance of -this law, she intends to have these missionaries captured and executed.</p> - -<p>I hardly believe that the attachment of the Seklaves toward the -missionaries will be sufficiently strong to make them refuse to -surrender the latter, and expose themselves to a war against such a -powerful enemy as Queen Ranavola, and even if they risked it there would -not be the slightest prospect of a good result. Yet we cherish the hope -that before the troops can reach the spot the missionaries may have got -off safely, for Prince Rakoto has some time since sent a reliable -messenger to them to warn them of the impending danger.</p> - -<p>Though Prince Rakoto is to all intents and purposes a prisoner, and -unable to visit us, a day seldom passes without our receiving news from -him, and he informs us of all the schemes of the queen and her ministers -against us. Like Mr. Laborde, the prince has confidential slaves. These -trusty servants on either side meet, apparently by chance, in the bazar -or elsewhere, and exchange intelligence. Thus he let us know to-day that -the queen had given orders to have our house searched on the morrow, -upon the pretext that it was generally asserted there were Christians -concealed therein, but in reality to obtain possession of our papers and -writings. Of course we immediately concealed these as well as we could.</p> - -<p>We have also learned that the queen has in the last few days occupied -herself much about us, and has held long sittings with her ministers, in -which the question of our fate was discussed. If she had consulted only -her own fury, she would long ago have dispatched us into the next world; -but to kill six Europeans at once seems almost too bold a stroke; and -she is said to have told her prime min<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_258" id="page_258">{258}</a></span>ister, who voted for our death -from the first, that the only reason which deterred her from the measure -was the probability that such severity against persons of our importance -might induce the Europeans to wage war against her. Two fortunate -mistakes for us! The first, in her considering us to be important -personages; the second, that she should suppose the European powers -would take so much trouble in a matter involving only a few human lives -instead of more weighty interests. But, be this as it may, our lives are -certainly in great peril, for they are in the hands of a woman so -governed by her passions that she may at any moment cast aside all -considerations of prudence or policy. Even if our lives are spared, I -fear we shall undergo a long imprisonment; merely to banish us from the -country will not satisfy the queen, or she would have done it long ago.</p> - -<p>July 10. To-day our gates were suddenly opened, and about a dozen -officers of high rank, with a large train, came into the court-yard. We -thought they were coming to make the search of which the prince had -warned us; but, to our great astonishment, they explained to Mr. Lambert -that they had been sent by the queen to receive the costly presents -which he had brought with him for her and her court.</p> - -<p>Mr. Lambert at once had the chests brought out and unpacked; the -contents were placed, according to their various destinations, in great -baskets, which the slaves who accompanied the officers at once carried -off to the palace. A few of the officers went away with the bearers; the -others walked into our reception-room, conversed for a few moments with -Mr. Laborde and Mr. Lambert, and then very politely took their leave.</p> - -<p>This was the first opportunity I had had of examining the splendid -presents Mr. Lambert had brought.</p> - -<p>The dresses, of which he had provided a considerable number for the -queen, her sisters, and other female relatives, were really very -handsome. Mr. Lambert had pro<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_259" id="page_259">{259}</a></span>cured them in Paris from the dress-maker -of the Empress of the French, and they were made according to the -empress’s own patterns. Some of these dresses had cost more than three -hundred dollars. To each were added the appropriate sash, ribbons, and -head-dress—in a word, every thing necessary to make the toilette -complete.</p> - -<p>Thus bedizened, the fortunate ladies for whom these splendid garments -are intended will doubtless look still more ridiculous than those who -took part in the costume ball. I fancy I see them, with their clumsy -figures and duck-like walk, in these splendid low-necked dresses, with -long trains and short sleeves; and the delicate head-dresses—how -<i>piquant</i> and charming!—stuck at the back of their woolly polls. Truly, -if Mr. Lambert had made up his mind thoroughly to expose the ugliness of -the female world of Madagascar, he could not have found any thing more -suited to his purpose than these handsome costumes.</p> - -<p>Not less numerous and splendid were the presents brought for Prince -Rakoto. There were uniforms splendidly made, and as elaborately -ornamented with gold embroidery as those of the Emperor of the French -himself; private suits of the most various fabrics, forms, and colors; -embroidered cambric shirts, pocket-handkerchiefs, shoes of all kinds, -and every conceivable article of the toilet. A great deal of admiration, -and perhaps a little jealousy too, was excited among the officers by a -rich saddle-cloth, saddle, and bridle. The good people could not admire -it sufficiently; and in the reception-room one of them asked me if in -France the emperor was the only man who had such a saddle, or if the -officers had them too. I was wicked enough to reply that only the -emperor used such a handsome saddle, but that, when it became shabby, he -gave it to one of his favorites, and ordered a new one for himself. -Perhaps my querist may attach himself to the party of the prince in the -hope of gaining the confidence of his chief, and with it the reversion -of the saddle-cloth.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_260" id="page_260">{260}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">Banquets in Madagascar.—A Kabar at Court.—The Sentence.—Our -Banishment.—Departure from Tananariva.—Military -Escort.—Observations on the People.—Arrival in -Tamatavé.—Departure from Madagascar.—A false Alarm.—Arrival in -the Mauritius.—Conclusion.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">July</span> 11. Yesterday evening an old woman was denounced to the authorities -as a Christian. She was seized immediately, and this morning—my pen -almost refuses to record the cruel torture to which the unhappy creature -was subjected—they dragged her to the market-place, and her backbone -was sawn asunder.</p> - -<p>But a thousand horrors like these will not move the powers of Europe to -come to the rescue of this unhappy people. In one respect, civilized and -uncivilized governments are strangely alike; both are swayed only by -political considerations, and humanity does not enter into their -calculations.</p> - -<p>July 12. This morning, I am sorry to say, six Christians were seized in -a hut at a village not far from the city. The soldiers had already -searched the hut, and were ready to depart, when one of them heard a -cough. A new search was at once begun, and in a great hole dug in the -earth, and covered over with straw, the poor victims were discovered. -What astonished me most in this episode was, that the other inhabitants -of the village, who were not Christians, did not betray the concealed -ones, although they must have had intelligence of the last kabar, -threatening death to all who kept Christians concealed, favored their -flight, or neglected to assist in their capture. I should not have -thought so much generosity existed among this people. Unfortunate<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_261" id="page_261">{261}</a></span>ly, it -met with a bad reward. The commanding officer cared nothing for the -magnanimity of the action; he kept strictly to his instructions, and -caused not only the six Christians, but the whole population of the -village—men, women, and children—to be bound and dragged to the -capital.</p> - -<p>I fear there will be horrible scenes of blood. The poor people may all -be executed, for it will be presumed that they were aware of their -neighbors’ hiding-place. From the queen they have certainly no mercy to -expect, for she has death-sentences carried out with the utmost rigor; -indeed, no instance is known in which she has pardoned any one condemned -to lose his life.</p> - -<p>Prince Rakoto sent us word to-day that the queen intended giving a great -banquet to Mr. Lambert, to which all the other Europeans would of course -be invited. What is the meaning of this? For more than a week we have -been treated like state prisoners, and now all at once we are to have -this distinction! Are our prospects brightening, or is it a trap? I fear -the latter.</p> - -<p>We were no ways rejoiced at this news, for even if the invitation does -not conceal some treacherous design, we have a drearily irksome ordeal -to go through. The more the queen wishes to honor the guest whom she -invites to a banquet, the more tremendous is the banquet placed before -him, and the greater is the number of hours he is compelled to pass at -table; for the duration of time is considered an element in the -distinction. When Mr. Lambert came to Tananariva for the first time, the -queen gave a banquet in honor of him. It consisted of several hundreds -of dishes, materials for which had been collected from every part of the -island. The rarest dainties (of course for Madagascar palates) were -served up, including land-and water-beetles, the latter being considered -particularly delicious; locusts, silk-worms, and other insects. The -banquet lasted more<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_262" id="page_262">{262}</a></span> than twenty-four hours, during the greater part of -which period the assembled guests were employed in consuming the various -dainties. Of course Mr. Lambert could not remain so long at table, and, -with the queen’s permission, rose from time to time; but he was obliged -to remain present till all was over.</p> - -<p>Even while we were on the best terms with the queen we had looked -forward to such an invitation with great apprehension; how much more -dismayed ought we not to feel under present circumstances, when this -banquet may prove our death-meal! But, if the queen chooses to show us -this honor, we must accept it, for if it has been settled that we are to -die, we have no chance of escaping our fate.</p> - -<p>July 13. This woman is said never to have been seen in such continued -ill-humor, in such fits of rage, as she has exhibited for the last eight -or ten days. That augurs ill for us, but is far more unfortunate for the -poor Christians, whom she causes to be pursued with a more furious zeal -than she has shown since her accession. Almost every day kabars are held -in the bazars of the city and in those of the neighboring villages, in -which the people are exhorted to denounce the Christians; and they are -told the queen is certain that, all the misfortunes which have befallen -the country are solely attributable to this sect, and that she shall not -rest until the last Christian has been exterminated.</p> - -<p>What an inestimable mercy was it for those poor persecuted people that -the register of their names fell into the hands of Prince Rakoto, who -destroyed it! had this not been the case, there would have been -executions without number. It is now hoped that, in spite of the queen’s -rage, and of all her commands and exhortations, not more than perhaps -forty or fifty victims will be sacrificed. Many of the great men of the -kingdom and many of the royal officials are Christians in secret, and -try to assist the escape of their brethren in every possible way. We -have been<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_263" id="page_263">{263}</a></span> assured that, of the two hundred Christians who were captured -some days ago, and also among the villagers who were brought yesterday -to the city in a body, by far the greater number have escaped.</p> - -<p>July 16. We have just received intelligence of a very great kabar held -yesterday in the queen’s palace. It lasted six hours, and the discussion -is reported to have been very stormy. This kabar concerned us Europeans, -and the question of our fate was debated. According to the usual way of -the world, nearly all our friends began to fall away from us from the -moment when they saw that our cause was lost; and, in order to divert -suspicion from themselves, the majority insisted more vehemently on our -condemnation than even our enemies. That we deserved to be punished with -death was soon unanimously resolved, but the method by which we were to -be dispatched to the next world gave rise to much discussion and debate. -Some voted for a public execution in the market-place, others for a -nocturnal attack on our house, and others, again, for an invitation to -the before-mentioned banquet, at which we were to be poisoned, or -murdered at a given signal.</p> - -<p>The queen was undecided between these various proposals, but would -certainly have accepted one of them had not Prince Rakoto been our -protecting spirit. He spoke with the greatest energy against the -sentence of death, warned the queen not to let her anger lead her -astray, and expressed his conviction that the European powers would -certainly not allow the execution of six such important (?) persons as -we were to pass unpunished. The prince is said never to have spoken with -such warmth and energy to the queen as on this occasion.</p> - -<p>We received all this intelligence partly, as I have stated, through -confidential slaves of the prince, partly from the few friends who, -contrary to expectation, have remained true to us.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_264" id="page_264">{264}</a></span></p> - -<p>July 17. Our captivity had already lasted thirteen long days—for -thirteen long days we had lived in the most trying suspense as to our -impending fate, expecting every moment to hear some fatal news, and -alarmed day and night at every slight noise. It was a terrible time.</p> - -<p>This morning I was sitting at my writing-table; I had just put down my -pen, and was thinking that, after the last kabar, the queen must at -least have come to some decision, when suddenly I heard an unusual stir -in the court-yard. I was hastily quitting my room, the windows of which -were in the opposite direction, to see what was the matter, when Mr. -Laborde came to meet me with the announcement that a great kabar was -being held in the court-yard, and that we Europeans were summoned to be -present thereat.</p> - -<p>We went accordingly, and found more than a hundred persons—judges, -nobles, and officers—sitting in a large half circle on benches and -chairs, and some on the ground; behind them stood a number of soldiers. -One of the officers received us, and made us sit down opposite the -judges. These judges were shrouded in long simbus; their glances rested -gloomily and gravely upon us, and for a considerable time there was deep -silence. I confess to having felt somewhat alarmed, and whispered to Mr. -Laborde, “I think our last hour has come!” His reply was, “I am prepared -for every thing.”</p> - -<p>At length one of the ministers or judges rose, and in sepulchral tones, -embellished with a multitude of high-sounding epithets, he spoke -somewhat to the following effect, telling us:</p> - -<p>“The people had heard that we were Republicans, and that we had come to -Madagascar with the intention of introducing a similar form of -government here; that we intended to overturn the throne of their -beloved ruler, to give the people equal rights with the nobility, and to -abolish<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_265" id="page_265">{265}</a></span> slavery; also, that we had had several interviews with the -Christians, a sect equally obnoxious to the queen and the people, and -had exhorted them to hold fast to their faith, and to expect speedy -succor. These treasonable proceedings,” he continued, “had so greatly -exasperated the natives against us, that the queen had been compelled to -treat us as prisoners as a protection against the popular indignation. -The whole population of Tananariva was clamoring for our death; but as -the queen had never yet deprived a white person of life, she would -abstain in this instance also, though the crimes we had committed could -fully have justified her in such a course; in her magnanimity and mercy -she had accordingly decided to limit our punishment to perpetual -banishment from her territories.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Lambert, Mr. Marius, the two other Europeans who lived at Mr. -Laborde’s, and myself, were accordingly to depart from the city within -an hour. Mr. Laborde might remain twenty-four hours longer; and, in -consideration of his former services, he was to be allowed to take away -all his property that was not fixed, with the exception of his slaves. -These, with his houses, estates, etc., were to revert to the queen, by -whose bounty they had been bestowed on him. With regard to his son, -inasmuch as the youth was a native by the mother’s side, and might be -supposed, on account of his tender years, to have taken no part in the -conspiracy, it should be optional with him either to remain in the -island or to quit it with us.</p> - -<p>“The queen would allow us, and Mr. Laborde also, as many bearers as we -required to carry us and our property, and, as a measure of precaution, -she would cause us to be escorted by a company of soldiers, consisting -of fifty privates, twenty officers, and a commandant. Mr. Laborde would -have a similar escort, and was commanded to keep at least one day’s -journey in our rear.”</p> - -<p>In spite of our critical position, we could hardly refrain<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_266" id="page_266">{266}</a></span> from -laughing at this oration. All at once the people were made out to be -important—the poor people who were groaning in bondage like Russian -serfs or the slaves of the United States; now all at once we found the -poor people influencing the royal will, and invested with the right, not -only of expressing a wish, but even of uttering threats! The orator, -however, did not seem at all familiar with the word people, frequently -substituting for it that of “queen,” by mistake, in the course of his -speech.</p> - -<p>Of course we were not allowed to say a single word in our own defense or -justification, nor, indeed, did we think of such a thing; for we were -very glad to escape so easily, and could hardly understand this -unexpected magnanimity on her majesty’s part. Alas! we neither knew nor -suspected what sufferings lay before us.</p> - -<p>At the close of the kabar Mr. Lambert received back the presents which -had been carried away a few days before; but not all of them, as we -could see at the first glance. I fancy, however, that the missing -articles had not been detained by the queen, but by the officers and -grandees. Prince Rakoto kept nearly the whole of his share, sending back -only a few trifles, as it seemed, in nominal acquiescence to the queen’s -wishes.</p> - -<p>All the officers and nobles among whom Mr. Lambert had distributed -presents were ordered to bring them back; but the considerable sums of -money they had received from the visitor, and of which the queen knew -nothing, remained in their possession.</p> - -<p>Within an hour we were not only to get our baggage in order, and make -the necessary preparations for our journey in the way of laying in -provisions, but likewise to pack up all the valuable articles returned -to Mr. Lambert. How to do this was the question. Most of the chests had -been broken to pieces; for, after the queen had so solemnly fetched away -the presents, who would have thought of their being sent back?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_267" id="page_267">{267}</a></span></p> - -<p>We were really in a very serious dilemma; but there was no help for it. -So Mr. Lambert looked out the costliest articles in all haste, and we -threw pell-mell into our traveling trunks whatever we could cram in, and -pressed a few of the least battered of the chests into the service; thus -in a few hours we were ready to start. Fortunately for us, the officers, -soldiers, and bearers did not interpret the queen’s commands so -literally as we should have done. They set about their preparations -deliberately enough, and the rest of the day passed without our seeing -any thing more of them. We did not set out on our journey till the next -morning; and this delay gave Mr. Lambert an opportunity of packing up -many more of the returned presents.</p> - -<p>July 18. With a truly heartfelt joy I turned my back upon a place where -I had suffered so much, and in which I heard of nothing all day long but -of poisonings and executions. This very morning, for example, a few -hours before our departure, ten Christians were put to death, with the -most frightful tortures. During their passage from the prison to the -market-place, the soldiers continually thrust at them with their spears; -and when they arrived at the place of execution, they were almost stoned -to death before their tormentors mercifully cut off the victims’ heads. -I am told that the poor creatures behaved with great fortitude, and -continued to sing hymns till they died.</p> - -<p>On our way through the city we had to pass the market-place, and -encountered this terrible spectacle as a parting scene. Involuntarily -the thought arose within me that the magnanimity of so cruel and cunning -a woman could not be greatly depended on, and that perhaps the people -might have received secret orders to fall upon us and stone us to death. -But such was not the case. The natives came flocking round in crowds to -see us, and many even accompanied us a long distance from curiosity, but -no one offered to molest or insult us in any way.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_268" id="page_268">{268}</a></span></p> - -<p>Our progress from the capital to Tamatavé was one of the most -disagreeable and toilsome journeys I had ever made; never, in all my -various wanderings, had I endured any thing like such suffering. The -queen had not dared to have us publicly executed, but we soon discovered -her object to be that we should perish on our journey from the capital. -Mr. Lambert and I were suffering severely from fever. It was very -dangerous for us to stay long in the low-lying lands, where we were -inhaling deleterious gases, and highly important that we should travel -to Tamatavé as quickly as possible, and embark without delay for the -Mauritius, in quest of a better climate, proper nursing, and, above all, -of medical assistance; for there is no physician to be found at -Tananariva, or elsewhere in Madagascar, where every person doctors -himself as best he can. But we were not allowed to proceed as we wished. -The queen had issued her orders in a very different spirit; and, instead -of accomplishing the journey in eight days, the time usually occupied, -we were made to linger fifty-three days, nearly eight weeks, on the -road. In the most pestiferous regions we were left in wretched huts for -one or two weeks at a time; and frequently, when we suffered from -violent attacks of fever, our escort dragged us from our miserable -couches, and we had to continue our journey whether the day was fine or -rainy.</p> - -<p>At Befora, one of the most unhealthy places on the whole line of -march—a squalid little village, so entirely surrounded by morasses that -it was impossible to advance fifty paces on firm ground—we were -detained eighteen entire days. Mr. Lambert endeavored by all conceivable -means to induce the commandant to accelerate our progress, and even, I -believe, offered him a considerable sum of money, but all his efforts -were vain. The queen’s orders had probably been so distinct and -peremptory that the officer dared not evade them in any way.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_269" id="page_269">{269}</a></span></p> - -<p>The huts in which we were lodged were generally in such a wretched -condition that they scarcely afforded shelter from the weather. Wind and -rain came rushing in every direction through the broken roofs and the -three half-decayed walls. To increase my sufferings, I had not even the -necessary bedding; and my warm clothes, in which I might have wrapped -myself at night, were stolen during our first day’s march. I had not, -like my companions, two or three servants, who could take care of my -things; unfortunately, I was master and servant both in one, and in my -weak state I found it impossible to attend to any thing. Whenever we -came to our resting-places I threw myself on my couch, and was often -unable to rise for days together. And what a couch it was! a thin mat, a -hard pillow, with my traveling cloak for a coverlet. One of the -missionaries afterward gave me one of his own pillows. During the whole -fifty-three days I did not change my clothes once, for my most earnest -entreaties were powerless to move the commandant to assign me a separate -place where I might dress and undress. We were thrust all together into -the same hut, however small it might be. My sufferings were beyond -description during the last three weeks, when I was unable even to raise -myself from my bed and totter a few paces.</p> - -<p>Every illness is trying; but the Madagascar fever is, perhaps, one of -the most malignant of all diseases, and in my opinion it is far more -formidable than the yellow fever or the cholera. In the two last-named -diseases the patient’s sufferings are certainly more violent, but a few -days decide the question of death or recovery, while, on the other hand, -this horrible fever hangs about those it attacks month after month. -Violent pains are felt in the lower parts of the body, frequent -vomitings ensue, with total loss of appetite, and such weakness that the -sufferer can hardly move hand or foot. At last a feeling of entire -apathy supervenes, from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_270" id="page_270">{270}</a></span> which the sick person is unable to rouse -himself by even the strongest exertion of his will. I, who had been -accustomed from my earliest childhood to employment and activity, was -now best pleased when I could lie stretched for days on my couch, sunk -in a kind of trance, and wholly indifferent to what was going on around -me. This apathy, moreover, is not peculiar to persons of my age when -attacked by this illness, but is felt by the strongest men in the prime -of life; and it continues to plague the patient, as do also the pains in -the body, long after the fever itself has left him.</p> - -<p>In the village of Eranomaro we met a French physician from the island of -Bourbon who had made an agreement with the queen and some of the nobles -to come to Tananariva for a few months every two years, bringing with -him some necessary medicaments. Mr. Lambert and I wished to consult this -gentleman on the subject of our fever, and to procure some medicine from -him. I specially stood in need of his help, for I was in far worse -health than Mr. Lambert, who only had attacks of fever once a fortnight, -while in my case they recurred every third or fourth day. The commandant -refused to allow us to go and see the physician, or to request him to -visit us, declaring that he had been imperatively commanded by the queen -herself not to let us hold communication with any one on our way, and -least of all with a European. This strictness, as we afterward learned, -was confined to ourselves, and was purposely intended to cut us off from -any assistance. Mr. Laborde, who traveled a few days’ journey in the -rear of our party, was much more leniently treated, and was allowed, on -meeting the physician, to spend a whole evening in his company.</p> - -<p>Though the journey from Tananariva to Tamatavé lasted long enough in all -conscience, I had scant opportunity of seeing any thing of the manners -and customs of the people,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_271" id="page_271">{271}</a></span> being hampered as much by my illness as by -the strict surveillance under which we were placed. What cursory -observations I could make showed me that the natives possess some very -bad qualities. They are excessively idle, very frequently intoxicate -themselves, chatter continually, and seem to be entirely destitute of -natural modesty.</p> - -<p>Thus our soldiers, who received neither provisions nor pay, and who -often suffered the greatest privations, would, I think, have died of -hunger rather than endeavor to earn any thing by any slight service. At -first I pitied the poor fellows, and bought rice and sweet potatoes for -them now and then, or made them a little present of money. When we came -to the forest region, where beautiful insects and snails were to be -found in abundance, I requested the men to procure me some specimens, -offering to pay for them in rice or money. My promises were unheeded; -not one of these people could I induce to comply. They would rather -crouch in any corner and suffer hunger than subject themselves to the -least exertion. This was not only the case among the soldiers; the -natives generally—men, women, and children—were all alike lazy. During -my first stay at Tamatavé, before visiting the capital, I had wished to -take three or four persons into monthly pay, and send them out into the -woods to collect specimens of insects, and offered four times the wages -they usually receive, promising a farther reward whenever they brought -me any thing really fine; but not a soul responded to my appeal. Just as -vainly did I display to the women and children my store of handsome -large glass beads, rings, bracelets, and similar treasures. They were -delighted with the articles, and would have been glad to possess them, -but only if I would give them away unconditionally. Never have I met -with such thoroughly indolent people. In nearly every country I visited -during my travels, and even among the quite uncivilized inhabitants of -Borneo and Sumatra, the natives<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_272" id="page_272">{272}</a></span> often helped me, of their own accord, -when they saw me searching for shells and insects, or snails; and if I -rewarded them with a trifling gift, they brought me more than I could -carry away. I thus often made valuable collections; and here, in this -unexplored country, where there must be an abundance of insect life, I -unfortunately found it impossible to obtain any thing like a respectable -show. The few specimens I possess I have been obliged, almost without -exception, to collect for myself.</p> - -<p>Drunkenness prevails throughout every district of Madagascar, with the -exception of the Emir territory, where some of the severe laws of -Dianampoiene, the founder of the Malagasey monarchy, are still observed; -among which there is one prohibiting the sale of ardent spirits, under -pain of death, and commanding the summary execution of every drunkard. -In this last-named district the people seem much more steady, orderly, -and respectable than in the others, where intemperance goes unpunished. -The favorite drink of the natives is the before-mentioned besa-besa, -prepared from the juice of the sugar-cane. In almost every village -drunkards of both sexes are seen reeling about even in the daytime; and -late at night we often heard music and singing, loud voices and -laughter, and not unfrequently quarreling and fighting.</p> - -<p>Judged by this apparently continual state of hilarity, the people here -would seem to be the happiest on earth; but the condition of the poor -creatures is that of slaves and bondmen, and, like true serfs, they seek -in the pleasures of intoxication forgetfulness of their bondage and -misery.</p> - -<p>Greatly as the Hovas and Malagaseys are addicted to drink, they are, I -think, still more fond of chattering. They seem unable to hold their -peace for two minutes together; and instead of saying their say quietly -and peaceably, they talk with such haste and eagerness, that it would -seem they thought the day too short for the interchange of their ideas.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_273" id="page_273">{273}</a></span> -Those who are not speaking keep up an almost continual laugh, so that I -often asked to be informed of the subject of their conversation, -thinking that something very witty and amusing was going on. But every -time I was assured that I was mistaken; their talking was of the most -trivial and sometimes of the most untranslatable kind, and they repeated -the same things a dozen times within the hour.</p> - -<p>An instance of the peculiar garrulousness of these people came under my -own notice. Once, at Tananariva, I sent a messenger upon some errand, -and noticed that he immediately sought for a companion. On my announcing -that I would pay one messenger, but not two, my Mercury assured me I -need not give his comrade any thing, but added that he could not think -of accomplishing his journey on a long and solitary road without having -some one to converse with, and that he should therefore give his -companion a share of the fee.</p> - -<p>Our bearers were no exception to the general rule. They chattered and -laughed without a moment’s pause, so that my poor sick head sometimes -fairly reeled. At first I fondly fancied, when we came to a steep hill, -that the exertion would make them pause. Vain hope! they panted and -groaned, but they never left off talking.</p> - -<p>I have spoken of the impudence and shamelessness of these people; but my -pen refuses to record the scenes I witnessed on this doleful journey. We -were looked upon as state prisoners, and accordingly treated with less -respect and consideration than we had received during our progress to -the capital; and the natives who escorted us showed themselves without -disguise in all their natural viciousness. Frequently I did not know -which way to look; and my companions often pronounced me fortunate in my -ignorance of the native language.</p> - -<p>At length, on the 12th of September, we arrived at Tamatavé; and we two -fever-patients, Mr. Lambert and I, had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_274" id="page_274">{274}</a></span> not done Queen Ranavola the -favor of dying, after all. It was really almost a miracle that we -escaped with our lives, and I, for my part, never expected that my weak, -exhausted frame could have endured the compulsory long delays in -unwholesome regions, the cruel usage, and the continual succession of -various hardships to which we had been subjected.</p> - -<p>Neither Mr. Lambert nor I could obtain permission to stay in -Mademoiselle Julie’s house. We were taken to a little hut, and were -there guarded with the same strictness that had been exhibited on the -whole route. The commander of the escort announced to us that we were to -quit the island by the first ship that sailed for the Mauritius, and -that he had received orders to prevent us from holding communication -with any person in Tamatavé, and to accompany us with his soldiers till -we had fairly embarked.</p> - -<p>I must say for the commandant and his officers that they fulfilled to -the very letter the orders the queen had given them; and if her majesty -of Madagascar should ever think of establishing an order of knighthood, -as she may probably some day do, they deserve to be Grand Crosses, every -one.</p> - -<p>Queen Ranavola will probably take another view of the case, and these -zealous servants will, I fancy, be very ungraciously received when they -return with the unwelcome news that Mr. Lambert and I have quitted -Madagascar alive. I am sorry for her disappointment, but am selfish -enough to think it is better that it has happened so, after all.</p> - -<p>We were fortunate enough to be detained only three days at Tamatavé. On -the 16th of September a ship was ready to sail for the Mauritius, and we -were then obliged to tear ourselves from our amiable escort and this -hospitable country. I shed no parting tear on the occasion—my heart -felt light as I stepped on board; and it was with in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_275" id="page_275">{275}</a></span>tense satisfaction -that I saw the boat containing the commandant and his men paddling back -to the shore. Nevertheless, I do not regret having undertaken this -journey, and shall do so the less if I am fortunate enough to regain my -health.</p> - -<p>In Madagascar I saw and heard more marvelous things than had come under -my notice in any other country; and if little can be said to the -advantage of the people, it must be remembered that, under the cruel, -insensate rule of Queen Ranavola, and in the entire absence of -instruction in religion and morality, no great expectations can -reasonably be formed. If Madagascar should once obtain a well-ordered, -civilized government, and should be visited by missionaries who, instead -of busying themselves with political intrigues, would devote their -energies to imparting the Christian religion, in its true sense, to the -people, a happy and flourishing kingdom may be founded in this beautiful -land: the materials of prosperity are certainly not wanting.</p> - -<p>Of our return journey to the Mauritius I have little to tell. Our -vessel, the brig “Castro,” Captain Schneider, was about as slow a sailer -as the <i>quondam</i> man-of-war which had borne us from the Mauritius to -Tamatavé about five months ago; and as the wind was not very favorable -to us, six days were consumed in the passage; but, in the enjoyment of -our newly-attained freedom, they fled blithely away.</p> - -<p>At nine o’clock in the evening of the 22d of September we arrived in the -Mauritian waters, when an accident of a highly dangerous character -occurred, which might have cost us all our lives, to the great -satisfaction, no doubt, in such an event, of Queen Ranavola. The night -being dark and cloudy, the captain determined to cast anchor, and to -have the ship taken into harbor next morning by a steam-tug. Every -preparation had been made, and they were just about to let go the -anchor, when the rudder struck with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_276" id="page_276">{276}</a></span> such violence against a rock that -it was shattered into atoms. The crash of the broken beams and planks -was so great that it seemed as though the whole vessel were going to -pieces. I was already in bed, and started up in alarm to see what could -be the matter, when I heard the shout of the second officer, “Come up -this moment, Madame Pfeiffer, if you want to be saved; the ship is -broken in two, and sinking.”</p> - -<p>I threw my cloak round me and hurried on deck. The kind officer, Mr. St. -Ange, helped me into one of the boats, and told me to sit still, and I -should be quite safe. On a closer inspection, it happily turned out that -the ship had not even sprung a leak, and that the whole damage was -limited to the loss of the rudder and the fright we had endured.</p> - -<p>The anchors were lowered, and we went quietly to bed. Next morning the -bright sunshine woke us, signals were hoisted, and a steam-tug came -puffing out to tow us into the welcome harbor of the Mauritius.</p> - -<p>My friends here were very much surprised to see me again. It appeared -that the most exaggerated reports had been received from Tamatavé of the -unfortunate issue of our undertaking. Some people gave out that Queen -Ranavola had caused all the Europeans in Tananariva to be executed; -others declared that the sentence of death had only been carried out on -Mr. Lambert, and that the rest, including myself, had been sold as -slaves; while another party maintained that we had been banished from -the country, and murdered on the journey by command of the queen.</p> - -<p>I was happily enabled to give a very practical denial to these reports; -but the danger was not yet quite past. A few days after my arrival, the -moral and physical sufferings I had undergone, added to the peculiar -effects of the fever, brought on such a severe illness that the doctors -were long doubtful about my recovery, and I should certainly have<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_277" id="page_277">{277}</a></span> died -but for the kind and active sympathy of the Moon family.</p> - -<p>Mr. Moon, a medical man and apothecary, lives in a very retired manner, -with his amiable wife, on a sugar-plantation in Vacoa. I had, my readers -will remember, spent a few very happy days with this family before my -departure for Madagascar. As soon as Mr. Moon heard that I had returned -from my journey, and was very ill, he came to the capital to take me to -his house, where I arrived almost in a dying state. To his, and to Dr. -A. Perrot’s scientific skill, and to the unceasing care bestowed upon me -in his house, I have to ascribe my recovery; and it chanced that exactly -on my sixtieth birthday, the 9th of October, 1860, I was pronounced out -of danger.</p> - -<p>May God reward Dr. Moon and his wife, and Dr. Perrot, for all they did -for me, a total stranger as I was to them!</p> - -<hr /> - -<p>Here the diary of Madame Ida Pfeiffer ends. Unhappily, the hopes -expressed in its last lines were delusive. The danger was not past; and -though the attacks of the fever left her for longer or shorter periods, -they always returned, and she never entirely recovered her health and -strength. Her stay in the Mauritius was prolonged through several -months; and the letters written by her during this period to her sons -show that she had made various plans for new voyages, none of which were -destined to be carried into effect.</p> - -<p>Thus, in a letter dated the 16th of December, 1857, she wrote:</p> - -<p>“My sufferings from fever, and especially from its effects, have been -great, and are not yet quite past; but I hope that a sea-voyage will -completely set me up. I can not go to Europe at this season of the year. -I should have to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_278" id="page_278">{278}</a></span> contend against cold and bad weather, and am not sure -if I could do so in my present state of health. To wait here for better -weather would not do, as the air of this island does not agree with me, -so I shall probably proceed to Australia.”</p> - -<p>In another letter, of the 13th of January, she says:</p> - -<p>“I hope this is the last letter I shall date from the Mauritius. I shall -really be very glad to bid farewell to this island; but the parting from -the Moon and Kerr families will be very, very bitter. If these excellent -people had not taken care of me as they did, I should certainly have -perished here. No daughter could tend her mother with greater solicitude -than Mrs. Moon evinced toward me; and, indeed, all the members of both -families have vied with each other in doing me all kinds of service. My -dear sons, store up these names in your memory; and if chance should -ever bring you together with any one belonging to either of these -households, look upon them as brothers, and esteem yourselves happy if -you can do any thing for them.</p> - -<p>“For the last three weeks my health has been improving day by day; the -fever seems at last about to quit me entirely; I can sleep now, and my -appetite is returning.</p> - -<p>“A few days ago I made the acquaintance of a young German botanist here, -Mr. Herbst. He resides at Rio de Janeiro, and has been sent by the -Brazilian government to the Mauritius and the Ile de Bourbon to collect -sugar-cane plants, to improve the species cultivated in the Brazils. He -is to take a whole cargo home with him, and hopes to arrive in Rio de -Janeiro in May. I almost intended to accompany him; but, as I do not -know if you will be there at that date, it will perhaps be better to -make the voyage to Australia first. I have met with a very good -opportunity of going to Sydney, and shall start in a few days; the -sea-voyage, and the bracing air in Australia, where I shall arrive at -the best season of the year, late in autumn, will, I<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_279" id="page_279">{279}</a></span> hope, set the seal -on my recovery, and entirely re-establish my health.”</p> - -<p>Only two days later, in a letter dated the 1st of March, she thus wrote:</p> - -<p>“I was compelled suddenly to give up my project on account of the -detestable Madagascar fever, which persists in returning, and weakens me -very much. I was ready to embark for Australia, and had sent the greater -part of my effects on board, when I was seized with a fresh attack. I -had my chest landed from the ship, and intend to start on the 8th with -the packet for London, where I shall, however, only stay a short time, -for it is my wish to get to my own home as fast as possible.”</p> - -<p>At length she quitted the Mauritius. During the tedious passage she -experienced no attack of fever, and at the beginning of the month of -June arrived in London, where she, however, only remained a few weeks. -From London she betook herself to Hamburg; but there, too, she could not -find rest; and in the month of July she went to Berlin, on the -invitation of her friend, the wife of Privy Councilor Weisz, in whose -house she was nursed with the tenderest care.</p> - -<p>Her brothers sent urgent letters, begging her to come home to her native -Vienna, and Madame Maria Reyer, the wife of her brother, Cæsar Reyer, -wished to proceed to Berlin for the express purpose of fetching her. But -she positively declined this proposal. Although her strength was waning -from day to day, she seems to have considered her illness as only -temporary, and in this belief she wrote to her brother, expressing a -hope that she should soon recover, or at least be in a better condition -for traveling, and promised them to come to Vienna.</p> - -<p>Still she seemed to yearn secretly for home; and when week after week -elapsed without bringing any improvement in her health, she had herself -conveyed to the resi<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_280" id="page_280">{280}</a></span>dence of a friend, Baroness Stem, who lived on an -estate in the neighborhood of Cracow.</p> - -<p>Her illness unhappily increased, and at last, abandoning the hope of a -speedy recovery, she consented to be removed to Vienna. Her -sister-in-law came for her; and sad indeed was the meeting with her -affectionate friend and relative, who found her in such a weak condition -as to despair of the possibility of proceeding to Vienna. But as the -physician declared that she might undertake the journey, and the sick -lady herself showed the greatest anxiety to behold her home once more, -she was taken with the greatest care, in a separate railway carriage, to -Vienna, to the house of her brother, Charles Reyer, where she arrived in -September.</p> - -<p>Here several medical consultations were held upon her case, to which her -brother summoned the most distinguished physicians of the capital. One -and all pronounced that she was suffering from cancer in the liver—a -consequence probably of the Madagascar fever; that the disease had -deranged and was destroying the internal organs, and that her malady was -incurable.</p> - -<p>Her native air seemed to do her good; for a few weeks she suffered but -little pain, and new hope awoke within her; she even spoke of -undertaking short journeys, and visiting her friends in Grätz, Trieste, -and other places. But this restlessness was probably only a symptom of -her disease, for her strength gave way more and more; violent pains came -on, which continued almost without intermission during the last four -weeks of her life, and frequently she sank into delirium.</p> - -<p>She was most affectionately tended and nursed in her brother’s house, -under the especial supervision of her sister-in-law, whose affection for -her was so great as to keep her continually by the sufferer’s bedside; -and a few days before her death she had the happiness to embrace her -eldest<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_281" id="page_281">{281}</a></span> son, who lived in Steyermark, and hastened to Vienna upon the -first intelligence of his mother’s serious illness.</p> - -<p>During the last days of her life opiates were administered to lessen her -sufferings, and in the night between the 27th and 28th of October she -expired peacefully, and apparently without pain.</p> - -<p>Her funeral took place on the 30th of the same month. Besides a very -numerous gathering of relations and personal friends, many scientific -notabilities and other distinguished inhabitants of Vienna followed her -to the grave. Peace be to her ashes!</p> - -<hr /> - -<p>Let me be permitted herewith to offer my warmest, my most heartfelt -thanks to you, dear Aunt Maria Reyer, and to you, dear Uncle Charles -Reyer, for all you did for my mother. Unhappily, I was not privileged to -hear her last words or to receive her parting glance, for I was far away -when the sad news was brought me. Through you both, I at least enjoy the -consolation of knowing that my poor mother had every care and attention -shown to her, and that she heard friendly and beloved voices around her -bed to the last.</p> - -<p>To our other relations, and the numerous friends who showed her such -true, such delicate kindness, and particularly to Mr. and Mrs. Moon, in -the Mauritius, I return my most hearty thanks. Let them be assured that -their names will ever live in my memory with the remembrance of my -beloved mother.</p> - -<p class="r"> -<span class="smcap">Oscar Pfeiffer.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="fint">THE END.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_283" id="page_283">{283}</a></span><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_282" id="page_282">{282}</a></span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="c"><i>Mr. Motley, the American historian of the United Netherlands—we owe -him English homage.</i>—<span class="smcap">London Times.</span></p> - -<p class="c">“<i>As interesting as a romance, and as reliable as a proposition of -Euclid.</i>”</p> - -<p class="cb"><big>History of<br /> The United Netherlands.</big></p> - -<p class="c"><small>FROM THE DEATH OF WILLIAM THE SILENT TO THE SYNOD OF DORT. WITH A FULL -VIEW OF THE ENGLISH-DUTCH STRUGGLE AGAINST SPAIN, AND OF THE ORIGIN AND -DESTRUCTION OF THE SPANISH ARMADA.</small></p> - -<p class="c"><span class="smcap">By</span> JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY, LL.D., D.C.L., Corresponding Member of the -Institute of France, Author of “The Rise of the Dutch Republic.”</p> - -<p class="c">With Portraits and Map.</p> - -<p class="c">2 vols. 8vo, Muslin, $4 00; Sheep, $4 50; Half Calf, $6 00.</p> - -<p class="c"><i>Critical Notices.</i></p> - -<p>His living and truthful picture of events.—<i>Quarterly Review</i> (London), -Jan., 1861.</p> - -<p>Fertile as the present age has been in historical works of the highest -merit, none of them can be ranked above these volumes in the grand -qualities of interest, accuracy, and truth.—<i>Edinburgh Quarterly -Review</i>, Jan., 1861.</p> - -<p>This noble work.—<i>Westminster Review</i> (London).</p> - -<p>One of the most fascinating as well as important histories of the -century.—<i>Cor. N. Y. Evening Post.</i></p> - -<p>The careful study of these volumes will infallibly afford a feast both -rich and rare.—<i>Baltimore Republican.</i></p> - -<p>Already takes a rank among standard works of history.—<i>London Critic.</i></p> - -<p>Mr. Motley’s prose epic.—<i>London Spectator.</i></p> - -<p>Its pages are pregnant with instruction.—<i>London Literary Gazette.</i></p> - -<p>We may profit by almost every page of his narrative. All the topics -which agitate us now are more or less vividly presented in the History -of the United Netherlands.—<i>New York Times.</i></p> - -<p>Bears on every page marks of the same vigorous mind that produced “The -Rise of the Dutch Republic;” but the new work is riper, mellower, and -though equally racy of the soil, softer flavored. The inspiring idea -which breathes through Mr. Motley’s histories and colors the whole -texture of his narrative, is the grandeur of that memorable struggle in -the 16th century by which the human mind broke the thraldom of religious -intolerance and achieved its independence.—<i>The World, N. Y.</i></p> - -<p>The name of Motley now stands in the very front rank of living -historians. His <i>Dutch Republic</i> took the world by surprise; but the -favorable verdict then given is now only the more deliberately confirmed -on the publication of the continued story under the title of the -<i>History of the United Netherlands</i>. All the nerve, and power, and -substance of juicy life are there, lending a charm to every -page.—<i>Church Journal, N. Y.</i></p> - -<p>Motley, indeed, has produced a prose epic, and his fighting scenes are -as real, spirited, and life-like as the combats in the Iliad.—<i>The -Press</i> (Phila.).</p> - -<p>His history is as interesting as a romance, and as reliable as a -proposition of Euclid. Clio never had a more faithful disciple. We -advise every reader whose means will permit to become the owner of these -fascinating volumes, assuring him that he will never regret the -investment.—<i>Christian Intelligencer, N. Y.</i></p> - -<p class="c"> -Published by HARPER & BROTHERS,<br /> -Franklin Square, New York.<br /> -</p> - -<p>☛ <span class="smcap">Harper & Brothers</span> will send the above Work by Mail, postage pre-paid -(for any distance in the United States under 3000 miles), on receipt of -the Money.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_284" id="page_284">{284}</a></span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="c">“They do honor to American Literature, and would do honor to the -Literature of any Country in the World.”</p> - -<p class="cb"><big>THE RISE OF <br />THE DUTCH REPUBLIC.</big><br /> -<span class="eng">A history.</span></p> - -<p class="c"><span class="smcap">By</span> JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">New Edition. With a Portrait of <span class="smcap">William of Orange</span>. 3 vols. 8vo, -Muslin, $6 00; Sheep, $6 75; Half Calf antique, $9 00; Half Calf, -extra gilt, $10 50.</p></div> - -<p>We regard this work as the best contribution to modern history that has -yet been made by an American.—<i>Methodist Quarterly Review.</i></p> - -<p>The “History of the Dutch Republic” is a great gift to us; but the heart -and earnestness that beat through all its pages are greater, for they -give us most timely inspiration to vindicate the true ideas of our -country, and to compose an able history of our own.—<i>Christian -Examiner</i> (Boston).</p> - -<p>This work bears on its face the evidences of scholarship and research. -The arrangement is clear and effective; the style energetic, lively, and -often brilliant. * * * Mr. Motley’s instructive volumes will, we trust, -have a circulation commensurate with their interest and -value.—<i>Protestant Episcopal Quarterly Review.</i></p> - -<p>To the illustration of this most interesting period Mr. Motley has -brought the matured powers of a vigorous and brilliant mind, and the -abundant fruits of patient and judicious study and deep reflection. The -result is, one of the most important contributions to historical -literature that have been made in this country.—<i>North American -Review.</i></p> - -<p>We would conclude this notice by earnestly recommending our readers to -procure for themselves this truly great and admirable work, by the -production of which the author has conferred no less honor upon his -country than he has won praise and fame for himself, and than which, we -can assure them, they can find nothing more attractive or interesting -within the compass of modern literature.—<i>Evangelical Review.</i></p> - -<p>It is not often that we have the pleasure of commending to the attention -of the lover of books a work of such extraordinary and unexceptionable -excellence as this one.—<i>Universalist Quarterly Review.</i></p> - -<p>There are an elevation and a classic polish in these volumes, and a -felicity of grouping and of portraiture, which invest the subject with -the attractions of a living and stirring episode in the grand historic -drama.—<i>Southern Methodist Quarterly Review.</i></p> - -<p>The author writes with a genial glow and love of his -subject.—<i>Presbyterian Quarterly Review.</i></p> - -<p>Mr. Motley is a sturdy Republican and a hearty Protestant. His style is -lively and picturesque, and his work is an honor and an important -accession to our national literature.—<i>Church Review.</i></p> - -<p>Mr. Motley’s work is an important one, the result of profound research, -sincere convictions, sound principles, and manly sentiments; and even -those who are most familiar with the history of the period will find in -it a fresh and vivid addition to their previous knowledge. It does honor -to American literature, and would do honor to the literature of any -country in the world.—<i>Edinburgh Review.</i></p> - -<p>A serious chasm in English historical literature has been (by this book) -very remarkably filled. * * * A history as complete as industry and -genius can make it now lies before us, of the first twenty years of the -revolt of the United Provinces. * * * All the essentials of a great -writer Mr. Motley eminently possesses. His mind is broad, his industry -unwearied. In power of dramatic description no modern historian, except, -perhaps, Mr. Carlyle, surpasses him, and in analysis of character he is -elaborate and distinct.—<i>Westminster Review.</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_285" id="page_285">{285}</a></span></p> - -<p>It is a work of real historical value, the result of accurate criticism, -written in a liberal spirit, and from first to last deeply -interesting.—<i>Athenæum.</i></p> - -<p>The style is excellent, clear, vivid, eloquent; and the industry with -which original sources have been investigated, and through which new -light has been shed over perplexed incidents and characters, entitles -Mr. Motley to a high rank in the literature of an age peculiarly rich in -history.—<i>North British Review.</i></p> - -<p>It abounds in new information, and, as a first work, commands a very -cordial recognition, not merely of the promise it gives, but of the -extent and importance of the labor actually performed on it.—<i>London -Examiner.</i></p> - -<p>Mr. Motley’s “History” is a work of which any country might be -proud.—<i>Press</i> (London).</p> - -<p>Mr. Motley’s History will be a standard book of reference in historical -literature.—<i>London Literary Gazette.</i></p> - -<p>Mr. Motley has searched the whole range of historical documents -necessary to the composition of his work.—<i>London Leader.</i></p> - -<p>This is really a great work. It belongs to the class of books in which -we range our Grotes, Milmans, Merivales, and Macaulays, as the glories -of English literature in the department of history. * * * Mr. Motley’s -gifts as a historical writer are among the highest and -rarest.—<i>Nonconformist</i> (London).</p> - -<p>Mr. Motley’s volumes will well repay perusal. * * * For his learning, -his liberal tone, and his generous enthusiasm, we heartily commend him, -and bid him good speed for the remainder of his interesting and heroic -narrative.—<i>Saturday Review.</i></p> - -<p>The story is a noble one, and is worthily treated. * * * Mr. Motley has -had the patience to unravel, with unfailing perseverance, the thousand -intricate plots of the adversaries of the Prince of Orange; but the -details and the literal extracts which he has derived from original -documents, and transferred to his pages, give a truthful color and a -picturesque effect, which are especially charming.—<i>London Daily News.</i></p> - -<p>M. Lothrop Motley dans son magnifique tableau de la formation de notre -République.—<span class="smcap">G. Groen Van Prinsterer.</span></p> - -<p>Our accomplished countryman, Mr. J. Lothrop Motley, who, during the last -five years, for the better prosecution of his labors, has established -his residence in the neighborhood of the scenes of his narrative. No one -acquainted with the fine powers of mind possessed by this scholar, and -the earnestness with which he has devoted himself to the task, can doubt -that he will do full justice to his important but difficult subject—<span class="smcap">W. -H. Prescott.</span></p> - -<p>The production of such a work as this astonishes, while it gratifies the -pride of the American reader.—<i>N. Y. Observer.</i></p> - -<p>The “Rise of the Dutch Republic” at once, and by acclamation, takes its -place by the “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” as a work which, -whether for research, substance, or style, will never be -superseded.—<i>N. Y. Albion.</i></p> - -<p>A work upon which all who read the English language may congratulate -themselves.—<i>New Yorker Handels Zeitung.</i></p> - -<p>Mr. Motley’s place is now (alluding to this book) with Hallam and Lord -Mahon, Alison and Macaulay in the Old Country, and with Washington -Irving, Prescott, and Bancroft in this.—<i>N. Y. Times.</i></p> - -<p>THE authority, in the English tongue, for the history of the period and -people to which it refers.—<i>N. Y. Courier and Enquirer.</i></p> - -<p>This work at once places the author on the list of American historians -which has been so signally illustrated by the names of Irving, Prescott, -Bancroft, and Hildreth.—<i>Boston Times.</i></p> - -<p>The work is a noble one, and a most desirable acquisition to our -historical literature.—<i>Mobile Advertiser.</i></p> - -<p>Such a work is an honor to its author, to his country, and to the age in -which it was written.—<i>Ohio Farmer.</i></p> - -<p class="c"> -<i>Published by HARPER & BROTHERS,<br /> -Franklin Square, New York.</i><br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Harper & Brothers</span> will send the above Work by Mail (postage paid for any -distance in the United States under 8000 miles), on receipt of the -Money.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_286" id="page_286">{286}</a></span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="cb"><big>CURTIS’S HISTORY<br /> OF THE<br /> -C O N S T I T U T I O N.</big></p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangg">HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN, FORMATION, AND ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION -OF THE UNITED STATES. By <span class="smcap">George Ticknor Curtis</span>. Complete in 2 vols. -8vo, Muslin, $4 00; Law Sheep, $5 00; Half Calf, $6 00.</p></div> - -<p>A book so thorough as this in the comprehension of its subject, so -impartial in the summing up of its judgments, so well considered in its -method, and so truthful in its matter, may safely challenge the most -exhaustive criticism. The Constitutional History of our country has not -before been made the subject of a special treatise. We may congratulate -ourselves that an author has been found so capable to do full justice to -it; for that the work will take its rank among the received text-books -of our political literature will be questioned by no one who has given -it a careful perusal.—<i>National Intelligencer.</i></p> - -<p>We know of no person who is better qualified (now that the late Daniel -Webster is no more), to undertake this important history.—<i>Boston -Journal.</i></p> - -<p>It will take its place among the classics of American -literature.—<i>Boston Courier.</i></p> - -<p>The author has given years to the preliminary studies, and nothing has -escaped him in the patient and conscientious researches to which he has -devoted so ample a portion of time. Indeed, the work has been so -thoroughly performed that it will never need to be done over again; for -the sources have been exhausted, and the materials put together with so -much judgment and artistic skill that taste and the sense of -completeness are entirely satisfied.—<i>N. Y. Daily Times.</i></p> - -<p>A most important and valuable contribution to the historical and -political literature of the United States. All publicists and students -of public law will be grateful to Mr. Curtis for the diligence and -assiduity with which he has wrought out the great mine of diplomatic -lore in which the foundations of the American Constitution are laid, and -for the light he has thrown on his wide and arduous subject.—<i>London -Morning Chronicle.</i></p> - -<p>To trace the history of the formation of the Constitution, and explain -the circumstances of the time and country out of which its various -provisions grew, is a task worthy of the highest talent. To have -performed that task in a satisfactory manner is an achievement with -which an honorable ambition may well be gratified. We can honestly say -that in our opinion Mr. Curtis has fairly won this distinction.—<i>N. Y. -Courier and Enquirer.</i></p> - -<p>We have seen no history which surpasses it in the essential qualities of -a standard work destined to hold a permanent place in the impartial -judgment of future generations.—<i>Boston Traveler.</i></p> - -<p>Should the second volume sustain the character of the first, we hazard -nothing in claiming for the entire publication the character of a -standard work. It will furnish the only sure guide to the interpretation -of the Constitution, by unfolding historically the wants it was intended -to supply, and the evils which it was intended to remedy.—<i>Boston Daily -Advertiser.</i></p> - -<p>This volume is an important contribution to our constitutional and -historical literature. * * * Every true friend of the Constitution will -gladly welcome it. The author has presented a narrative clear and -interesting. 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Mr. Lambert had a slight attack -of it on the second day of our arrival at Tananariva, and afterward both -he and I suffered terribly from it.</p></div> - -</div> -<hr class="full" /> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The last travels of Ida Pfeiffer: -inclusive of a visit to Madagasca, by Ida Pfeiffer - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LAST TRAVELS *** - -***** This file should be named 60474-h.htm or 60474-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/4/7/60474/ - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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