A LEGEND OF MADAGASCAR 103 



ever ignorant of the white man's arts, all contrived even 

 then to transport puncheons of rum through swamp and 

 jungle for occasions like this. Now and again persons dis- 

 tinguished from the throng by costlier dress and ornaments 

 were escorted to the spot and they drank with ceremonies. 

 Wilson did not like the prospect. His companion had 

 broken loose once before under a similar temptation. But 

 there was no help. 



Presently the Chamberlain, so to call him, approached 

 with a number of officers, and invited them to attend the 

 Prince. They found that potentate sitting at the end of a 

 long file of chiefs. The floor of the hall was covered with 

 snowy mats, which set off the beauty of their many-coloured 

 robes. Beside the Prince squatted a pleasant-looking man in 

 pink vest and white lamba. He wore a broad-brimmed hat 

 of silky felt, black, with a band of gold lace, contrasting at 

 every point with the showily-dressed chiefs around. This, 

 they knew, must be the high priest, the Sikidy. The Prince 

 received them courteously, but since their interpreter knew 

 but little French, and less, as it seems, of the language of 

 this tribe, communication was limited to the forms of polite- 

 ness. Then slaves brought in the feast, setting great iron 

 dishes on the mats all along the row. Simultaneously the 

 band struck up, and women began singing at the top of their 

 voices. 



The heat, the smell, the noise, the excitement of the 

 scene were intoxicating without alcohol. But rum flowed 

 literally in buckets, and palm wine several days old, which 

 is even stronger. Wilson ventured to urge caution after a 

 while, and at length Leboeuf tore himself away. Men came 

 and went all the time, so their departure was unnoticed. 



They reached the hut of boughs, now finished. Leboeuf 

 threw himself down and slept ; relieved of anxiety, Wilson 

 set off to gather orchids. Malela appears to be a fine 



