200 AUGUSTINE BAY. 



Often, while we lay in port, the up-river chief 

 and his dusky queen and their suite came off to 

 visit us. We counted that no serious affliction, 

 for in Madagascar you can entertain royalty on 

 a very slender outlay. We would put a huge 

 wash-tub on the quarter deck, pour two or three 

 pails of water into it, sweeten the water with a 

 quart of molasses, and add ten or a dozen pounds 

 of ship's biscuit. The royal cortege would squat 

 round the tub — a guzzling, grinning, jabbering 

 ring of boobies — thinking themselves lavishly 

 entertained. 



Big fun we called that. But that was not our 

 only sport at Augustine Bay. In fact it was 

 as nothing beside our mischievous practice of 

 medicine. 



One day a native came aboard clutching his 

 aching belly, and groaning in misery. I knew 

 what he wanted, and gave him a nip of New 

 England rum. Instantaneous cure ! 



Next day, however, Mr. Fuzzy came back for 

 further treatment. His case was serious. He 

 said he had been ill for a year. One dose was 

 not enough to eradicate a chronic disorder. Of 

 course not, who ever said it was ? 



I therefore turned my patient over to the mate, 

 who saw a chance to make something out of the 



