CAPE ST. MARY'S. 97 



J TI a short time my arm assumed a purple color, 

 and became slightly swollen. At first I experi- 

 enced a titillating sensation, which, however, soon 

 changed to a violent throbbing pain, and shortly 

 a lump about as large as a peach appeared undei 

 my arm-pit. The pain lasted about an hour, when 

 it gradually subsided, and in two hours more, all 

 evidences of the poison had disappeared. 



It was the intention of our captain to make the 

 coast of Madagascar, about Cape St. Mary's, its 

 southern extremity ; and taking thence a fresh 

 departure, to cruise slowly up the Mozambique 

 channel. Accordingly, a few days after we had 

 entered upon our regular cruising tactics, the cry 

 of " Land ho ! " broke upon the dull monotony of 

 our life, and in a few hours we were close to a 

 bold, barren bluff, which we were informed was 

 the southern extremity of Madagascar. I viewed 

 it with a great deal of interest, for it was a land 

 I had long desired to see, having while yet at 

 home, read much of its inhabitants, of its good 

 king Radama, and of the persecutions suffered by 

 the missionaries and native Christians, after his 

 death. 



Standing *ff again, after approaching sufficiently 

 near to see distinctly all objects on the shore which, 

 however, was to all appearance entirely desert, 

 the vessel was now headed for the coast of Africa, 

 distant from this point of Madagascar about one 

 Yundred and seventy miles. 



Bach day the officers now became more ar xi ous 

 7 



