A SABBATH IN MADAGASCAR. 207 



than half past four, and after eating breakfast, 

 began the day by a thorough wash and a shave, the 

 latter more as a means of cultivating my dilatory 

 and impatiently longed-for beard, than from any 

 real benefit to be derived from the operation, in 

 appearance or feelings. 



Having donned a clean suit, a real luxury, ai^d 

 Bet fire to a cigar which I found in a corner of my" 

 chest, I set out for the shore, in company with 

 two Portuguese, determined on a tour of explo- 

 ration. We had armed ourselves with boat-hooks 

 and clubs, to kill the serpents which we should 

 doubtless meet on the way, and now set out in 

 high spirits. Unluckily, I was unable to wear 

 boots, on account of sore feet, obtained by constant 

 immersion in water, in the boats. So after pene- 

 trating a few rods into the jungle, I was compelled 

 rather unwillingly to return to the beach. 



My companions, who proceeded, did not fall in 

 with anything during half a day's ramble, but 

 half a dozen serpents, and a lemon tree. They 

 brought down their hats full of cooling, delicious 

 lemons, which were soon turned into lemonade. 



Meanwhile, the time hanging rather heavily 

 upon my hands, I was tempted to a closer ex- 

 amination of a large ant's nest, which was pen- 

 dant from the bough of a tiee near the waterside, 

 Climbing up this tree, I was shortly within reach 

 of the nest, but had no sooner laid hands on it, 

 with the design of plucking it off, (it was a mass 

 a* large as half a barrel), than its irrascible tenants 



