274 AN OBJECT OF WONDER 



from the other children in their dress, having scarlet caps, with 

 a long veil behind of coloured print, jackets of figured stuff 

 and a skirt of scarlet or a broad girdle of the same colour. 

 Afterwards they were mounted on the shoulders of two stout 

 girls, who went through the same performance with their feet, 

 while the little girls moved their hands and arms. 



At a village where we stayed it was the custom that no bird 

 or animal could be killed for food except by someone belonging 

 to the family of the native king. This agrees with what is 

 stated by Drury and other early writers on Madagascar as to 

 the customs of many tribes in the south-west of the island. 



On 22nd and 23rd July, Saturday and Sunday, we had two 

 long and very fatiguing journeys, the more so as our maps were 

 of the vaguest description, and we could get no accurate in- 

 formation as to distances or villages ; rice for our bearers was 

 not at all easy to procure, and when crossing rivers, a single 

 canoe for fifty men and a quantity of baggage often delayed 

 us very seriously. On the Saturday morning we met a wheeled 

 vehicle, the first I had ever seen in Madagascar viz. a cart 

 drawn by yoked oxen ; this excited much wonder among our 

 men. We had to cross rivers or wide lagoons five times that 

 day, so that late in the afternoon we still saw no stopping- 

 place. But as we understood that that was a small village two 

 or three hours farther on, and that the road was along the 

 shore, we thought we could not miss it even if it was late. So 

 we went along the sands ; the sun set, and it grew dark, but 

 there was no sign of any village ; then the path turned inland 

 among the bush, where we went on feeling our way for some 

 time. But at last we got hopelessly adrift in the dense vegeta- 

 tion and total darkness. There was no help for it but to re- 

 trace our steps to the shore, which we did, not without great 

 difficulty. It seemed highly probable that we should have to 

 spend the night under the trees, without food, fire, or light, 

 as our baggage had gone on ahead. Continually we mistook 

 the light of the fireflies for a lantern coming to our assistance ; 

 but still going on we saw at last a light ahead, steadier and 

 redder than that of the fireflies. Then we lost it, but going on 

 again we at length came up to the embers of a fire lighted on the 

 sand. Opposite was a path leading up to four little huts, where 

 most of our men had arrived, and where we got better accom- 



