CHAP. II. VISIT OF PORT OFFICERS. 23 



their queen were the laws of Madagascar, and if any one 

 wanted to live there thej must be subject to the queen's 

 laws ; if not, they must leave the country. 



This, and much more to the same effect, we did not attempt 

 to dispute, but asked a few questions respecting the general 

 state of the country and people. When these officials left us, we 

 sent to the governor the letter which Mr. Cameron and I had 

 written to the queen, asking permission to pay a visit of friend- 

 ship to the capital : a note at the same time was sent to the 

 governor, asking him to forward our letters, and one which 

 Mr. Cameron wrote to his friends there, explaining more 

 fully the object of our visit to Antananarivo. A number of 

 letters were also sent on shore for the French traders, and 

 some of the natives. The captain said he should only deliver 

 the letter from the merchants to an officer sent especially by 

 the governor to receive it. The harbour master said he 

 might as well forward it by them, as the governor would send 

 one of the officers then present for it. But as the captain said 

 his instructions were specific to deliver it only to an officer sent 

 by the governor for that purpose, the party returned to the 

 shore,promising to consider a request we had made for fresh pro- 

 visions during the time we might have to wait for the queen's 

 reply to our letter. In about an hour, one of the younger 

 officers, having been sent by the governor, came on board and 

 received from the captain the letter and memorial of the mer- 

 chants ; for which he wrote and signed in a good plain hand, 

 a receipt in the native language. Mr. Cameron was not recog- 

 nised by any of the natives who came on board, nor did the 

 harbour master remember having seen me, though I had 

 been frequently with him when he was in England. 



During the rest of this day crowds of people appeared at 

 intervals on the beach, but there was no further communi- 

 cation between the shore and the ship; and when the still 

 calm evening came, and the shadows of night were silently 



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