92 VISITS TO Mx?lDAGASCAR. chap. iv. 



viz., the 24th of December, the air was unusually oppressive, 

 and there were indications of an approaching hurricane. The 

 ships in the harbour lowered their upper masts and yards, 

 but towards evening the atmosphere became more settled, 

 and the next day, which was Sunday, and also Christmas 

 Day, though hot, was remarkably fine. I went out to Mr. 

 Kelsey's, into whose family circle I was admitted as one of 

 their Christmas party. Between nine and ten I returned, 

 greatly enjoying my walk. The mild, soft, fragrant atmo- 

 sphere, and the bright starlight of a cloudless sky, render the 

 evenings here unspeakably refreshing and pleasant, after the 

 fierce burning heat of the day. 



My friend, Mr. Kelsey, having arranged to take his usual 

 New Year's holiday on the 31st of December, and having 

 kindly included me in the family party, I was glad to obtain 

 a seat on the box of their carriage as we drove away from 

 Latanier, his residence, soon after six o'clock. It was Satur- 

 day, market day, and for some time I could do little more 

 than gaze at the diversified forms, faces, costumes, and vehi- 

 cles which thronged the road leading to Port Louis. Amongst 

 these were Indians in their holiday dresses of white and 

 scarlet; others heavily laden with large baskets full of 

 bananas, mangoes, pine apples, or peaches, on their heads ; 

 and numbers of Chinese literally bending under the weight of 

 their load of fruit or vegetables, with perhaps half a dozen 

 fowls tied at the top. The Indians and Africans carry their 

 loads on their heads, but the Chinese carry theirs at the ends 

 of an elastic stick borne across the shoulders. These, in an 

 almost uninterrupted stream, occupied the sides of the road, 

 while the centre was traversed by a constant succession of 

 large carts loaded with sugar, and drawn by males or bullocks ; 

 besides which were the cabriolets and gigs of the planters or 

 merchants. 



After proceeding for some miles in a southerly direction 



