96 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. chap. iv. 



vegetables, or poultry for sale, and in almost every one of 

 these baskets a child's toy was to be seen. Sometimes the 

 leg of a wooden horse, a painted waggon, a drum, or the long 

 tin barrel of a painted gun would protrude from beneath a 

 handkerchief, or other loose wrapper. Besides these there 

 were dressed dolls without number in the carriages, as well 

 as in the baskets of the pedestrians ; and it spoke well for 

 the social affections of the labouring classes, that their little 

 ones received so large a share of consideration. Indeed it 

 struck me that the people generally appeared fond of their 

 children, and, were it not for the influence exerted to dissuade 

 the parents from sending them to the government schools, 

 the advancement of the whole race would be much more rapid 

 than it is. 



I reached home about seven in the evening, and in the 

 review of the year thus brought to its close felt abundant 

 cause for grateful acknowledgment of Divine goodness. 



The first day of 1854 was a Sabbath day. The chapel 

 in which M. Le Brun preached on this day was densely 

 crowded. The seats along the aisles were filled ; and num- 

 bers sat on the pulpit stairs. There was also a larger at- 

 tendance than usual at the Port office, and the attendance 

 at the communion service in the afternoon was numerous, 

 many appearing to be deeply impressed with the solemnity of 

 the occasion. 



After preaching in the forenoon I visited the hospital, and, 

 on returning home, found the thermometer standing at 88° 

 in the coolest part of the house. Sometimes it was higher 

 than this, but I scarcely ever felt more oppressed by the 

 heat than on this day. The air seemed to scorch the nostrils 

 and lips in breathing. A strange contrast, I found after- 

 wards, was presented by my account of the temperature, and 

 that which my friends in England experienced on the same 

 day. 



