154 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. chap. vi. 



engaged our attention. The opinions entertained, the usages 

 observed, the course of procedure followed by individuals 

 or communities in other Christian countries, were all matters 

 of lively interest to them ; and, to the best of my ability, I 

 endeavoured to give them, on these and similar subjects, 

 such information as seemed most likely to be useful as well 

 as interesting to them. 



The subject of general education was always a welcome 

 and interesting topic. Many seemed anxious also to know 

 more of the world, as well as the condition and pursuits of 

 its various inhabitants ; and I often regretted that I had not 

 with me an atlas, some good maps, or a globe, which might, 

 at one view, have corrected many of their erroneous ideas on 

 questions of geography ; while the same means might have 

 given them more correct ideas of the general outline, relative 

 position, and extent of the several portions of our globe. The 

 war with the Russians, which about this time commenced, 

 though naturally a subject of great excitement, and of fre- 

 quent conversation among the foreigners residing on the 

 island or visiting the port, did not appear to interest the 

 people so much as some of the reports they had heard of rail- 

 ways and steam navigation, or the electric telegraph. I did 

 not hear that a steam-vessel had ever visited Tamatave. 



In answer to my inquiries, I learned that although there 

 were no longer any public schools, most of the intelligent 

 members of the community were deeply sensible of the value 

 of education, and that the chiefs, and others who were able 

 to read, used their best endeavours to teach their own chil- 

 dren. I was also informed, but am not certain how correctly, 

 that books with the words arranged in lines extending across 

 the page were prohibited ; but that books with the words 

 arranged in columns — I suppose spelling-books — would be 

 gladly received. 



I was naturally led to make many inquiries respecting the 



