cii.u-. XIII. PRESENTS FROM THE TRINCE AND PRINCESS. 357 



handed to the widow. She also kissed it and wept ; then 

 laid it doA\Ti, and bent over her baby and wept. I could not 

 restrain my own feelings. At length the father and mother 

 both said, "We are glad to see you, though we weep; we 

 shall never see him again, but we see you. You were his 

 friend : he loved you." I said, " Not more than I loved him." 

 Again they wept. After a while the father said they must 

 leave ; but, as they lived near, they would come again. I 

 said I should always be glad to see them ; and on my asking 

 if they would take one of the portraits, or if I should put it 

 in a frame for them, they all said, " Put it in a frame for us. 

 It will preserve it." 



Before the close of the day, three officers came from the 

 prince and his wife, the Princess Eabodo, the daughter of the 

 queen's eldest sister, with a present of an ox, a quantity of 

 poultry, rice, and eggs ; and Avith friendly inquiries. After 

 conversing some time they retired, with my acknowledgments 

 of the kindness of the prince and princess. I had scarcely 

 finished my dinner, when another party of officers came from 

 the commander-in-chief, one of the highest officers of the 

 government, with a present of a sheep, poultry, &c. The 

 officers were very intelligent and interesting men, and I was 

 much gratified Avith the intercourse which their visit affijrded. 

 In the course of the evening one of the officers of the palace 

 came. He said the queen had expressed herself perfectly 

 satisfied with my coming, and pleased with the communi- 

 cations of which I was the bearer. She said it was only like 

 the English, for the king of England had been the first to 

 make friendship with Eadama, and that Queen Victoria did 

 not change. The officers had also all expressed themselves 

 pleased with these communications. He inquired about the 

 presents I had brought. I said that, besides one confided to 

 my care by the governor of Mauritius, I had a few articles, 

 but was afraid the}'^ would be very inadequate when compared 



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