376 VISITS TO JIADAGASCAR. chap. xiv. 



four deep, with a band on the east side. The soldiers wore 

 the white cloth round the waist, with white cross-belts upon 

 theu' brown skins, and were certainly tall, athletic-looking 

 men. The commanding officer, a man beyond the middle 

 age, but active and vigorous, wore a silk shawl wound like a 

 loose turban on his head, a finely-figured shirt, a handsome 

 silk lamba or scarf round his waist as a sash, the fringed ends 

 reaching to his ankles, and carried in his hand a bright, 

 highly-ornamented scimitar. As the military evolutions were 

 not finished, we halted for a short time about half-way across 

 the court, and then proceeded to the position appointed us 

 within*three or four yards of the soldiers, and in front of the 

 long wide verandah under which the queen and her court 

 were assembled. We all bowed to the queen, pronouncing 

 the salutation " Tsara, tsara, tompoko : " — " It is well, it is 

 well, sovereign." We then turned to the east, and bowed 

 to the tomb of Eadama, a small square stone building 

 on the side of the court. We were then conducted to our 

 appointed places. I was placed in the centre, immediately 

 before the queen, with an interpreter on each side. Two 

 French gentlemen residing in the capital had been invited 

 to be present. M. Laborde, a French Eesident, stood 

 on the right of one of the interpreters, and M. Fenez, a 

 French Eoman Catholic priest, a stout, good-natured-looking 

 man, on the left. He was residing with M. Laborde, and had 

 been introduced to me as M. Hervier. M. Laborde's costume 

 was in excellent style; and M. Hervier, the priest, wore a 

 dress coat and silk embroidered waistcoat. The interpreters, 

 officers who had been educated in England, kept me so 

 promptly informed as to what I was to do, that I felt re- 

 lieved from all apprehension of any gross violation of court 

 etiquette. 



It was now intimated that I must speak, and offer the 

 hasina, or customary offering, without which no stranger 



