cii-vr. XIV. BREAKFAST WITH THE FRENCH RESIDENTS. 333 



drinking, stating that I did not drink wine, but cordiall}' 

 joined in the sentiment of the toast. The next toast was tlie 

 Prince. I was sitting next to him, and when all rose, he 

 said, " Drink or not, as you like." I did not drink, but in- 

 timated my concurrence in the toast, which he acknowledged. 

 In conversation respecting the climate, our host said that the 

 central provinces were remarkably healthy, and that thin ice 

 was sometimes seen in the mountains. We also talked about 

 France, as M. Laborde said his father lived at Pau, where I 

 had passed two winters. There were many kinds of wine on 

 the table, as well as abundance of viands, and plenty of healths 

 were drunk, including those of Queen Victoria, the Emperor 

 of the French, and the Queen of Madagascar. Towards the 

 close of the breakfast, our host suggested to the Catholic 

 priest to propose my health as their welcome guest ; but as 

 the priest did not appear to have heard him, M. Laborde 

 himself proposed it, observing that I was not a stranger, but 

 a friend, at the same time ordering the band to play the 

 English " God save the Queen " and " Kule Britannia." 

 Water-cresses, salad, fresh butter, preserves, &c., were served, 

 followed by dessert, and what the French never fail to pro- 

 vide, in every part of the world, a cup of good coffee. 



Our conversation was chiefly about the politics of Europe 

 and the late war, and the prince was unusually animated. 

 Between one and two we took leave of our host and his 

 friends, who expressed their hope of our meeting again soon. 

 I walked home. The prince sent away his palanquin, took 

 my arm, and accompanied me to my residence. Here he dis- 

 missed his attendants, except one of his aides-de-camp and 

 an officer of the palace, who accompanied him into the house, 

 where we were soon engaged in grave and earnest conversa- 

 tion on subjects intimately connected with the prosperity of 

 his country. He spoke feelingly of the difficulties which im- 

 peded improvement amongst the Malagasy, and made many 



