cuAP. XIV. APPLICATIONS FOR MEDICAL AID. 389 



The chief officer again rose, and said the Queen of Mada- 

 gascar desired to be friendly with all foreign nations ; that 

 she regarded none as her enemies ; and wished to maintain 

 friendly intercourse with the people of all countries. 



Soon afterwards the conversation ended, and the company 

 separated. As we went out, M. Laborde, accompanied by his 

 son and the priest, took my arm in his, and led the way to 

 my palanquin, where we parted with mutual salutations. 



Without any pretension to a knowledge of medicine beyond 

 such as had been acquired from books, by a few months' 

 attendance at a colonial dispensary, and nearly ten years' 

 residence in a place where there was no Em'opean medical 

 practitioner, even to meet the requirements of my own family, 

 1 had taken out wth me to ^Madagascar a small quantity of 

 the most common and useful medicines, and had often found 

 them very acceptable to the foreigners as well as the natives. 

 The examiners at the native Custom House had opened the 

 case containing these, and also my photographic chemicals ; 

 and as everything of the kind was supposed to be medicine, 

 my supply was considered to be abundant, and applications 

 were proportionately frequent. Madagascar appears to be 

 rich in medicinal plants. The natives are acquainted wdth 

 the properties of many ; but they are very anxious to obtain 

 European medicine, and even send occasionally to Mauritius 

 for a supply. Since my arrival at the capital, applications for 

 medicine had been numerous : and before sunrise one morninsf 

 a note was brought while I was dressing, informing me that 

 the bearer was an officer of rank, and would be glad if I 

 could render him any medical assistance. He himself was 

 outside in his palanquin. In a short time he entered, accom- 

 panied by two chiefs and followed by attendants. I found he 

 had been one of the youths placed by Kadama on board 

 English ships of war to learn seamanship, and that he had 

 been several years in a vessel commanded by Commodore 



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