CHAP. XV. REGRETS ON ACCOUNT OF MY DEPARTURE. 405 



jesty for her kind attentions and hospitality and the presents 

 she had given me, and said I hoped to be ready in eight 

 days. 



It was intimated that had I asked for a shorter time it 

 might have been approved, as the queen had directed that 

 Mr. Cameron should be told, in answer to his letter from the 

 Cape, that he might stay six months ; but I had asked to ex- 

 tend my visit to ten months. I said I should be unwdlling to 

 return in the midst of the fever season, and therefore thought 

 it more frank to ask at once for the period during which I 

 wished to stay, as I would rather leave now than at any inter- 

 mediate time. The officers then left. I knew that the wife 

 of the chief officer had experienced relief from her sufferings 

 after the medicine I had given her, so that I was not sur- 

 prised at the regret he seemed to feel on account of the mes- 

 sage he had to deliver. 



I had a long and deeply affecting conversation with the 

 friends who visited me in the evening. The prospect of my 

 approaching departure was to them exceedingly painful ; but 

 they expressed themselves grateful for the intercourse we had 

 held, and promised to give increased diligence to complete, 

 before my departure, some accounts of the principal events 

 which have occurred amongst them during the last twenty 

 years. Many of them urged important inquiries respecting 

 their future progress ; and the grief of all at the prospect of 

 my departui-e was truly distressing. I endeavoured to en- 

 courage them, and offered such advice as seemed best suited 

 to their peculiar circumstances. 



The next day I employed myself, when not occupied with 

 visitors and applicants for medicine, in experiments ; and in 

 the afternoon, after adding full one third part of the vinegar 

 to the ordinary pyrogallic mixture, I succeeded in getting a 

 tolerably good negative of the young chief who had accom- 

 panied me from Tamatave. I also received a note saying that 



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