A ROYAL JOURNEY. 321 



And in the preparations for these journeys we always have 

 illustrations of many Scripture passages. As there are no 

 roads, properly speaking, in Madagascar, the local authorities 

 along the- line of march are responsible for improving the 

 paths, or, in many places, for making an altogether new road. 

 The elevations are cut down, the hollows filled up, timber 

 bridges are constructed, and the jungly grass and thickets are 

 cleared out of the way. It is, in short, an exact illustration 

 of the words, " Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight 

 in the desert a highway. Every valley shall be exalted, and 

 every mountain and hill shall be made low ; and the crooked 

 shall be made straight, and the rough places plain " (Isa. xl. 

 3, 4). At every halting-place on the journey the camp is 

 formed with most scrupulous care and order : the royal scarlet 

 tent in the' centre, and around it its court ; opposite the 

 entrance are the tents of the chief officers of state, and then 

 in regular order on all four sides are those cf the different 

 tribes and ranks of the people. The whole, when viewed from 

 an elevation, bears a striking resemblance to the camp of the 

 Israelites, as it must have appeared on their march through the 

 desert. 



Throughout the whole of the East it is indispensable, when 

 seeking an interview with a person of authority or influence, 

 that a present be brought to propitiate his favour ; for " a 

 man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before 

 great men " (Prov. xviii. 1 6). It is exactly the same in 

 Madagascar; nor can these presents be properly termed 

 bribes, for as the majority of Government officials have no 

 regular or fixed salary, such presents are one of the chief 

 means they have of keeping up their position. So much 

 is this the custom that, even when coming to see us, their 

 missionaries, the people usually bring some little offering — a 

 bunch of bananas, half a dozen oranges, or other fruit, or a 

 young fowl ; and if they have nothing they make an elaborate 

 apology for coming empty-handed. And I have often thought, 

 when reading that story of Saul and his servant when seeking 

 his father's asses, how like- it is to Malagasy usages — their 

 concern at finding they have nothing' left to offer in approach- 

 ing the great man, Samuel ("But, behold, if we go, what 



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