168 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
with those who offered the libation. At break of day the 
steam from this spring appeared to rise forty yards high. 
Throughout the whole of his journey, the chiefs who 
had the means of hospitality within their reach, evinced a 
friendly and generous disposition towards Mr. Hastie, 
though not unfrequently exhibited in a manner somewhat 
foreign to the taste of an Englishman. On one occasion, 
having asked for eggs, the traveller was politely regaled by 
such as had chickens in them, and, in remonstrating with 
his host, was told by the chief if was the greatest perfection 
an egg could arrive at, and that they had been taken from 
under the hen with the hope of presenting them in that 
state; after which he commenced eating them, to prove that 
he was serious. 
Most of the incidents of Mr. Hastie’s journey were, 
however, of a much more perplexing and melancholy 
description. The path was so difficult for the horses, that 
he began to fear they would never reach their destination ; 
and yet the difficulty of obtaining food for them was so 
great, that they were obliged to be urged on beyond their 
strength. The paths were also rendered more cheerless 
and distressing by the frequent spectacle of the dead bodies 
of the Hovahs, who had either perished in the late wars, or 
in the famine and devastation which had succeeded. These 
bodies were passed with the greatest indifference by their 
countrymen, who never stopped to bestow upon them the 
last charity of a grave; and on one occasion only, were 
seen to drag the body of a man by a rope round his neck 
into an adjoining wood, by way of hiding him from public 
view. 
On approaching the capital, Mr. Hastie was saluted with 
the accustomed politeness of Radama; who, by his first 
messengers, sent to press Mr. Hastie to quicken his pro- 
