136 
MADAGASCAR. 
affairs of the kingdom in general and of the east 
coast in particular. Having several matters re¬ 
lating to the civil government and the tenure of 
land on the coast to arrange and discuss with the 
centra] authority, we sent a notice of our arrival 
to Eainilaiarivony, and requested an interview at 
his convenience. 
This was readily and courteously granted, and 
as we represented the interests of the whole Bet- 
simisaraka population, we looked forward with 
much interest and some anxiety to this meeting. 
A time was fixed by letter for the meeting at the 
palace, and at the hour chosen one of the secre¬ 
taries of the Government conducted us to the first 
floor of the Trdno Vola, where Eainilaiarivony 
was awaiting us, surrounded by his attendants 
and officials. The amount of real hard work 
that the chief minister of Madagascar gets 
through daily is enormous. He is virtually the 
supreme authority in the island, though not so 
nominally. He is a man of untiring energy and 
devotion to his country, and it is to his influence 
that the new departure which the Government 
took some years ago in throwing open the country 
to foreigners is to be attributed. He is never 
familiar, but very genial, easy in manner, intelli¬ 
gent in appearance and address, quick in reply, 
and untiring in questioning his visitors, yet 
without rudeness or presumption in any w T ay. 
