CHAP. II. 
VISIT OF PORT OFFICERS. 
23 
their queen were the laws of Madagascar, and if any one 
wanted to live there they must be subject to the queen’s 
laws ; if not, they must leave the country. 
This, and much more to the same effect, we did not attempt 
to dispute, but asked a few questions respecting the general 
state of the country and people. When these officials left us, we 
sent to the governor the letter which Mr. Cameron and I had 
written to the queen, asking permission to pay a visit of friend¬ 
ship to the capital: a note at the same time was sent to the 
governor, asking him to forward our letters, and one which 
Mr. Cameron wrote to his friends there, explaining more 
fully the object of our visit to Antananarivo. A number of 
letters were also sent on shore for the French traders, and 
some of the natives. The captain said he should only deliver 
the letter from the merchants to an officer sent especially by 
the governor to receive it. The harbour master said he 
might as well forward it by them, as the governor would send 
one of the officers then present for it. But as the captain said 
his instructions were specific to deliver it only to an officer sent 
by the governor for that purpose, the party returned to the 
shore,promising to consider a request we had made for fresh pro¬ 
visions during the time we might have to wait for the queen’s 
reply to our letter. In about an hour, one of the younger 
officers, having been sent by the governor, came on board and 
received from the captain the letter and memorial of the mer¬ 
chants ; for which he wrote and signed in a good plain hand 
a receipt in the native language. Mr. Cameron was not recog¬ 
nised by any of the natives who came on board, nor did the 
harbour master remember having seen me, though I had 
been frequently with him when he was in England. 
During the rest of this day crowds of people appeared at 
intervals on the beach, but there was no further communi¬ 
cation between the shore and the ship; and when the still 
calm evening came, and the shadows of night were silently 
