60 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR, 
CHAP. IIT. 
grance of the flowers, prove a perpetual source of enjoyment 
to the inhabitants such as few other places can supply. 
I was glad to be able to add to my portfolio photographs 
of a number of these rich and beautiful plants ; the engraving 
on the preceding page exhibits a rare and graceful plant of 
the palm species from Africa, and growing most luxuriantly 
in the garden of a French gentleman at Port Louis. The 
leaf resembles that of the cocoa-nut, but the stalks are united 
at the crown of the plant as in the palmiste or areca, while 
the rings round the enlarged cylindrical stem resemble those 
of the latter. It was growing in the midst of pomegranates 
and other plants in flower, and was the only specimen of the 
kind that I met with in Mauritius or Madagascar. 
Soon after I had become a resident at Port Louis, I ac¬ 
companied M. Le Bran at an early hour one morning to 
the bazaar or market, held not far from the landing-place. 
This market, which occupies two large squares, is well fitted 
up, and is covered in with the exception of a wide thorough¬ 
fare through the centre of each square. In the eastern bazaar 
were arranged, in separate localities, fancy birds in cages, 
with poultry, including fowls, ducks, geese, and turkeys; 
different kinds of vegetables, many European as well as tro¬ 
pical ; an abundant supply of good potatoes, with cabbages, 
beans, fine stone turnips, onions, garlick, tomatoes, and 
capsicums, yams, manioc, bananas, tamarinds, custard apples, 
and pine apples. Then there were cocoa nuts, pistache 
nuts, areca nuts, betel leaf, and many other vegetable produc¬ 
tions new to me, all spread out upon the ground, with the 
kinds of fruit then in season. Besides these, there were 
seeds and grains in almost endless variety, lentils, rice, barley, 
millet, maize, French beans, turmeric, saffron, and nume¬ 
rous kinds of Indian grain. The seed trade appeared to be 
entirely in the hands of the Coolies : each seller sat cross- 
legged, frequently perched on a low stool, and surrounded by 
