96 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. IV. 
vegetables, or poultry for sale, and in almost every one of 
these baskets a child’s toy was to be seen. Sometimes the 
leg of a wooden horse, a painted waggon, a drum, or the long 
tin barrel of a painted gun would protrude from beneath a 
handkerchief, or other loose wrapper. Besides these there 
were dressed dolls without number in the carriages, as well 
as in the baskets of the pedestrians; and it spoke well for 
the social affections of the labouring classes, that their little 
ones received so large a share of consideration. Indeed it 
struck me that the people generally appeared fond of their 
children, and, were it not for the influence exerted to dissuade 
the parents from sending them to the government schools, 
the advancement of the whole race would be much more rapid 
than it is. 
I reached home about seven in the evening, and in the 
review of the year thus brought to its close felt abundant 
cause for grateful acknowledgment of Divine goodness. 
The first day of 1854 was a Sabbath day. The chapel 
in which M. Le Brun preached on this day was densely 
crowded. The seats along the aisles were filled; and num¬ 
bers sat on the pulpit stairs. There was also a larger at¬ 
tendance than usual at the Port office, and the attendance 
at the communion service in the afternoon was numerous, 
many appearing to be deeply impressed with the solemnity of 
the occasion. 
After preaching in the forenoon I visited the hospital, and, 
on returning home, found the thermometer standing at 88° 
in the coolest part of the house. Sometimes it was higher 
than this, but I scarcely ever felt more oppressed by the 
heat than on this day. The air seemed to scorch the nostrils 
and lips in breathing. A strange contrast, I found after¬ 
wards, was presented by my account of the temperature, and 
that which my friends in England experienced on the same 
day. 
