CHAP. V. 
VISITORS FROM THE CAPITAL. 
129 
The following day a chief residing in the neighbourhood 
came to me bringing with him his son, a fine intelligent 
youth about sixteen years of age, who, he said, knew a little 
English, and wished to learn more. I was glad to see him 
and another young chief who accompanied him, and had re¬ 
cently arrived from the capital. He was aide-de-camp to the 
prince royal, and seemed unusually intelligent. I lent the 
youth an English and Malagasy book, which he asked per¬ 
mission to copy out as a means of learning, and I spent some 
time in teaching him the pronunciation of English words. 
His companion was deeply interested in some books lying on 
my table, and with many others remained the greater part of 
the day at my house. Visits such as these were opportunities 
for doing good of which I very gladly availed myself, and they 
occurred often. 
A tall noble-looking chief also arrived, accompanied by a 
number of strangers who had recently come from the capital, 
and had brought letters from residents there conveying much 
interesting intelligence. When my visitors wrote down on 
paper what they had to say I could generally, by reference to 
the dictionary for a word or two, understand what it meant. 
I then wrote my reply, and when at a loss my servant, a 
Malagasy from Mauritius, acted as interpreter. Four or five 
of my visitors when they left me wrote on a sheet of paper, 
which at the time was lying on my desk, their cordial and 
affectionate salutations. This was the commencement of many 
agreeable and instructive interviews with my tall friend and 
his companions, who had but recently arrived at Tamatave, 
where they remained till I had left the island. 
About a week after the commencement of the observances 
connected with the New Year, I received an invitation from 
the governor to a public dinner, which was to be given by 
order of the queen to the residents and others on the occa¬ 
sion of the national festival. The dinner was given at the 
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