chap. xii. NATIVE RECOLLECTIONS OE ENGLAND. 
339- 
conveying a warm and affectionate assurance of welcome, and 
earnest desire that we might soon greet each other. The mes¬ 
sengers themselves seemed to find much satisfaction in unitedly 
welcoming the stranger sent by their friends in England to 
visit them. Twenty years had passed away since the English 
who had formerly resided among them left the country; hut 
my arrival, they said, was evidence that the Malagasy were not 
forgotten by their early and steady friends. I expressed my 
deep sense of their kindness, and observed to one of my com¬ 
panions that I would rather decline the present, as my people 
had more than enough already; but they said, “ Don’t re¬ 
fuse this present: it will grieve them much if you do.” I 
therefore cheerfully accepted what they had brought, and, 
when I had written a short letter of grateful acknow¬ 
ledgment to the friends by whom they were sent, they re¬ 
turned. 
The next day was Sunday, and I was glad to make it a day 
of rest. In the morning a message arrived from an officer at 
the capital, who had when a youth been educated in England. 
He expressed his pleasure at my approach, and his hopes of 
hearing of friends in England, “ that happy land,” as he 
designated it; and at the same time offering some friendly 
suggestions. I sent a short reply by his servant. In the 
course of the day a messenger arrived from the prince, con¬ 
veying a most cordial welcome, and the expression of his plea¬ 
sure at hearing of my near approach. 
During the afternoon I walked out for a couple of miles or 
more along the road to the westward of the village. The 
wind was blowing fresh from the north-west, and though 
I wore a thick great coat, and walked briskly, I felt the cold 
far more keenly than I had expected. After my return other 
friends arrived from the capital to bid me welcome, and with 
them I had much interesting conversation and enjoyment 
during this day of rest. In the evening the resident chief of 
