chap. xm. PRESENTS PROM THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS. 857 
handed to the widow. She also kissed it and wept; then 
laid it down, and bent over her baby and wept. I could not 
restrain my own feelings. At length the father and mother 
both said, “We are glad to see you, though we weep; we 
shall never see him again, but we see you. You were his 
friend: he loved you.” I said, “ Not more than I loved him.” 
Again they wept. After a while the father said they must 
leave; but, as they lived near, they would come again. I 
said I should always be glad to see them; and on my asking 
if they would take one of the portraits, or if I should put it 
in a frame for them, they all said, “ Put it in a frame for us. 
It will preserve it.” 
Before the close of the day, three officers came from the 
prince and his wife, the Princess Rabodo, the daughter of the 
queen’s eldest sister, with a present of an ox, a quantity of 
poultry, rice, and eggs; and with friendly inquiries. After 
conversing some time they retired, with my acknowledgments 
of the kindness of the prince and princess. I had scarcely 
finished my dinner, when another party of officers came from 
the commander-in-chief, one of the highest officers of the 
government, with a present of a sheep, poultry, &c. The 
officers were very intelligent and interesting men, and I was 
much gratified with the intercourse which their visit afforded. 
In the course of the evening one of the officers of the palace 
came. He said the queen had expressed herself perfectly 
satisfied with my coming, and pleased with the communi¬ 
cations of which I was the bearer. She said it was only like 
the English, for the king of England had been the first to 
make friendship with Radama, and that Queen Victoria did 
not change. The officers had also all expressed themselves 
pleased with these communications. He inquired about the 
presents I had brought. I said that, besides one confided to 
my care by the governor of Mauritius, I had a few articles, 
but was afraid they would be very inadequate when compared 
A A 3 
