chap. xiii. REFRESHMENTS AND MUSIC). 369 
the table, and asked if I would take some fruit, apologising 
for the smallness of the supply, and intimating that they were 
merely halting to rest. The bananas, however, were very fine. 
She asked me if we had any in England. I told her only a 
few, as they would not grow with us except in houses of glass. 
I told her I had seen some of Queen Victoria’s bananas grow¬ 
ing in her glass-house at Kew, which I endeavoured to de¬ 
scribe, and said that although our pine-apples, peaches, grapes, 
and some other kinds of fruit were very fine, the bananas were 
not so good as those of Madagascar, which were certainly finer 
than any I had seen in the South Sea Islands, Mauritius, or 
Ceylon. They then talked about music, asking if Queen 
Victoria was fond of music. The prince then ordered his 
band outside the door to play the English “ Grod save the 
Queen;” which, considering the place and the performers, 
was well executed: the musicians of Madagascar having been 
originally taught during two years’ residence in Mauritius, by 
the band-master of one of the English regiments there. This 
well-known tune was to me so unexpected, that I was more 
affected than I should otherwise have supposed would have 
been the case. “Buie Britannia” was the next tune played, 
then the “ Grenadiers’ March,” and others equally familiar. 
The prince and princess asked whether Queen Victoria ever 
had dancing in her palace; and, thanks to some information 
gathered from the court newsman, and remembered at the 
time, I was able to answer with tolerable precision; and added 
that music, as an element of civilisation, was more cultivated 
in England than formerly. They asked if I could dance. I 
replied in the negative, and added that the society with 
which I associated in England did not practise dancing. A 
walk in the garden was then proposed. The prince was 
accompanied by the princess. The queen’s secretary offered 
his arm to the daughter of Prince Bamonja; and it devolved 
on me, as next to the secretary, to offer mine to the first of 
