CHAP. XIV. 
DINNER GIVEN BY THE QUEEN. 
385 
and chief officers of the government. Property appeared to he 
estimated, not by the extent of land which a man possessed, 
but by the number of his dollars, slaves, or cattle ; hence, an 
individual, speaking on one occasion of the losses he had suf¬ 
fered, concluded by saying, “ Formerly I had fifty slaves; 
now I have not twenty.” 
At three o’clock on the day appointed, an officer came to 
conduct me to the dinner; and after ascending by a somewhat 
steep path to the crest of the hill on which the house stands, 
we reached the front court, where the queen’s band, in scarlet 
uniform (apparently English), was stationed beneath the 
verandah. On entering, I was received by a number of 
servants dressed in a sort of livery, consisting of blue jackets 
bordered with red. I was politely welcomed by the owner of 
the house, a number of officers, and other company, amongst 
whom were M. Laborde, and the Catholic priest with whom 
I had breakfasted. When dinner was announced, we were 
shown to our respective places, which were designated by 
papers bearing our names placed on the table. Mine was on 
the left hand of the chief officer, and M. Laborde’s was im¬ 
mediately opposite. 
The room was large and lofty, furnished with looking- 
glasses, and other articles of European or Asiatic manufac¬ 
ture, having a large sideboard at one end. The table was 
splendidly furnished, porcelain vases filled with artificial 
flowers, and silver vases the size of wine coolers stood along the 
centre. The covered dishes, spoons and forks, were all silver; 
the dishes as well as the vases being of native manufacture, 
after English patterns, and remarkably well executed. On all 
these articles, as well as on the handles of the knives, a 
crown, and a bird, the crest of the Hovas, was engraved. 
As soon as all were seated, my friend the secretary, who 
sat next me, intimated in English, that as I was a stranger, 
and the queen’s guest, I should now propose her majesty’s 
c o 
