398 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. XIV. 
All the chiefs assembled on this occasion were in Arabic 
costume* wearing long loose robes of green* yellow* white* or 
red; and turbans and sashes of every variety of colour* with 
a profusion of jewellery. M. Laborde and his son were 
dressed in scarlet and orange dresses* with immense turbans 
to match* and slippers turned up* with pointed toes. They 
were accompanied by the priest and two Frenchmen* who had 
recently come from Tamatave* to thank the queen for the 
respect shown to the memory of the late M. De Lastelle. 
After waiting a short time on the outside we entered the large 
court before the palace* when the band played the national 
air* and the soldiers presented arms. The queen and her 
court* sixty or seventy persons* occupied the large open ve¬ 
randah or balcony in the centre of the palace. The queen 
sat beneath the large scarlet umbrella and wore the same 
lamba as on my former visit to the palace* but a smaller* 
lighter crown* something like a coronet of gold on a scarlet 
velvet cap. All the members of the court were in Arab cos¬ 
tume. The prince wore an orange-coloured silk robe* and a 
green silk turban* with a gold crescent in the centre. 
The Frenchmen and myself were directed to chairs on the 
left in the shade; and beyond the seats we occupied* on the 
same side* sat a large number of native women. The officers 
were seated along immediately in front of the queen* and a 
number of the members of the court sat on the right opposite 
to us. The queen’s band and the prince’s band were ranged 
on the right side of the square* beyond the members of the 
court. Behind them sat a large company of singing women, 
in front of whom stood three or four men blowing the turbo* 
or trumpet shell* and making a kind of bass to the women’s 
soft and monotonous music in singing. The farther end of 
the court was filled with spectators* and the outside beyond 
was crowded with lines of lookers-on standing one above the 
other. 
