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92 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. CIIAl’. IT. viz., the 24th of December, the air was unusually oppressive, and there were indications of an approaching hurricane. The ships in the harbour lowered their upper masts and yards, but towards evening the atmosphere became more settled, and the next day, which was Sunday, and also Christmas Day, though hot, was remarkably fine. I went out to Mr. Kelsey’s, into whose family circle I was admitted as one of their Christmas party. Between nine and ten I returned, greatly enjoying my walk. The mild, soft, fragrant atmo sphere, and the bright starlight of a cloudless sky, render the evenings here unspeakably refreshing and pleasant, after the fierce burning heat of the day. My friend, Mr. Kelsey, having arranged to take his usual New Year’s holiday on the 31st of December, and having kindly included me in the family party, I was glad to obtain a seat on the box of their carriage as we drove away from Latanier, his residence, soon after six o’clock. It was Satur day, market day, and for some time I could do little more • than gaze at the diversified forms, faces, costumes, and vehi cles which thronged the road leading to Port Louis. Amongst these were Indians in their holiday dresses of white and scarlet; others heavily laden with large baskets full of bananas, mangoes, pine apples, or peaches, on their heads; and numbers of Chinese literally bending under the weight of their load of fruit or vegetables, with perhaps half a dozen fowls tied at the top. The Indians and Africans carry their loads on their heads, but the Chinese carry theirs at the ends of an elastic stick borne across the shoulders. These, in an almost uninterrupted stream, occupied the sides of the road, while the centre was traversed by a constant succession of large carts loaded with sugar, and drawn by mules or bullocks; besides which were the cabriolets and gigs of the planters or merchants. After proceeding for some miles in a southerly direction