chap. xii. NATIVE KECOLLECTIONS OE ENGLAND. 339 conveying a warm and affectionate assurance of welcome, and earnest desire that we might soon greet each other. The mes sengers themselves seemed to find much satisfaction in unitedly welcoming the stranger sent by their friends in England to visit them. Twenty years had passed away since the English who had formerly resided among them left the country; but my arrival, they said, was evidence that the Malagasy were not forgotten by their early and steady friends. I expressed my deep sense of their kindness, and observed to one of my com panions that I would rather decline the present, as my people had more than enough already; but they said, “ Don’t re fuse this present: it will grieve them much if you do.” I therefore cheerfully accepted what they had brought, and, when I had written a short letter of grateful acknow ledgment to the friends by whom they were sent, they re turned. The next day was Sunday, and I was glad to make it a day of rest. In the morning a message arrived from an officer at the capital, who had when a youth been educated in England. He expressed his pleasure at my approach, and his hopes of hearing of friends in England, “ that happy land,” as he designated it; and at the same time offering some friendly suggestions. I sent a short reply by his messenger. In the course of the day a messenger arrived from the prince, con veying a most cordial welcome, and the expression of his plea sure at hearing of my near approach. During the afternoon I walked out for a couple of miles or more along the road to the westward of the village. The wind was blowing fresh from the north-west, and though I wore a thick great coat, and walked briskly, I felt the cold far more keenly than I had expected. After my return other friends arrived from the capital to bid me welcome, and with them I had much interesting conversation and enjoyment of this day’s rest. In the evening the resident chief of the village