Departure from the Mauritius.--The old Man-of-War.--Arrival in Madagascar.--Mademoiselle Julie.--Account of Tamatavé.--The Natives.--Comical Head-dresses.--First Visit in Antandroroko.--Malagasey Hospitality.--The Europeans at Tamatavé.--The Parisio-Malagasey.--Domestic Institutions.
On the 25th of April, 1857, I quitted the Mauritius. Thanks to the good offices of Mr. Gonnet, the owners of the “Triton” gave me a free passage to the harbor of Tamatavé, on the coast of Madagascar, distant 480 sea-miles. Our vessel was an old worn-out brig of war, which in her youthful days formed part of the British fleet at the great victory of Trafalgar in 1805. Deeply had she fallen from her former high estate; for now, in her old age, she was used for carrying oxen during the fine season of the year from Madagascar to the Mauritius. Accommodation for passengers there was none, all the space being divided into berths for the oxen; and as to the security of our vessel, the captain gave me the consolatory assurance that she was utterly unfit to do battle with any thing approaching to a storm.
My desire to leave the Mauritius behind me was nevertheless so great that nothing could dissuade me from going. I commended myself to Heaven, embarked with a light heart, and had no reason to repent my boldness. If the ship was bad, her captain, Mr. Benier, was a remarkably good one. Though not of high birth, for he was half Creole in color, he behaved with a courtesy and consideration which would have done honor to the most cultivated man. He at once gave up his cabin to me--the only place in the ship not monopolized by preparations for the four-footed passengers--and did all in his power to make the voyage as agreeable to me as possible. For the first three days our passage was rather a quick one. The wind was in our favor, blowing from the east, as it always does in these seas from April to the end of October. A quick-sailing ship would have made the voyage in three days; but not so our old war-craft, wending painfully on her way. We were still far distant from our goal, and, to our dismay, a strong contrary wind arose in the night between the third and fourth day of our voyage. Notwithstanding the consoling verdict of the captain with regard to the safety of the ship, I sat expectant every minute of some catastrophe. But the night and the following day passed away without accident, though the wind, still contrary, compelled us to cast anchor toward evening off the island of “Prunes.” On the fifth day we came to Tamatavé, but could not run in there; at length, on the sixth day, we came to anchor in the harbor.