than ever I had done as yet; for I walked about with my gun upon my shoulder. When the deaan was disposed to eat, I ate with him; though not in the same dish, indeed, for no one here has that privilege. I had little else to do, than to go with him a hunting; by which means I made myself expert in all the arts of taking wild cattle. My principal business was to observe the situation of the country, and to inquire the route which Ry-Nanno was expected to take.

I was fond of going often a hunting, in order to take particular notice of the most remarkable mountains, which might hereafter be as so many landmarks to me. Besides vohitch futey, or white hill, here is another high mountain more to the northward, called vohitch manner, or red hill. It is in form of a cone, or sugar-loaf, and runs spiring up a great height; the inhabitants are of opinion, that it is the highest in the whole world. After I had lived in this manner six months, Ry-Nanno met me by accident in the forest, as he was coming to give deaan Crindo, and the other lords, intelligence of the Feraignher army being upon their march. This was such agreeable news to me, that I was at a loss how to conceal my joy; and for that reason I walked into the woods, for fear they should discover my inclinations by my deportment. I attempted to return my humble and hearty thanks to the Almighty in my native tongue, for the fair prospect I had of getting to a seaport town; but found I had forgotten my English, and could scarcely with propriety put three words together. However, the Madagascar language served me well enough to express the sentiments of my heart.

Deaan Afferrer told me as soon as I came home, that he had seen Ry-Nanno; that Rer Vovvern was dead, and that his son deaan Mernaugha now succeeded him; and that his nephew deaan Trongha, assisted by his brother Rer Befaugher, and deaan Mernaugha's brother Rer Mundrosser, commanded the army. As I was conversing with the deaan, I could not help expressing my sorrow for Rer Vovvern's

death; because he was so faithful a friend to all white men. I found he suspected my design immediately, for he told me, though in a very courteous manner, that he hoped I had no temptation to change my place of abode through his treatment of me. To which I replied, after thanking him for all his favours, that I had no thought of removing from my habitation; that I was conscious to myself that I lived as well, or better than I could do in any other place. And, indeed, this was really fact, for he treated me with the utmost humanity and complaisance. I eat and drank as he did, and did no manner of work; but I perceived by this, he was not inclined to part with me. For which reason, I was under a necessity to be more close and artful, than I should have been had I made such a discovery.

Orders were sent to the three towns under deaan Afferrer's command, that instead of hunting the wild cattle, they should make proper preparations for hunting the wild boar; by which they meant the king of Merfaughla. Whereupon, all hands were instantly at work, cleaning and fitting up their arms; for there are artificers here, who can make or mend a spring, and do twenty other things to guns as well as lances. The women employed themselves in making caps, to distinguish us in the wars; these were made of the same materials as our mats. The children beat Guinea corn in order to carry with us. I made it my business to put deaan Afferrer's and my own gun in order; and to cast a considerable quantity of shot or rather slugs, by making a hole with a round stick in a lump of clay, to cast the lead in; and cutting it afterwards into little pieces about half an inch long. Though they frequently buy shot at the seaports, yet this was made, as I imagine, of the lead which they had procured from the wreck of our ship.

Ry-Nanno went back, after he had given notice of the Feraignher army's march to deaan Trongha, in order to meet him at vohitch-manner, according to appointment. Deaan Crindo sent orders that we

should march, and meet him at the river, where we watered our cattle, in deaan Murnanzack's country. I might have stayed at home, if I had thought proper; but I was resolved at all adventures to go with them, though I told deaan Afferrer, I was under some apprehensions of my old master Mevarrow, whom, I concluded, I should see there. But he bid me be under no concern on that account, for he would protect me; and deaan Mevarrow, he was well assured, would make no disturbance in the army. However, it happened better than I expected, for Mevarrow was left behind sick of the colah; which, in Guinea, or the West Indies, is called the yaws. It is a cruel distemper, and bears a near resemblance to the venereal disease, affects the bones and joints with great pain and soreness, breaks out all over in blotches and dry scabs, and is mostly in the privy parts, and under the arm-pits. However, it is not actually that complaint; for I have known children of three or four years old have it, whose parents never knew by experience what it was. There are but few who escape it once in their lifetime, but then they never have it more. In that respect, it is like the small pox, or the itch; and caught also as they are. If a person, who never had it, follow one infected in the long grass or bushes, if he lie or sit on the same mat, or even eat and drink after the diseased person, he most assuredly catches it. For which reason they send their children, when afflicted with it, out to nurse, to such persons as live alone in remote places; and when a man, woman, or a whole family is taken with it, they oblige them to go into the woods, and tarry there till they are perfectly recovered; which frequently a whole year, and sometimes two.

It was good news to me to hear that deaan Mevarrow was left at home infected with this distemper, and that deaan Sambo had the command of the people in his stead; for I knew, by experience, that he was none of my enemy, though he demanded me in his brother's name upon his first arrival; but when deaan Afferrer had expostulated the case with him, and told him what

answer he had returned him by the messengers; when he urged, that it was natural for a man to fly for his life, who was every day in danger, and treated like a brute, had he been a lawful slave, which was not the case here, deaan Sambo gave up the argument, and turning to me, asked if he had not several times saved me? I readily owned the obligation. Do not be afraid, said he, for I shall not insist on my demand any more; but pray come often and see me as a friend. I gratefully acknowledged all his favours, and particularly thanked him for this last signal one, for he confirmed the account I had given of myself before.

As deaan Crindo had intelligence of the day the Feraingher army was to join them, he put himself in a posture to receive them with abundance of form and ceremony. He was seated under a great tamarind tree, with his sons according to their seniority on his right hand, and all their people; on his left were deaan Murnanzack and his brethren, with all their people. The whole assembly formed a line of above a quarter of a mile in length. After a short time, the Feraingher army appeared, and as they advanced, they came dancing, each with a gun in his left hand, and a lance in his right, their shells sounding, and their drums beating. At a small distance they fired some pieces by way of salutation, which we immediately returned; and now the three generals, deaan Trongha, Rer Befaugher, and Rer Mondrosser, went up to deaan Crindo and the rest. After the usual salutations, they were all seated under the tamarind tree, and ten calabashes of toake were sent for by deaan Crindo to entertain them. I sat all this time behind deaan Afferrer, with his gun in my hand. After mutual assurances of an inviolable friendship, the division of the prices of cattle was settled and adjusted. Deaan Crindo and his sons were to have one third; deaan Murnanzack and his brethren another; and deaan Trongha and his brother and cousin the remainder.

After they had amicably concluded their own affairs, and begun to be gay over their toake, says deaan Trongha,

you have got a white man amongst you, I perceive Yes, says deaan Crindo, this is one of those who took me and my nephew prisoners, and would have delivered us into deaan Tuley-Noro's hands, who was our adversary. I don't think, says deaan Trongha, they would have done you any harm; you must doubtless have given them some provocation first. I did them no injury, replied the other, as I know of, unless maintaining them well was doing them injustice. They were inclined, indeed, to go to Antenosa, and I would rather have detained them to assist me in the wars; and was not this, says deaan Trongha, a manifest injury, and a just provocation, to keep free men against their wills in a country far from their native homes. I'll tell you, however, a very remarkable transaction of my grandfather's with these white men, before he was rightly acquainted with them.

An English ship came to our seaport town, which they call St. Augustine-bay, in order to buy provisions and furnish themselves with water. They did not go up to my grandfather's town, but he thought proper to visit them, and made the captain a voluntary present of two oxen; and the captain as voluntarily gave him a gun, and some powder and shot, as a compensation. The whites built themselves a house upon the shore, for the reception of their sick men. Some few days after we had been here, the white men and some of ours got in liquor together, and a quarrel arose amongst them. At first, indeed, they only beat one another with their fists; but at length, they made use of weapons, and a white man was killed upon the spot by one of ours. The news being carried immediately to the ship, the captain came on shore, and after a strict inquiry into the matter, he laid hold of the king whilst his people ran to the boat and fetched their arms. My father and Rer Vovvern instantly placed themselves at the head of our people, and would have attacked them, but my grandfather prevented them, for he was morally assured of being killed by one side or the other, so he went contentedly on board their ship. The fishermen