itive vegetation, which affords forty-one different species of
woods serviceable for arts and manufactures. The coasts abound with
fish and large turtles, and furnish also coral and ambergris.
Bourbon contains a college, and numerous schools, sixteen churches,
two hospitals, two establishments for the relief of the poor, and
two prisons."

MR. BARRAUD. "Why are we to take no notice of the fine colony of
Mauritius, or Isle of France? It is quite as large as Bourbon:
moreover it is a British possession."

MR. STANLEY. "I see no just cause or impediment why we should not
land there. Let us see, what is its size?"

CHARLES. "Its circumference is about 140 miles. Port Louis is its
principal town, and is said to contain 30,000 inhabitants; it has an
excellent harbor, capable of containing 50 large vessels; and it is
well protected by nature from the violence of the weather, and from
the attacks of enemies, by strong fortifications."

GEORGE. "Now to Madagascar. I am longing to go there; for I know
nothing about either country or people."

MRS. WILTON. "Madagascar is a large and beautiful island, with
mountains, valleys, lakes and streams, diversifying its whole
extent. It is between 800 and 900 miles long, and between 200 and
300 broad. The metals dug here, are gold, silver, copper, steel, and
iron; and a great variety of precious stones are found in the rivers
and brooks of Madagascar. Civet is plentiful, and is taken from the
civet cat; and the natives obtain musk from the crocodile, and call
it tartave. Tananarievo, the capital, stands on the summit of a
lofty hill, and commands an extensive prospect of the surrounding
country. The principal houses are of wood, and the palace of the
king is about the centre of the town, enclosed in a high palisading
of strong poles."

GEORGE. "If the palace be so homely, what can the poor folks' houses
be like?"

MR. WILTON. "Oh! they are of wood too, but mere huts; they have no
chimneys, and the door and window affording the only means of escape
for the smoke arising from the fires, which are kindled on the floor
of the house, the soot collects on the inner side of the roofs of
their dwellings, where it is never disturbed by the people, who
consider it a badge of honorable ancestry to have large quantities
of soot hanging in long black shreds from the roof of their
dwelling."

EMMA. "What a dirty badge! Are they dirty people?"

MR. STANLEY. "They are not exactly dirty, but ve