e of a bay we visited
(Antongil) was derived from one of the most celebrated, Anthony Gill.
Several other places also obtained their names from members of the
fraternity of freebooters. While the pirates continued their
depredations on the ocean, they in general behaved well to the natives,
but when being hotly pressed by the men-of-war of the people they had
been accustomed to rob, they entered upon the most nefarious of all
traffics, that of slaves, and to obtain them instigated the people of
one tribe to make war on those of another. This traffic has ever since
been carried on, greatly contributing to retard the progress of
civilisation.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

ARRIVAL AT JAVA.

I was very sorry to have to part from my brother William, and not a
little so from that merriest of merry midshipmen, Toby Trundle.

"We shall meet again one of these days, Trundle," I said, as I warmly
shook hands with him. "I hope it will be in smooth water, too; we have
had enough of the rough together."

I did my best to express to the captain and officers of the _Phoebe_ my
sense of the kindness with which they had treated me from the first
moment I had stepped on board their frigate to the last. We all sailed
together, the men-of-war and their prize, to proceed to the Mauritius,
then to refit and get ready for the expedition to Java. We also were
bound for Java, but intended first to visit Antongil Bay for the purpose
of trading with the natives. I was pleased to find myself among my old
shipmates again. They had had no sickness on board, and not a man had
been lost. The officers were the same in character, while their
individual peculiarities seemed to stand out more prominently than
before.

We found the natives at Antongil Bay very honourable in their dealings.
Many of the chiefs spoke French perfectly well, and looked like
Frenchmen. They were, we found, indeed, descendants of some of the
Count Benyowsky's followers, who had married native women. The children
of such marriages were generally highly esteemed by the natives, who had
raised them to the rank of chiefs. From what I saw of all classes of
the natives of Madagascar, but especially of the upper ranks, I should
say that they were capable of a high state of civilisation, and I see no
reason why they should not some day take their place among the civilised
nations of the east. When that time will come it is impossible to say.
Neither adventurers, like the br