It was at Buenos Ayres that I received the intelligence of the death of my beloved mother. Shortly before her decease she had expressed the wish that I should arrange and prepare for publication the papers she left concerning her last voyage to Madagascar. The dangerous illness which befell her in the Mauritius immediately after she had left Madagascar, and which, in spite of the most careful medical attention, and the kindest nursing on the part of her friends, proved fatal, prevented her from

Several biographies of Ida Pfeiffer are already scattered through various encyclopædias and periodicals. These are based partly on oral communications made by the deceased lady, partly on particulars collected from her friends. No authentic sketch of her life has, however, yet been published, though many whose sympathy has accompanied the dauntless voyager on her dangerous way will doubtless be glad to hear something of the earlier life of Ida Pfeiffer. In remarkable people, the germs of extraor

Departure from Vienna.—Linz.—Salzburg.—Munich.—The Artists’ Festival.—The King of Bavaria.—Berlin.—Alexander von Humboldt.—Hamburg. On the 21st of May, 1856, I left Vienna, and set forth on another of my long journeys. At Nussdorf, near Vienna, I embarked on board the fine steamer “Austria,” bound up the river for Linz. The steam-boat company was not only so obliging as to give me a free pass, but even placed a cabin at my disposal, and provided board and every comfort for me. The short distance

Arrival in Holland.—Amsterdam.—Dutch Architecture.—Picture Galleries.—Mr. Costa’s Diamond-cutting Works.—The Haarlem Lake.—A Dutch Cattle-stable.—Utrecht.—The Students’ Festival. I arrived in Amsterdam at midday on the 16th of June. My worthy friend, Colonel Steuerwald, was waiting for me in the harbor. This gentleman is one of my oldest traveling acquaintances. I first met him on my journey from Gothenburg to Stockholm, afterward encountered him again at Batavia, and here again in his own nativ

Zaandam.—The little Village of Broeck, celebrated for its Cleanliness.—Strange Head-dresses.—The Hague.—Celebrated Pictures.—Leyden.—Rotterdam.—Departure from Holland. On my return from Utrecht to Amsterdam, Herr van Rees took me to Zaandam and Broeck, an excursion which can be accomplished in a carriage in one day. Zaandam is famous as the place where Peter the Great worked for several months as a carpenter in order to learn the art of ship-building. They still show the wooden hut where he dwel

London.—Paris.—Sitting of the Geographical Society.—News from Madagascar.—Popular Life in Paris.—Sights.—A Tale of Murder.—Versailles.—St. Cloud.—Celebration of Sunday. On the 2d of July I quitted Rotterdam, and embarked in a steamer belonging to Messrs. Smith and Ers for London (distance 150 sea-miles, time of passage 20 hours). This company was the first English one that refused to allow me to pay. I had already taken my passage; but, as soon as Mr. Smith heard my name, he insisted, in the kin

Return to London and Holland.—Separation Festival in Amsterdam.—Departure from Rotterdam.—My traveling Companions.—Emigrant Children.—Story of a poor Girl.—Cape Town.—Fortunate Meeting.—Alteration of my traveling Plans. On the 12th of August I left Paris, as I have said, with my business unconcluded, and returned to London. After mature deliberation, I had at length taken my resolution. The exceedingly kind reception I had met with in the Dutch Indies on my last journey aroused in me the wish to

Voyage to the Island of Bourbon.—The Mauritius.—Wealth of the Island.—The City of Port Louis.—Manner of Life among the Inhabitants.—Indian Servants.—Grand Dinners.—Country Houses.—Creole Hospitality. I made the voyage from the Cape to the Mauritius in the handsome and entirely new steamer “Governor Higginson,” Captain French, of 150-horse power. The vessel had been built in shares, Mr. Lambert being the chief shareholder. He refused to let me pay for my passage, and would not have allowed me to

The Sugar-cane Plantations.—Indian Laborers.—A Lawsuit.—The Botanic Garden.—Plants and Animals.—Singular Monument.—The Waterfall.—Mont Orgeuil.—Trou du Cerf.—The Creoles and the French.—Farewell to the Mauritius. The greatest sugar-cane plantations are in the district of Pamplemousse, in which also the Botanical Gardens are situated. I visited the Monchoisy plantation, the property of Mr. Lambert. The manager, Mr. Gilat, was kind enough to escort me through the fields and buildings, and to give

A Geographical and Historical Account of the Island of Madagascar. With the exception of certain strips on the coast, the island of Madagascar is almost an unknown land; only here and there has a traveler been able to penetrate into the interior, and none have had an opportunity of studying the country at their leisure. So far as I am concerned, I have unfortunately not sufficient knowledge to describe the country in a scientific way. The most I can do is to give a simple but truthful account of

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

The “Queen’s Bath.”—Soldiers and Officers.—Banquet and Ball.—Departure from Tamatavé.—Second Visit to Antandroroko.—Vovong.—The Fever.—Andororanto.—Land and Cultivation.—Condition of the People.—Manambotre.—The bad Roads and the Bearers.—Ambatoarana. At length, on the 13th of May, Mr. Lambert arrived. On the 15th I witnessed the preliminary celebration of the great bath-feast of the queen. This is the only national feast in Madagascar, and it is kept with great solemnity in all the dominions sub

Celebration of the National Feast.—Song and Dance.—Beforona.—The elevated Plateau of Ankay.—The Territory of Emir.—Solemn Reception.—Ambatomango.—The Sikidy.—The Triumphal Procession.—Arrival in Tananariva. May 24th. It had not rained for four-and-twenty hours, and, consequently, we found the roads in somewhat better condition than yesterday. The hills we encountered were also less high and steep. We generally divided our day’s journey into two parts. At daybreak we started, and marched for thre

Mr. Laborde.—Prince Rakoto.—Anecdote of his Life.—The Sambas-Sambas.—Mary.—Review on the Field of Mars.—The Nobility in Madagascar.—The Secret Treaty.—The English Missionary Society and Mr. Lambert. Our host, Mr. Laborde, favored us with the following account of his life. He was born in France, and is the son of a well-to-do saddler. In his youth he served for several years as a cavalry soldier in the French army, but, being always prompted by a desire to see something of the world, he gave up t

Introduction at Court.—The Monosina.—The Royal Palace.—The Hovas.—Scenes of Horror under the Queen’s Rule.—Executions.—The Tanguin.—Persecution of the Christians.—One of the Queen’s Journeys.—Her Hatred of Europeans.—Bull-fights.—Taurine Mausoleum. Our introduction at court took place on the 2d of June. Toward four o’clock in the afternoon our bearers carried us to the palace. Over the door is fixed a great gilt eagle with extended wings. According to the rule laid down here by etiquette, we ste

Dinner at Mr. Laborde’s.—Foot-boxing.—Ladies of Madagascar and Parisian Fashions.—The Conspiracy.—A Dream.—A Fancy-dress Ball.—An unquiet Night.—Concert at Court.—The Silver Palace.—An Excursion of the Queen. On the 3d, 4th, and 5th of June I was very unwell, with premonitory symptoms announcing a coming attack of the malignant fever of Madagascar. It luckily happened that, during these days, nothing of any interest occurred. On the 6th of June Mr. Laborde gave a grand dinner in honor of Prince

Failure of the Coup d’État .—Prince Ramboasalama.—The Pas de Deux .—Discovery of the Plot.—Death of Prince Razakaratrino.—Freedom of Manners.—Irreligion.—Beginning of our Captivity.—A Kabar.—Persecution of the Christians.—The Delivery of the Presents. June 20. This was at length to be the great and decisive day. Mr. Lambert was nearly recovered from the fever; so there was to be no more delay, and to-night the long-contemplated coup d’état was to be carried out. The two missionaries, who were no

Banquets in Madagascar.—A Kabar at Court.—The Sentence.—Our Banishment.—Departure from Tananariva.—Military Escort.—Observations on the People.—Arrival in Tamatavé.—Departure from Madagascar.—A false Alarm.—Arrival in the Mauritius.—Conclusion. July 11. Yesterday evening an old woman was denounced to the authorities as a Christian. She was seized immediately, and this morning—my pen almost refuses to record the cruel torture to which the unhappy creature was subjected—they dragged her to the mar