Appointed by the President in 1877 Register of U. S. Lands--Robert J. Ingersoll on the Benignity of Homestead Law--General Grant's Tour Around the World and His Arrival at Little Rock, 1879--A Guest at the Banquet Given Him--Response to the Toast, "The Possibilities of American Citizenship"--Roscoe Conkling's Speech Nominating General Grant for Third Term--Bronze Medal as one of the Historic "306" at the National Convention of 1880--The Manner of General Grant's Defeat for Nomination and Garfield's Success--Character Sketches of Hon. James G. Blaine, Ingersoll's Mailed Warrior and Plumed Knight--Hon Grover Cleveland. CHAPTER XVII 195 Honorary Commissioner for the Colored Exhibits of the World's Exposition at New Orleans, La.--Neglected Opportunities--Important Factors Necessary to Recognition. CHAPTER XVIII 201 Effort of Henry Brown, of Oberlin, Ohio, to Establish "Schools of Trade"--Call for a Conference of Leading Colored Men in 1885--Industrial Fair at Pine Bluff, Ark.--Captain Thompson, of the "Capital Guards," a Colored Military Company--Meeting of Prominent Leaders at New Orleans--The Late N. W. Cuney, of Texas--Contented Benefactions from Christian Churches. CHAPTER XIX 215 The Reunion of General Grant's "306"--Ferdinand Havis, of Pine Bluff--Compromise and Disfranchisement--Progress of the Negro--"Decoration Day"--My Letter to the "Gazette"--Commission to Sell Lots of the Hot Springs Reservation--Twelve Years in the Land Service of the United States. CHAPTER XX 223 My Appointment as U. S. Consul to Tamatave, Madagascar--My Arrival in France En Route to Paris--Called on Ambassador Porter and Consul Gowdy Relative to My "Exequator"--Visited the Louvre, the Famous Gallery of Paintings--"Follies Bergere," or Variety Theater--The "Dome des Invalids" or the Tomb of the Great Napoleon--Mrs. Mason, of Arkansas and Washington, in Paris--Marseilles and "Hotel du Louvre"--Embarkation on French Ship "Pie Ho" for Madagascar--Scenes and Incidents En Route--"Port Said"--Visit to the "Mosque," Mohammedan Place of Worship. CHAPTER XXI 236 Suez Canal--The Red Sea--Pharaoh and His Hosts--Their Waterloo--Children of Israel--Travel by Sea--Arrival and Landing at Madagascar--Bubonic Plague--My Letter From Madagascar. CHAPTER XXII 250 Island of Madagascar--Origin and Character of the Inhabitants--Their Religion and Superstitions--Physical Appearance of Madagascar--A Word Painting of Antananarivo, the Capital, by Cameron--Forms of Government--Queens of Madagascar--Slavery and Forced Labor. CHAPTER XXIII 265