CHAP. n. CONFERENCE WITH THE CHIEFS. 29 



of the house excepting the chief officers, entered, in a low 

 tone of voice scarcely audible, into a very grave and earnest 

 conversation with Mr. Cameron. In reply to his inquiry as to 

 the real object of our visit, he was informed that it was, as Ave 

 had expressed in our letter to the queen and officers, to pay a 

 friendly visit to the queen and chiefs, to converse about things 

 for the good of the country. That if the queen chose to 

 receive us, we should proceed ; but, if not, return in the same 

 vessel. In reference to the attack on the country in 1845, he 

 said. Why did the Queen of England treat them so, or allow 

 them to be so treated ? and if it was done without her know- 

 ledge, why not make some reparation ? Mr. Cameron replied 

 that the Queen of England probably did not know what was 

 done until some time afterwards, and had expressed her 

 desire to be friendly by sending, in 1849, a British Admiral, 

 Dacres, with a letter and presents, thus holding out the hand 

 of friendship by the highest officer she could employ in such 

 a service ; and that, as both letters and presents had been 

 refused, the English were waiting until the Malagasy should 

 intimate some willingness to be friendly. He said they could 

 not accept the terms on which the friendship was at that time 

 offered ; and he then asked what was the object of the mer- 

 chants in sending the memorial to the queen, who had already 

 stated the compensation she required for the injury done. 

 He was told that we had no instructions from the merchants, 

 but believed their object was to make known in the most 

 honourable manner to the queen herself, their desires that 

 the trade might be renewed, and to be made acquainted 

 exactly with the wishes of her majesty. He said the queen 

 had refused to entertain a proposal said to have been recently 

 made from the island of Bourbon to receive a certain sum of 

 money to open the ports. 



The judge then asked whether the English had any inten- 

 tion of attacking Madagascar, as they had been informed 



