6 "VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. chap. i. 



his seventeenth year. In 1846, after much conference with 

 some of the Christians, this youthful prince was induced to 

 renounce the superstitions of his country. He soon afterwards 

 declared himself a Christian, and was baptized ; and, whatever 

 may be the extent to which he is himself the subject of reli- 

 gious influence, he has ever since proved a generous, kind, 

 and faithful friend to the Christians. Through his influence, 

 and that of others, Eamonja, a prince of the highest rank, 

 being the son of the queen's sister, was induced to study the 

 Bible, and ultimately to declare his conviction of its truth. 

 This prince publicly identified himself with the Christians, 

 and has ever since, through all their fearful vicissitudes of 

 jDeril and sorrow, proved himself one of their most efficient 

 and faithful friends, as well as the honourable and consistent 

 exemplar of their principles; sometimes pleading with the 

 queen on their behalf, and setting forth — not always without 

 something like success — the excellency and the value of the 

 Holy Scriptures. 



The sympathy of her son with the Christians, and his adop- 

 tion of their faith, is said to have been exceedingly offensive 

 to the queen, who has regarded him as being the victim of 

 the incantations or witchcraft of the Christians. This feeling, 

 heightened perhaps by unfavourable representations from the 

 political rivals of the prince, her son, may have hastened the 

 violent persecution which occurred in the year 1849. In this 

 fearful season of extreme trial, more than 2000 persons were 

 implicated, many were subjected to heavy punishments, and 

 eighteen individuals, including some of high rank and station, 

 were put to death. It was indeed a time of the most severe 

 sifting which the persecuted Church in Madagascar had yet 

 been called to pass through ; and numbers, as might be ex- 

 pected, during such a season, deserted from their ranks. On 

 the other hand, scarcely had the fierceness of their persecu- 

 tors begun to subside, before others who had witnessed the un- 



