84 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. chap. iv. 



A short time previous to this visit, Mr. Hardy, a Wesleyan 

 missionary, had arrived from Madras with his wife and family 

 on his way to the Cape for the recovery of his health. On 

 reaching Mauritius he was too ill to proceed, and was brought 

 on shore with but slight hopes of his recovery. I visited 

 him on the day of his arrival, and frequently afterwards, and 

 was much pleased to observe his gradual recovery. A few 

 days after my return from Reduit I attended a conference of 

 friends whom he had invited to advise with him as to the 

 desirableness of his remaining in Mauritius, and devoting 

 his efforts to the religious instruction of the Coolies, or Indian 

 labourers in the island. Some of the planters and other 

 Christian residents had often expressed their deep regret on 

 account of the want of every means of religious improvement 

 for these labourers, of whom there were 90,000 in Mauritius. 

 An attempt which had been made to teach some of their 

 children English, had proved abortive ; but the want was felt 

 to be so pressing, the number to whom access could be 

 obtained so considerable, and the hope so encouraging of 

 securing native agents either as schoolmasters. Scripture- 

 readers, or colporteurs and Bible distributors, that Mr. 

 Hardy was recommended to remain at Mauritius with his 

 family, until he could receive the instructions of his society 

 in England. Mr. Hardy remained some months in Port 

 Louis, distributing the Scriptures, and preaching in his own 

 hired house to such as came to hear him ; and, though not 

 without individual instances of beneficial results, yet, as he 

 did not receive instructions from England to remain, he sub- 

 sequently proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope, and finally 

 to Australia. 



I still continued to preach every Sunday to small but 

 attentive congregations of seamen and others at the Port 

 Office. In the afternoon I attended the French service at 

 M. Le Brun's ; and as some members of Mr. Kelsey's house- 



