92 tOYAGE TO MADAGASCAR. 



" feeds of hatred ? No— All my women are 

 " good — they all endeavour to render me 

 ** happy ; and I am more their flavc than 

 ** their m after. 



*' Bnt, if your maxims are Co ufcful and 

 ** neceffary, why do not your countrymen 

 ** at the fort follow them ? — ^They ought 

 ** to know much better thau I the merit and 

 ** value of your words. Believe me, ' my 

 " friend, I will not deceive you ; it is im- 

 " poffible for me to change my cufloms ; I 

 ** will never quit them but with my life. I, 

 " however, give you leave to exercife your 

 *' zeal on the people who are fubje£t to my 



authority j and I give you the fame power 

 *' over my family and my chUdren. But 

 " this perraiffion will be of vei*y little avail, 

 ** unlefs you can fuit your precepts to our 

 ** manners and ufages." 



Father Stephen made no other reply to 

 this I'peech than to order the chief, in a 



peremptory 



> 



