544 
ISLAND OF MADAGASCAR. 
They soon arrived at a considerable town, where an 
officer, called the second king, resided; by him they were 
well received, and sent off with a number of attendants to 
Raniacca the first king. They came to a broad and rapid 
river, but there being neither bridge nor any boat, they 
looked at one another, wondering how they should get 
across, together with two chests which they brought, full of 
presents to the king. Six men took up one of these chests, 
and went with it into the water, three on one side and three 
on the other, supporting it above the water, by each apply- 
ing one of his hands to it ; in this way they carried it over 
perfectly dry. In the same way they carried over the other 
chest, and all the Dutch and French officers and sailors who 
were in the company. 
One of the sailors, not choosing to be carried over in the 
above awkward way, stripped off his clothes, and tying them 
about his head, jumped into the water, and swam towards 
the other side; but when he came to the middle of the 
river, the current was too strong for him, so that he was 
carried down before it, and certainly would have been 
drowned, had not some of the natives hastened to his 
assistance. Soon after crossing the river, they arrived at the 
town where the king resided, which was considerably larger 
than that which they had seen before. When introduced to 
the king, he was surprised to find all the Frenchmen well 
clothed ; but when he found, on enquiry, that they had receiv- 
ed these clothes from the Dutch, who, he knew, were a 
different nation from the French, he was still more as- 
tonished, and called to his attendants, who stood in a row 
behind, saying, " Mark this: these do not belong to the 
same nation with the French, yet you see they give them 
clothes ; learn to do so too." A house and attendants were 
provided for them all by the king, where they lived very 
comfortably for five months. 
On another occasion, when Mr. Oncruydt was with the se- 
c6nd king alone, while viewing from his window a great storm 
at sea, he said to Mr Oncruydt, ^'I have heard from my grand- 
father, and from my uncle, that all these things were made," 
pointing to the sea, &c. " did you ever hear of that?" 
Made," said Mr. O. "do you mean that the sea made 
itself?" No, no, (said he) I do not mean that: 1 mean 
made by its Maker." O yes," said Mr. O. all white 
people know that." 1 have told you," replied the second 
king, who it was that told me, now tell me how you know 
it.^* On which Mr. Oncruydt told him about the Bible. 
