58 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
grity and good feeling of Bigorne ; and it was replied to by 
Mons. Poivre, who blended many fair promises with obser¬ 
vations such as were the most calculated to rouse the sensi¬ 
bility of the chiefs. He spoke of peace and lenity; called 
them brothers and friends; and intimated to them, that all 
the white people who did not entertain for them the same 
sentiments, would be universally censured. The result of 
this address was a conclusion of the treaty, which was an¬ 
nounced with shouts of acclamation. It had already become 
an object of no small importance to the French, to make 
peace with the Malagasy; the ships of the former being in 
great want, and requiring daily three bullocks, and a pro¬ 
portionate quantity of rice, to feed the company, which 
consisted of six hundred men. 
The ratification of the treaty took place immediately, 
and was performed with the utmost solemnity. The orator 
slaughtered an ox, the blood of which was received into an 
earthen vessel, and a quantity of sea-water, pimento, pul¬ 
verized gun-flints, and a small portion of earth and gun¬ 
powder mingled with it: these ingredients were moistened 
with tafia, a species of rum. Two leaden balls were used 
in mixing and reducing these different ingredients, of which 
he finally made a potion or liquor, conjuring some evil 
spirit to change it into poison for whoever should drink of 
it and afterwards break his oath. The speaker held a knife 
in his hand, and, first invoking the God of the whites, and 
then the god of the blacks, he besought them, with a loud 
voice, to instil into the hearts of both, peace, concord, 
friendship, and good faith. Then striking, with a sudden 
movement, the points of two lances into the liquor, while 
John Harre sprinkled some drops of it on the ground, he 
pronounced curses and horrid imprecations against those 
who should infringe the treaty. 
