HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
63 
integrity, and now they chose him as the arbiter of all their 
differences. He re-established peace and concord amongst 
the chiefs in the northern part of the island, where he re¬ 
mained as commissioner of trade, until Benyowsky was 
appointed governor-general, and fixed his establishment at 
the Bay of Antongil. 
These circumstances are related on the authority of the 
Abbe Rochon, who was well qualified to bear testimony to 
the character of Bigorne, having accompanied him on a 
voyage to Madagascar in the year 1768. The object of 
the Abbe in undertaking this voyage was to collect the 
rarest and most useful plants in the island for Mons. 
Poivre’s celebrated garden of Montplasir, afterwards known 
by the name of the Royal Botanical Garden at the Isle of 
France; and during his stay in Madagascar, he had an 
opportunity of obtaining from Bigorne much valuable 
information, relating both to the natural history and the 
political state of the country. 
