70 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
as a means of furnishing supplies for adjacent colonies, it 
is further stated, that when three successive hurricanes 
had, a few years prior to this time, destroyed all the crops 
in the Isle of France, and when a dreadful famine menaced 
the whole island, the arrival of ten large ships loaded with 
rice from Madagascar had rescued the inhabitants from 
misery and starvation. 
The Count Benyowsky arrived at the Isle of France on the 
22nd of September, 1773, when he was soon convinced by 
the conduct of the governor, De Tournay, and the Commis¬ 
sary Maillart, that he had nothing to expect from them but 
open or concealed hostility. They went so far as to inform 
him they were “ surprised the Count had undertaken such 
an expedition, so prejudicial to the Isle of France, whose 
merchants would be ruined if the new establishment at 
Madagascar succeeded.” They professed to be willing to 
wait a.id see what could be done until more positive orders 
should arrive from the court: “ but, in the mean time, 
they could not avoid informing him that the project was 
impracticable; because the people of Madagascar having, 
for one hundred and fifty years, repelled all the attempts 
of France, they would not submit at this moment, when 
they were united under a solid government formed by 
themselves.” 
Benyowsky now felt in their full force all the disadvan¬ 
tages of his situation, and foresaw, with no unfounded 
apprehensions, the difficulties that would attend his pro¬ 
gress. The good opinion he had left in the minds of the 
French ministry was of little avail, for he was now in the 
hands of those who had the power not only to harass him by 
withholding the necessary supplies, but also to misrepresent 
his actions, and thereby incite even the French government 
against him. 
