72 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
confidence of the people of the country, the amount was at 
last fixed at three hundred. Of these, some of the officers, 
influenced by unfavourable representations in the Isle of 
France, resigned their commissions there, and their places 
were supplied by men whose characters gave the com¬ 
mander the greatest uneasiness. 
With these, and with the remainder of his troops, 
Benyowsky arrived at Madagascar on the 4th of February, 
1774, and, landing at the Bay of Antongil, found the shore 
lined with chiefs, who expressed great satisfaction at seeing 
him; the detachment he had sent forward having, in some 
measure, dissipated their apprehensions respecting his 
object. He had left many of his men sick at the Isle of 
France, and now had the mortification of finding those who 
had preceded him here feeble and exhausted by their inces¬ 
sant labour in the construction of houses, and in defending 
themselves from the hostile attacks of the natives. These 
attacks were greatly increased in violence and malignity 
by the mode of defence adopted by the soldiers ; for what¬ 
ever might have been the benevolent design of their leader, 
neither he nor they appear to have had an idea of any 
other security than what was obtained by force of arms, 
which, in a country where numbers were so much against 
them, was not the most judicious. 
It was found on landing the cargo, that the commissary 
at the Isle of France had omitted to send the stores most 
required by the colony; and, as no articles of trade were 
forwarded, the Count made purchases of the captain, for 
which he paid out of his own resources. 
His next step was to convene the chiefs, in order to 
acquaint them with the nature of the intended establish¬ 
ment, and to endeavour to conciliate them. By these 
means he obtained from them a grant of land, but without 
