76 HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
Difficult and painfully alarming as must have been the 
situation of the Count under these circumstances, it was 
probably rendered still more so by the nature of his 
administration, in which he sought to combine the opposite 
elements of military rule with philanthropic conciliation. 
The summary execution of the penalties of the former by 
firing without scruple upon all offenders, naturally produced 
upon the minds of the natives an unfavourable impression 
respecting the colony, which the real benevolence of the 
governor did not counteract. 
Amongst many other instances of his unquestionable 
desire to benefit the people of the island, was a truly 
praiseworthy attempt which he made to abolish the custom 
of sacrificing to their superstitious notions of good and 
evil destinies all the children born on what they called 
unlucky days. Having accidentally saved the lives of 
three children devoted to destruction, he gave directions 
for summoning a kabary of the natives, and, before the 
whole assembly, reasoned so forcibly with the chiefs and 
their wives on the cruelty of this unnatural practice, that 
he prevailed upon them at length to engage by oath to 
discontinue the custom. The women, however, refused to 
ratify the engagement, except in the presence of the 
Count’s wife, who was, accordingly, sent for from the Isle 
of France; and on the 13th of December, the women of 
several provinces being informed of her arrival, went to 
take the oath before her, and bind themselves never to 
sacrifice any of their children. It was further agreed, that 
those who should break their oath, should be made slaves, 
and exported out of the country; and that the children 
who should be born with any defect, which, according to 
their customs, would have caused them to be put to death, 
