78 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
death. Every thing connected with the arrival and subse¬ 
quent conduct of these men, proved that they had been 
purposely sent for the villanous purpose of embarrassing 
and destroying the colony. It required great presence of 
mind and fortitude to bear with such treatment; and, with¬ 
out the confidence of his officers, Benyowsky must have 
become the victim of their wickedness. 
It was under these disadvantages that he pursued his 
great object, carrying forward, as far as circumstances would 
allow, his measures for the promotion of the welfare of his 
men, and, as he intended, the civilization of the natives. 
The colony was in this enfeebled state, when, in the 
early part of the year 1775, intelligence was brought to 
the governor, that a formidable confederacy was organized 
against it by the chiefs of the Sakalavas, who were able at 
any time to command at least forty thousand fighting men. 
The governor prudently concealing his own apprehensions, 
caused the public works to be carried on with greater 
spirit; and on soliciting the aid of the chiefs in the vicinity 
of the colony, he had the satisfaction of receiving offers of 
assistance from many, among whom, one in particular, 
placed at his disposal five thousand men. 
The hostile preparations of both parties were now 
assuming a very serious character; and it was not long 
before a formidable body of the Sakalavas made their ap¬ 
pearance, and pitched their camp between the chief settle¬ 
ment and the Plain of Health, in order to cut off the 
communication. The governor, therefore, determined to 
attack them with all his forces, which consisted of six 
thousand natives, in addition to his own troops. On the 
first discharge of cannon, however, the enemy were struck 
with such a panic, from what they called “ monsters vomit¬ 
ing fire,” that they immediately quitted the field; nor were 
