HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
31 
propagate his own faith amongst the people of Madagascar, 
and the testimony of Boothby corroborates the suspicion 
that a strong prejudice had been excited in the minds of 
the natives by similar means. 
Speaking of one of the kings or chieftains of the island, 
with whom Boothby and his party held friendly intercourse, 
he says, “ By this king’s discourse, we found how cruel the 
Portuguese had been to them, coming ashore, and carrying 
men, women, and children away by force: they cannot 
endure the Portuguese, telling me how they betrayed them 
with pictures.” 
66 At any time, when our seamen showed a picture to 
truck (barter) for a sheep, or the like, they started back, 
and ran away, crying out, c Portuguese, Portuguese, Portu¬ 
guese !’ for they could not endure images. But, at the 
northernmost part of the island, there were priests and 
friars who lived with them for a time, thinking to convert 
them: the king of that place departed this life, and the 
natives of the country put the friars and priests to death, 
first telling them the reason was, because they were religious 
men, and ought to keep the king company to God.” 
After this follows a description of the various recom¬ 
mendations of St. Augustine’s Bay, which the writer relates 
he visited many times, adding, “1 presented Mr. Endy- 
mion Porter with some novelties which I got at this bay, 
viz., tortoise-shells that he promised to make himself combs 
with; I also gave him some dragon’s blood, and divers sorts 
of other gums ; after which, he sent his coach for me, and 
carried me to the council-board. Prince Rupert was there 
at that time, and I then declared my opinion, and since too; 
which business was concluded upon, and past the board- 
seal, for the island of St. Lawrence.” 
The writer next sets forth “ the praise of the island com- 
