HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
23 
viously exhibited, was sufficiently proved by the nature of 
this proposal. 
It appears that the body of the unfortunate Father 
Stephen, for which diligent search w r as made, was never 
found; and with his unsuccessful endeavours, followed by 
the breaking up of the establishment at Fort Dauphin, 
terminated the labours of the Roman Catholic mission, 
leaving a most unfavourable impression as to the nature of 
Christianity upon the minds of the natives, not only in the 
part of the country where these transactions took place, but 
wherever the report of them w r as circulated; and this has 
been more widely than the parties themselves ever contem¬ 
plated. By these misguided measures, an extreme jealousy 
of religious interference was engendered, and it will be 
long before the memory of deeds so decidedly inimical to 
the genuine spirit of Christianity can be effaced. 
If, however, an unfavourable impression of Roman 
Catholic missionaries were left in the minds of the discerning, 
shrewd, and jealous Malagasy, an idea equally unfavourable 
appears to have been excited and perpetuated amongst the 
French, as to the possible conversion of these, as they 
regarded them, most incorrigible islanders. 
When the Protestant Missionaries proceeding to Mada¬ 
gascar in 1818, touched at Bourbon on their way, they 
were strongly advised by many high in office to relinquish 
so hopeless an object—so decidedly preposterous an under¬ 
taking. “ Render the Malagasy Christians!” said they, 
“ Impossible ! They are but beasts. They have no more 
reason than brutes; they are not capable of thinking and 
reasoning. They are not endowed with the capacities of 
human beings in general. The French have long tried 
them, and cannot discover any capacity—any talent among 
them.” 
