HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
men. His arrival was most advantageous to the French, 
for Captain Coquet having gone to Matitanana to take in his 
cargo, the natives, instigated by the Portuguese, had medi¬ 
tated an attack upon the settlement; it required all the 
address of Pronis to ward off the danger, and this was only 
affected by means of large presents to the chief of the 
district. 
Having thus preserved himself from the treachery of the 
natives, he was able, on receiving assistance, to send twelve 
men to establish themselves in the province of Matitanana. 
They advanced about eighteen leagues into the province, 
towards Monzan, for the purpose of purchasing rice and 
other provisions, and exploring the country; but on crossing 
a river, six of them were killed by the chiefs, who had assem¬ 
bled their subjects in great numbers with the intention of 
opposing their progress. The son of Resimont, and six 
sailors employed in collecting a cargo of ebony in an adjacent 
province, were also destroyed by a party of the natives, insti¬ 
gated by one of the chiefs of Anossy, who, not daring openly 
to attack the French, secretly prompted the people of Mati¬ 
tanana to accomplish his purpose. In consequence of 
these repeated instances of hostility, Resimont made up 
his cargo as quickly as possible, and sent six more men into 
Anossy, to the assistance of Pronis, who had removed thither 
during the absence of the ships. 
The colony was, however, finally compelled to submit to 
an enemy more formidable than the natives or the Portu¬ 
guese. From the unhealthiness of the situation, Pronis 
and nearly all his men were attacked with the fever peculiar 
to the island, and in the space of one month a third part of 
the garrison died; upon which the remainder, with their 
leader, repaired precipitately to the peninsula of Taolauara, 
where the air is more healthy. At this place, about ten 
