HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR 
83 
ship. This belief appeared to be gaining ground at the 
very time when the affairs of the colony rendered it a 
great temptation to the Count to take advantage of it; 
and, accordingly, when a deputation of chiefs was sent to 
him on the subject, his mind was in a great measure pre¬ 
pared to accept the offer they were about to make him, of 
allowing himself to be invested with all the honours of a 
native prince. 
Three powerful chiefs had been deputed for this purpose, 
and among them Rafangoro, the sole survivor of the family 
whose representative the Count was supposed to be; and 
in a speech delivered by this chief on the occasion, he will¬ 
ingly renounced his own rights, to declare the governor the 
true inheritor of Ramiri. 
After the deputies had declared their commission, which 
was chiefly to invite Renyowsky to a great kabary on this 
subject, they seated themselves, in expectation of an answer; 
upon which the Count assured them that he would attend 
the kabary with pleasure, and there declare his senti¬ 
ments in public; and that they might depend upon his 
friendship, his zeal for their interests, and his readiness to 
sacrifice his own welfare for the good of the nation. 
When this consultation was concluded, Benyowsky asked 
the opinion of his officers respecting the whole affair; and 
while conversing with them, three, who had been absent, 
came up at the head of fifty men, and declared their deter¬ 
mination to give up their lives rather than see him quit the 
island ; that having themselves intermarried with the natives, 
they were resolved to fix their abode there; and therefore 
were fully prepared to relinquish their engagements with 
the French government, and attach themselves to his 
cause. 
The following day being appointed for holding the kabary, 
