HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
137 
as well as very narrow, rendered it, amongst such crowds of 
people, extremely difficult. Every time they halted, 
Le Sage’s people fired a volley of musketry, and the peo¬ 
ple amongst the surrounding hills still continued their 
firing. The whole of the way to the palace was lined with 
armed men; and every place was thronged with people to 
a degree almost incredible, all groaning a dull kind of groan 
as the party advanced, which custom is with them a great 
mark of approbation. 
On entering the palace, Radama was seen seated on a 
kind of throne, surrounded by about twenty of his ministers 
and soldiers; the spacious room being lined with muskets 
and wall pieces, all of English manufacture. Having shaken 
hands with the party, who were all seated on mats on the 
floor, Le Sage placed himself upon a kind of stool covered 
with white linen, when Radama addressed his ministers and 
people to the same effect as his minister had done before, 
asking them if they consented that Le Sage should be 
their king; to which they all answered in the affirmative. 
He then told his guest that Madagascar was his, and his 
own country Mauritius. After some complimentary con¬ 
versation, Le Sage then presented his credentials, which were 
read by one of the princes, when the king again assured 
his guest of the great pleasure his arrival afforded him. 
Le Sage here observes of Radama, that his manners and 
conduct were totally different from those of any prince or 
chief he had seen in Madagascar. His address was ex¬ 
tremely agreeable and prepossessing; and he was, even 
then, what might justly be termed a polite man. 
On every occasion, the British agent was treated by 
Radama with that peculiar politeness which conveys the 
strongest assurance of friendly feeling. A house was built 
for his especial accommodation; and, while his health con- 
