140 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
suppress the slave-trade in his dominions, and when Pro¬ 
testant Missionaries were encouraged by his sanction and 
influence to commence their labours in the instruction of 
his people. Few princes, perhaps, have been found more 
disposed to elevate the character and habits of their sub- 
iects by alliance with foreigners, more sincere and faithful 
in their observance of treaties and promises, or more 
desirous of rescuing their people from the dominion of 
grovelling superstition, by extending amongst them the 
benefits of education. 
Amongst the cotemporaries of Radama, the chief of 
Tamatave, prince Jean Rene may justly be reckoned second 
in importance, from the superior advantages of his educa¬ 
tion, which enabled him to maintain a very extensive inter¬ 
course with Europeans. 
This prince was born at sea on board the Elephant, a 
French corvette, on the 28th of Sept. 1781, while the 
vessel was on her voyage from Fort Dauphin to Mauritius. 
His father was a Frenchman, his mother a Malagasy 
princess of the family of Zafiraminy. Having received his 
education at Mauritius, he proceeded to Tamatave, where, 
like other French traders, he was occupied in the nefarious 
traffic in slaves; and once or twice proceeded to Imerina 
for the purpose of buying slaves, during the reign of 
Radama’s father. When the English took Tamatave from 
the French in 1811, they employed Rene as their inter¬ 
preter with the natives; and when the English troops were 
compelled to abandon the place on account of the fever, 
which swept away almost all their garrison, Jean Rene was 
appointed by governor Farquhar to be chief of Tamatave. In 
union with Fitsatra his brother, who was chief of Anjolokefa 
or Ivondrona, and aided also by governor Farquhar, he 
conquered all the neighbouring provinces, and established 
