158 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
forms a crisis. Those who reach the capital, and pass ten 
days without an attack, may consider themselves safe, as 
the fever has invariably been found to manifest its symp¬ 
toms within that period, if at all. 
The disastrous journey of Le Sage has already been 
partially described, but sufficient cannot be said of the 
kindness and attention he experienced at the court of 
Radama. On one occasion, at a very discouraging stage 
of his disorder, when his own medicines appeared to be 
ineffectual, his case was undertaken by the natives, who 
faithfully persevered in fomentations of boiled herbs, and 
in the use of vapour baths, until their patient was at one 
time nearly suffocated. Their mode of treament proved for 
a while extremely beneficial, but a relapse coming on, it 
was then that Le Sage, anticipating for himself the fate of 
his companions, endeavoured to transact all his official 
business with Radama, though under the necessity of doing 
so in the most private manner. 
After a long season of insensibility, from which Le Sage 
awoke to learn the melancholy tidings, that seven of his 
companions had fallen victims to the same dreadful malady 
under which he was suffering, his anxiety to fulfil, to the 
utmost of his power, the trust committed to him, induced 
him to hasten the ceremony of taking the oath of blood 
with Radama before his strength w r as equal to the task. 
This ceremony was performed on the 14th of January, 
1817, after which the standard only remained to be pre¬ 
sented in public; all the other presents having been given 
in his sick-room. It was not until the 4th of February, 
that the treaty, which had been kept secret between Le 
Sage and Radama, and which had at other times been 
slightly touched upon, and pressed as far as delicacy would 
permit, was finally concluded, it was hoped, in a manner 
