HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
169 
gress, as the king’s birth-day was near at hand, and he 
wished him to be present at its celebration in the capital. 
Others then brought presents of refreshments; and, lastly, 
the two young princes, who had travelled with the royal 
party after their separation, came out to meet their tutor, 
who observed, that they were even then re-assuming the 
dress and habits of their countrymen. 
In the midst of crowds similar to those which attended 
the arrival of Le Sage, and surrounded by the same demon¬ 
strations of welcome and delight, Mr. Hastie at length 
reached the capital, on the 6th of August, 1817. The 
court-yard of the palace was lined with soldiers; and the 
king, seated on a stage about sixty yards from the door, 
called Mr. Hastie to go to him, and, laughing loud, shook 
him very warmly by the hand. The native attendants of 
Mr. Hastie, on entering the door of the palace, held in 
their hands a dollar each, which was received by a person 
stationed there for the purpose: when the money was pre¬ 
sented, they began to sing and dance, after which the king 
ordered silence, and addressed the soldiers in an oration, 
the purport of which was to direct their attention to all 
persons, but particularly the English passing through their 
country to visit him. On this occasion, Radama was 
dressed in the scarlet coat and military hat sent to him from 
Mauritius, and in blue pantaloons and green boots. After 
the public interview, he followed Mr. Hastie to the house 
appropriated to his use, which he had furnished with chairs, 
and, taking off the cumbrous part of his dress, sat down, 
and sent for Mr. Brady, whom he introduced to his guest as 
his captain, saying he was no longer a common soldier. 
He then drank some brandy, and was profuse in expressing 
his obligations to the governor of Mauritius, whom he called 
his father. The conversation afterwards turned on the 
