HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
171 
CHAP. VIL 
Anxiety of the king to provide suitable accommodation for the British 
agent—Radama’s inquiries after the slaves he had given to Capt. Le Sage 
—The conduct of the British government in abolishing the slave-trade 
explained, and the desirableness of not allowing natives of Mada¬ 
gascar to be exported to other countries, suggested—The king’s attention 
to public business—His satisfaction on receiving, among his presents, a 
clock, a compass, and some horses—The king’s first efforts in horseman¬ 
ship—His extreme delight in riding—Arrival of slave-factors at the 
capital—The traffic discouraged by Radama—Instance of the injustice 
and fatal effects of the tangena—Apparent fruitlessness of the visit of 
the young princes to Mauritius—Endeavours of the king to prevent 
Mr. Hastie’s departure from the capital—His desire that Englishmen 
should reside in his country—Difficulties of Radama in effecting the 
abolition of the slave-trade—Mr. Hastie’s journey to Tamatave—His 
return to the capital with letters from the governor of Mauritius to Ra¬ 
dama—Powerful effect of a supposed disregard of truth by Mr. Hastie 
on the mind of the king—Renewal of negotiations for the abolition of 
the slave-trade—Public kabary on the subject—Opposition of the chiefs 
to the proposed measure—Determination of the king to accede to 
Mr. Hastie’s proposal—Arrival of a captive king at the capital—Depar¬ 
ture of Mr. Hastie for the coast—Ratification of the treaty—Letter of 
Captain Stanfell to Governor Farquhar—Copy of the treaty between the 
British government and the king of Madagascar for the abolition of the 
slave-trade—Proclamation of the king forbidding the exportation of 
slaves on pain of death. 
Anxious to render the residence of Mr. Hastie at the 
capital as comfortable as possible, Radama sent a number 
of his officers to assist him in preparing the house appro¬ 
priated to his use, and supplied him with mats and other 
materials for fitting it up in the European manner, inspect¬ 
ing the work in person all the time, and asking, as a favour, 
that he might always have access to it when finished. He 
