176 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR 
great weight in retarding the operation of his good inten¬ 
tions. 
Mr. Hastie had many opportunities of observing the un¬ 
equal distribution of public justice. On one occasion, when 
these very counsellors sat as judges, he saw the criminals 
buy themselves off by conveying pieces of money to their 
hands. But the most horrible of all the mockeries of 
justice prevalent in Madagascar, is the ordeal by poison. 
Mr. Hastie was a witness of the following instance, which 
may be added to those already given. 
One of the king’s sisters had been ill for several days, 
and on the 24th of August became slightly delirious. Her 
female attendants, four in number, were subjected to the 
following processes, in order to ascertain whether they had 
been accessory to her sickness. For one day they were 
confined in separate huts, without being allowed any food, 
and on the following morning they were brought out, each 
to have administered to them three bits of the raw skin 
of a black fowl; after which, they were obliged to drink 
warm rice-water until they began to vomit. If each 
vomited the three pieces of skin, and did not in straining 
fall with her head to the south, she was to be considered 
innocent. The pieces of skin were swallowed whole, and 
unfortunately only one of the four was able to prove her 
innocence. 
The customary fate of those considered to be guilty, is 
instant death. In this instance it was delayed nearly an 
hour, as one of the unhappy creatures was a great favourite 
with the king’s mother, who, while Mr. Hastie was with 
Radama, went to her son to beg her life. He refused to 
grant this favour, and desired his mother to withdraw. 
The supposed criminals were then taken to a rock on the 
south side of the capital, and, having their fingers, toes, 
