HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
179 
seeing Governor Farquhar before his departure for Eng¬ 
land, and told him it was that alone which induced him 
to quit a place where he had met with every kindness. 
An agreement was then entered into, that Mr. Hastie 
should return, if it met with the governor’s approbation, 
which afforded great satisfaction to the king; and he pro¬ 
ceeded to say, how much he had hoped from the circum¬ 
stance of his brother’s going to Mauritius, that he should 
see more Englishmen, but now that hope rested solely 
upon Mr. Hastie’s promise to return. He expressed a 
wish that Englishmen should always remain with him; for 
although his people were slow, example might have a good 
effect. Mr. Hastie assured him that the produce of his 
country would always induce Englishmen to visit it, and 
that the treaty he had entered into with Governor Far¬ 
quhar was such as would ensure a constant intercourse; 
to which he replied, that he should receive Englishmen as 
the children of his father. 
In a subsequent conversation, the king stated, that if the 
English government would supply his country with arms 
and ammunition, he would agree to put a total stop to the 
traffic in slaves. His supplies were at that time obtained 
from the French merchants, who would leave the country 
if the trade was discontinued; and many powerful chiefs 
would attack his territories, if he had not the means of 
defending himself. He therefore begged Mr. Hastie to 
assure the governor that his earnest desire was to conform 
to his wishes, but that he must have the means of repelling 
his enemies before success could attend his endeavours. 
This conversation was repeated many times, for Radama 
had discovered that the man who acted as interpreter to 
Captain Le Sage had not acted fairly in conveying his 
sentiments respecting the abolition of the slave-trade, and 
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