180 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
he was afraid he should be committed by this breach of 
trust, and be understood to have agreed to terms which he 
could not sanction without the stipulated conditions. 
All, however, was at last settled between him and his 
guest, who had cordially agreed to Radama’s request that 
four native boys should accompany him to Mauritius for 
the purpose of learning martial music; and on the 7th of 
September, Mr. Hastie left the capital, attended on his 
departure with many demonstrations of respect. 
In his journey back to Tamatave he had to contend with 
the same difficulties as those which he had encountered 
before, and even with more circumstances of distress and 
horror, owing to the wretched state of the people, whose 
country had been laid waste in the late wars; yet no 
sooner did he learn, on arriving at Tamatave, that a letter 
was already there from Governor Farquhar to Radama, 
which he alone could properly interpret to the king, than 
he determined to be the bearer of it himself, and set off 
immediately to retrace his steps to the capital. The letter 
may not be unsuitably quoted at full length, as an example 
worthy of imitation to those on whom devolves the high 
responsibility of exemplifying the character and maintaining 
the reputation of a nation, which ought ever to be the just 
and enlightened benefactress of uncivilized nations. 
“ Government House, Port Louis, 
“ Mauritius, 9th August, 1817. 
“To his Majesty, Radama, King of the Ovahs, 
“ Sir, my Brother,—Captain Stanfell, of his Majesty’s ship 
Phaeton, having brought me the despatches from my representative, 
Mr. Pye, giving an account of all the transactions which took place 
on your descent to the coast of Tamatave, and return from thence 
to your territories of Ovah. This account gave me great satisfac¬ 
tion, from learning the wisdom which directed your conduct, and 
