HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
191 
people unused to European manners, and alive to every jealous 
feeling of their own individual interest, than the more glaring 
show of loud declamation, and useless difficulties. I beg leave to 
state to your excellency, that I conceive Mr. Pye, from his local 
knowledge and the best information, combined with the revolving 
interests of Madagascar for the last three months, is most qualified 
to fill the situation of general-agent for Madagascar, resident at 
the island of Mauritius; and under the most perfect conviction I 
only meet the humane and benevolent intentions of your excel¬ 
lency, I presume to recommend him as such, for much yet remains 
to be done to fulfil the treaty. 
“ I have no less the particular satisfaction in calling to your 
excellency’s notice Mr. Hastie, the assistant agent, resident at the 
court of Ovah, who, united to a strong constitution, combines a 
zeal for the benefit of his majesty’s government, not unequalled by 
his desire to carry into effect your excellency’s instructions, with 
which he was charged when accompanying the young princes to 
be returned to Radama after your excellency’s kindness to them. 
Mr. Hastie travelled a distance of five hundred miles up and 
down, unparalleled in exertion in the memory of the oldest inha¬ 
bitant of Tamatave ; and by his steadiness of character while at the 
court of Radama, and a quick conception of the Madagascar 
tongue, gained while under the immediate notice of your excel¬ 
lency, in his instruction of the princes. I do not hesitate to say, 
that for the gratifying point to which your excellency’s negocia- 
tions have been brought, infinite merit attaches to Mr. Hastie; 
and having on my own part gained much local information, I beg 
to recommend that gentleman as a permanent resident agent about 
the person of Radama at Ovah; and I am so fully borne out by 
such a recommendation, in the perusal of Mr. Hastie’s diary, 
which I am satisfied you will find interesting, that in the difficult 
explanations between the commissioners appointed by your excel¬ 
lency and those of Radama, frequent reference was made to that 
diary to explain conversations between Radama and Mr. Hastie, 
at which those ministers were present, and on no one occasion did 
a doubt remain but these persons were in full possession of the senti¬ 
ments of Radama, though they had the cunning to offer objections 
and doubts until these proofs were brought against them. 
