196 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
“ Proclamation. 
“ Inhabitants of Madagascar. 
“ You are none of you ignorant of the friendship we enjoy with 
the governor of Mauritius, and the devoted attachment we have 
avowed to him. His attention, unlike that of all other foreign 
nations that has visited our shores, has deen directed to increase 
our happiness and prosperity. He has never deprived us of our 
rights or our properties ; he has not suffered the white men to 
carry off our children into slavery; he has sent us people to teach 
us arts and industry unknown before, to defend us against our ene¬ 
mies, and to prevent famine by more extensive cultivation. We are 
happier and safer since the establishment of British dominion in 
our neighbourhood, and we are grateful to our good father, who 
has produced for us these blessings. 
“ His nation and king have made laws to prevent you from being 
carried out of your island into slavery; and he has punished such 
of the whites as have presumed to violate this law. 
“ He has called on us to assist him in this work for our own 
benefit; and he has promised his powerful assistance, to punish 
such as may be refractory or disobedient. 
“We willingly agree to this proposal of our father; and we 
hereby declare, that if any of our subjects, or persons depending 
on our power, shall henceforward be guilty of selling any slave, or 
other person, for the purpose of being transported from the island 
of Madagascar, the person guilty shall be punished by being re¬ 
duced to slavery himself, and his property shall be forfeited to me. 
“ Let my subjects, then, who have slaves, employ them in plant¬ 
ing rice and other provisions, and in taking care of their flocks; 
in collecting bees’-wax and gums ; and in manufacturing cloths 
and other articles, which they can sell. I set them the first exam¬ 
ple myself, by abandoning the tax payable to me upon the sale of 
slaves for exportation. 
“ I direct my brother, Jean Rene, and other chiefs upon the sea- 
coast, to seize, for their own use and profit, all such slaves as may 
be attempted to be exported in their respective provinces; they 
will also give every support and assistance to the government agent 
of Mauritius, in the execution of his duties. 
