200 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
to contend with the prejudices, the inveterate habits, and 
the interests of his own family, as well as those of the 
great body of the chiefs, and of the entire community, 
excepting the hapless slave. One instance occurred in 
1818, when a brother-in-law of Radama’s was heard to con¬ 
demn the measures the king had adopted in entering into 
a treaty with Great Britain—“a country,” he said, “ always 
actuated by interested motives.” The affair came to the 
knowledge of Radama, who caused a strict investigation 
to be made into the circumstances. The accused party, 
instead of exonerating or vindicating himself, implicated 
his father and brother; and all three being found guilty, 
were condemned to suffer the extreme penalty of the law. 
Mr. Hastie humanely endeavoured to interfere, so as to 
obtain a pardon for them, lest the execution of a capital 
sentence against them might generate disgust in the minds 
of the people, and increase prejudice against the British 
name, or bring public odium on the treaty which they had 
ventured to censure. His efforts, however, were unavailing. 
The guilty party were convicted of having added falsehood 
to their offence of disapproving of what the king had already 
decreed; and Radama remarked, that the stability of his 
throne depended upon a strict adherence to truth , and upon 
impartiality in the administration of his laws. All three 
accordingly suffered the sentence of death. 
The first payment of the equivalent agreed upon in the 
treaty with Radama becoming due in May, 1818, Mr. 
Hastie, agreeably to his instructions, left the capital for 
the coast, proposing to return from Mauritius with the 
various articles stipulated in the agreement. While waiting 
a short time at Tamatave, a vessel arrived with several 
slave-dealers on board, and bearing the tidings, to them 
most agreeable, that the then acting governor of Mauritius, 
