204 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
Circumstances, however, prevented any measures being 
adopted; and Dr. Vanderkemp wrote again to the directors, 
in 1804, expressing his desire to see the gospel conveyed 
to the island; and had not important engagements detained 
him in Africa, he would himself have commenced the 
mission. In 1810 the directors remark, that by letters 
just arrived, they find, “that Dr. Vanderkemp has decided 
on going to Madagascar, although his advancing years, and 
the state of his health, with that of his family, rendered it 
a very arduous undertaking.” 
The best mode of entering upon this new sphere 
of missionary labour, still appeared involved in some 
degree of uncertainty. An application was made to Lord 
Caledon, then governor of the colony at the Cape, to faci¬ 
litate the voyage of Missionaries in a vessel direct from 
Algoa Bay. His excellency, in reply, expressed his readi¬ 
ness to afford all the assistance in his power in the prose¬ 
cution of the object, but doubted if any government vessel 
could touch at Algoa Bay. So late as 1811, Dr. Vander¬ 
kemp still resolved on attempting the object, by way of 
Mauritius. He was, however, detained some time longer 
at the Cape; illness succeeded; and in the month of 
December, of the same year, he terminated the career of 
his earthly services. 
Soon after the intelligence of this melancholy event 
reached England, the directors of the Missionary Society 
deemed it expedient to request one of their own body, the 
Rev. John Campbell, to visit Africa, and inspect their sta¬ 
tions in that country. They instructed him, also, to send 
a mission to Madagascar, if practicable, during his resi¬ 
dence in Africa; and, in the mean time, the Rev. W. Milne, 
on his way to China, was requested to obtain, at the Isle 
of France, all possible information respecting Madagascar. 
