HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
215 
with him to Tananarivo, had he been able to accompany 
him, and had he received a letter of invitation from the king 
of the Hovas. 
It subsequently appeared that Radama had heard of the 
arrival of Messrs. Jones and Bevan, by some of his people 
who had gone to Tamatave to carry up provisions for the 
opening of the new palace called Trano-vola. He had 
immediately sent to invite them to his capital; but his 
messengers were told, on reaching Tamatave, that both the 
Missionaries were dead; a falsehood fabricated at the time, 
to prevent their visiting the interior of Madagascar, lest 
they might in any way become the means of arresting the 
lucrative but infamous traffic in slaves, so long the source 
of wealth to the Tamatave traders. 
Frequent relapses of the Malagasy fever, accompanied 
by so general a decline of health as to render a recovery in 
Madagascar improbable, made it extremely desirable that 
Mr. Jones should return to Mauritius; and after receiving 
many attentions from the chieftain Fisatra, and amidst the 
hearty benedictions of numerous Malagasy who accompa¬ 
nied him to the shore, he embarked, on the 3d of July, for 
Port Louis. Here he derived considerable benefit from the 
medical advice of Dr. Sibbald; and was invited by C. Tel¬ 
fair, Esq., to his estate at Belombre, that he might enjoy 
pure air, receive valuable medical attention, and avail him¬ 
self of whatever MSS. in the Malagasy language that gen¬ 
tleman possessed. Mr. Jones accepted the invitation, and 
some time afterwards commenced a school, consisting of 
about seventy children of slaves on the estate. This school 
was conducted under the immediate sanction of Mr. Telfair* 
who appeared anxious to promote the welfare of his slaves, 
seeking to improve their condition by the education of their 
children, and the increase of their general comforts. 
