226 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
each chair, and there was as much formality observed as 
was consistent with the convenience of guests but recently 
accustomed to such habits. 
After tea, the king proposed to Mr. Hastie a game at 
cards; and it was during the intervals of the game, that the 
king asked Mr. Hastie, why the English government at 
Mauritius would not permit the boys to be instructed whom 
he sent for that purpose to the Isle of France in 1817 : 
he then remarked, that he would gladly have paid the ex¬ 
pense that might have been incurred to accomplish this 
object. Mr. Hastie told him, that the boys were placed with 
a proper person to instruct them, by Governor Farquhar, 
previous to his departure for England, and that it was the 
unauthorised act of an individual that caused them to be 
sent back. He said, English laws were bad, if they permit¬ 
ted any individual to act contrary to the will of the sove¬ 
reign ; and though he had not yet framed the code of laws 
Mr. Hastie had so often adverted to, and extolled as pecu¬ 
liar to England, it was impossible that any subject of his 
could be guilty of such an act as displeased him, without 
meeting severe punishment. Mr. Hastie endeavoured to 
explain, that until the sanction of the king was obtained to 
the act of his representative, the crime of a breach of a 
predecessor’s act did not commonly subject the person 
who committed it to condign punishment; but the relations 
established by his excellency Governor Farquhar with 
him, being now authorized by the British sovereign, ratified 
and approved, could no longer be subject to any interrup¬ 
tion. But Radama did not appear to be convinced, and 
frequently reverted to the breach of the treaty. 
