HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
271 
service so novel appeared to awaken considerable interest; 
and this in return excited a corresponding interest in the 
members of the Mission. The sight of sixty heathen chil¬ 
dren, who a few months before w r ere living without whole¬ 
some restraint, scarcely clothed, and having “ no one to 
care for their souls,” now assembled at the celebration of a 
Christian ordinance, habited in white European dresses, 
manifesting great decorum in their manners, and har¬ 
moniously uniting in the singing, afforded much gratifica¬ 
tion, and awakened the cheering hope that the period might 
not be far distant, when these youths should themselves 
profess their faith in Christ, and, by receiving the rite of 
baptism, declare themselves his disciples. 
The nature of the baptismal service was briefly explained 
by Mr. Jones in the native language, and, for the sake of 
the French artisans, in their language also. 
By the middle of January, the number of scholars having 
increased to thirty-eight, the house in which they met was 
found to be much too small, and in other respects extremely 
inconvenient. It was the king’s mother’s depot for rice, 
mats, cooking utensils, dishes, &c., and wherever these are 
placed in store in any part of Madagascar, rats and mice 
are found to be extremely annoying. A room not more 
than twenty feet square, serving, by means of a few divisions, 
for dining-room, sleeping-room, and school-room, was 
evidently better adapted for a mere experiment than for a 
permanent abode. The roof being one of old-fashioned 
structure, immensely high at the ridge, was shaken by 
every breeze, and threatened to fall upon the heads of 
those below. Flooring was a luxury unknown, beyond a 
few coarse mats spread upon the floor, which became 
extremely damp in the wet season, and of course required 
constant care. The impossibility of doing much to extend 
