278 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
of them should, from that moment, re-inherit the exact 
portions of land which he was by birthright entitled to; 
that all acquired and moveable property should remain in 
the hands of the present possessors; that any new cause 
of difference, or supposed trespass or grievance, should, by 
the parties actually concerned, be submitted to the king 
for his decision; and that any person infringing these 
laws, or detected in marauding or plundering, or taking 
it upon himself to avenge a real or supposed oppression, 
should be considered guilty of treason, and punished 
accordingly.” 
Such were the measures by which the king, whose mind 
appeared to be rapidly expanding, endeavoured gradually 
to raise his people out of the state of lawless barbarism, 
to which their minds had so long been accustomed; 
and few means could have been better adapted to facilitate 
his purpose in the first stages of its operation, than the 
national custom of delivering the commands of the prince 
or chieftain at a great kabary of his people, while inviolable 
sanctity was attached to any public pledge. 
On the 10th of June, the mission party, conducted by 
Mr. Hastie, and accompanied by two German botanists, 
Messrs. Boyer and Helsinburg, from Mauritius, reached 
the capital, where they were received with as much public 
honour and individual attention as they could desire. After 
partaking of an excellent repast, during which Radama 
made many inquiries respecting his zealous friend Sir 
R. Farquhar, Mr. Jeffreys was conducted to a comfortable 
house prepared for his family; accommodations were also 
provided for the rest of the party. 
On the following day, the British agent paid to the king 
that part of the equivalent for the slave-traffic, with which 
he had been charged, and delivered a number of acceptable 
