HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
299 
assassin could expect no mercy at his hands, he thought it 
necessary to invite Sasse and the chieftains of the north to 
the assembly, that they might be fully acquainted with the 
disposition of Radama. 
An aged chieftain, who it appeared had long acknow¬ 
ledged the supremacy of the Hovas, then rose, and de¬ 
scribed, at length, the horrors of petty wars; adverting to 
many instances still fresh in the memory of a great part of 
the assembly, where their individual families had suffered; 
and he called upon Sasse to bear his own case in mind, 
and reflect that but a short period had elapsed since his 
son, who was found in slavery in the Sakalava country, had 
been restored to him by Radama; a favour which, if duly 
valued, must induce him not to hesitate in offering the most 
solemn assurance of allegiance to his benefactor. 
Sasse, whose countenance was strongly marked by the 
impress of every evil passion, remained the whole time with 
his eyes fixed on the ground. He said but a few words, 
declaring that reports of Rafaralahy’s hostility towards 
him had alone deterred him from offering his allegiance; 
that he was now happy in having an opportunity of acknow¬ 
ledging Radama’s supremacy. At the same time he artfully 
evaded answering the questions put to him relative to his 
connexion with the French agent at St. Mary’s. 
The other chieftains having expressed themselves in 
submissive terms, the ceremony of allegiance was entered 
into by the whole of the party, agreeable to the usual form, 
the governor of Foule Point loudly exhorting them to a 
strict observance of the covenant. 
Towards the close of the year Mr. Hastie returned to 
the capital, where he was attacked with the Malagasy fever, 
and so reduced by the frequent relapses which he suffered, 
as to find great difficulty in attending to the various duties 
