HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
305 
were constantly falling victims to the tangena, or trial by 
poison. 
Mr. Hastie therefore believed it to be his duty to make 
respectful representations to Radama on these subjects, and 
to press them on his attention as often as opportunity 
allowed. To all his representations the king granted a 
patient hearing, and each renewal of the conversation 
afforded hope of being able at last to carry conviction to 
his mind. The period, however, was fast approaching for 
this enlightened and active individual to withdraw, for a 
time, from the scene of his philanthropic exertions, and his 
proposed departure from the capital was made use of as a 
plea for urging the king to give more prompt attention to 
these important subjects. 
Before Mr. Hastie left, he had the satisfaction of knowing, 
that all future debts contracted in obtaining articles to 
bury with the dead were declared to be unlawful, and 
consequently not recoverable. And on the subject of 
putting children to death, he had the unspeakable satis¬ 
faction of hearing it pronounced murder, except only in one 
district, about which there seemed to be some difficulty, 
though the king promised to abolish the exception as 
early as possible. The grounds on which the king prohi¬ 
bited the murder of infants, have been already stated in 
connexion with the practice and abolition of infanticide. 
The above exception appears to have arisen from the 
following circumstances During the time when Ime- 
rina was governed by many chieftains, and the father of 
Radama was only commencing his successful career, the 
conquest of the Imamo district became an object that he 
was very desirous to accomplish, and he was successful in 
many incursions made into that province. The chieftains 
and people of Imamo frequently repulsed the enemy, and 
11. 
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