308 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
proposed to extend the plan of education to some neigh¬ 
bouring towns; but this also was found, on endeavouring 
to mature it, to be altogether impracticable. 
About this time some important arrangements w^ere made 
respecting the orthography of the language. It was decided 
by the king, that the English consonants and the French 
vowels should be employed; and thus, with the exception 
of some alterations afterwards made, and sanctioned by the 
king, the mode of reducing the Malagasy language to writ¬ 
ing was determined. In connexion with this subject, a 
circumstance is related by Captain Moorsom, which appears 
too characteristic of Radama, in his royal pupilage, to be 
omitted. After Mr. Hastie had begun to teach him English 
orthography, he placed himself, in the absence of that gen¬ 
tleman from the capital, under the tuition of a French 
master; but becoming confused with the different sounds 
of the letters, he used a somewhat enviable prerogative, 
and made a law, that throughout his whole kingdom each 
letter should have but one sound. 
During the month of April another school of a different 
description was formed within the court-yard of the palace, 
and though it had no connexion with the Mission, yet, as 
promoting the work of education in the country, it proved 
that the king was anxious to facilitate the improvement of 
his people by every means in his power. This school, con¬ 
taining about three hundred scholars, consisted of the officers 
of the army and their wives, and was placed under the 
immediate superintendence of Mons. Robin, the king's secre¬ 
tary, whose life presented a scene almost as chequered 
as that of Benyowsky. 
It is not impossible that the mind of Radama received 
some stimulus to the promotion of this object, from a 
remark made to him some time before, that there was no 
