HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
311 
Moorsom, accompanied by his officers and marines, went 
on shore to meet the king; and Mr. Hastie, having lent 
him a horse, they drew up in an open space a short dis¬ 
tance from the house of Rafahalahy. The king’s advanced 
guard soon appeared, and lined the road on each side; 
next followed his grenadiers, consisting of one thousand five 
hundred men, all armed and equipped as English soldiers, 
having at their head, Radama’s adjutant-general: these 
troops, with their band, marched between the lines in open 
column, and presented arms as they passed; next came 
the generals and nobles, and then Radama, mounted on an 
Arabian steed, and dressed in the uniform of an English 
field-officer of engineers, with a cap fitting close to the 
head, made of crimson velvet, variously ornamented; his 
boots were of the same; and over his head a small silk canopy 
was carried by an attendant. A number of irregular troops, 
clad in the costume of the country, but armed with fire¬ 
locks, closed the procession. When the king,” says 
Captain Moorsom, “ came within sixty yards of where I 
stood, I advanced; and when I had passed through his 
guards, he drew up, and we shook hands. I expressed in 
French my pleasure in meeting him, and took my station 
on his right, with Mr. Hastie on his left, while the officers 
of my guard filed round to the rear, and in this manner we 
proceeded to Rafaralahy’s house. When Radama dis¬ 
mounted in the court, the prince and his wives, one of 
whom was sister to the king, threw themselves at their 
sovereign’s feet, and kissed his boots. He endeavoured to 
prevent this customary salutation, which he had recently 
prohibited. After the exchange of a few civilities, accom¬ 
panied by mutual invitations given and accepted, the party 
separated for a time, and met again at the dinner-table. 
Here the king, after giving the health of King George, 
